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Inspector Sam Blackstone #1
Blackstone and the Rendezvous with Death
The body of a young man fished out of the Thames is of little interest to Londoners caught up in the excitement of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations.
Yet to Inspector Sam Blackstone, the case is as puzzling as any he has ever come across.
Why should a corpse dressed the in rags of a commoner have the face of a gentleman?
And if this man does belong to noble stock, why has no one come forward to claim the body?
As his investigation proceeds, Blackstone finds himself entering the world of the aristocracy—in which the presence of an ordinary policeman is far from welcome—and tramping the dangerous streets of London's Little Russia—where English law and order are not welcome.
Death seems to stalk him, and as each new clue leads to nothing more than a new murder, Blackstone comes to realize that he is caught up in what may turn out to be the most horrendous crime of the century…
Blackstone and the Rendezvous with Death is an expertly plotted Victorian mystery that will keep readers guessing to the last page.
Praise for Sally Spencer:
“Spencer's finest hour: a tightly plotted puzzler with surprises at every turn” Kirkus Reviews
“Spencer is an accomplished craftsman who serves up a good puzzle and deftly solves it with intelligence and insight” Publishers Weekly
“Characters are diverse, intriguing, and believable . . . plots never fail to surprise; and the procedural details are grittily realistic” Kirkus Reviews
Sally Spencer worked as a teacher both in England and Iran - where she witnessed the fall of the Shah. She now writes full time.
Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent publisher of digital books.
Yet to Inspector Sam Blackstone, the case is as puzzling as any he has ever come across.
Why should a corpse dressed the in rags of a commoner have the face of a gentleman?
And if this man does belong to noble stock, why has no one come forward to claim the body?
As his investigation proceeds, Blackstone finds himself entering the world of the aristocracy—in which the presence of an ordinary policeman is far from welcome—and tramping the dangerous streets of London's Little Russia—where English law and order are not welcome.
Death seems to stalk him, and as each new clue leads to nothing more than a new murder, Blackstone comes to realize that he is caught up in what may turn out to be the most horrendous crime of the century…
Blackstone and the Rendezvous with Death is an expertly plotted Victorian mystery that will keep readers guessing to the last page.
Praise for Sally Spencer:
“Spencer's finest hour: a tightly plotted puzzler with surprises at every turn” Kirkus Reviews
“Spencer is an accomplished craftsman who serves up a good puzzle and deftly solves it with intelligence and insight” Publishers Weekly
“Characters are diverse, intriguing, and believable . . . plots never fail to surprise; and the procedural details are grittily realistic” Kirkus Reviews
Sally Spencer worked as a teacher both in England and Iran - where she witnessed the fall of the Shah. She now writes full time.
Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent publisher of digital books.
212 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2003
450 people are currently reading
1213 people want to read
About the author
Sally Spencer
80 books152 followersA pseudonym used by Alan Rustage.
Sally Spencer is a pen name, first adopted when the author (actually called Alan Rustage) was writing sagas and it was almost obligatory that a woman's name appeared on the cover (other authors like Emma Blair and Mary Jane Staples are also men).
Before becoming a full-time writer, he was a teacher. In 1978-79 he was working in Iran and witnessed the fall of the Shah (see the Blog for what it was like to live through a revolution). He got used to having rifles - and, one occasion, a rocket launcher - pointed at him by both soldiers and revolutionaries, but he was never entirely comfortable with it.
He lived in Madrid for over twenty years, and still considers it the most interesting and exciting city he has ever visited, but for the last few years he has opted for a quieter life in the seaside town of Calpe, on the Costa Blanca.
His first series of books were historical sagas set in Cheshire (where he grew up) and London. They were very popular with his English readers, but his American readers find the dialect something of a strain.
He has written twenty books featuring DCI Woodend (a character based partly on a furniture dealer he used to play dominoes with) and ten (so far!) about Woodend's protegé Monika Paniatowski.
His DI Sam Blackstone books are set in Victorian/Edwardian London, New York and Russia, and the Inspector Paco Ruiz books have as their backdrop the Spanish Civil War.
Alan is a competitive games player who likes bridge and pub quizzes. It is only by enforcing iron discipline that he doesn't play video games all the time.
He now lives on Spain's Costa Blanca.
Sally Spencer is a pen name, first adopted when the author (actually called Alan Rustage) was writing sagas and it was almost obligatory that a woman's name appeared on the cover (other authors like Emma Blair and Mary Jane Staples are also men).
Before becoming a full-time writer, he was a teacher. In 1978-79 he was working in Iran and witnessed the fall of the Shah (see the Blog for what it was like to live through a revolution). He got used to having rifles - and, one occasion, a rocket launcher - pointed at him by both soldiers and revolutionaries, but he was never entirely comfortable with it.
