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Jem Flockhart #6
Under Ground
In the darkness, her face glimmered like polished bone, white, but with a bluish tinge. Her lips were dry and cracked. I saw them move; a black tongue pass over them as if she was trying to speak, but she made no sound.
A plague is coming to London. Dreaded more than the Devil himself, cholera - the 'blue death' - spares no one. As fear grows across the city, Jem Flockhart and Will Quartermain are called to the bedside of a dead man, murdered, and with his throat torn out, in the back room of a brothel. When an innocent man is taken to Newgate, Jem and Will have until execution day to save him. The search for the identity of the corpse, and the killer, takes them to the gates of Blackwater Hall, home to the secretive, and corrupt Mortmain family. With the approach of autumn, no one is safe, for the fog brings with it an evil and poisonous sickness - the perfect shroud for murder.
When family secrets are prised out into the open, people begin dying. But who, or what, is the cause? Searching for answers, Jem and Will are driven underground, to the passages and tunnels beneath the city's teeming streets. Here, their adversary proves to be more elusive, and more deadly, than ever.
A plague is coming to London. Dreaded more than the Devil himself, cholera - the 'blue death' - spares no one. As fear grows across the city, Jem Flockhart and Will Quartermain are called to the bedside of a dead man, murdered, and with his throat torn out, in the back room of a brothel. When an innocent man is taken to Newgate, Jem and Will have until execution day to save him. The search for the identity of the corpse, and the killer, takes them to the gates of Blackwater Hall, home to the secretive, and corrupt Mortmain family. With the approach of autumn, no one is safe, for the fog brings with it an evil and poisonous sickness - the perfect shroud for murder.
When family secrets are prised out into the open, people begin dying. But who, or what, is the cause? Searching for answers, Jem and Will are driven underground, to the passages and tunnels beneath the city's teeming streets. Here, their adversary proves to be more elusive, and more deadly, than ever.
352 pages, Paperback
Published January 7, 2025
8 people are currently reading
268 people want to read
About the author
E.S. Thomson
7 books276 followersElaine Thomson has a PhD in the history of medicine and works as a university lecturer in Edinburgh. She was shortlisted for the Saltire First Book Award and the Scottish Arts Council First Book Award. Elaine lives in Edinburgh with her two sons.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
October 3, 2023
4 Stars
One Liner: Darkish mystery
1854, London
The dreaded cholera, aka blue death, is hounding London again. The city is in panic, but that doesn’t stop Jem Flockhart and Will Quartermain from pursuing a murder case.
An unknown man was murdered in a brothel, and its guard has been arrested for the crime. Jem and Will know he is not the killer but have only a few days to find out more about the victim and trace the killer. Their investigation takes them to the powerful, rich, and mysterious Mortmain family.
With the clocking ticker faster, can Jem and Will save an innocent’s life and bring justice to the dead?
The story comes in Jem’s first-person POV and journal entries by Will.
My Thoughts:
So, first things first. I didn’t realize this was a part of a series until a day before I started reading the book. I came across a review mentioning this and went on Amazon to find out. Well, I was surprised this was book #6. Lucky that I’m not particular about reading a series in an order. I think there are a few spoilers for the main characters in this one, though I cannot say how much or what.
The setting is bleak, foul, smelly, and oppressive like the underground sewers polluting the River Thames. With fog, cold, smell, cholera, and death, there isn’t anything breezy or light about the book. Though some of it is uncomfortable to read, it’s necessary to keep the reader immersed in the setting.
The narration is easy to follow but slow. The story moves at a languid pace to suit the overall atmosphere of gloom, treachery, and violence. It’s a good change from reading about only the best side of London. This one is realistic and brutal.
The main characters take some to get used to. Jem is easier to follow than Will, who seems to have a rather delicate disposition. There’s some backstory I’m missing (obviously), but that doesn’t affect the core plot, so I could read it for what it is without worrying too much.
Since Jem is an apothecary doctor, we get insights into treatments, salves, and stuff. This is quite interesting (and I always like to read about natural medicine). Also, kind of scary that leeches are placed on the neck to drain some blood and provide relief from migraines. *shudder*
The central mystery slowly unravels as Jem and Will find more information and try to connect the dots. A few clues and red herrings are scattered for readers to guess. There’s a bit of wordplay, too - some for dark humor and some as clues.
Given the time period, the book also mentions the Golconda diamonds (still in the possession of the British). There are a couple of references to the Indian colonies, and a bit of racism, which was natural back then.
The side characters are interesting. Thimble has great potential. I hope this lad becomes a recurring character like Jenny. Among those involved in the case, Caroline and Charlotte stand out from the rest. I like how the book shows the other side of privileged activism, where the saviors will do anything to ensure the unfortunate will continue to be needy. After all, if people have better lives, they won’t need saviors. Gasp!
