Gallows court : Jacob Flint #1 / Martin Edwards.

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Title:

Gallows court : Jacob Flint #1 / Martin Edwards.

Author:

Edwards, Martin, 1955-

ISBN:

9781492699286

Physical Description:

349 pages

Series:

Jacob Flint #1

General Note:

"This edition issued based on the paperback edition published in 2018 in Great Britain by Head of Zeus Ltd."

Abstract:

"London, 1930. A headless corpse; an apparent suicide in a locked room; a man burned alive during an illusionist's show in front of thousands of people. Scotland Yard is baffled by the sequence of ghastly murders unfolding across the city and at the centre of it all is mysterious heiress Rachel Savernake. Daughter of a grand judge, Rachel is as glamorous as she is elusive. Jacob Flint, a tenacious young journalist eager to cover the gruesome crimes, is drawn into Rachel's glittering world of wealth and power. But as the body count continues to rise, Jacob is convinced Rachel is harbouring a dark secret and he soon becomes part of a dangerous game that could leave him dancing at the end of the hangman's rope if he pursues the truth-- Provided by publisher.

Subject Term:

Flint, Jacob (Fictitious character) -- Fiction.

Savernake, Rachel (Fictitious character) -- Fiction.

Heiresses -- England -- London -- Fiction.

Wealth -- Fiction.

Journalists -- Fiction.

Serial murder investigation -- Fiction.

Family secrets -- Fiction.

Genre:

Detective and mystery stories.

Historical fiction.

Available:*

Library	Material Type	Item Barcode	Shelf Number	Status
Searching... Avon-Washington Township Public Library	Adult Mystery Fiction Book Paperback	120791002777569	M EDW	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

"Superb--a pitch-perfect blend of Golden Age charm and sinister modern suspense, with a main character to die for. This is the book Edwards was born to write."--Lee Child, #1 New York Times bestselling author

The first Golden Age-style mystery in the Rachel Savernake series... How close can one person get to a cruel justice system before falling victim to it?

London, 1930

Sooty, sulphurous, and malign: no woman should be out on a night like this. A spate of violent deaths--the details too foul to print--has horrified the capital and the smog-bound streets are deserted. But Rachel Savernake--the enigmatic daughter of a notorious hanging judge--is no ordinary woman. To Scotland Yard's embarrassment, she solved the Chorus Girl Murder, and now she's on the trail of another killer.

Jacob Flint, a young newspaperman temporarily manning The Clarion's crime desk, is looking for the scoop that will make his name. He's certain there is more to the Miss Savernake's amateur sleuthing than meets the eye. He's not the only one.

Flint's pursuit of Rachel Savernake will draw him ever-deeper into a labyrinth of deception and corruption. Murder-by-murder, he'll be swept ever-closer to its dark heart--and to the gallows themselves.

Dark, atmospheric, and hearkening back to the Golden Age mysteries, Gallows Court is:

Perfect for fans of Sherry Thomas and Sophie Hannah For readers who enjoy British crime mysteries and historical fiction

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

In this exceptional series launch from Edgar--winner Edwards (Dancing for the Hangman) set in 1930 London, ambitious tabloid journalist Jacob Flint is hoping to make a name for himself by interviewing Rachel Savernake, a judge's daughter, whose amateur detecting solved a murder that baffled Scotland Yard. Rachel had identified Claude Linacre, a prominent politician's brother, as the killer shortly before Linacre fatally poisoned himself. After Rachel rebuffs Jacob's inquiries about the Linacre case, she persuades a terminally ill banker and philanthropist to write a confession that he strangled and dismembered a nurse--and then shoot himself. Entries from an 11-year-old journal, written by someone whose role is initially unclear, accuse Rachel of being a murderer. More bloodshed follows as Jacob tries to figure out Rachel's motives and culpability. The labyrinthine plot is one of Edwards's best, and he does a masterly job of maintaining suspense, besides getting the reader to invest in the fate of the two main characters. Fans of Edgar Wallace's classic Four Just Men won't want to miss this one. (Sept.)

Booklist Review

Edwards has earned a clutch of awards for nonfiction and fiction alike, and his latest novel arrives in the U.S. after having won the UK's 2018 Dagger in the Library prize. At the center of this stand-alone thriller, set in London in 1930, is Rachel Savernake, a glamorous, 24-year-old heiress with an interest in amateur sleuthing. Both Scotland Yard inspectors and Fleet Street reporters are baffled by the fact that Rachel beat the police in solving the murders and dismemberments of two young women. A Fleet Street cub crime reporter is fascinated by Rachel (as will be the reader); their cat-and-mouse game is absorbing in itself. Adding to the mystery is a series of interspersed journal entries about Rachel, dating from 1919. This is highly atmospheric, spine-tingling fun. The 1930s setting is to die for, including many evocative details, like the speaking tube with which Rachel communicates with the driver of her Rolls-Royce, and the presence of a yellowing poster for Hitchcock's 1929 thriller Blackmail, hanging in the luggage office of a London train station. Best of all, the way that Edwards keeps deepening the creepiness of this mystery until the very end is utterly stunning.--Connie Fletcher Copyright 2010 Booklist