He lived in Madrid for over twenty years, and still considers it the most interesting and exciting city he has ever visited, but for the last few years he has opted for a quieter life in the seaside town of Calpe, on the Costa Blanca.
His first series of books were historical sagas set in Cheshire (where he grew up) and London. They were very popular with his English readers, but his American readers find the dialect something of a strain.
He has written twenty books featuring DCI Woodend (a character based partly on a furniture dealer he used to play dominoes with) and ten (so far!) about Woodend's protegé Monika Paniatowski.
His DI Sam Blackstone books are set in Victorian/Edwardian London, New York and Russia, and the Inspector Paco Ruiz books have as their backdrop the Spanish Civil War.
Alan is a competitive games player who likes bridge and pub quizzes. It is only by enforcing iron discipline that he doesn't play video games all the time.
He now lives on Spain's Costa Blanca.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
November 19, 2023
I wavered between a 3* and 4*. I started out enjoying the book and there often is a bit of a history lesson that comes with reading mysteries about Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. I have wondered why the Russian pogroms against Jews occurred and this book had me delve into that deeper. The plot lays out the progress of Inspector Blackstone investigating a murder of a Lord and it was an interesting case. I thought the characters were well fleshed out and as in a good mystery....not everyone is whom they seem to be. The book was written in 2003 and the main groups still remains in the news.
January 6, 2023
A pretty straightforward historical mystery thriller. Enjoyable, with an amusing twist, and the ending begs for book 2. I picked this up because I recently finished season 6 of Peaky Blinders, and someone suggested it had a similar vibe. The vibe did not disappoint, so throughout the book, I imagined Inspector Blackstone as Tommy Shelby (but less gangster and smoker). The middle part was a bit dragged out, and I felt like the ending was rushed. Also, for some reason, I'm quite disappointed with the love interest's character.
July 2, 2016
I've read several contemporary Sally Spencer novels so when I discovered there was a series of novels set in the late Victorian era I simply had to try one. Historical mysteries are always interesting to me because they are a way to understand the time in which they are set and to see how people coped with the resources they had at hand. I'm glad to say this first book in the series provided me with the good reading experience I was hoping, I would almost say expecting, to have from a novel written by Spencer.
The novel is set during the week prior to the celebration of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee and the story is very much influenced by this upcoming event. The main character is Inspector Samuel Blackstone of Scotland Yard, a very good investigator but not well liked by those in command because he is pretty much his own man when it comes to running his cases the way he wants to run them. Blackstone was highly influenced by his service in the Army and especially his time spent fighting in Afghanistan. In modern parlance, he has Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, but that condition was unknown at that time. He functions well in his job for the most part, but the PTSD does rear its ugly head in many ways. The investigation centers on the body of a murdered man found floating in the Thames. From the time the body is identified the investigation becomes a battle between Blackstone and everyone else who wants the murder hushed up so there will be no breath of scandal to mar the Jubilee celebration. Solving this case involves going so high up the social ladder it might even reach the Queen's ears. That can never be allowed to happen.
This novel is well loaded with all types of twists and turns so don't get too comfortable while you are reading. I have to say the mid portions of the book slowed down to almost a crawl because so many restrictions had been put on Blackstone's investigation it made it hard to see how he would unearth any clue that would set him on his way to working out what had happened. I never, ever would have guessed one particular turn so even if you solve lots of mysteries you may find this one eludes your best efforts until the author shows you what's going on. Definitely worth my reading time and there are many more in the series so I'm rubbing my hands together in gleeful anticipation.
The novel is set during the week prior to the celebration of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee and the story is very much influenced by this upcoming event. The main character is Inspector Samuel Blackstone of Scotland Yard, a very good investigator but not well liked by those in command because he is pretty much his own man when it comes to running his cases the way he wants to run them. Blackstone was highly influenced by his service in the Army and especially his time spent fighting in Afghanistan. In modern parlance, he has Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, but that condition was unknown at that time. He functions well in his job for the most part, but the PTSD does rear its ugly head in many ways. The investigation centers on the body of a murdered man found floating in the Thames. From the time the body is identified the investigation becomes a battle between Blackstone and everyone else who wants the murder hushed up so there will be no breath of scandal to mar the Jubilee celebration. Solving this case involves going so high up the social ladder it might even reach the Queen's ears. That can never be allowed to happen.
This novel is well loaded with all types of twists and turns so don't get too comfortable while you are reading. I have to say the mid portions of the book slowed down to almost a crawl because so many restrictions had been put on Blackstone's investigation it made it hard to see how he would unearth any clue that would set him on his way to working out what had happened. I never, ever would have guessed one particular turn so even if you solve lots of mysteries you may find this one eludes your best efforts until the author shows you what's going on. Definitely worth my reading time and there are many more in the series so I'm rubbing my hands together in gleeful anticipation.