Another point I like is how women found ways to have a career and achieve their ambitions despite the stifling limitations. They still had to give up certain things, but they were willing to do it. (Not saying more to avoid spoilers).
The book ends on a hopeful note. I’m curious to see how Jem and Will will solve more cases that come their way. I’ve also added the previous ones to my list.
To summarize, Under Ground is a dark, stinky, and murderous mystery that works as a standalone, though you might enjoy it more if you read at least one book in the series. I still liked this.
Thank you, NetGalley, Little, Brown Book Group UK, and Constable, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
#NetGalley #UnderGround
***
TW: Suicides
One Liner: Darkish mystery
1854, London
The dreaded cholera, aka blue death, is hounding London again. The city is in panic, but that doesn’t stop Jem Flockhart and Will Quartermain from pursuing a murder case.
An unknown man was murdered in a brothel, and its guard has been arrested for the crime. Jem and Will know he is not the killer but have only a few days to find out more about the victim and trace the killer. Their investigation takes them to the powerful, rich, and mysterious Mortmain family.
With the clocking ticker faster, can Jem and Will save an innocent’s life and bring justice to the dead?
The story comes in Jem’s first-person POV and journal entries by Will.
My Thoughts:
So, first things first. I didn’t realize this was a part of a series until a day before I started reading the book. I came across a review mentioning this and went on Amazon to find out. Well, I was surprised this was book #6. Lucky that I’m not particular about reading a series in an order. I think there are a few spoilers for the main characters in this one, though I cannot say how much or what.
The setting is bleak, foul, smelly, and oppressive like the underground sewers polluting the River Thames. With fog, cold, smell, cholera, and death, there isn’t anything breezy or light about the book. Though some of it is uncomfortable to read, it’s necessary to keep the reader immersed in the setting.
The narration is easy to follow but slow. The story moves at a languid pace to suit the overall atmosphere of gloom, treachery, and violence. It’s a good change from reading about only the best side of London. This one is realistic and brutal.
The main characters take some to get used to. Jem is easier to follow than Will, who seems to have a rather delicate disposition. There’s some backstory I’m missing (obviously), but that doesn’t affect the core plot, so I could read it for what it is without worrying too much.
Since Jem is an apothecary doctor, we get insights into treatments, salves, and stuff. This is quite interesting (and I always like to read about natural medicine). Also, kind of scary that leeches are placed on the neck to drain some blood and provide relief from migraines. *shudder*
The central mystery slowly unravels as Jem and Will find more information and try to connect the dots. A few clues and red herrings are scattered for readers to guess. There’s a bit of wordplay, too - some for dark humor and some as clues.
Given the time period, the book also mentions the Golconda diamonds (still in the possession of the British). There are a couple of references to the Indian colonies, and a bit of racism, which was natural back then.
The side characters are interesting. Thimble has great potential. I hope this lad becomes a recurring character like Jenny. Among those involved in the case, Caroline and Charlotte stand out from the rest. I like how the book shows the other side of privileged activism, where the saviors will do anything to ensure the unfortunate will continue to be needy. After all, if people have better lives, they won’t need saviors. Gasp!
Another point I like is how women found ways to have a career and achieve their ambitions despite the stifling limitations. They still had to give up certain things, but they were willing to do it. (Not saying more to avoid spoilers).
The book ends on a hopeful note. I’m curious to see how Jem and Will will solve more cases that come their way. I’ve also added the previous ones to my list.
To summarize, Under Ground is a dark, stinky, and murderous mystery that works as a standalone, though you might enjoy it more if you read at least one book in the series. I still liked this.
Thank you, NetGalley, Little, Brown Book Group UK, and Constable, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
#NetGalley #UnderGround
***
TW: Suicides
January 17, 2025
A good read; well written. Decent plot and good characters. This is very atmospheric so much so that it makes for uncomfortable reading at times.
This is my first in the series and it is the latest story. I will definitely go back to the beginning to understand all the backstory of the characters. Recommended.
This is my first in the series and it is the latest story. I will definitely go back to the beginning to understand all the backstory of the characters. Recommended.
October 7, 2024
Every time I put this book back down (which was incredibly difficult as it is an epic page turner) I felt like I needed a good scrub as the sewers and fogs still clung to me. The story is joyfully wicked, tender, fast paced and absorbing - how the series isn't more well known is a mystery to me.
Jem and Will are such well rounded, established characters and E S Thomson's knowledge and obvious obsession with social medical history and the stinking filth of 1850s London is fascinating and worrying in equal measures 😅 I loved that we got to hear Will's thoughts through his journal and his relationship with Thimble the young Tosher was so touching.
Part of a series but works easily as a stand alone novel, loved it.
