REVIEW: The Yard by Alex Grecian

Victorian London is a cesspool of crime, and Scotland Yard has only twelve detectives—known as “The Murder Squad”—to investigate countless murders every month. Created after the Metropolitan Police’s spectacular failure to capture Jack the Ripper, The Murder Squad suffers rampant public contempt. They have failed their citizens. But no one can anticipate the brutal murder of one of their own . . . one of the twelve . . .When Walter Day, the squad’s newest hire, is assigned the case of the murdered detective, he finds a strange ally in the Yard’s first forensic pathologist, Dr. Bernard Kingsley. Together they track the killer, who clearly is not finished with The Murder Squad . . . but why?Filled with fascinating period detail, and real historical figures, this spectacular debut in a new series showcases the depravity of late Victorian London, the advent of criminology, and introduces a stunning new cast of characters sure to appeal to fans of The Sherlockian and The Alienist.

Alex Grecian's historical mystery is set just after the time of Jack the Ripper. Forensics is in its infancy, and Scotland Yard is beginning to realize that there are some crimes and criminals that baffles traditional thinking. This is not a who-dun-it; in fact, the author reveals that information relatively early in the book. It is a look into the psychology of crime and, perhaps more importantly, the men who fight against it under difficult circumstances.

I was very glad to find out that The Yard is the first in a series--somehow that slipped past me when reading the back cover! I absolutely fell in love with the characters, especially Walter Day (shhh, don't tell my husband or Walter's wife, Claire). The best part of this book is getting to know the characters, and I'm glad I'm going to get the chance to read more about them.

I'm already anxiously awaiting book two in this series.

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