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Cutter and Bliss #1
The House on Vesper Sands
‘Ladies and gentlemen, the darkness is complete.’
It is the winter of 1893, and in London the snow is falling.
It is falling as Gideon Bliss seeks shelter in a Soho church, where he finds Angie Tatton lying before the altar. His one-time love is at death’s door, murmuring about brightness and black air, and about those she calls the Spiriters. In the morning she is gone.
The snow is falling as a seamstress climbs onto a ledge above Mayfair, a mysterious message stitched into her own skin. It is falling as she steadies herself and closes her eyes.
It is falling, too, as her employer, Lord Strythe, vanishes into the night, watched by Octavia Hillingdon, a restless society columnist who longs to uncover a story of real importance.
She and Gideon will soon be drawn into the same mystery, each desperate to save Angie and find out the truth about Lord Strythe. Their paths will cross as the darkness gathers, and will lead them at last to what lies hidden at the house on Vesper Sands.
It is the winter of 1893, and in London the snow is falling.
It is falling as Gideon Bliss seeks shelter in a Soho church, where he finds Angie Tatton lying before the altar. His one-time love is at death’s door, murmuring about brightness and black air, and about those she calls the Spiriters. In the morning she is gone.
The snow is falling as a seamstress climbs onto a ledge above Mayfair, a mysterious message stitched into her own skin. It is falling as she steadies herself and closes her eyes.
It is falling, too, as her employer, Lord Strythe, vanishes into the night, watched by Octavia Hillingdon, a restless society columnist who longs to uncover a story of real importance.
She and Gideon will soon be drawn into the same mystery, each desperate to save Angie and find out the truth about Lord Strythe. Their paths will cross as the darkness gathers, and will lead them at last to what lies hidden at the house on Vesper Sands.
372 pages, Hardcover
First published October 18, 2018
1214 people are currently reading
18752 people want to read
About the author
Paraic O'Donnell
4 books343 followersParaic O’Donnell's first novel, The Maker of Swans, was named the Amazon Rising Stars Debut of the Month for February 2016, and was shortlisted for the Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards in the Newcomer of the Year category.
Praise for The Maker of Swans
‘Lavishly entertaining…strange and captivating.’
– The Independent
‘At its best, the prose is glorious, combining an ear for deep cadences of language with a phenomenal acuity of vision…O’Donnell is clearly a major talent.’
– The Guardian
‘A vividly imagined and deeply pleasurable gothic fantasy.’
– Financial Times
‘Ambitious and original.’
– The Irish Times
‘Extraordinarily readable…almost cinematic.’
– Irish Independent
‘There’s sufficient invention and engaging strangeness to keep the reader enfolded, though it is O’Donnell’s arresting descriptions of the natural world that are likely to live longest in the mind.’
– Daily Mail
‘A dark, elegant celebration of the power and beauty of words.’
– Sunday Express
‘A powerful thriller.’
– Vogue
‘An oddly beautiful tale of magic and art.’
– The Bookseller
‘Compulsive reading…rich, strange, beautiful.’
– Helen Macdonald, author of H is for Hawk
‘I devoured this book, and it kept me guessing right to the very end. Line by line, Paraic's writing contains some of the most beautifully turned phrasing I've read in a long while.’
– Laura Barnett, author of The Versions of Us
‘Combines through-the-looking-glass enchantment with Nabokovian dexterity…a mesmerising book whose prose absolutely soars.’
– Sandra Newman, author of The Country of Ice Cream Star
‘Exquisite.’
– Liz Nugent, author of Unravelling Oliver
‘Dazzlingly inventive.’
– Jane Casey
Praise for The Maker of Swans
‘Lavishly entertaining…strange and captivating.’
– The Independent
‘At its best, the prose is glorious, combining an ear for deep cadences of language with a phenomenal acuity of vision…O’Donnell is clearly a major talent.’
– The Guardian
‘A vividly imagined and deeply pleasurable gothic fantasy.’
– Financial Times
‘Ambitious and original.’
– The Irish Times
‘Extraordinarily readable…almost cinematic.’
– Irish Independent
‘There’s sufficient invention and engaging strangeness to keep the reader enfolded, though it is O’Donnell’s arresting descriptions of the natural world that are likely to live longest in the mind.’
– Daily Mail
‘A dark, elegant celebration of the power and beauty of words.’
– Sunday Express
‘A powerful thriller.’
– Vogue
‘An oddly beautiful tale of magic and art.’
– The Bookseller
‘Compulsive reading…rich, strange, beautiful.’
– Helen Macdonald, author of H is for Hawk
‘I devoured this book, and it kept me guessing right to the very end. Line by line, Paraic's writing contains some of the most beautifully turned phrasing I've read in a long while.’
– Laura Barnett, author of The Versions of Us
‘Combines through-the-looking-glass enchantment with Nabokovian dexterity…a mesmerising book whose prose absolutely soars.’
– Sandra Newman, author of The Country of Ice Cream Star
‘Exquisite.’
– Liz Nugent, author of Unravelling Oliver
‘Dazzlingly inventive.’
– Jane Casey
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,284 reviews
April 14, 2023
“The House on Vesper Sands” is one of the most anticipated novels by Times, Newsweek, and Oprah Magazine. Because of this amount of press, I gave the novel more than my typical 50 pages before I give it up. For me, this one started off very slowly. It wasn’t until we meet Inspector Cutter, at around page 81, or chapter V, that the story gained interest for me. Yes, Inspector Cutter and his crusty personality combined with Gideon, our hapless and earnest character, makes this Victorian mystery interestingly amusing.
The story begins with a strange suicide of a seamstress.
An intrepid bicycle-riding journalist, Octavia Hillingdon is working a case about a mysterious group called “The Spiriters”, a shadowy group of malefactors.
Gideon has been summoned from his university studies by his benefactor and uncle to London. While searching for his uncle, he inadvertently finds one of his uncle’s charges, a missing orphan girl whom Gideon has carried a yearning. Through happenstance, Gideon connects with Inspector Cutter who misidentifies Gideon as a policeman. You have to read it for yourself…it’s very humorous.
Author Paraic O’Donnell has written a literary masterpiece of a Victorian mystery that is clever and a bit of historical fiction. Inspector Cutter and Gideon work away the clues to the mystery of missing orphan girls while keeping “The Spiriters” in mind. Meanwhile, Octavia is doggedly pursuing the mystery of “The Spiriters”: who they are and what they are doing. These three characters merge to reveal an ugliness occurring in the streets of London. This is a brooding and dark mystery that possesses a bit of mystical elements. Think Alice Hoffman meets Agatha Christy. I loved it.
The story begins with a strange suicide of a seamstress.
An intrepid bicycle-riding journalist, Octavia Hillingdon is working a case about a mysterious group called “The Spiriters”, a shadowy group of malefactors.
Gideon has been summoned from his university studies by his benefactor and uncle to London. While searching for his uncle, he inadvertently finds one of his uncle’s charges, a missing orphan girl whom Gideon has carried a yearning. Through happenstance, Gideon connects with Inspector Cutter who misidentifies Gideon as a policeman. You have to read it for yourself…it’s very humorous.
Author Paraic O’Donnell has written a literary masterpiece of a Victorian mystery that is clever and a bit of historical fiction. Inspector Cutter and Gideon work away the clues to the mystery of missing orphan girls while keeping “The Spiriters” in mind. Meanwhile, Octavia is doggedly pursuing the mystery of “The Spiriters”: who they are and what they are doing. These three characters merge to reveal an ugliness occurring in the streets of London. This is a brooding and dark mystery that possesses a bit of mystical elements. Think Alice Hoffman meets Agatha Christy. I loved it.
September 16, 2018
I’m on a right reading roll at the moment and nothing has captured my imagination quite as much as The House On Vesper Sands.
Brilliantly immersive, descriptively pitch perfect with a hugely dynamic set of characters, this is one of those books you devour in short order, living it all the way. The era is captured in reading surround sound and the story itself is completely compelling…dark as you like and twice as delicious.
The characters you’ll meet within the pages are all, every one of them, convincingly portrayed and genuinely engaging -the dialogue is snappy and often laugh out loud funny which offsets the dastardly nature of the story unfolding to wonderful effect.
I have to shout out to the dynamic duo of Gabe and, perhaps my favourite character in fiction for years, the indomitable Inspector Cutter. Also to Octavia, a woman ahead of her time, plus her oft frowned upon bicycle.
I’m not giving anything else away though apart from saying that the emotional trauma of the finale almost undid me- luckily here I still am to tell you not to miss this one if you can possibly help it.
An absolute joy to read. This is what it’s all about.
HIGHLY Recommended.
Brilliantly immersive, descriptively pitch perfect with a hugely dynamic set of characters, this is one of those books you devour in short order, living it all the way. The era is captured in reading surround sound and the story itself is completely compelling…dark as you like and twice as delicious.