Jem and Will are such well rounded, established characters and E S Thomson's knowledge and obvious obsession with social medical history and the stinking filth of 1850s London is fascinating and worrying in equal measures 😅 I loved that we got to hear Will's thoughts through his journal and his relationship with Thimble the young Tosher was so touching.
Part of a series but works easily as a stand alone novel, loved it.
September 11, 2024
E.S. Thomson never fails! I almost missed by stop on the subway because I was so engrossed.
October 13, 2024
Bit convoluted and not a very satisfactory end.
October 16, 2024
I love this series, and I think this may be my favourite so far - and they have all been great.
This time Jem and Will are investigating the death of a man in a brothel, which embroils them in the powerful and loathsome Mortmain family, a gang of seriously dysfunctional but fabulous characters, each one of whom I'd happily have settled on as the murder. The case is twisty and turny as you'd expect from this series, but also as you'd expect, it's not the real point.
Will is working on the huge, visionary plans for solving the Great Stink, London's sewage, with the thinly-disguised real life Joseph Bazalguette, a man who plays a central role in one of my own books. So this is history that I know and am hugely fascinated by. Will's work takes him into the sewers with a couple of dubious toshers (men who make a living from digging up precious objects in the sewage) and a trainee baby tosher, an eight year old whom Will takes a great liking to - and whose fate - ah, but that would be spoiling things! Will doesn't talk about his work and usually that doesn't bother Jem, who is too involved in his/her own work to mind. But in this book, with cholera raising its terrifying head again and Jem more confident in himself, Will's detachment begins to bother Jem. I loved this step forward in their relationship, and the conflict that the appearance of a very attractive photographer causes. It would be easy to let Jem and Will continue on, solving crimes, solving London's health problems, but with every book Thomson takes the relationship to a different level - and it's one of the many things that keeps me going back to this series.
Then there's the cast of supporting characters, each of whom are three-dimensional, and about each of whom we learn a bit more with each book: Mrs Roseplucker (I love that name!) and her gang of girls at the brothel; Dr Graves who commandeers every body he can get his mitts on to dissect; and back at the pharmacy there's Jenny, who is determined to follow in Jem's footsteps.
I loved this. As ever it's a page-turner of a murder mystery, but it's so much more. If you've not read any of this series, then lucky you - go back and start at the beginning. For me, I'm already wondering about the next one.
This time Jem and Will are investigating the death of a man in a brothel, which embroils them in the powerful and loathsome Mortmain family, a gang of seriously dysfunctional but fabulous characters, each one of whom I'd happily have settled on as the murder. The case is twisty and turny as you'd expect from this series, but also as you'd expect, it's not the real point.
Will is working on the huge, visionary plans for solving the Great Stink, London's sewage, with the thinly-disguised real life Joseph Bazalguette, a man who plays a central role in one of my own books. So this is history that I know and am hugely fascinated by. Will's work takes him into the sewers with a couple of dubious toshers (men who make a living from digging up precious objects in the sewage) and a trainee baby tosher, an eight year old whom Will takes a great liking to - and whose fate - ah, but that would be spoiling things! Will doesn't talk about his work and usually that doesn't bother Jem, who is too involved in his/her own work to mind. But in this book, with cholera raising its terrifying head again and Jem more confident in himself, Will's detachment begins to bother Jem. I loved this step forward in their relationship, and the conflict that the appearance of a very attractive photographer causes. It would be easy to let Jem and Will continue on, solving crimes, solving London's health problems, but with every book Thomson takes the relationship to a different level - and it's one of the many things that keeps me going back to this series.
Then there's the cast of supporting characters, each of whom are three-dimensional, and about each of whom we learn a bit more with each book: Mrs Roseplucker (I love that name!) and her gang of girls at the brothel; Dr Graves who commandeers every body he can get his mitts on to dissect; and back at the pharmacy there's Jenny, who is determined to follow in Jem's footsteps.
I loved this. As ever it's a page-turner of a murder mystery, but it's so much more. If you've not read any of this series, then lucky you - go back and start at the beginning. For me, I'm already wondering about the next one.
August 15, 2023
A stinker of a book - in the best way.
It's been a while coming, but it was worth the wait. The latest outing for Jem Flockhart and Will Quartermain has arrived and it's a belter.
It's 1854 and London is in the midst of another cholera outbreak. Jem, still in demand as an apothecary and doctor and Will hard at work as a surveyor, are summoned to the brothel run by Mrs Roseplucker, where a client has been found brutally murdered, and Mr Jobber has been arrested for the crime. She implores Jem to find the real killer and save him, even threatening to reveal Jem's secret if he doesn't agree.