March 21, 2016
Blackstone and the Rendezvous with Death was well-plotted and kept me guessing until the end. Usually I see the twist coming early, but here it took me by surprise, which was a delight. There was a good sense of period without lengthy exposition, and the characters were memorable and likeable.
I was flummoxed by the number of typographical errors in the book, however, considering it comes from a major publishing house. An odd one can often slip through, but here the number of errors was large and it did yank me out of the story every time I saw one.
Nonetheless, I enjoyed the book enough that I will definitely look to read more in the series in the future, and I commend Sally Spencer on her skillful concealment of twists and turns within her plot.
I received this book as a free eBook review copy from the publisher as part of the digital Historical Fiction Festival in April 2016.
I was flummoxed by the number of typographical errors in the book, however, considering it comes from a major publishing house. An odd one can often slip through, but here the number of errors was large and it did yank me out of the story every time I saw one.
Nonetheless, I enjoyed the book enough that I will definitely look to read more in the series in the future, and I commend Sally Spencer on her skillful concealment of twists and turns within her plot.
I received this book as a free eBook review copy from the publisher as part of the digital Historical Fiction Festival in April 2016.
June 21, 2021
I wish I had liked this book more than I did, but convoluted political plots are not my preference. Also, I felt that character development suffered because of the tortuous plot, and I prefer character-driven fiction. Not only that, everything that happened was cliched and predictable.
September 25, 2023
I must say, I loved this book. Everything was very cohesive and flowed nicely.
What do Investigator Blackstone and Russians have in common. Well, in this book, Blackstone can never be sure who the good guys and the bad guys are, and during his investigation of a murdered man from a high class family, he must tread carefully. No one is who they seem and those helping may not actually be helping him.... but rather themselves. Blackstone must put the many pieces of this mystery together and try to stay alive amidst many who are actually against him solving the murder.
Read it. You'll love it.
What do Investigator Blackstone and Russians have in common. Well, in this book, Blackstone can never be sure who the good guys and the bad guys are, and during his investigation of a murdered man from a high class family, he must tread carefully. No one is who they seem and those helping may not actually be helping him.... but rather themselves. Blackstone must put the many pieces of this mystery together and try to stay alive amidst many who are actually against him solving the murder.
Read it. You'll love it.
November 22, 2023
This was a very interesting, well-written British police procedural and would have been four stars except for the weak ending.
May 23, 2016
'Blackstone and the Rendezvous with Death' is set in the year of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee: 1897. It's a crime thriller which travels from the East End to the homes of the aristocracy as Inspector Blackstone struggles to solve the mystery of an aristocrat’s son who was found murdered on an insalubrious stretch of the River Thames. Issues of class and poverty feature prominently in the story, so, having just written 'Back Home', a story of crime and violence in the London slums of 1859 where issues of class and poverty are also pretty central, I expected to be on familiar ground.
I was reminded, yet again, just what an era of change the late 19th century was. 1897 is often seen as the height of the Victorian era, but we are moving much more into Edwardian times. I was constantly taken aback by the modernity of the story. People are always on the telephone and at one stage using a telephone box. There is a reference to a Remington typewriting machine that looks at least twenty years old. Horseless carriages are referred to as automobiles. I was sure these were anachronisms, but a quick tour of the Internet proved that they were not. Admittedly Blackstone does seem to be on the cutting edge of things. Remington typewriters have been around but very little more than twenty years. There weren't very many telephone boxes or automobiles. But Sally Spencer seems to know her stuff. The only apparent error I picked up was a mistake in the licensing laws, which unfortunately occurs right at the beginning of the book and made me unduly suspicious of the rest of it. Still, pub closing times were a complex area with different rules for different kinds of pub and frequent changes in the law, so perhaps she is right and I am wrong.
The important thing is not that Ms Spencer seems to be well ahead on the game of "try to catch the author out": it is that her thorough grounding in the detail of the period reflects the confidence with which she takes us through it. This London of 1897 is a world away from the London I wrote about in 1859. Confident, modern in a way that is recognisable to those of us who knew the city in the 20th century, a society and a city comfortable on the cutting edge of technology, assured of its natural right to rule over much of the world. The appalling callousness towards the lives of the poor which had characterised London only fifty years earlier has passed. The poor are still poor, as the author frequently reminds us, but few of them are dying of starvation in the streets. Proper sewerage, the availability of clean water and improvements in housing mean that life may be grim but it is civilised.
Against this broader background of London life Spencer draws a more detailed picture of some aspects of the city, particularly of "Little Russia" in the East End. I was unaware of the number of Russian emigres who had formed their own world in the alien land of London, complete with shops selling Russian food and banks catering for those wanting to transfer money back to families at home in the East. It was a fascinating glimpse of a bit of London’s history that was completely new to me.