The characters you’ll meet within the pages are all, every one of them, convincingly portrayed and genuinely engaging -the dialogue is snappy and often laugh out loud funny which offsets the dastardly nature of the story unfolding to wonderful effect.
I have to shout out to the dynamic duo of Gabe and, perhaps my favourite character in fiction for years, the indomitable Inspector Cutter. Also to Octavia, a woman ahead of her time, plus her oft frowned upon bicycle.
I’m not giving anything else away though apart from saying that the emotional trauma of the finale almost undid me- luckily here I still am to tell you not to miss this one if you can possibly help it.
An absolute joy to read. This is what it’s all about.
HIGHLY Recommended.
January 6, 2021
This Victorian mystery gives us a crazy trio of characters. Gideon Bliss is a Cambridge dropout, who purposely allows a case of mistaken identity to pretend to be a police sergeant. His motive is so he can track down a young lady who has gone missing. He’s working with Detective Inspector Cutter, who is researching the suspicious death of a young seamstress. And then, there’s Octavia Hillingdon, a young reporter who’s tired of reporting on “women’s issues”. O’Donnell gives us a great atmospheric mystery with overtones of Sherlock Holmes. There’s a wry humor to this story, especially when Cutter is at the forefront.
This isn’t a fast paced story and at times, I felt it could have done with a better editing job. But then, those golden age detective stories never were fast paced. Be aware, there is a supernatural element to this story. I am not a fan of the paranormal, so I wasn’t enthralled by this aspect of the story. The plot hinges on it, so there’s no escaping it.
Charles Armstrong is the narrator and he perfectly captures the tone of the story.
My thanks to netgalley and Highbridge Audio for an advance copy of this audiobook.
This isn’t a fast paced story and at times, I felt it could have done with a better editing job. But then, those golden age detective stories never were fast paced. Be aware, there is a supernatural element to this story. I am not a fan of the paranormal, so I wasn’t enthralled by this aspect of the story. The plot hinges on it, so there’s no escaping it.
Charles Armstrong is the narrator and he perfectly captures the tone of the story.
My thanks to netgalley and Highbridge Audio for an advance copy of this audiobook.
May 28, 2022
“The house was not large, for a family of such means, but its isolation gave a stark grandeur to its appearance. It rose from a promontory overlooking the dunes, and might have served at one time as a seaside villa. There was a faded elegance still about its arches and mullions, but it had fallen into neglect. Years of salt air had roughened its stonework, and its gables were discoloured by lichen and rust.”
This book was really fun; I enjoyed the plot, characters and writing style. It’s a clever, supernatural mystery set in 1893 London. A seamstress leaps to her death and other young women are disappearing, without much notice from Scotland Yard until Lord Strythe also goes missing. The disappearances lead to parallel investigations. The newspaper reporter, Octavia Hillingdon starts making inquiries, aided by her brother Georgie and her snide friend Elf, who has secret governmental connections. Gideon Bliss is a divinity student from Cambridge who is present at the disappearance of one of the women. “But she was staring past him, her scream a hoarse rasp as the rag was clamped to his mouth. He was slowing then, even as he began to struggle, clawing emptiness and breathing only the strange deep sweetness now, remembering nothing else. He saw her once more, as he was hauled up, the sense almost gone from things. He saw it, or thought he did. The brightness of her. The brightness of her, and then the dark.” Bliss manages to insinuate himself in the investigation by Inspector Cutter. They find more disappearances, deaths, visions and spiritualists.
Each of the three protagonists is intelligent and articulate. Cutter, in particular, has an amusingly sarcastic take on the proceedings. It also turns out that Cutter has a particular interest in the case. I loved Cutter and the somewhat prickly relationship he developed with Bliss. “And it’s only now comes out that when you found the same woman dead in the street, you shovelled her up and took yourself off to bed and did not trouble yourself to report the matter to Her Majesty’s police until this morning. I have never heard the likes of it. Bliss, have you ever heard the likes of it?” “There is not much, Bliss, that you do not know how to say. It is more in the shutting off of the valve that you are inclined to struggle.”
I hope there will be a sequel to this, but it was originally published in 2018 and there are no signs at this time that this will become a series. I listened to the audiobook and the narration by Charles Armstrong was excellent. He brought a lot of personality to the characters.
I received a free copy of this audiobook from the publisher.
This book was really fun; I enjoyed the plot, characters and writing style. It’s a clever, supernatural mystery set in 1893 London. A seamstress leaps to her death and other young women are disappearing, without much notice from Scotland Yard until Lord Strythe also goes missing. The disappearances lead to parallel investigations. The newspaper reporter, Octavia Hillingdon starts making inquiries, aided by her brother Georgie and her snide friend Elf, who has secret governmental connections. Gideon Bliss is a divinity student from Cambridge who is present at the disappearance of one of the women. “But she was staring past him, her scream a hoarse rasp as the rag was clamped to his mouth. He was slowing then, even as he began to struggle, clawing emptiness and breathing only the strange deep sweetness now, remembering nothing else. He saw her once more, as he was hauled up, the sense almost gone from things. He saw it, or thought he did. The brightness of her. The brightness of her, and then the dark.” Bliss manages to insinuate himself in the investigation by Inspector Cutter. They find more disappearances, deaths, visions and spiritualists.
Each of the three protagonists is intelligent and articulate. Cutter, in particular, has an amusingly sarcastic take on the proceedings. It also turns out that Cutter has a particular interest in the case. I loved Cutter and the somewhat prickly relationship he developed with Bliss. “And it’s only now comes out that when you found the same woman dead in the street, you shovelled her up and took yourself off to bed and did not trouble yourself to report the matter to Her Majesty’s police until this morning. I have never heard the likes of it. Bliss, have you ever heard the likes of it?” “There is not much, Bliss, that you do not know how to say. It is more in the shutting off of the valve that you are inclined to struggle.”
I hope there will be a sequel to this, but it was originally published in 2018 and there are no signs at this time that this will become a series. I listened to the audiobook and the narration by Charles Armstrong was excellent. He brought a lot of personality to the characters.
I received a free copy of this audiobook from the publisher.
July 2, 2023
Loved it. I love witty conversations and dialogues. Love strange old houses. This book.contained them.all.. The humorous, though peppered with profanity interplay between Gideon and the Inspector was so.amusing, it may be my favourite dialogue of the year..The mystery itself was very strange, woo woo supernatural stuff of which I'm.sometimes not a fan, here it worked well. The atmosphere of the.book.called for it. A nice change of pace read.
The audio and the narration was fantastic. I would recommend the audio for this read. Definitely added to the storyline.
The audio and the narration was fantastic. I would recommend the audio for this read. Definitely added to the storyline.
December 29, 2020
The opening to The House on Vesper Sands is so strong, I just wish I had felt the same connection to the mystery itself in the same way I loved the settings and the characters.
While I wouldn't say I read a lot of Victorian mysteries, I do feel as though the strongest aspect of this novel was O'Donnell's writing. Big houses, abandoned streets, witty and sometimes comedic dialogue was the exact tone I was expecting and the exact tone I wanted. But my main issue for this novel was none of those things, but it was my lack of interest in the mystery at all.
We get introduced to Esther's death in the first couple of pages, yet our detectives don't even have a mystery to investigate until around page one hundred. While I enjoyed being introduced to the Inspectors and Gideon and Octavia, there was a sort of suspense that I was lacking. This book would be a perfect example of one that could be an excellent series, but there was an intrigue I was missing while reading this.
While I wouldn't say I read a lot of Victorian mysteries, I do feel as though the strongest aspect of this novel was O'Donnell's writing. Big houses, abandoned streets, witty and sometimes comedic dialogue was the exact tone I was expecting and the exact tone I wanted. But my main issue for this novel was none of those things, but it was my lack of interest in the mystery at all.
We get introduced to Esther's death in the first couple of pages, yet our detectives don't even have a mystery to investigate until around page one hundred. While I enjoyed being introduced to the Inspectors and Gideon and Octavia, there was a sort of suspense that I was lacking. This book would be a perfect example of one that could be an excellent series, but there was an intrigue I was missing while reading this.
July 14, 2023
This book had not been on my radar at all. I read a review by GR friend Diane S, in which she praised the audiobook and the story and since it was available at my library, I snapped it up.
A supernatural Gothic mystery set in 1893 London. This book was excellent as an audiobook, which was read by Charles Armstrong.
The story starts with an apparent suicide and then multiple disappearances. We meet Gideon, just returned home from Cambridge at his uncle’s request. He teams up with Inspector Cutter, a detective from New Scotland Yard. Into the mix comes Octavia, a reporter, who wants to write about serious topics, not just society news. She hears about girls’ disappearing, so she decides to investigate.
This book is Gothic mystery, with the supernatural and a little bit of romance thrown in and all in all good fun. The author captures the time period well. I felt like I was walking the streets with our main characters, enveloped in darkness and fog. Definitely the kind of book that raises one’s hackles. The dialogue, especially between Cutter and Gideon, is very punchy and droll.