Without further ado, Jem and Will are caught up in a fast-moving and turbulent chase to uncover a murderer, which brings them into contact with a dysfunctional family, an addled solicitor, toshers, mollys and more. All this while still trying to define their own relationship. And with a denouement worthy of the best Agatha Christie thriller.
As previously, the star of this book is 19th century London. In particular the sewers which run below the growing city. Will's current job is to survey and map the sewers, the Fleet Ditch, and determine where blockages occur, and how the growing problem of a sewage-infested Thames can be linked to the diseases rampant in London. The sights, smells and sensations of the sewers are painted in explicit detail - do not read this book whilst eating. The sense of fear and claustrophobia Will experiences during his numerous trips under ground makes for tense reading. And there are rats. Big rats.
We also meet many characters from the previous books, and even learn a little bit more about each of them, and the part they play in Jem's life. The trials and tribulations of the poorer inhabitants of London are presented in stark contrast to the lived by the gentry. Fans will be pleased that there's also plenty of apothecary-stuff to enjoy.
"Under Ground" is another meticulously researched Dickensian masterpiece. It will appeal to fans old and new. Definitely recommended.
It's been a while coming, but it was worth the wait. The latest outing for Jem Flockhart and Will Quartermain has arrived and it's a belter.
It's 1854 and London is in the midst of another cholera outbreak. Jem, still in demand as an apothecary and doctor and Will hard at work as a surveyor, are summoned to the brothel run by Mrs Roseplucker, where a client has been found brutally murdered, and Mr Jobber has been arrested for the crime. She implores Jem to find the real killer and save him, even threatening to reveal Jem's secret if he doesn't agree.
Without further ado, Jem and Will are caught up in a fast-moving and turbulent chase to uncover a murderer, which brings them into contact with a dysfunctional family, an addled solicitor, toshers, mollys and more. All this while still trying to define their own relationship. And with a denouement worthy of the best Agatha Christie thriller.
As previously, the star of this book is 19th century London. In particular the sewers which run below the growing city. Will's current job is to survey and map the sewers, the Fleet Ditch, and determine where blockages occur, and how the growing problem of a sewage-infested Thames can be linked to the diseases rampant in London. The sights, smells and sensations of the sewers are painted in explicit detail - do not read this book whilst eating. The sense of fear and claustrophobia Will experiences during his numerous trips under ground makes for tense reading. And there are rats. Big rats.
We also meet many characters from the previous books, and even learn a little bit more about each of them, and the part they play in Jem's life. The trials and tribulations of the poorer inhabitants of London are presented in stark contrast to the lived by the gentry. Fans will be pleased that there's also plenty of apothecary-stuff to enjoy.
"Under Ground" is another meticulously researched Dickensian masterpiece. It will appeal to fans old and new. Definitely recommended.
November 21, 2023
5* - Highly recommended
Under Ground plunges you into the filth of Victorian London, frequently right into its filthy, disgusting open and underground sewers. To say it's 'immersive' is an understatement. You can practically feel the stuff clinging to your shoes and smell it as it assails your nostrils. It is gross -- and engrossing.
Under Ground is about filth, both literal and figurative, both apparent and hidden. About the London slums and the wretched people who have to live there, but also the landlords who poison them and grow rich on the profits. It's about secrets, lies and murder - and cholera - with parallel investigations being carried out by our two protagonists, Jem Flockhart and Will Quartermain. One into the murder of rich man's son in a brothel, the other into the sewer system itself.
The novel includes a range of vivid characters, many of whom have there own secrets and are hiding their true identity. The sheer number of people involved in the story who share a similar secret identity (trying to avoid spoilers here) stretches the bounds of credibility; some of it feels unnecessary. However, as this is the sixth novel in a series, I can only guess that there's a reason and that some of the minor characters have a bigger role in other books in the series. That said, this novel totally works as a standalone. At no point did I feel lost for not having read the previous installments.
Under Ground reminds me of another excellent novel about the London sewers, The Great Stink by Clare Clark (2006). Both are well worth reading, and an excellent (easy) way to learn more about the London sewer system before the improvements made by Sir Joseph Bazalgette. In the almost 20 years since I read The Great Stink, I have never forgotten it. I was delighted to find myself back in that gruesome world thanks to this new novel! I will definitely be buying E. S. Thomson's earlier books.
Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the ARC. All my reviews are 100% honest and unbiased, regardless of how I acquire the book.
Under Ground plunges you into the filth of Victorian London, frequently right into its filthy, disgusting open and underground sewers. To say it's 'immersive' is an understatement. You can practically feel the stuff clinging to your shoes and smell it as it assails your nostrils. It is gross -- and engrossing.
Under Ground is about filth, both literal and figurative, both apparent and hidden. About the London slums and the wretched people who have to live there, but also the landlords who poison them and grow rich on the profits. It's about secrets, lies and murder - and cholera - with parallel investigations being carried out by our two protagonists, Jem Flockhart and Will Quartermain. One into the murder of rich man's son in a brothel, the other into the sewer system itself.