Spencer's research is extensive and her descriptions of people and places are convincing without suffering from long paragraphs which mark out the less sophisticated historical novelist, determined to shovel in all the research that they have done. There is perhaps an element of this in the detailed descriptions of Queen Victoria's Jubilee parade, but it must have been a splendid sight and I think we can forgive anybody who wants to dwell on it at length. And it does come at a crucial moment in the plot.
As far as the plot goes, it's more thriller than detective story. The villains leave a chain of corpses for the detectives to follow and eventually they are tracked and their evil plan is foiled in the nick of time. [No real spoilers there.] The plot relies rather heavily on a deus ex machina figure to appear at moments of crisis and there is a conveniently helpful love interest to explain life in Little Russia to our inspector, but these tropes are well within the rules of the genre and I was happy to go along with them. Indeed I was happy to go along with the whole thing, as Ms Spencer has an easy writing style that carries you effortlessly through a plot filled with incident.
The best historical fiction, I think, should entertain while giving you some insight into a past world that you might not be familiar with. Blackstone and the Rendezvous with Death does exactly that and Spencer is to be congratulated on her achievement. If I have one quibble it is the opening. The book starts with a prologue in which a character is chased through the streets of London on a dark foggy night until the murderer catches up with him and the foul deed is done. There seems to be a fashion at the moment for insisting that books should start with "something exciting". Hence prologues like this. It doesn't add to the story and, possibly because the author doesn't really believe in it, it is one of the least well written and least convincing parts of the whole book. It nearly put me off reading it. If it annoys you, just skip it altogether: it will make no difference whatsoever to your enjoyment of what follows.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher with a request to review.
I was reminded, yet again, just what an era of change the late 19th century was. 1897 is often seen as the height of the Victorian era, but we are moving much more into Edwardian times. I was constantly taken aback by the modernity of the story. People are always on the telephone and at one stage using a telephone box. There is a reference to a Remington typewriting machine that looks at least twenty years old. Horseless carriages are referred to as automobiles. I was sure these were anachronisms, but a quick tour of the Internet proved that they were not. Admittedly Blackstone does seem to be on the cutting edge of things. Remington typewriters have been around but very little more than twenty years. There weren't very many telephone boxes or automobiles. But Sally Spencer seems to know her stuff. The only apparent error I picked up was a mistake in the licensing laws, which unfortunately occurs right at the beginning of the book and made me unduly suspicious of the rest of it. Still, pub closing times were a complex area with different rules for different kinds of pub and frequent changes in the law, so perhaps she is right and I am wrong.
The important thing is not that Ms Spencer seems to be well ahead on the game of "try to catch the author out": it is that her thorough grounding in the detail of the period reflects the confidence with which she takes us through it. This London of 1897 is a world away from the London I wrote about in 1859. Confident, modern in a way that is recognisable to those of us who knew the city in the 20th century, a society and a city comfortable on the cutting edge of technology, assured of its natural right to rule over much of the world. The appalling callousness towards the lives of the poor which had characterised London only fifty years earlier has passed. The poor are still poor, as the author frequently reminds us, but few of them are dying of starvation in the streets. Proper sewerage, the availability of clean water and improvements in housing mean that life may be grim but it is civilised.
Against this broader background of London life Spencer draws a more detailed picture of some aspects of the city, particularly of "Little Russia" in the East End. I was unaware of the number of Russian emigres who had formed their own world in the alien land of London, complete with shops selling Russian food and banks catering for those wanting to transfer money back to families at home in the East. It was a fascinating glimpse of a bit of London’s history that was completely new to me.
Spencer's research is extensive and her descriptions of people and places are convincing without suffering from long paragraphs which mark out the less sophisticated historical novelist, determined to shovel in all the research that they have done. There is perhaps an element of this in the detailed descriptions of Queen Victoria's Jubilee parade, but it must have been a splendid sight and I think we can forgive anybody who wants to dwell on it at length. And it does come at a crucial moment in the plot.
As far as the plot goes, it's more thriller than detective story. The villains leave a chain of corpses for the detectives to follow and eventually they are tracked and their evil plan is foiled in the nick of time. [No real spoilers there.] The plot relies rather heavily on a deus ex machina figure to appear at moments of crisis and there is a conveniently helpful love interest to explain life in Little Russia to our inspector, but these tropes are well within the rules of the genre and I was happy to go along with them. Indeed I was happy to go along with the whole thing, as Ms Spencer has an easy writing style that carries you effortlessly through a plot filled with incident.
The best historical fiction, I think, should entertain while giving you some insight into a past world that you might not be familiar with. Blackstone and the Rendezvous with Death does exactly that and Spencer is to be congratulated on her achievement. If I have one quibble it is the opening. The book starts with a prologue in which a character is chased through the streets of London on a dark foggy night until the murderer catches up with him and the foul deed is done. There seems to be a fashion at the moment for insisting that books should start with "something exciting". Hence prologues like this. It doesn't add to the story and, possibly because the author doesn't really believe in it, it is one of the least well written and least convincing parts of the whole book. It nearly put me off reading it. If it annoys you, just skip it altogether: it will make no difference whatsoever to your enjoyment of what follows.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher with a request to review.