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book. During the last quarter of the book, I just could not put it down. I would definitely read another by this author and I do hope he brings back Cutter, Gideon and Octavia.
This is one of those books that seems to have a low rating on Good reads- please ignore that and check it out anyways.
Published: 2018
A supernatural Gothic mystery set in 1893 London. This book was excellent as an audiobook, which was read by Charles Armstrong.
The story starts with an apparent suicide and then multiple disappearances. We meet Gideon, just returned home from Cambridge at his uncle’s request. He teams up with Inspector Cutter, a detective from New Scotland Yard. Into the mix comes Octavia, a reporter, who wants to write about serious topics, not just society news. She hears about girls’ disappearing, so she decides to investigate.
This book is Gothic mystery, with the supernatural and a little bit of romance thrown in and all in all good fun. The author captures the time period well. I felt like I was walking the streets with our main characters, enveloped in darkness and fog. Definitely the kind of book that raises one’s hackles. The dialogue, especially between Cutter and Gideon, is very punchy and droll.
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book. During the last quarter of the book, I just could not put it down. I would definitely read another by this author and I do hope he brings back Cutter, Gideon and Octavia.
This is one of those books that seems to have a low rating on Good reads- please ignore that and check it out anyways.
Published: 2018
December 27, 2020
I want to express my thanks to NetGalley and RB Media for this audiobook. This cunning and dark storyline with Gothic and supernatural touches was written in Victorian style. The vivid descriptions of London in the 1890s are enhanced by memorable characters and their conversations. The storyline is intriguing, dark and creepy, but also contains hilarious sections. This is a police procedural containing a mystic crime plot. It was expertly narrated.
Gideon Bliss, a former theology student, is summoned to London by an uncle on a mysterious, urgent mission. Upon arrival, he finds that his uncle has vanished and falls in love with a girl who also goes missing. It appears that impoverished young women are mysteriously missing, and is there any connection? During Gideon's search for answers, he meets Inspector Cutter, a caustic and witty police officer, and their conversations are laugh out loud funny. Cutter, somewhat reluctantly, takes the amiable and differential young man on as his deputy. Meanwhile, Olivia, a journalist, is conducting a separate inquiry into elusive 'Spiriters".
I found this a spooky and witty story. The ending hints that Inspector Cutter, Gabriel Bliss, and Olivia will be returning and working together in a sequel. I hope to read the next book by Paraic O'Donnell.
Gideon Bliss, a former theology student, is summoned to London by an uncle on a mysterious, urgent mission. Upon arrival, he finds that his uncle has vanished and falls in love with a girl who also goes missing. It appears that impoverished young women are mysteriously missing, and is there any connection? During Gideon's search for answers, he meets Inspector Cutter, a caustic and witty police officer, and their conversations are laugh out loud funny. Cutter, somewhat reluctantly, takes the amiable and differential young man on as his deputy. Meanwhile, Olivia, a journalist, is conducting a separate inquiry into elusive 'Spiriters".
I found this a spooky and witty story. The ending hints that Inspector Cutter, Gabriel Bliss, and Olivia will be returning and working together in a sequel. I hope to read the next book by Paraic O'Donnell.
June 18, 2022
"I mean, there is always that comfort, when someone passes. She will be with him always, in some small way."
This novel is a slow (very slow) crime mystery set in London in 1853. There is a chief inspector (Cutter), a man posing as a detective (Bliss), and a reporter (Octavia) trying to solve the murders of multiple women. A sci-fi element is brought into the story, mixed in with dark magic and spiritual notions....🤔
I finished this book because I honestly thought it was going to get better. Many of my book friends have given it very high reviews, but sadly this book was terrible to me. I wasn't rooting for anyone and I found the storyline to be all over the place. Hopefully those who are wanting to read it will have a better experience with the book than I did.
This novel is a slow (very slow) crime mystery set in London in 1853. There is a chief inspector (Cutter), a man posing as a detective (Bliss), and a reporter (Octavia) trying to solve the murders of multiple women. A sci-fi element is brought into the story, mixed in with dark magic and spiritual notions....🤔
I finished this book because I honestly thought it was going to get better. Many of my book friends have given it very high reviews, but sadly this book was terrible to me. I wasn't rooting for anyone and I found the storyline to be all over the place. Hopefully those who are wanting to read it will have a better experience with the book than I did.
February 8, 2021
It’s London, 1893. The newspapers are full of stories about spiriters absconding with poor street urchins. The city is in a tizzy. Who are these spiriters? What do they want with the ragamuffins they carry off? At first I thought these spiriters could only be members of the high school spirit club taking their extreme interest in promoting school spirit and support for their athletic organizations to drastic levels. Chanting ominously, “we have spirit, yes we do. We have spirit, how ‘bout you?” as they snatch up another guttersnipe. Oh snap! The House on Vesper Sands by Paraic O’Donnell was messing with the spirit club. These cheerleaders can be horrifying with their unsettlingly long megaphones, their propensity for stacking themselves on top of each other, and of course, the frozen smiles of a psychopath they wear plastered to their faces not unlike the Joker right before he brings out an exploding birthday cake. The House on Vesper Sands by Paraic O’Donnell was going to be intense! But strangely, author O’Donnell did not take this obvious (and delightful) path with his story. Sadly, there are no spirit club members to be seen in these 400 pages.
It is up to Inspector Cutter of Scotland Yard (a man so grumpy he could make the great Ed Asner comment, “hey buddy, lighten up!”), his assistant Gideon Bliss (a Cambridge washout now posing as a police sergeant. Picture someone along the lines of WJM-TV newsman Ted Baxter, but more bumbling and buffoonish but with better handwriting) and intrepid reporter Octavia Hillingdon (who not only wants to branch out from the society pages of her paper and cover real important stories, but can turn the world on with her smile) to figure out just what the dickens is going on with these ensnared mudlarks.
There was a lot I enjoyed about The House on Vesper Sands. I was like Bruce Wayne that one time he had a large frosted slice of the Joker’s exploding birthday cake stuck to his hand by an industrial adhesive. I could not put this puppy down. The reason lies mainly in O’Donnell’s three winning characters. Cutter, Bliss, and Hillingdon were always interesting, amusing, sympathetic, real, and compelling. I wanted to see what they would do next. This says a lot as not everything in the book flows perfectly. Remember: no spirit club bad guys. Also, as deep as page 300 I was still unsure what exactly was going on. Who were these spiriters and why are they doing whatever it is they are doing? Argh. The author repeats a (somewhat) cheap trick of having guns fired point blank at our main characters and then ending the scene. Did they get killed? Are they wounded? Maybe something happened like that time Robin miraculously made a one in a million shot with his batarang and sliced away the Joker’s exploding birthday cake from Bruce Wayne’s outstretched hand and our hero lives.
Regardless of these shortcomings, The House on Vesper Sands was extremely enjoyable and always kept me turning the pages to see where our delightful characters went next.
It is up to Inspector Cutter of Scotland Yard (a man so grumpy he could make the great Ed Asner comment, “hey buddy, lighten up!”), his assistant Gideon Bliss (a Cambridge washout now posing as a police sergeant. Picture someone along the lines of WJM-TV newsman Ted Baxter, but more bumbling and buffoonish but with better handwriting) and intrepid reporter Octavia Hillingdon (who not only wants to branch out from the society pages of her paper and cover real important stories, but can turn the world on with her smile) to figure out just what the dickens is going on with these ensnared mudlarks.
There was a lot I enjoyed about The House on Vesper Sands. I was like Bruce Wayne that one time he had a large frosted slice of the Joker’s exploding birthday cake stuck to his hand by an industrial adhesive. I could not put this puppy down. The reason lies mainly in O’Donnell’s three winning characters. Cutter, Bliss, and Hillingdon were always interesting, amusing, sympathetic, real, and compelling. I wanted to see what they would do next. This says a lot as not everything in the book flows perfectly. Remember: no spirit club bad guys. Also, as deep as page 300 I was still unsure what exactly was going on. Who were these spiriters and why are they doing whatever it is they are doing? Argh. The author repeats a (somewhat) cheap trick of having guns fired point blank at our main characters and then ending the scene. Did they get killed? Are they wounded? Maybe something happened like that time Robin miraculously made a one in a million shot with his batarang and sliced away the Joker’s exploding birthday cake from Bruce Wayne’s outstretched hand and our hero lives.
Regardless of these shortcomings, The House on Vesper Sands was extremely enjoyable and always kept me turning the pages to see where our delightful characters went next.
November 9, 2018
My Rating ~ 4.5*
'Ladies and gentlemen, the darkness is complete.'
Looking for something exciting? Looking for something dark and mysterious? Well look no further.
The House on Vesper Sands is the latest novel from Paraic O’ Donnell and is a perfectly pitched tale of suspense wrapped up in a shadowy cloak of darkness.
Welcome to Vesper Sands, a gothic tale that will delight and mystify, that will enthrall and bewitch from the opening pages.