The novel includes a range of vivid characters, many of whom have there own secrets and are hiding their true identity. The sheer number of people involved in the story who share a similar secret identity (trying to avoid spoilers here) stretches the bounds of credibility; some of it feels unnecessary. However, as this is the sixth novel in a series, I can only guess that there's a reason and that some of the minor characters have a bigger role in other books in the series. That said, this novel totally works as a standalone. At no point did I feel lost for not having read the previous installments.
Under Ground reminds me of another excellent novel about the London sewers, The Great Stink by Clare Clark (2006). Both are well worth reading, and an excellent (easy) way to learn more about the London sewer system before the improvements made by Sir Joseph Bazalgette. In the almost 20 years since I read The Great Stink, I have never forgotten it. I was delighted to find myself back in that gruesome world thanks to this new novel! I will definitely be buying E. S. Thomson's earlier books.
Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the ARC. All my reviews are 100% honest and unbiased, regardless of how I acquire the book.
October 24, 2023
After a man is found murdered in unusual and brutal circumstances, Jem Flockhart and Will Quartermain are drawn into another mystery that will lead them, and us, through the squalor of Victorian slums in pursuit of the killer.
I love, love, love this series. The characters are what really make it. The unique qualities of each one are very much woven into the action and, as a reader, you are as much invested in how they develop as in how the story proceeds. The complex relationship between Flockhart and Quartermain is sensitively drawn; you really feel those conflicting, complicated emotions.
Despite being a work of fiction and an entertaining whodunnit, the attention paid to historical detail and accuracy provides a very authentic backdrop for the action and always supplies an interesting, thought provoking sub-text. In Under Ground, an outbreak of cholera is running rampant through the London poor and Will is commissioned to work with a Mr Basilisk to design more efficient sewerage systems that would allow access to cleaner water. Significant debates took place at this time about the causes of cholera: miasma (air borne) or water. Characteristically, Thomson manages to weave this naturally into the narrative.
For those who have followed the series, surprises are in store from some well-known characters and new characters are introduced who I’m sure will play a larger role as the story goes on.
For anyone new to these books, it is perfectly possible to enjoy this as a stand-alone with just enough background being provided as you read along. However, if you are a fan of historical crime fiction, I’m sure that, once you have read this one, you’ll want to read them all. And you won’t be disappointed.
I love, love, love this series. The characters are what really make it. The unique qualities of each one are very much woven into the action and, as a reader, you are as much invested in how they develop as in how the story proceeds. The complex relationship between Flockhart and Quartermain is sensitively drawn; you really feel those conflicting, complicated emotions.
Despite being a work of fiction and an entertaining whodunnit, the attention paid to historical detail and accuracy provides a very authentic backdrop for the action and always supplies an interesting, thought provoking sub-text. In Under Ground, an outbreak of cholera is running rampant through the London poor and Will is commissioned to work with a Mr Basilisk to design more efficient sewerage systems that would allow access to cleaner water. Significant debates took place at this time about the causes of cholera: miasma (air borne) or water. Characteristically, Thomson manages to weave this naturally into the narrative.
For those who have followed the series, surprises are in store from some well-known characters and new characters are introduced who I’m sure will play a larger role as the story goes on.
For anyone new to these books, it is perfectly possible to enjoy this as a stand-alone with just enough background being provided as you read along. However, if you are a fan of historical crime fiction, I’m sure that, once you have read this one, you’ll want to read them all. And you won’t be disappointed.
September 17, 2023
A plague is coming to London, cholera - the 'blue death' - spares no one. Jem Flockhart and Will Quartermain are called to the bedside of a dead man, murdered, and with his throat torn out, in the back room of a brothel. When an innocent man is taken to Newgate, Jem and Will have until execution day to save him.
The search for the identity of the corpse, and the killer, takes them to the gates of Blackwater Hall, home to the secretive, and corrupt Mortmain family. With the approach of autumn, no one is safe, for the fog brings with it an evil and poisonous sickness - the perfect shroud for murder.
Searching for answers, Jem Flockhart and Will Quartermain are driven underground, to the passages and tunnels beneath the streets and their adversary proves to be more elusive and deadly than they could imagine.
I hadn’t read any of this series before, but oh my word, I need to now! This is gripping historical crime fiction at its best. Packed full of detail and with a complex plot, Thomson weaves a fantastic tale right to the very end. The characters are great, Jem and Will especially and I have a soft spot for Thimble -Will’s sewer guide, I am hoping that he will feature in future books. We get to delve into the stinking depths of London’s sewers and the poverty, corruption and disease from the time is never shied away from.