July 23, 2023
I’ve liked other Sally Spencer books, but I stayed away from this series so I was surprised to find it so enjoyable. It kept me guessing both with the characters and the plot. The characters were not what they appeared to be.
I think he captured Victorian London very well.
Audio book, good reader.
I think he captured Victorian London very well.
Audio book, good reader.
November 21, 2020
Twisted plot in an English mystery of a bygone era. Author’s knowledge of the time and place adds interest to this genuinely pleasant read.
June 1, 2025
Outstanding.
June 19, 2021
Excellent Historical Thriller
Sally Spenser sets Scotland Yard’s Inspector Blackstone’s exciting murder investigation against the backdrop of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. Rich with period details of the upper, middle, and lower classes, the novel truly shines for its page-turning plotting and easy-to-follow historical background of the Empire.
Sally Spenser sets Scotland Yard’s Inspector Blackstone’s exciting murder investigation against the backdrop of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. Rich with period details of the upper, middle, and lower classes, the novel truly shines for its page-turning plotting and easy-to-follow historical background of the Empire.
September 8, 2023
Great plot, good characters and character development, and no real “jump the shark” plot twists.
March 27, 2019
It's 1897, just weeks prior to the celebration of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. But Charles Smith is running for his life. To no avail. It is now Inspector Sam Blackstone's job to determine who he was, and why was an aristocrat working as a reporter.
A very enjoyable story, with good rounded characters so I am looking forward to the next in the series
A very enjoyable story, with good rounded characters so I am looking forward to the next in the series
July 12, 2021
London, England (Thames River). Aldermans Stairs. The small older woman lifted her skirt & turned her bum around to show him that she was wearing no drawers.
A pair of hands pinned his (24, costermonger) arms behind his back, & his throat had been slit.
Battle Bridge Stairs. Inspector Sam Blackstone (48) had arrived from Scotland Yard & was greeted by Sergeant Roberts (Thames PD) & Constable Watts (Thames PD).
Emily Montcliffe (daughter, fiancé) was being interviewed by Inspector Blackstone.
Southwark Coroner’s Court. Lord William Dalton spoke with Inspector Blackstone.
Lord William Dalton ID the body as Charles Montcliffe (brother, journalist).
Inspector Blackstone listened as Sir Edward Bradford (Commissioner of Police) & the Home Secretary discussed the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebration & the Montcliffe murder case.
Montcliffe House. Park Lane. Inspector Blackstone & DS Patterson met with Lady Margaret Montcliffe (wife/mother).
Mary Atkins (37, prostitute) had been found buried under a pile of rubbish on Burr St. Her throat had been cut also.
Inspector Todd (Scotland Yard) was assigned this murder case.
Pennington St./Old Gravel Lane. Inspector Blackstone interviewed Hannah (Russian).
Whitechapel. Inspector Blackstone & Hannah sat by the ring & watched as the Basingstoke Bull landed a powerful punch, & Iron-fist Baker went down. The boxing match was over.
Count Turgenev (46, Russian aristocrat, alcoholic, compulsive gambler) was there also.
Trafalgar pub. The 2 of them went to have a couple of pints.
What did Thomas Grey do?
Slater’s Restaurant (Piccadilly). Inspector Blackstone was dining/wineing Hannah.
The Queen’s procession was making its way down Southwark St.
I do not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing free books from publishers & authors. Therefore, I am under no obligation to write a positive review, only an honest one.
An awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very professionally written Scotland Yard thriller book. It was quite easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a huge description list of unique characters, settings, facts etc. to keep track of. This could also make another great Scotland Yard thriller movie, or better yet a mini-TV series. There is no doubt in my mind this is an extremely easy rating of 5 stars.
Thank you for the free author; Lume Books; BookZio; Amazon Digital Services LLC. Kindle Mobi book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
A pair of hands pinned his (24, costermonger) arms behind his back, & his throat had been slit.
Battle Bridge Stairs. Inspector Sam Blackstone (48) had arrived from Scotland Yard & was greeted by Sergeant Roberts (Thames PD) & Constable Watts (Thames PD).
Emily Montcliffe (daughter, fiancé) was being interviewed by Inspector Blackstone.
Southwark Coroner’s Court. Lord William Dalton spoke with Inspector Blackstone.
Lord William Dalton ID the body as Charles Montcliffe (brother, journalist).
Inspector Blackstone listened as Sir Edward Bradford (Commissioner of Police) & the Home Secretary discussed the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebration & the Montcliffe murder case.