Gideon Bliss arrives from Cambridge to meet up with his uncle. Gideon’s parents tragically died when he was young and it was his uncle who paid for his education and upkeep. The year is 1893, it’s winter-time and the streets of London are dark and murky. Gideon, unable to locate his uncle, finds refuge in a local church and hears whimpering coming from the vicinity of the altar. Gideon is shocked to discover that it is Angie Tatton, a girl he once knew, a girl he once cared deeply for. Angie is clearly not well, dressed in scanty clothing and muttering about rather strange activities and a brightness. Next thing Gideon knows, it’s morning time and Angie Tatton has disappeared. In a blind panic he returns to the last known address he has for his uncle but with still no trace of the man, Gideon becomes acquainted with Inspector Cutter from Scotland Yard, who also resides at the same lodgings.
Esther Tull is a seamstress and occasionally does some private work at a residence in Mayfair. Esther arrives this cold and snowy night on a mission. Esther is in great pain, yet her focus is clear and her intention is purposeful.
A chain of events soon unfurl taking the reader on a eerie journey that captivates, entertains and compels.
I am new to the writing of Paraic O’ Donnell and yes I am now a convert. I love a tale with an edge, one with a lurking and menacing premise. This book provides it in spades. The late 1800s was a time rife with the buzz of the occult, the seances and a desperate search for the afterlife. An atmosphere like this breeds the extremists, the true believers looking for something, looking for the unattainable.
The House on Vesper Sands is packed full with a wonderful collection of characters, each one portrayed with their own little quirks and foibles. A Victorian Gothic novel, The House on Vesper Sands vividly takes the imagination on an ingenious and fantastical journey filled with incredible atmospheric imagery.
I have to mention the beauty of the cover. It’s just striking and captures the essence of the book perfectly. It would make a gorgeous addition to any bookshelf and an equally wonderful gift.
The House on Vesper Sands is just wonderful. It intrigues, it excites, it stirs up the imagination.
But just don’t listen to me…here’s what others are saying
“The most vivid and compelling portrait of late Victorian London since The Crimson Petal and the White” ~ Sarah Perry
“Like the love child of Dickens and Conan Doyle, but funnier than both” ~ Liz Nugent
“Dickens is whirling enviously in his grave. Read by a fire on a cold winter evening” ~ Irish Times
'Ladies and gentlemen, the darkness is complete.'
Looking for something exciting? Looking for something dark and mysterious? Well look no further.
The House on Vesper Sands is the latest novel from Paraic O’ Donnell and is a perfectly pitched tale of suspense wrapped up in a shadowy cloak of darkness.
Welcome to Vesper Sands, a gothic tale that will delight and mystify, that will enthrall and bewitch from the opening pages.
Gideon Bliss arrives from Cambridge to meet up with his uncle. Gideon’s parents tragically died when he was young and it was his uncle who paid for his education and upkeep. The year is 1893, it’s winter-time and the streets of London are dark and murky. Gideon, unable to locate his uncle, finds refuge in a local church and hears whimpering coming from the vicinity of the altar. Gideon is shocked to discover that it is Angie Tatton, a girl he once knew, a girl he once cared deeply for. Angie is clearly not well, dressed in scanty clothing and muttering about rather strange activities and a brightness. Next thing Gideon knows, it’s morning time and Angie Tatton has disappeared. In a blind panic he returns to the last known address he has for his uncle but with still no trace of the man, Gideon becomes acquainted with Inspector Cutter from Scotland Yard, who also resides at the same lodgings.
Esther Tull is a seamstress and occasionally does some private work at a residence in Mayfair. Esther arrives this cold and snowy night on a mission. Esther is in great pain, yet her focus is clear and her intention is purposeful.
A chain of events soon unfurl taking the reader on a eerie journey that captivates, entertains and compels.
I am new to the writing of Paraic O’ Donnell and yes I am now a convert. I love a tale with an edge, one with a lurking and menacing premise. This book provides it in spades. The late 1800s was a time rife with the buzz of the occult, the seances and a desperate search for the afterlife. An atmosphere like this breeds the extremists, the true believers looking for something, looking for the unattainable.
The House on Vesper Sands is packed full with a wonderful collection of characters, each one portrayed with their own little quirks and foibles. A Victorian Gothic novel, The House on Vesper Sands vividly takes the imagination on an ingenious and fantastical journey filled with incredible atmospheric imagery.
I have to mention the beauty of the cover. It’s just striking and captures the essence of the book perfectly. It would make a gorgeous addition to any bookshelf and an equally wonderful gift.
The House on Vesper Sands is just wonderful. It intrigues, it excites, it stirs up the imagination.
But just don’t listen to me…here’s what others are saying
“The most vivid and compelling portrait of late Victorian London since The Crimson Petal and the White” ~ Sarah Perry
“Like the love child of Dickens and Conan Doyle, but funnier than both” ~ Liz Nugent
“Dickens is whirling enviously in his grave. Read by a fire on a cold winter evening” ~ Irish Times
June 4, 2021
Goodreaders, you confound me. How does this masterful mashup of gothic mystery, speculative Dickens meets Conan-Doyle melodrama, Dorothy Sayers whodunits delights, and George Bernard Shaw plucky bonhomie sweetness possibly merit such tepid ratings?
This is a terrific read. Late Victorian London so vividly rendered, you are wiping the soot from your face and trying to clear the fog from your eyes. Characters so confounding and curious, their conversations carry on in your mind even after you've closed the book (anyone else just know that actor Stephen Fry was going to walk off the page as Inspector Cutter?).
The supernatural element hearkens to some of David Mitchell's recent works, and isn't my favorite thing — all left a bit to dangle in the imagination's ether at the end— but the spookiness is fitting for a novel set in a time of seances and obsessive photographing of the dead.
There is unexpected gentle humor that keeps the narrative well clear of self-seriousness, and a starring role for a leading lady that speaks of series potential (as does that epilogue).
Well-done, and well-deserving of praise. Save this perhaps for autumn or winter when you are ready to curl up with a great read. It's delightful.
This is a terrific read. Late Victorian London so vividly rendered, you are wiping the soot from your face and trying to clear the fog from your eyes. Characters so confounding and curious, their conversations carry on in your mind even after you've closed the book (anyone else just know that actor Stephen Fry was going to walk off the page as Inspector Cutter?).
The supernatural element hearkens to some of David Mitchell's recent works, and isn't my favorite thing — all left a bit to dangle in the imagination's ether at the end— but the spookiness is fitting for a novel set in a time of seances and obsessive photographing of the dead.
There is unexpected gentle humor that keeps the narrative well clear of self-seriousness, and a starring role for a leading lady that speaks of series potential (as does that epilogue).
Well-done, and well-deserving of praise. Save this perhaps for autumn or winter when you are ready to curl up with a great read. It's delightful.
November 25, 2018
Blaaaaaah. Pushing a 2.5 but I don't like it nearly enough to round up.
This was very nearly a did not finish, but I always read 50 pages before giving up on a book. By that time, I just about cared enough about what might happen to keep going (and also had no energy to choose something else to read next.) I hoped it would get better as it went, but it did not. There was no real character development, the mysteries were all so straightforward even when they were revealed, and it all seemed very... shallow.
Granted, I don't tend to love historical fiction, especially your standard gruff-policeman-upstart-woman-lots-of-dead-girls-in-mysterious-circumstances streets of London novels. I find they are too often thinly written and formulaic, promising far more than they can deliver, and without the elegance and nuance of truly great writing or novelty of a story with something actually new I really struggle to get through them. Sadly, this doesn't seem to stop me picking them up, partially because it seems everyone else is obsessed enough with them to give anything good reviews and partially because murder, mysticism and navigating smoky London in shawls and long skirts all appeal to me greatly, even if they never live up to the promise.
This book certainly didn't live up to anything. I got it out of the library because it was recommended in the Guardians autumn reading list (more fool me - turns out the author is a Guardian contributor) and frankly, it looked and sounded pretty and atmospheric. The overwhelming impression I'm left with is boredom. I expect this will be the first of a series, or it will be earnestly adapted into a 3 part ITV show or something, and it would probably be perfect for that. I just don't think it's good enough, or original enough(/at all), or well written enough, or intriguing enough - it isn't really ANYTHING enough to warrant spending time reading it which could be spent reading a really good, or even semi-enjoyable and engaging, book.
One caveat is that I think anyone who devours historical fiction, who is always looking for the next gruff but loveable policeman, unbearable earnest twat apprentice, and gutsy young woman shunning her appropriate restraints will probably like this. Especially if you churn through novels and are always looking for your next hit, this will scratch the itch. It's a murder mystery set in London in the late 1800s, and if that sounds up your alley then go read it. I still think it isn't one of the better historical fictions I've forced myself to read - The Tea Rose is still my favourite plucky young woman from misty London - but its worth the time if that's what you like. It's also absolutely perfect for this time if year. In July I would have stopped on the first word of page 51, but in late November in drizzly London it was much easier to drag myself through it, even if I was still bored at the end.
