The Last Days of Newgate - by Andrew Pepper

London, 1829. Pyke is one of these dying breed. The Bow Street Runners are about to be replaced by the Metropolitan Police. In the dark, vice ridden alleys of the city Pyke attempts to bring villains to justice. Yet like many of the Runners, Pyke is also involved in criminal activities of his own. With the lines between right and wrong so blurred it's no wonder that Peel wants to see the Bow Street Runners disbanded. Yet is he above using criminal methods himself to see them thoroughly discredited? Pyke is drawn into a plot to remove the Bow Street Runners altogether, inflame tensions between Protestants and Catholics and bring the city to its knees. Can Pyke get to the bottom of this mystery? With every conceivable spanner thrown into the works, including being framed for murder, the pressure is on and Pyke must get to the truth before the Hangman puts the noose around his neck.

Pyke is definitely an anti-hero. Despite supposedly bringing law and order to the city he is not above thieving and swindling. Out to get what ever he can and always putting himself first. At the start of the book you see him being offered a private commission, something that would be considered completely and utterly corrupt in today's society. He is certainly not the first person you would expect to be so appalled by the gruesome murder towards the beginning of the book that he feels compelled to investigate it. Yet as the story unfolds we begin to realise that despite his many flaws there is a flicker of human decency and compassion. You find yourself wanting Pyke to succeed, despite hating what he gets up to.

This is a very dark book and not for the faint hearted. There's lots of murder, highway robbery, sex with prostitutes, the realities of Newgate Prison, fighting and filth. The very graphic murder of a young family in the first few chapters really is horrific and even Pyke, who has seen it all, is made ill by it. I don't think this book could ever be made into a tea time drama for the BBC! I have to say that I don't normally go in for books this dark, but I felt I needed to find out what on earth was going on!

I don't know if I want to read the next book though. I found Pyke's various relationships and his problems with women difficult to sympathise with. If I'm honest he's the sort of man I would hope never to fall in love with. His loveless relationship with Lizzie is heart breaking and you keep wishing he could just be honest with her and himself.

Pyke is a well constructed, complex character. No one is ever squeaky clean and you can forgive some of what Pyke gets up to because of his circumstances. He's a very real character, it's almost as if Andrew Pepper could be writing his biography.

Unfortunately I know very little about the pre-Victorian 19th century. I've come across the Bow Street Runners before in Deryn Lake's John Rawling's series set in the late 18th century. The author has pulled upon some well known historic facts such as the awful conditions of Newgate prison and the work of Elizabeth Fry. The introduction of the Metropolitan Police Force is also based on fact. The religious tensions are probably very accurate too, as even today there are still tensions between Catholics and Protestants in some parts of Ireland. I think it's harder for authors to get away without researching the period they set their historical fiction in nowadays so they are less likely to be inaccurate.
If you enjoy historical crime fiction it is definitely worth giving this book a try, particularly if you are wanting to expand your tastes. It is a dark book and there is a lot of trials and tribulations so its best avoided if you're looking for an easy, light hearted read. I still don't know quite how I feel about the book (which will be reflected in my rating), but I would still urge people to give it a go.

*3 stars*

Young Bloods by Simon Scarrow

Napoleon Bonaparte and Wellington are arguably two of the most well known figures of the late 18th/early 19th century. In his new series, 'Revolution', Simon Scarrow charts the the lives of these two men side by side from birth to death. Although fictional, the books do draw greatly from what is know about these two figures with a little added artistic licence. In the first book 'Young Bloods' the two men are followed from birth, through their school days and up until the start of their involvement in the European wars of the late 18th century.

Don't let the size of this book put you off. At 512 pages it is not a short book but it is definitely an excellent read. I know little about this period of history and therefore cannot vouch for how accurate Scarrow is, yet I feel that I have learnt a lot by reading this book. It paints Napoleon as a born military figure. He fights hard to overcome the racism against his origins and to prove that he is a talented man. Wellington (or Arthur Wesley as he was orignally known)does not strike you as a born man of the military. In some ways he makes his way into the army in an easier fashion than Bonaparte as he at least comes from a good background. Instead he has to deal with lack of talent (although he is a gifted musician), his mother who does not seem to love him and the eventual ruin his family suffer. Scarrow tries to deal with both characters sensitvely and impartially but it is clear to see how stubborn both men are and how they can at times be obnoxious or loveable.

Both men seem to have a talent for leadership. This is something that becomes apparent towards the end of the book and will no doubt become more important as the series progresses.

I was amazed at how easy the book was to read. I have to admit I read it in a day and read quite a bit before I realised how much I'd read (if you know what I mean!). It was engaging, interesting and I very much felt that most of the characters had depth. Despite having no interest in Napoleon and Wellington prior to reading this book I now find I watch the occasional documentary about this period as I now know something about this.

As this is the first installment of the series there is not a huge deal of fighting and action in that sense in the book. I suspect that the next two books will have far more fighting in them which may render them slightly tedious. However this book has certainly peaked my interest and I look forward to reading 'The Generals' in the near future.

*4 stars*

A Prayer for the Damned by Peter Tremayne

The latest in the Fidelma of Cashel series and therefore may contain spoilers if you have not read any of the previous books yet.

Fidelma and Eadulf have finally lived together for a year and a day as man and wife and have chosen to finally wed. Distinguished guests from all over Ireland including the High King himself descend upon Cashel to celebrate the marriage. There are also those who seek to disrupt the marriage as they believe that the religious should not marry. When one of these dissenters is found dead in his room Fidelma and Eadulf are once again drawn into the search for a murderer. Although the case at first seems an open and shut affair with the main suspect having been seen leaving the room of the deceased around the time of his death, Fidelma is not so sure. But as more people die and deep rooted hatreds are uncovered there definitely is more to this than meets the eye.

Peter Tremayne rarely lets me down. The world of Fidelma and Eadulf is full of colour and depth. For those who have religiously read the previous installments much of the background, the setting and the characters are already known to you. Even so Tremayne does not allow his characters to remain constant. In particular in this book we see Eadulf's increasing discomfort at the differences in rank between him and Fidelma, while Fidelma questions her faith and chosen path in life. Perhaps Tremayne is setting us up for a brand new direction. Whatever his reasons its refreshing to see his characters are real people who evolve with each new experience. It is also refreshing that they are so human, how many grooms get a touch of the 'cold feet' after all!

I can't be completely praiseworthy of this book. There were times when the pace seemed to flag and rather than entertaining twists and turns you felt as if you were wading through mud. Some readers may find the Irish law system difficult to understand and stomach and we are left to question which is better, the Irish tradition of Christianity or the Roman tradition (which of course is the one that eventually triumphed). Although it is perfectly easy to read the book without getting bogged down in the detail it does at least offer the reader the chance to appreciate the story at a different level.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and think it perfect for anyone interested in 7th century Ireland, or historical murder mysteries.

**4 stars**