Montcliffe House. Park Lane. Inspector Blackstone & DS Patterson met with Lady Margaret Montcliffe (wife/mother).
Mary Atkins (37, prostitute) had been found buried under a pile of rubbish on Burr St. Her throat had been cut also.
Inspector Todd (Scotland Yard) was assigned this murder case.
Pennington St./Old Gravel Lane. Inspector Blackstone interviewed Hannah (Russian).
Whitechapel. Inspector Blackstone & Hannah sat by the ring & watched as the Basingstoke Bull landed a powerful punch, & Iron-fist Baker went down. The boxing match was over.
Count Turgenev (46, Russian aristocrat, alcoholic, compulsive gambler) was there also.
Trafalgar pub. The 2 of them went to have a couple of pints.
What did Thomas Grey do?
Slater’s Restaurant (Piccadilly). Inspector Blackstone was dining/wineing Hannah.
The Queen’s procession was making its way down Southwark St.
I do not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing free books from publishers & authors. Therefore, I am under no obligation to write a positive review, only an honest one.
An awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very professionally written Scotland Yard thriller book. It was quite easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a huge description list of unique characters, settings, facts etc. to keep track of. This could also make another great Scotland Yard thriller movie, or better yet a mini-TV series. There is no doubt in my mind this is an extremely easy rating of 5 stars.
Thank you for the free author; Lume Books; BookZio; Amazon Digital Services LLC. Kindle Mobi book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
April 30, 2020
This is a book about police, history, people, Russia, England, sabotage, murder, revolution. Sam Blackstone is caught up in the middle. The Diamond Jubilee for Queen Victoria is coming up very soon. Charles a young man from one of the very noble families is murdered. Why? Who had a reason to want young Charles to never be able to tell what he had found.
Charles family tries to stop his investigation going to deep. As Sam meets the different possible suspects involved, more murders occur. Sam is constantly warned that if he oversteps the line he will be pulled off the job. Yet, Sam knows that his superiors are more concerned about the Queen's Diamond Jubilee rather than finding the murderer.
Sam decides to follow Charles footsteps before he was murdered. This brings Sam to the part of London called "Little Russia". He meets Hannah who becomes his guide. With Hannah's help Sam is able to follow Charles's movements. Sam interviews the people Charles sought out in "Little Russia". Sam realizes that Charles is gathering information for a story. What story is Charles writing? Sam learns Charles has been working for a certain Editor. Sam interviews the man.
While Charles has given the Editor some good material he has no idea what Charles was working on before he was murdered.
The book drags a little bit, however, the more layers Sam pulls away, the more he upsets his superiors. The ending moves quickly. Read or listen to the story and find out what Sam finds at the end.
Charles family tries to stop his investigation going to deep. As Sam meets the different possible suspects involved, more murders occur. Sam is constantly warned that if he oversteps the line he will be pulled off the job. Yet, Sam knows that his superiors are more concerned about the Queen's Diamond Jubilee rather than finding the murderer.
Sam decides to follow Charles footsteps before he was murdered. This brings Sam to the part of London called "Little Russia". He meets Hannah who becomes his guide. With Hannah's help Sam is able to follow Charles's movements. Sam interviews the people Charles sought out in "Little Russia". Sam realizes that Charles is gathering information for a story. What story is Charles writing? Sam learns Charles has been working for a certain Editor. Sam interviews the man.
While Charles has given the Editor some good material he has no idea what Charles was working on before he was murdered.
The book drags a little bit, however, the more layers Sam pulls away, the more he upsets his superiors. The ending moves quickly. Read or listen to the story and find out what Sam finds at the end.
May 30, 2019
This is an evocative book which will to some degree or another touches the reader. This one for me, made be look at the history of the Russian Jews and some of the multi~layers that make some races act and think as they do even away from their native soil... the ideologies and beliefs that govern and motivate them... the mind~set that entitlement breeds on the nobility vis~a~vis the reactions of those without privilege towards what society still called their betters given the Victorian timeline. Scandal for the aristocrat must be avoided like the plague and that was one reason why such an attitude was impeding Blackstone's search for the younger Montcliffe's murderer aside from the other more sinister cause. For where was the nobility in one son being a sodomite and the other who may not share in the usual nobleman's sporting (or otherwise) pursuits but wanted to be an investigative reporter in pursuit of truth and eventually died for it? One man's obsession had driven him to destroy a proud family's resources just so they can be beholden to him as their savior by corrupting their weakest link then to top it all... he allied himself with a merciless killer for money and so matters ended up in a bloody mess of more slit throats and one body weighted down the River Thames. Truly a remarkable story. Thank you Endeavor Press for introducing me to this wonderful and brilliant author.