Casual end note that although this avoided a lot of the sexism and rape-as-plot-points issues of some books, it also leaned a bit heavily on the trope of women as untouched, pure, good in a way men can never be, etc. Don't get me wrong, when the book and characters are generally tepid and 2d I'd far prefer interchangeable saints to interchangeable rape victims, but it was a little silly. Given the rest of the book it actually didn't bother me until a clarification near the end, at which point I found myself bordering on active annoyance.
This was very nearly a did not finish, but I always read 50 pages before giving up on a book. By that time, I just about cared enough about what might happen to keep going (and also had no energy to choose something else to read next.) I hoped it would get better as it went, but it did not. There was no real character development, the mysteries were all so straightforward even when they were revealed, and it all seemed very... shallow.
Granted, I don't tend to love historical fiction, especially your standard gruff-policeman-upstart-woman-lots-of-dead-girls-in-mysterious-circumstances streets of London novels. I find they are too often thinly written and formulaic, promising far more than they can deliver, and without the elegance and nuance of truly great writing or novelty of a story with something actually new I really struggle to get through them. Sadly, this doesn't seem to stop me picking them up, partially because it seems everyone else is obsessed enough with them to give anything good reviews and partially because murder, mysticism and navigating smoky London in shawls and long skirts all appeal to me greatly, even if they never live up to the promise.
This book certainly didn't live up to anything. I got it out of the library because it was recommended in the Guardians autumn reading list (more fool me - turns out the author is a Guardian contributor) and frankly, it looked and sounded pretty and atmospheric. The overwhelming impression I'm left with is boredom. I expect this will be the first of a series, or it will be earnestly adapted into a 3 part ITV show or something, and it would probably be perfect for that. I just don't think it's good enough, or original enough(/at all), or well written enough, or intriguing enough - it isn't really ANYTHING enough to warrant spending time reading it which could be spent reading a really good, or even semi-enjoyable and engaging, book.
One caveat is that I think anyone who devours historical fiction, who is always looking for the next gruff but loveable policeman, unbearable earnest twat apprentice, and gutsy young woman shunning her appropriate restraints will probably like this. Especially if you churn through novels and are always looking for your next hit, this will scratch the itch. It's a murder mystery set in London in the late 1800s, and if that sounds up your alley then go read it. I still think it isn't one of the better historical fictions I've forced myself to read - The Tea Rose is still my favourite plucky young woman from misty London - but its worth the time if that's what you like. It's also absolutely perfect for this time if year. In July I would have stopped on the first word of page 51, but in late November in drizzly London it was much easier to drag myself through it, even if I was still bored at the end.
Casual end note that although this avoided a lot of the sexism and rape-as-plot-points issues of some books, it also leaned a bit heavily on the trope of women as untouched, pure, good in a way men can never be, etc. Don't get me wrong, when the book and characters are generally tepid and 2d I'd far prefer interchangeable saints to interchangeable rape victims, but it was a little silly. Given the rest of the book it actually didn't bother me until a clarification near the end, at which point I found myself bordering on active annoyance.
November 11, 2018
The clocks have gone back and Halloween has passed – now it's officially winter, I have a craving for historical fiction. The House on Vesper Sands is a Victorian pastiche with a mystery at its heart and touches of the macabre – a bit like
The Woman in Black
spliced with a Dickens novel.
The opening chapter is brilliantly captivating; I found it irresistible. Esther Tull, a seamstress, visits a grand house at night and is coldly received by a sneering butler. While she has official business at the house, her real intentions are quite different. I had only been reading for a few minutes when I found myself completely caught up in Esther's narrative, hoping desperately that she would be able to carry out her plan, despite knowing nothing of the story behind it. The atmosphere is wonderful, too: as Esther steps into the street, O'Donnell perfectly captures the magic hush of snow falling at night.
The bad news is that nothing else in the book is as good as that stunning prologue. The good news is that it's still a great yarn, absorbing and enjoyably frothy. We follow two characters – hapless student Gideon and cunning society columnist Octavia – as they each investigate a mystery, the threads of which eventually entwine. Young women are being kidnapped by a secretive group whose intentions are unclear; all London is whispering about the 'Spiriters'. And this is somehow linked to a shadowy figure named Lord Strythe and his sister's house on the Kent coast.
The House on Vesper Sands reminded me a lot of The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters and its sequels. While it lacks the more overt, steampunk-style fantasy embellishments of Dahlquist's novels, this is a proper old-fashioned adventure that immerses the reader in a rich vision of Victorian London. It pits a couple of likeable, plucky characters against the machinations of a powerful cabal; there's a colourful supporting cast (with the imperious Inspector Cutter particularly standing out). I can also imagine this appealing to fans of Sarahs Perry and Waters, Susan Hill's Victorian ghost stories, and Laura Purcell.
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The opening chapter is brilliantly captivating; I found it irresistible. Esther Tull, a seamstress, visits a grand house at night and is coldly received by a sneering butler. While she has official business at the house, her real intentions are quite different. I had only been reading for a few minutes when I found myself completely caught up in Esther's narrative, hoping desperately that she would be able to carry out her plan, despite knowing nothing of the story behind it. The atmosphere is wonderful, too: as Esther steps into the street, O'Donnell perfectly captures the magic hush of snow falling at night.
The bad news is that nothing else in the book is as good as that stunning prologue. The good news is that it's still a great yarn, absorbing and enjoyably frothy. We follow two characters – hapless student Gideon and cunning society columnist Octavia – as they each investigate a mystery, the threads of which eventually entwine. Young women are being kidnapped by a secretive group whose intentions are unclear; all London is whispering about the 'Spiriters'. And this is somehow linked to a shadowy figure named Lord Strythe and his sister's house on the Kent coast.
The House on Vesper Sands reminded me a lot of The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters and its sequels. While it lacks the more overt, steampunk-style fantasy embellishments of Dahlquist's novels, this is a proper old-fashioned adventure that immerses the reader in a rich vision of Victorian London. It pits a couple of likeable, plucky characters against the machinations of a powerful cabal; there's a colourful supporting cast (with the imperious Inspector Cutter particularly standing out). I can also imagine this appealing to fans of Sarahs Perry and Waters, Susan Hill's Victorian ghost stories, and Laura Purcell.
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August 12, 2021
3-1/2*
“The House on Vesper Sands” involves spirits and such things in 1893 London.
The word ‘spritiers’ is used which I took to mean ‘spirits’. There is definitely a supernatural slant to this tale.
Young vulnerable women in London are missing.
At an unseemly hour of night a seamstress has suddenly flung herself from the attic window of her employer’s home. What is found on her body is shocking to say the least.
Something weird is going on but it takes the reader and the three main characters some time and patience to get the gist of it.
The characters : Gideon – the Cambridge theology student come to London at the request of his uncle only to find his uncle missing / Octavia – the young woman seeking to form an independent path as a serious journalist and Inspector Cutter with whom Gideon finds himself associated by mere chance and coincidence. Or one may ask – was it the supernatural at work?
To my surprise this book is very much dialogue driven which moves the story along at a speedy pace.
Inspector Cutter’s dialogue was laugh out loud funny. I could not help but fall in love with him.
3-1/2 stars because I didn’t a hundred percent love the story but I did love the writing, the language, the dialogue and the three main characters.
“The House on Vesper Sands” involves spirits and such things in 1893 London.
The word ‘spritiers’ is used which I took to mean ‘spirits’. There is definitely a supernatural slant to this tale.
Young vulnerable women in London are missing.
At an unseemly hour of night a seamstress has suddenly flung herself from the attic window of her employer’s home. What is found on her body is shocking to say the least.
Something weird is going on but it takes the reader and the three main characters some time and patience to get the gist of it.
The characters : Gideon – the Cambridge theology student come to London at the request of his uncle only to find his uncle missing / Octavia – the young woman seeking to form an independent path as a serious journalist and Inspector Cutter with whom Gideon finds himself associated by mere chance and coincidence. Or one may ask – was it the supernatural at work?
To my surprise this book is very much dialogue driven which moves the story along at a speedy pace.
Inspector Cutter’s dialogue was laugh out loud funny. I could not help but fall in love with him.
3-1/2 stars because I didn’t a hundred percent love the story but I did love the writing, the language, the dialogue and the three main characters.
June 16, 2024
I love a good gothic, historical murder mystery any day. The House on Vesper Sands definitely delivered.
A seamstress jumps to her death from the top story of a lord's townhouse in London. Her death is suspicious and Inspector Cutter (very Sherlock Holmes-like) is on the case, as well as a related case of missing girls. Cutter is assisted by Sergeant Gideon Bliss - who is just masquerading as a police officer so he can find out what happened to his missing uncle and girlfriend. The case of missing girls is also being followed by the young reporter Octavia Hillingdon. The story revolves around these three seekers of justice, who each find different pathways to the mysterious solution of missing girls and the deaths surrounding them.