A vivid and atmospheric page turner, simply glorious!
The search for the identity of the corpse, and the killer, takes them to the gates of Blackwater Hall, home to the secretive, and corrupt Mortmain family. With the approach of autumn, no one is safe, for the fog brings with it an evil and poisonous sickness - the perfect shroud for murder.
Searching for answers, Jem Flockhart and Will Quartermain are driven underground, to the passages and tunnels beneath the streets and their adversary proves to be more elusive and deadly than they could imagine.
I hadn’t read any of this series before, but oh my word, I need to now! This is gripping historical crime fiction at its best. Packed full of detail and with a complex plot, Thomson weaves a fantastic tale right to the very end. The characters are great, Jem and Will especially and I have a soft spot for Thimble -Will’s sewer guide, I am hoping that he will feature in future books. We get to delve into the stinking depths of London’s sewers and the poverty, corruption and disease from the time is never shied away from.
A vivid and atmospheric page turner, simply glorious!
September 29, 2023
It continues to baffle me why this series isn’t better known.
Each book is absolutely brilliant and Under Ground, the 6th in the series, is no exception.
I just love Jem & Will and the bunch of characters they’ve collected along the way and reading a new book in the series is like catching up with friends
This time Jem is involved in solving a murder of an unknown upper class gentleman in a brothel while Will is employed in exploring the London sewers in an attempt to root out the causes of cholera.
This is another cleverly crafted, tightly plotted story. The smell, dirt and crush of Victorian London is vividly and effortlessly evoked. As is the grinding poverty and the stark contrast of the opulence of the upper classes.
I really enjoyed this book and especially the exploration of the sewers and tunnels under London - the rats not so much!
As ever I find Jems work as an apothecary and the use of herbs fascinating and there is always something new to learn.
The introduction of a couple of new characters too sets things up nicely for the next book which I am already very much looking forward to.
Special shout out to the Dickensesque character names too - Mrs Roseplucker & Mother Allcock the brothel madams - does make me chuckle.
This can be read as a stand alone but why deny yourself the pleasure of the first five books?
Thanks to Little Brown & Netgalley for the chance to read an early copy.
Each book is absolutely brilliant and Under Ground, the 6th in the series, is no exception.
I just love Jem & Will and the bunch of characters they’ve collected along the way and reading a new book in the series is like catching up with friends
This time Jem is involved in solving a murder of an unknown upper class gentleman in a brothel while Will is employed in exploring the London sewers in an attempt to root out the causes of cholera.
This is another cleverly crafted, tightly plotted story. The smell, dirt and crush of Victorian London is vividly and effortlessly evoked. As is the grinding poverty and the stark contrast of the opulence of the upper classes.
I really enjoyed this book and especially the exploration of the sewers and tunnels under London - the rats not so much!
As ever I find Jems work as an apothecary and the use of herbs fascinating and there is always something new to learn.
The introduction of a couple of new characters too sets things up nicely for the next book which I am already very much looking forward to.
Special shout out to the Dickensesque character names too - Mrs Roseplucker & Mother Allcock the brothel madams - does make me chuckle.
This can be read as a stand alone but why deny yourself the pleasure of the first five books?
Thanks to Little Brown & Netgalley for the chance to read an early copy.
October 4, 2023
The body of a dead man with his throat cut out has been discovered in a brothel in 19th century London and an innocent man taken to Newgate prison, accused of the crime and due to hang within the week. Jem Flockhart, a doctor, and Will Quartermain, an architect, are called to identify the body and investigate the murder in order to save the innocent man's life. In the background, cholera is spreading across a filthy London and threatens everyone.
I had begun this book before I realised it was part of the series and the characters were returning - often this can be very confusing for a new reader but the author did a great job of giving enough backstory for me to know what was happening without talking about it too much, which can be frustrating for those who have read all the previous books. I found the story a little slow in places but the atmosphere was very well created - London is in itself a character in the book and it's completely convincing as a horrible, dirty, smelly, foggy place where the poor are left to their fate by those who believe themselves better.
Perhaps if I had read the previous stories in the series I would have felt a little more connected to the characters but I did really enjoy the Dickensian feel of the whole book, so I will look them up now to find out more.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher in an advance copy in return for an honest review.
#UnderGround #NetGalley
I had begun this book before I realised it was part of the series and the characters were returning - often this can be very confusing for a new reader but the author did a great job of giving enough backstory for me to know what was happening without talking about it too much, which can be frustrating for those who have read all the previous books. I found the story a little slow in places but the atmosphere was very well created - London is in itself a character in the book and it's completely convincing as a horrible, dirty, smelly, foggy place where the poor are left to their fate by those who believe themselves better.
Perhaps if I had read the previous stories in the series I would have felt a little more connected to the characters but I did really enjoy the Dickensian feel of the whole book, so I will look them up now to find out more.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher in an advance copy in return for an honest review.