December 3, 2021
1897 England
This was a 'not too' book. It was not too long, short or complicated. There was no language or sex alerts. It was not simple. The introduction was a grabber, and the end set the stage for another Blackstone read. The storyline was excellent, but the things that make a great thriller were missing. The author could have developed the characters and what they offered to the story and turned out a four star read.
There was a plot afoot to assassinate Queen Victoria. As Blackstone was held at gun point, he learned about the players and their motivations to kill the Queen. Naturally, he swooped in and saved the day. Along the way, Blackstone fell in love with one of the plotters. It is so sad when a love goes wrong.
Why is this male author using the pen name Sally Spencer? I do not like pen names, and I will tell you why. Men authors write with a different style than women authors. If I read a male written book, my mind changes the way it perceives the words. Female written books come into my brain from a totally different direction.
So, I am reading along from the female mind set wondering what is wrong with my brain! Then I find out the trouble is not with me. It is with a male author writing under a female name! Being a woman, I naturally will analyze this conundrum to death, so I will hush. Male reviewers that I know would have hushed about ten lines ago! Lol
Thank you, Ms. Spencer, for the read.
This was a 'not too' book. It was not too long, short or complicated. There was no language or sex alerts. It was not simple. The introduction was a grabber, and the end set the stage for another Blackstone read. The storyline was excellent, but the things that make a great thriller were missing. The author could have developed the characters and what they offered to the story and turned out a four star read.
There was a plot afoot to assassinate Queen Victoria. As Blackstone was held at gun point, he learned about the players and their motivations to kill the Queen. Naturally, he swooped in and saved the day. Along the way, Blackstone fell in love with one of the plotters. It is so sad when a love goes wrong.
Why is this male author using the pen name Sally Spencer? I do not like pen names, and I will tell you why. Men authors write with a different style than women authors. If I read a male written book, my mind changes the way it perceives the words. Female written books come into my brain from a totally different direction.
So, I am reading along from the female mind set wondering what is wrong with my brain! Then I find out the trouble is not with me. It is with a male author writing under a female name! Being a woman, I naturally will analyze this conundrum to death, so I will hush. Male reviewers that I know would have hushed about ten lines ago! Lol
Thank you, Ms. Spencer, for the read.
July 1, 2021
A young man "of quality" is found murdered in a poor part of London where he should not have been. Inspector Blackstone is thwarted in his attempts to identify the murderer because social inferiors aren't supposed to question their "betters" nor risk bringing any scandal to the family. An exchange between Blackstone and his sidekick, Sgt Patterson, would apply to America:
"How can we export civilization when half the people in Britain haven’t even got it.’
'Not got it? There’s nobody as civilized as we are.’
‘Then why do people within a short walk of here wake up in the morning not knowing whether they’re going to have enough to eat that day?’ Blackstone asked. ‘Why can a costermonger in Lambeth expect to die by the time he’s thirty-one, whereas a clerk from Peckham might live well into his sixties? You can’t talk about civilization when—for so many people—life’s no more than a struggle to get by."
Amen and amen. It was an Ok, so-so kind of Victorian murder mystery. Decent when mindless, late -night insomnia reading is required.
"How can we export civilization when half the people in Britain haven’t even got it.’
'Not got it? There’s nobody as civilized as we are.’
‘Then why do people within a short walk of here wake up in the morning not knowing whether they’re going to have enough to eat that day?’ Blackstone asked. ‘Why can a costermonger in Lambeth expect to die by the time he’s thirty-one, whereas a clerk from Peckham might live well into his sixties? You can’t talk about civilization when—for so many people—life’s no more than a struggle to get by."
Amen and amen. It was an Ok, so-so kind of Victorian murder mystery. Decent when mindless, late -night insomnia reading is required.
November 15, 2021
I don't do book reviews
I don't do book reviews like you keep seeing, as I find that some give too much of the plot away and I personally hate that, as it makes the book not worth reading. I much prefer to take the authors back cover write up as a review as it can either intrigue you enough to read the book of provide you enough information to make you decide that the book is not for you.
My review rules are: The more stars, the more I liked it.
If there are too many typos or errors the less stars I give
If the storyline or plot is poor or contains too many errors, the characters are too weak, the ending lacking something, then the less stars I give.
Simple, uncomplicated and to the point without giving anything away.
Some of the books I read have been given to me by the author as a pre-release copy and this does not bias my reviews in any way.
I don't do book reviews like you keep seeing, as I find that some give too much of the plot away and I personally hate that, as it makes the book not worth reading. I much prefer to take the authors back cover write up as a review as it can either intrigue you enough to read the book of provide you enough information to make you decide that the book is not for you.
My review rules are: The more stars, the more I liked it.
If there are too many typos or errors the less stars I give
If the storyline or plot is poor or contains too many errors, the characters are too weak, the ending lacking something, then the less stars I give.
Simple, uncomplicated and to the point without giving anything away.