The story is a bit of a slow one. Lots of setting and character development rooted in historical accuracy. I am a sucker for that but I know not everyone would be. Inspector Cutter is an interesting one. He talks a great deal, even though he doesn't like how much Bliss talks. Sometimes the dialogue can drag a bit because no one seems to say what they want to say quickly. It isn't great for keeping the suspense high since it can either bore or annoy less stalwart readers. The beginning is so strong! The story of the seamstress - Eleanor Tull - enraptured me immediately. Learning more about her and what happened to her kept me intrigued. As the mystery surrounding the events of her suicide weave into the events of missing girls in London, the mystery takes an odd turn that I didn't expect. I really thought this would be more realistic but the novel does lean towards the supernatural. Victorians were obsessed with the supernatural and the afterlife so I wasn't surprised that the story would have elements of spiritualism. I just thought that the mystery would be more realistic and less supernatural. I don't think it was bad, per se, just unexpected.
Most of the story earned the four stars easily, but the rushed ending where we are told a lot of the mystery and not shown a phenomenal climax kept this from being a 5 star read.
A seamstress jumps to her death from the top story of a lord's townhouse in London. Her death is suspicious and Inspector Cutter (very Sherlock Holmes-like) is on the case, as well as a related case of missing girls. Cutter is assisted by Sergeant Gideon Bliss - who is just masquerading as a police officer so he can find out what happened to his missing uncle and girlfriend. The case of missing girls is also being followed by the young reporter Octavia Hillingdon. The story revolves around these three seekers of justice, who each find different pathways to the mysterious solution of missing girls and the deaths surrounding them.
The story is a bit of a slow one. Lots of setting and character development rooted in historical accuracy. I am a sucker for that but I know not everyone would be. Inspector Cutter is an interesting one. He talks a great deal, even though he doesn't like how much Bliss talks. Sometimes the dialogue can drag a bit because no one seems to say what they want to say quickly. It isn't great for keeping the suspense high since it can either bore or annoy less stalwart readers. The beginning is so strong! The story of the seamstress - Eleanor Tull - enraptured me immediately. Learning more about her and what happened to her kept me intrigued. As the mystery surrounding the events of her suicide weave into the events of missing girls in London, the mystery takes an odd turn that I didn't expect. I really thought this would be more realistic but the novel does lean towards the supernatural. Victorians were obsessed with the supernatural and the afterlife so I wasn't surprised that the story would have elements of spiritualism. I just thought that the mystery would be more realistic and less supernatural. I don't think it was bad, per se, just unexpected.
Most of the story earned the four stars easily, but the rushed ending where we are told a lot of the mystery and not shown a phenomenal climax kept this from being a 5 star read.
February 28, 2021
I didn't quite despise this book, but the experience of reading produced a whole lot of irritation. It does not play fair with its readers. In the first place, it is marketed as a mystery -- the description on the front flap calls it a "Victorian-inspired mystery;" a reviewer's quote on the back calls it "the most enjoyable mystery I've read in years" -- and it is not a mystery. It is a tale of the supernatural, only halfway through the book revealing itself as such.
By various means of circumlocution, highfalutin period-flavored talk, stereotypical colorful characters, and just plain refusal to tell the reader what is going on, all sensible explanation of the situation is delayed until about 30 pages from the end of the book, when of all things a villain who could only be expected to murder an investigator held at gunpoint embarks instead on a narration of all the events thus far withheld. This is not the way of things in the mystery genre. In a mystery, the investigator observes, deduces, investigates; the investigator does not merely hear a confession.
I restrain myself from detailing the book's many other irritations only because I do not care to wallow in them any longer.
By various means of circumlocution, highfalutin period-flavored talk, stereotypical colorful characters, and just plain refusal to tell the reader what is going on, all sensible explanation of the situation is delayed until about 30 pages from the end of the book, when of all things a villain who could only be expected to murder an investigator held at gunpoint embarks instead on a narration of all the events thus far withheld. This is not the way of things in the mystery genre. In a mystery, the investigator observes, deduces, investigates; the investigator does not merely hear a confession.
I restrain myself from detailing the book's many other irritations only because I do not care to wallow in them any longer.
January 22, 2019
On a bitterly cold night, three seemingly unconnected events happen. Lord Strythe who is being watched by Octavia Hillingdon who thinks she is onto a story, vanishes into the night. In his home, a seamstress who is there to make alterations to a finely crafted gown is locked into the attic room to carry out her duties. She has been careful to disguise her pain in front of the butler from the words sewn into her own flesh, but she climbs through the window onto the sill before turning and jumping. That same night, Gideon Bliss seeks shelter from the snow in a Soho church, where he finds Angie Tatton, a former love of his, lying before the altar. In her delirium, he hears snatches of phrases about black air and Spiriters before he is knocked out. When he comes to she is no longer there.
In the cold light of day, Inspector Cutter of Scotland Yard begins his investigation into the suspicious death of Eleanor Tull and the disappearance of Angie Tatton. Gideon Bliss offers to help given his personal connection and Cutter is reluctant at first, but eventually relents. As they start to find out more about the people affected, they hear rumours of a shadowy group of men that may be the Spiriters. Octavia Hillingdon’s own research for her paper on the group who claim to be stealing souls is rapidly heading to a similar conclusion as Cutter and Bliss, that all these threads lead to the mysterious house on Vesper Sands
I must admit that I am not the biggest fan of these Victorian Gothic melodramas, but this came highly recommended by Melissa Harrison, no less. And O’Donnell has done a pretty good job with this one. He captures the atmosphere of the places really well, the brooding and pervasive dampness of London fogs, the bleakness of the Kent coast in winter coupled with strong flawed characters and blended all those elements with a reasonable plot and a sprinkling of supernatural otherness that don’t undermine the plausibility of the story. I thought it was worth reading and if you have read an loved The Essex Serpent and The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock then this will be right up your darkened alley.
In the cold light of day, Inspector Cutter of Scotland Yard begins his investigation into the suspicious death of Eleanor Tull and the disappearance of Angie Tatton. Gideon Bliss offers to help given his personal connection and Cutter is reluctant at first, but eventually relents. As they start to find out more about the people affected, they hear rumours of a shadowy group of men that may be the Spiriters. Octavia Hillingdon’s own research for her paper on the group who claim to be stealing souls is rapidly heading to a similar conclusion as Cutter and Bliss, that all these threads lead to the mysterious house on Vesper Sands
I must admit that I am not the biggest fan of these Victorian Gothic melodramas, but this came highly recommended by Melissa Harrison, no less. And O’Donnell has done a pretty good job with this one. He captures the atmosphere of the places really well, the brooding and pervasive dampness of London fogs, the bleakness of the Kent coast in winter coupled with strong flawed characters and blended all those elements with a reasonable plot and a sprinkling of supernatural otherness that don’t undermine the plausibility of the story. I thought it was worth reading and if you have read an loved The Essex Serpent and The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock then this will be right up your darkened alley.
October 12, 2025
2025 update: still loved it.
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2021 Review
I loved this book. It is exactly the kind of book (or one of the kinds, anyway) that I like to read.
The characters made it, especially Inspector Cutter's brilliant insults, and Lady Ada, whose attitude I would like to adopt immediately. The Victorian setting felt exactly right, the otherworldly elements were just enough, and though close inspection might uncover a few questionable plot aspects - I enjoyed this too much to be picky.
Fun to read and I wish one could purchase The Maker of Swans in America for a normal amount of money.
--------------------------------------
2021 Review
I loved this book. It is exactly the kind of book (or one of the kinds, anyway) that I like to read.
The characters made it, especially Inspector Cutter's brilliant insults, and Lady Ada, whose attitude I would like to adopt immediately. The Victorian setting felt exactly right, the otherworldly elements were just enough, and though close inspection might uncover a few questionable plot aspects - I enjoyed this too much to be picky.
Fun to read and I wish one could purchase The Maker of Swans in America for a normal amount of money.
January 27, 2021
Seamstress Esther Tull is gently snowed upon as she heads to a grim errand on the top floor of the house on Half Moon Street. So begins the malfeasance that motivates investigation by the tender-hearted Cambridge boy Gideon Bliss and gruff Inspector Cutter, who is the Fox Mulder of New Scotland Yard. Says Cutter: "'When we have the leisure, Bliss, you must draw me up a list of the things you do know. I will give you a stamp or a matchbox, and no doubt you will cover every bit of it. Then I will know what respite I am to have from giving you instruction morning, noon, and night. Perhaps it will come out that you already know the price of a pound of sugar, and then I may take a day's leave in good conscience,'" and I'm sorry, but I can eat up that type of snippy drollity all day long. While Cutter and Bliss investigate missing flower girls, intrepid society reporter Octavia Hillingdon deals with desultory lords who are up to no good and probes the mystery of the "shadowy malefactors" who haunt the streets of Whitechapel. This book is the very epitome of a cup of Earl Grey and a blanket on a cold night and it warmed the little part of me that's always on the hunt for a witty, old school English mystery. The only thing I truly disliked about this is a painful habit of characters, especially Gideon, bless his delicate heart, to ask too many annoying questions rather than just stating the point they're circling, to the point where even Cutter gets annoyed by it: "'Is there any man left alive in London who can conduct ten minutes' business in plain English?'" In the end Octavia twigs to certain truths: "'All of this.' She surveyed the grand facades, the spires massed against the mild sky. "It is built on suffering, isn't it? All of it,'" and O'Donnell leaves us with some very appealing (to this reader) musing: "There was this light, if nothing else, and a sense that it was sufficient. There was the plentitude of this midsummer dusk, exalting all that was ordinary. It seemed impossible, even as it faded, to imagine it was anything other than eternal."