#UnderGround #NetGalley
December 3, 2024
I love every book in this series. Jem is a wonderful character, and each book seems to collect another waif and stray to hang around the apothecary, but I’m completely ok with this. Jenny in particular is a great addition, because one of the things E.S Thomson does well is write women. They’re flawed and interesting, and never shy away from opinion. This is significant because of the Victorian setting, and because Jem would be considered in today’s language to be a trans man, and this too is written well. No huge thing is made of it, simply that Jem’s father wanted a future for his child beyond marriage and monotony, so he brought his daughter up as a boy. Jem is now living happily as a man, unbeknownst to even close friends and allies. The skill with which this is handled is immaculate. On the one hand there is the occasional moment when we wonder if Jem’s secret will be exposed; on the other it doesn’t matter. Jem is a skilled apothecary and great at rooting out murderers, and that is all that we need concern ourselves with. I hope there are many more Jem books to come and I can’t wait for the next to come out.
November 5, 2023
When a man is found murdered in a brothel the magistrates immediately arrest Mr Jobber, the amiable guard, but the madam knows it wasn't him. Jem Flockhart is asked to look into the murder by the dead man's father, a wealthy recluse, who fears the family curse has struck again. Meanwhile Will Quartermain is working with Mr Basilisk on plans for the a new sewerage system around the Fleet river which is sorely needed as cholera haunts London.
I've not read all the books in this series but have enjoyed several of them so picked this one up with the knowledge that I was in safe hands. Here the focus is on the poor parts of London, affected by a lack of access to clean water and therefore prone to disease. The family at the centre are suitable gothic in character, the plot labyrinthine in nature and the detailed research is excellent. A thoroughly satisfying read.
I've not read all the books in this series but have enjoyed several of them so picked this one up with the knowledge that I was in safe hands. Here the focus is on the poor parts of London, affected by a lack of access to clean water and therefore prone to disease. The family at the centre are suitable gothic in character, the plot labyrinthine in nature and the detailed research is excellent. A thoroughly satisfying read.
June 8, 2025
I love this series. Not your usual police procedure, so it is a little different. I’m a big murder-mystery fan and it’s not often I don’t guess the culprit - hence 5 stars for this one.
This is well written and with characters who are complex and believable without being a heavy read, if like me you want to lose yourself in the prose as well as a great plot to relax without having to concentrate over hard.
I’ve read all of these in order and love the fact it brings to life some historical context (I hated history at school and it makes me add to my reading. In this book, it describes a putrid unhealthy London, in ways that I can still see (and thankfully not smell) it, long after finishing the book.
I recommend the whole Jem Flockhart series.
This is well written and with characters who are complex and believable without being a heavy read, if like me you want to lose yourself in the prose as well as a great plot to relax without having to concentrate over hard.
I’ve read all of these in order and love the fact it brings to life some historical context (I hated history at school and it makes me add to my reading. In this book, it describes a putrid unhealthy London, in ways that I can still see (and thankfully not smell) it, long after finishing the book.
I recommend the whole Jem Flockhart series.
December 7, 2023
I’ve read all of E.S.Thomson’s books and love the Jem Flockhart/Will Quartermain novels. It amazes me that this fantastic author is not better known. Under Ground is perhaps the best one yet in this series but I have thought this for each previous occasion as there is always an immense feeling of savoured pleasure and enjoyment long after the final page.This is a book for readers: who wish to be immersed in well-researched but lightly applied Victorian London; who enjoy contemporary themes of relevance in a historical setting; who enjoy fabulous description and humour; who are happy to abandon their children or forget to go into work for the sake of a good read.
December 30, 2023
4.5 stars. We are back with Jem and Will investigating secrets, lies and murder with cholera pushing at the edges of London. Will is now helping improving the sewers of London and i have to say the writing is so descriptive you can smell them, so if your weak of stomach or have a dislike for rats then this is not the book for you! I liked the introduction of thimble and the other toshers (yes that is the right spelling). Once again this author plunges you into the world of victorian London with a great cast and plot that you can’t help going on the adventure with. I can’t wait for another in this series, I’ve learned so much about, plants, medical advances in this time amongst other things.
October 18, 2023
Underground is the sixth book in the Jem Flockhart series. These books are very readable historical fiction with engaging lead mystery solvers, Jem Flockhart and Will Quartermain. The book is part of a series, but I have tended to read them in a haphazard order, and have had no problems reading them out of sequence. In this episode of the adventures, cholera comes to town. These books are perfect for people who want something intelligent and a little more gripping than cosy crime, but don't want anything "nasty".
November 1, 2023
Well I’m a bit annoyed really, that I did not know this series existed because honestly this might just be a love match! What a treat, realising that there are five previous instalments for me to devour.