Some of the books I read have been given to me by the author as a pre-release copy and this does not bias my reviews in any way.
February 9, 2024
I have to admit I didn’t have high hopes for this book based on the melodramatic title. It sounded like an old late night B movie, like Charlie Chan and The Rendezvous With Death. But it surprised me with its twisty plot, growing more and more complex, and fairly fascinating characters. It’s still not “A Lion in Winter,” but definitely a cut above with 3.5 stars (oh when will GR let us do 1/2 stars?) Apparently, Sally Spencer, who is actually a man (Alan Rustage,) is quite prolific, with several mystery series under a couple of pen names, ranging from Victorian era, like this book, 1950s England, and the Spanish Civil War (with the nom de plume of James Garcia Woods.) So, it looks like I’ll have plenty of opportunity to see if his/her enjoyable writing was just a one off or not.
October 15, 2023
This is an intriguing story with interesting characters. I really enjoyed the plot, but the constant mentioning of whether you belonged to the "betters" or not, got pretty tiresome. I would also have liked if the characters had been a bit more developed throughout the book. Other than that I think it's a nice book and I will read the next book (Blackstone and the Great Game)in the series to see what happens!
July 20, 2017
Before I started reading, I knew that "Sally Spencer" was a pen name, but I didn't know who the actual author was. A couple of chapters in, I felt compelled to go find out, because I thought it was highly unlikely that the book had been written by a woman. And it wasn't. That mystery cleared up, the book was fine, and not too far from an Anne Perry. (I think Amazon recommended it because of my interest in Caleb Carr and Laurie R. King, and I would say that's stretching it.)
I'm willing to read more in the series, but not compelled to do so.
I'm willing to read more in the series, but not compelled to do so.
April 24, 2018
Entertaining Victorian Mystery
A body is found in the Thames that of a young man, Inspector Sam Blackstone is tasked first with finding the identity and secondly his murderer.
When the body is found to be that of a young aristocrat the case takes a turn for the worse when Blackstone's investigation is hampered by class distinctions, his life is threatened as the case draws him to Little Russia and a mysterious woman called Hannah.
With Victoria's Jubilee as a backdrop, the climatic ending is watched by the crowds lining the way
A body is found in the Thames that of a young man, Inspector Sam Blackstone is tasked first with finding the identity and secondly his murderer.
When the body is found to be that of a young aristocrat the case takes a turn for the worse when Blackstone's investigation is hampered by class distinctions, his life is threatened as the case draws him to Little Russia and a mysterious woman called Hannah.
With Victoria's Jubilee as a backdrop, the climatic ending is watched by the crowds lining the way
May 26, 2018
#1 in the Inspector Blackstone of New Scotland Yard mystery series. Former member of the British Army serving in Afghanistan and now one of the more successful detectives at Scotland Yard, Blackstone’s next case starts with the body of a young man fished out of the Thames several days before Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations. It is a puzzling case as the corpse dressed the in rags of a commoner has the face of a gentleman. The case involves the many aristocracy of the British aristocracy along with secret plots and counter plots.
August 5, 2020
This is the first book of Sally Spencer's I have read. The book is well written and take place in London during Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee. Inspector Sam Blackstone investigates a murder of a high society families son who is related to the Queen. The mans name was Charlie and his body was found floating in the river Thames. I loved this time period in history and this story makes several references to real history. I would definitely recommended this book and I look forward to reading more of this series.
October 29, 2023
This is my first Blackstone book but it won't be my last. This is set in Victorian England in the year of Victoria's Diamond Jubilee; I enjoyed the historical aspects such as politics, economy, people and even foreign policy. I had not considered historical mysteries as a genre, but I really liked it! The plot was well done and a bit twisty - I don't really try to figure mysteries out early and this one didn't force me into that. It just unwound and took me with it to a surprise ending. The characters were also well done and not overly one-dimensional.
October 9, 2024
This book is a good addition to the historical English detective genre. I liked Inspector Blackstone and feel he will be an interesting character moving forward in this series. He has a good sense of self, knowing the social order and his place in it without surrendering his essence. The brief history of the Empire was a good refresher for those who did not realize the importance of Afghanistan as a buffer against Russia. The principal villain was a surprise and the story moved quickly. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.
January 7, 2025
Set around Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee a member of the aristocracy's body is fished out of the Thames leading Blackstone to investigate his murder. There is a secret plot afoot. The plot was easily identifiable to me quite early on but it appears not so evident to the police inspector. There appeared to be several similarities with other books I have read in this genre and with lots of words incorrectly written or missing the story fell flat.
July 26, 2017
I enjoyed the plot and characters of this historical mystery, but unfortunately it was marred by the modern language employed. The author did not seem to grasp that Victorians did not speak in the idiom we use naturally today, and for me that jarred and almost put me off. A shame, as I would enjoy reading more of Blackstone's adventures.
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