December 14, 2018
like a 3.6 bumped up for the sheer enjoyment/purely entertaining factor.
full post here at my reading journal:
http://www.crimesegments.com/2018/12/...
The House on Vesper Sands is a good mix of historical crime fiction and Victorian sensation fiction with more than a slight supernatural edge -- in short, it hit all of my relax-time, escape reading buttons. I read like I do everything else, wholeheartedly, giving the book in front of me my undivided attention, but sometimes I just need a brain break and a fun read, and this one fit the bill completely.
I think it's probably fair to say that this book revolves around plot much more than it does its characters. Once I started reading I realized that some of these characters seemed familiar, albeit from other books I've read, but at the same time, there's something different going on here with these people. There's great interplay between Inspector Cutter and Gideon Bliss, for example, that provides a lot of humor that sort of balances out the more disturbing aspects of the novel. And while the supernatural edge of this mystery might bother some people, one of the main ideas so nicely presented in this book is that "men don't need magic to do evil," as Mr. O'Donnell clearly shows, which also provides a more serious side to the story.
The House on Vesper Sands is pure entertainment, and one that its author must have had a great deal of fun writing. Every now and then reading for fun is a great thing, and I'm happy to have spent time with this story. Recommended for lighter mystery readers who don't mind a bit o' the strange in their stories. Don't look for great literature here - just relax, have fun, and go with the flow.
full post here at my reading journal:
http://www.crimesegments.com/2018/12/...
The House on Vesper Sands is a good mix of historical crime fiction and Victorian sensation fiction with more than a slight supernatural edge -- in short, it hit all of my relax-time, escape reading buttons. I read like I do everything else, wholeheartedly, giving the book in front of me my undivided attention, but sometimes I just need a brain break and a fun read, and this one fit the bill completely.
I think it's probably fair to say that this book revolves around plot much more than it does its characters. Once I started reading I realized that some of these characters seemed familiar, albeit from other books I've read, but at the same time, there's something different going on here with these people. There's great interplay between Inspector Cutter and Gideon Bliss, for example, that provides a lot of humor that sort of balances out the more disturbing aspects of the novel. And while the supernatural edge of this mystery might bother some people, one of the main ideas so nicely presented in this book is that "men don't need magic to do evil," as Mr. O'Donnell clearly shows, which also provides a more serious side to the story.
The House on Vesper Sands is pure entertainment, and one that its author must have had a great deal of fun writing. Every now and then reading for fun is a great thing, and I'm happy to have spent time with this story. Recommended for lighter mystery readers who don't mind a bit o' the strange in their stories. Don't look for great literature here - just relax, have fun, and go with the flow.
September 6, 2021
After finishing this book I’m still unclear on whether it aspired to be a mystery or a ghost story, but unfortunately it failed at both.
I love Victorian mysteries and most ghost stories and I’m not terribly picky about either, so this one should have been a slam dunk. Alas, the book is nothing like what it was purported to be.
I find misleading publishers summaries to be one of the most irritating things in the world, and this one was especially off the mark. I was gearing up for a slightly creepy historical mystery helmed by clever protagonists.
What I got was a bleating, absurdist mess mostly comprised of incessantly bickering characters that was clearly intended to be funny but was instead exceptionally obnoxious. So obnoxious that the story itself (which might actually have made for a fine mystery) became completely irrelevant.
I don’t love absurdist humor, largely because most authors aren’t good at it, and this book was sadly no exception to that rule. And of course, despite being so prevalent as to take over the book, there wasn’t even a hint of this in the summary or I would have steered far clear of it.
I also don’t love an out of left field supernatural element tossed into an otherwise reality-based mystery, but this book lost me far before that even came up.
For audiobook readers: This format didn’t help and may have made it worse. The narrator’s exaggerated vocalizations for the absurd arguments between characters make them even more cringey than they already are in written form.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
I love Victorian mysteries and most ghost stories and I’m not terribly picky about either, so this one should have been a slam dunk. Alas, the book is nothing like what it was purported to be.
I find misleading publishers summaries to be one of the most irritating things in the world, and this one was especially off the mark. I was gearing up for a slightly creepy historical mystery helmed by clever protagonists.
What I got was a bleating, absurdist mess mostly comprised of incessantly bickering characters that was clearly intended to be funny but was instead exceptionally obnoxious. So obnoxious that the story itself (which might actually have made for a fine mystery) became completely irrelevant.
I don’t love absurdist humor, largely because most authors aren’t good at it, and this book was sadly no exception to that rule. And of course, despite being so prevalent as to take over the book, there wasn’t even a hint of this in the summary or I would have steered far clear of it.
I also don’t love an out of left field supernatural element tossed into an otherwise reality-based mystery, but this book lost me far before that even came up.
For audiobook readers: This format didn’t help and may have made it worse. The narrator’s exaggerated vocalizations for the absurd arguments between characters make them even more cringey than they already are in written form.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
July 27, 2023
3 stars
This novel was a bit Alice Hoffman-ish to me. A bit mystery, a bit mystical and a bit criminal. Gothic in nature with supernatural elements, all done up in Victorian London in the late 1800's. The main characters Gideon, Octavia and Inspector Cutter are well developed and a joy to read, along with Angi Tatton, the missing girl. As the story develops, everything swirls back to Strythe House - The House on Vesper Sands.
This novel was a bit Alice Hoffman-ish to me. A bit mystery, a bit mystical and a bit criminal. Gothic in nature with supernatural elements, all done up in Victorian London in the late 1800's. The main characters Gideon, Octavia and Inspector Cutter are well developed and a joy to read, along with Angi Tatton, the missing girl. As the story develops, everything swirls back to Strythe House - The House on Vesper Sands.
April 19, 2021
"We can only keep house, in this life. We cannot tear up the foundation."
The House on Vesper Sands wakes to a bleak, cold winter in Victorian London. 1893. There's strangeness and death on the first pages as an unsettling exchange between a seamstress and a Lord's butler dissolves into her locked alone in an upper floor room. Immediately followed is her purpose-filled death by suicide, her note stitched onto her torso.
The seamstress's demise is the catalyst for an investigation to begin into dark and eery corners. Headed up by Inspector Cutter and Gideon Bliss, who begins his acquaintance with Cutter by pretending to be his summoned sergeant. An unlikely duo, but a delightful and remarkable pair, as they set across London viewing scenes and taking notes. Compiling theories — mostly on Bliss's part, as Cutter is a studied silent leader. These two have a wonderful budding friendship that plays out nicely. Another character from another avenue and viewpoint is a formidable young journalist, Octavia Hillingdon — determined to cover more important stories than what exists on the society page.
O'Donnell sets about taking his time, setting the scenes, and inching open the door to allow the reader to get to know his characters. At times, the atmosphere created was a lovely murky color — full of shadows and secrets and hopeful with mystery. But other times, the carefully plodded book was too slow — and still left me wanting a bit more intimacy with Cutter, Bliss, and Hillingdon. It takes the majority of the book before the pair of investigators ("one and a half," as another character mentions) and the journalist even meet up, which I found a tad frustrating from a storytelling aspect.
The House on Vesper Sands is an odd one. O'Donnell's writing is something of a paradox — the book itself is paradoxical to me actually. O'Donnell writes very well and has a firm grasp on his way around words and molding them to fit into a late nineteenth-century London setting. But I also found so much of the story to be bogged down by its own wordiness. Maybe he found himself closely identifying with his own character, Gideon Bliss — a young Cambridge man who uses twenty-five words when four would do. I, on the other hand, identified more with Cutter — as he exclaims more often than not for Bliss to just come to the point and stick with the particulars.
Overall, as outlined characters, I liked the three main players very much — but I couldn't help from wanting more out of them. Not in actions, but from within. They stayed at arm's length the entire way. I enjoyed their company for the very points that were created in which to define their three distinct personalities, but they never seemed to fill-in much beyond first blush. They were, at their introductions, who they were always going to be. Very enjoyable, but more Disney than Dickens.
"I believed I was in awe of you once, but I had forgotten the first meaning of the word, that there was terror in it long before there was wonder. I had forgotten the angels in scripture, who are not always seraphs. There are angels of destruction, too."