This had everything I love, Victorian London as a setting, a gothic murder mystery, poverty, plagues, creepy architecture, poison, anatomy and an old family curse.
I loved the diverse set of characters, each wonderfully fleshed out and so easy to conjure up in my minds eye. The writing was intelligent, humourous and punchy and it did wonderful things for the pace and atmosphere. That big old house, Blackwater Hall, gave me massive Haunted Mansion vibes and the dialogue between characters was so snappy it felt like I was watching the perfect historical crime series on tv.
The play on sexuality, gender identity and gender roles is very well done and the mystery was perfect, I hadn’t a clue who dunnit! I don’t want to say too much because I don’t know how the partnership of Jem and Will comes about having not read the start of the series, but they have become my favourite crime solving duo. A glorious, gothic triumph.
This had everything I love, Victorian London as a setting, a gothic murder mystery, poverty, plagues, creepy architecture, poison, anatomy and an old family curse.
I loved the diverse set of characters, each wonderfully fleshed out and so easy to conjure up in my minds eye. The writing was intelligent, humourous and punchy and it did wonderful things for the pace and atmosphere. That big old house, Blackwater Hall, gave me massive Haunted Mansion vibes and the dialogue between characters was so snappy it felt like I was watching the perfect historical crime series on tv.
The play on sexuality, gender identity and gender roles is very well done and the mystery was perfect, I hadn’t a clue who dunnit! I don’t want to say too much because I don’t know how the partnership of Jem and Will comes about having not read the start of the series, but they have become my favourite crime solving duo. A glorious, gothic triumph.
May 3, 2024
This is the first Jem Flockhart murder mystery I’ve read. It was enjoyable, I particularly liked the characters of Jem, the Apothecary and his friend Will. The circumstances of this mystery being underground were very graphically described and sometimes got in the way of the excitement of the plot as they were so very very descriptive of the stench, grime and general awfulness of the underground sewers. However the mystery was very intriguing and it’s a definite page turner with some real surprises at the end. I’ll certainly read some of the earlier adventures I’ve missed.
June 25, 2024
I'm very late at the party with my review but i also discovered that there were other five novels in this series and I want to read them as I was fascinated by this one.
There's a lot to love in this novel: the vivid and well researched historical background, the fleshed out characters, the attention to the details, and a twisty solid mystery that kept me guessing.
I can't wait to read another on in this series
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine
There's a lot to love in this novel: the vivid and well researched historical background, the fleshed out characters, the attention to the details, and a twisty solid mystery that kept me guessing.
I can't wait to read another on in this series
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine
September 26, 2023
Really really enjoyed this book. I'm hoping it will become a series I can follow. I love a historical murder mystery so this was right up my street. I loved the setting, the gruesomeness, the awful characters. It really transported me. I felt like it could smell it at some points. I used my dictionary constantly because of the use of victorian language and slang terms, which I also loved. Can't wait to read the next one!
November 6, 2023
I'm sad to have finished this delightful book. I love this series and I'm pleased there's scope for another 😉
The happiest accident was stumbling across the first book in this series a few years ago. It seems to me that these books are seriously underrated, more people need to get on board with these and fall in love with the atmospheric writing and the lovable fascinating characters.
The happiest accident was stumbling across the first book in this series a few years ago. It seems to me that these books are seriously underrated, more people need to get on board with these and fall in love with the atmospheric writing and the lovable fascinating characters.
October 26, 2023
A gentle series of books with great plots
I love the fact that I learn plant based scientific facts with each book. The story line for this latest book is as strong as the previous books. The writing style is engaging and trips along at a good pace.
I love the fact that I learn plant based scientific facts with each book. The story line for this latest book is as strong as the previous books. The writing style is engaging and trips along at a good pace.
December 31, 2024
I love these characters and their relationships so much. Jem and Will’s friendship, along with the found family that continues to grow in each volume, will easily make me return to these books always.
In this one, Will and Thimble’s friendship made my heart grow five sizes.
In this one, Will and Thimble’s friendship made my heart grow five sizes.
September 25, 2025
I didn't realise this was the 6th book in a series until I'd got into it, oops. but I really enjoyed this - a Victorian era murder mystery against a backdrop of disease, medicine, poisons, lost rivers and sewers and a bunch of other stuff I have a morbid fascination with!
December 7, 2023
I didn't realise this book was part of a series. However, it can be read as a standalone. I just don't think I like mysteries that much. It was atmospheric.
October 18, 2024
I really struggled with this one. It's part of a series but can be read as a stand-alone. I thought I'd enjoy it more than I did.
February 26, 2025
A good mix of horror and murder mystery, very gripping.
April 29, 2025
not keen on the ending
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