Wednesday 15 April 2015

Silk (The Bloodstone Series book 1) by Chris Karlsen

Silk (The Bloodstone Series Book 1)A murder mystery set in London during the late 1880s. At the same time as Jack the Ripper is haunting Whitechapel, another serial killer is on the loose in a different part of London.



When murder victims are discovered in the grounds surrounding the National British Museum, the task of solving these murders falls on Detective Inspector Rudyard Bloodstone. He suspects, however, that there may actually be two different killers operating in his jurisdiction and so sets about to prove his theory. This puts him at odds with his superiors who want the case closed quickly. 

What I found interesting about this novel is that it is told from two different viewpoints. We are privy to the killer's identity from the outset and are shown how he develops his taste for strangling women, his attempts at romance, and ultimately, the deterioration of his sanity in his search for an elixir that promises youth. He is an interesting character. In parts of the novel I actually quite liked him! and was hoping he could be redeemed. But obviously cold blooded killers can't be redeemed and by the end I was rooting for Detective Inspector Bloodstone to get his man.

We also read the story from the police procedural point of view. Even though it is clear from the outset who the killer is, it isn't until the very end of the novel that the identity of the second murderer is revealed. I was glad that this little nugget of mystery held out until the end.

There is also a little bit of romance in the background as Detective Inspector Bloodstone is single and there seems to be plenty of women lining up to date him. 

This was a great read and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.
I look forward to reading the next in the series.

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