kirkw1972's review against another edition
4.0
This is the second Bexley novel, one in which London is terrorised by the Wraith; a mysterious figure that has kidnapped people and left only a cultish symbol as a clue. It works as a standalone novel but I think I would’ve liked to have read the first book as there’s quite a bit referencing back to that one especially in where the ghost sightings started. I did really enjoy it though regardless.
It’s very atmospheric. It would make a great old time hammer film. The descriptions of foggy London and atmospheric creepy houses on the abandoned island in Scotland are so indepth. It was so easy to transport myself to all of them. There are quite a few twists to keep you guessing and it never slows from the start. A creepy, compelling ghost-crime read. Loved it.
It’s very atmospheric. It would make a great old time hammer film. The descriptions of foggy London and atmospheric creepy houses on the abandoned island in Scotland are so indepth. It was so easy to transport myself to all of them. There are quite a few twists to keep you guessing and it never slows from the start. A creepy, compelling ghost-crime read. Loved it.
bookingbonkers's review against another edition
4.0
This was a very good creepy read. Mystery paranormal with a few twists and a creepy feel
dedasab's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
It dragged on and the culprit and the reasoning behind the murders weren't good. I liked it, as it was as good as the previous book. However, I preferred the first book and will be reading the next book if this series continues.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Violence, and Gore
robbom97's review against another edition
5.0
This took me so long to read and I really don’t know why I couldn’t put it down once I got about half way through!
Definitely prompted me to but the first book.
There is such a twist at the end I wasn’t expecting! Itching to find out who the killer was and the suspense is kept really well right until the last few chapters.
Definitely prompted me to but the first book.
There is such a twist at the end I wasn’t expecting! Itching to find out who the killer was and the suspense is kept really well right until the last few chapters.
ishouldreadthat's review against another edition
4.0
Originally posted to I Should Read That
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This review is spoiler free.
I have been absolutely loving Gothic historical fiction at the moment -- it's the perfect thing to read when the weather begins to turn and the nights get longer -- and Letters from the Dead perfect fit the bill. I was totally swept away by this harrowing Gothic crime novel and its unreliable narrator -- I struggled to put it down!
Letters from the Dead is the second book in the Thomas Bexley series, however you can absolutely read this book without picking up the first novel, A Shadow on the Lens (although I plan to go back and read the first book!). These novels are set in Edwardian London and Scotland, and Hurcom creates a dizzyingly claustrophobic narrative that is so incredibly compelling. I had a great time watching the mystery unfold, picking up on the clues dotted throughout the story, and trying to figure out what was happening.
Bexley is a fascinating character because he's a totally unreliable narrator. Not only is he an alcoholic with huge gaps in his memory between the events of the first book and the beginning of the second, but he's also absolutely sure he's going mad. He's a twist on the classic broken detective character and being haunted by the dead -- filling his life with unease and terror and keeping him on edge at all times. As the story progresses, he becomes more and more unstable and unreliable, but is he truly losing his mind? I really enjoyed following his story arc throughout this book, but I do feel like I missed a little bit of his initial character development having not read the first novel, which is totally my fault -- I didn't know him well to start out with and couldn't compare him to the man he was before joining the police. Regardless, I found him absolutely fascinating and really enjoyed, if that's the right word, watching his story unfold.
A fantastically twisted and macabre crime novel with just the right amount of horror, Letters from the Dead is a book I'd highly recommend for fans of historical-set crime fiction or Laura Purcell's novels. In fact, I've already handed it off to my mother -- what better endorsement can you get?
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This review is spoiler free.
I have been absolutely loving Gothic historical fiction at the moment -- it's the perfect thing to read when the weather begins to turn and the nights get longer -- and Letters from the Dead perfect fit the bill. I was totally swept away by this harrowing Gothic crime novel and its unreliable narrator -- I struggled to put it down!
Letters from the Dead is the second book in the Thomas Bexley series, however you can absolutely read this book without picking up the first novel, A Shadow on the Lens (although I plan to go back and read the first book!). These novels are set in Edwardian London and Scotland, and Hurcom creates a dizzyingly claustrophobic narrative that is so incredibly compelling. I had a great time watching the mystery unfold, picking up on the clues dotted throughout the story, and trying to figure out what was happening.
Bexley is a fascinating character because he's a totally unreliable narrator. Not only is he an alcoholic with huge gaps in his memory between the events of the first book and the beginning of the second, but he's also absolutely sure he's going mad. He's a twist on the classic broken detective character and being haunted by the dead -- filling his life with unease and terror and keeping him on edge at all times. As the story progresses, he becomes more and more unstable and unreliable, but is he truly losing his mind? I really enjoyed following his story arc throughout this book, but I do feel like I missed a little bit of his initial character development having not read the first novel, which is totally my fault -- I didn't know him well to start out with and couldn't compare him to the man he was before joining the police. Regardless, I found him absolutely fascinating and really enjoyed, if that's the right word, watching his story unfold.
A fantastically twisted and macabre crime novel with just the right amount of horror, Letters from the Dead is a book I'd highly recommend for fans of historical-set crime fiction or Laura Purcell's novels. In fact, I've already handed it off to my mother -- what better endorsement can you get?
thelibraryofanna's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
quills_and_typewriters's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
v_v_v's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
emilys_editions's review
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
elmwhite's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25