The essence of the book revolves around some supernatural or spiritual elements that O'Donnell reveals with a careful hand. It's slow and steady, with brief glimpses into something that this might become, but he drops the lid before anything fully takes shape. It's a hint of supernatural that made me want something grittier. There! Did you see it? No? Ugh, I'll do it again in a minute. Watch carefully now; it's only a glimpse so you might miss it.
One of those exceptions, The House on Vesper Sands was a page-turner while also being an incredibly putdownable book. While still being vulnerable to allow distractions, I was fairly into the book as long as I was reading it. But found it hard to want to pick it back up, once I'd set it down.
The House on Vesper Sands wakes to a bleak, cold winter in Victorian London. 1893. There's strangeness and death on the first pages as an unsettling exchange between a seamstress and a Lord's butler dissolves into her locked alone in an upper floor room. Immediately followed is her purpose-filled death by suicide, her note stitched onto her torso.
The seamstress's demise is the catalyst for an investigation to begin into dark and eery corners. Headed up by Inspector Cutter and Gideon Bliss, who begins his acquaintance with Cutter by pretending to be his summoned sergeant. An unlikely duo, but a delightful and remarkable pair, as they set across London viewing scenes and taking notes. Compiling theories — mostly on Bliss's part, as Cutter is a studied silent leader. These two have a wonderful budding friendship that plays out nicely. Another character from another avenue and viewpoint is a formidable young journalist, Octavia Hillingdon — determined to cover more important stories than what exists on the society page.
O'Donnell sets about taking his time, setting the scenes, and inching open the door to allow the reader to get to know his characters. At times, the atmosphere created was a lovely murky color — full of shadows and secrets and hopeful with mystery. But other times, the carefully plodded book was too slow — and still left me wanting a bit more intimacy with Cutter, Bliss, and Hillingdon. It takes the majority of the book before the pair of investigators ("one and a half," as another character mentions) and the journalist even meet up, which I found a tad frustrating from a storytelling aspect.
The House on Vesper Sands is an odd one. O'Donnell's writing is something of a paradox — the book itself is paradoxical to me actually. O'Donnell writes very well and has a firm grasp on his way around words and molding them to fit into a late nineteenth-century London setting. But I also found so much of the story to be bogged down by its own wordiness. Maybe he found himself closely identifying with his own character, Gideon Bliss — a young Cambridge man who uses twenty-five words when four would do. I, on the other hand, identified more with Cutter — as he exclaims more often than not for Bliss to just come to the point and stick with the particulars.
Overall, as outlined characters, I liked the three main players very much — but I couldn't help from wanting more out of them. Not in actions, but from within. They stayed at arm's length the entire way. I enjoyed their company for the very points that were created in which to define their three distinct personalities, but they never seemed to fill-in much beyond first blush. They were, at their introductions, who they were always going to be. Very enjoyable, but more Disney than Dickens.
"I believed I was in awe of you once, but I had forgotten the first meaning of the word, that there was terror in it long before there was wonder. I had forgotten the angels in scripture, who are not always seraphs. There are angels of destruction, too."
The essence of the book revolves around some supernatural or spiritual elements that O'Donnell reveals with a careful hand. It's slow and steady, with brief glimpses into something that this might become, but he drops the lid before anything fully takes shape. It's a hint of supernatural that made me want something grittier. There! Did you see it? No? Ugh, I'll do it again in a minute. Watch carefully now; it's only a glimpse so you might miss it.
One of those exceptions, The House on Vesper Sands was a page-turner while also being an incredibly putdownable book. While still being vulnerable to allow distractions, I was fairly into the book as long as I was reading it. But found it hard to want to pick it back up, once I'd set it down.
August 8, 2021
Part mystery, part gothic, part paranormal--O'Donnell combines the best parts of each to create an absorbing story about late-Victorian England. We open with Esther Tull, a seamstress who has been employed by Lord Strythe to produce fabulous gowns for an unknown purpose. Well...Esther now knows what it's all about and has determined to make the ultimate sacrifice to try and put a stop to it. She destroys some mysterious bottles of dark fluid, has embroidered a message into her very own skin, and then plunges to her death from an upper story in Lord Strythe's house.
Next up is Gideon Bliss, a religious scholar at Oxford, who has come to London after receiving an urgent summons from his uncle, Reverend Neuilly. Rev. Neuilly has been on a mission of charity--saving young women from a life on the streets and finding them decent employment. But when Gideon gets to London his uncle is nowhere to be found. Gideon briefly encounters Angela Tatton, one of the girls his uncle had assisted and whom Gideon had formed an attachment to when last he visited the reverend. But she soon vanishes as well. Through a bit of misunderstanding, Gideon finds himself playing sergeant to Inspector Cutter who is investigating the death at Lord Strythe's house and he realizes the disappearances and the death of the seamstress are connected.
In fact, a large number of young women and girls have gone missing--all from the lower classes--and there are rumors of Spiritists being involved. These Spiritists aren't just your run-of-the-mill spiritualists who hold seances and seek to contact the other world. There is an aura of evil surrounding the men and hints of the dark arts. Cutter and Bliss must determine who exactly is behind these men and what they might want with these young women. Meanwhile, Octavia Hillingdon, female reporter, is investigating the disappearance of Angela Tatton as well. All paths lead to Lord Strythe's country estate where our protagonists will have to deal with a man willing to do anything to possess the secrets the Spiritists have been pursuing...and that includes killing anyone who gets in his way.
This was an incredibly absorbing story--particularly so when one realizes that I am not especially fond of either paranormal books or those that keep switching points of view. We start out with Esther Tull. Then move on to following Gideon Bliss (and by extension Inspector Cutter); alternating with episodes with Olivia Hillingdon. This works pretty well, for the most part--but there are a few sections where it becomes difficult to piece together what is going on--we just jump into a scene without proper contextualization.
The paranormal aspect is quite central to the mystery, so once you accept that what is said to be happening actually can (at least in O'Donnell's Victorian England) happen then all is well. A review from The Irish Times says that "he doesn't rely on ghostly happenings to explain or resolve his plot." That's not precisely true. Without the paranormal, we definitely would not have the ending we are given--the villain may have gotten his due, but certainly not as it was dished up, and one of our heroes would most likely not still be with us. However, having suspended my disbelief and accepted the paranormal aspects as presented, I find the denouement perfectly satisfying.
One of the most delightful parts of the story is the somewhat uneasy (at first) partnership between Cutter and Bliss. The introductory scenes where Cutter assumes Bliss is his new sergeant (and Bliss decides to just go with it) are very funny and I fully appreciate Cutter's sarcastic wit. It looks like the two are set to continue as a team and one must hope that there will be future installments in the duo's detective career.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting portions of review. Thanks.
Next up is Gideon Bliss, a religious scholar at Oxford, who has come to London after receiving an urgent summons from his uncle, Reverend Neuilly. Rev. Neuilly has been on a mission of charity--saving young women from a life on the streets and finding them decent employment. But when Gideon gets to London his uncle is nowhere to be found. Gideon briefly encounters Angela Tatton, one of the girls his uncle had assisted and whom Gideon had formed an attachment to when last he visited the reverend. But she soon vanishes as well. Through a bit of misunderstanding, Gideon finds himself playing sergeant to Inspector Cutter who is investigating the death at Lord Strythe's house and he realizes the disappearances and the death of the seamstress are connected.
In fact, a large number of young women and girls have gone missing--all from the lower classes--and there are rumors of Spiritists being involved. These Spiritists aren't just your run-of-the-mill spiritualists who hold seances and seek to contact the other world. There is an aura of evil surrounding the men and hints of the dark arts. Cutter and Bliss must determine who exactly is behind these men and what they might want with these young women. Meanwhile, Octavia Hillingdon, female reporter, is investigating the disappearance of Angela Tatton as well. All paths lead to Lord Strythe's country estate where our protagonists will have to deal with a man willing to do anything to possess the secrets the Spiritists have been pursuing...and that includes killing anyone who gets in his way.
This was an incredibly absorbing story--particularly so when one realizes that I am not especially fond of either paranormal books or those that keep switching points of view. We start out with Esther Tull. Then move on to following Gideon Bliss (and by extension Inspector Cutter); alternating with episodes with Olivia Hillingdon. This works pretty well, for the most part--but there are a few sections where it becomes difficult to piece together what is going on--we just jump into a scene without proper contextualization.
The paranormal aspect is quite central to the mystery, so once you accept that what is said to be happening actually can (at least in O'Donnell's Victorian England) happen then all is well. A review from The Irish Times says that "he doesn't rely on ghostly happenings to explain or resolve his plot." That's not precisely true. Without the paranormal, we definitely would not have the ending we are given--the villain may have gotten his due, but certainly not as it was dished up, and one of our heroes would most likely not still be with us. However, having suspended my disbelief and accepted the paranormal aspects as presented, I find the denouement perfectly satisfying.
One of the most delightful parts of the story is the somewhat uneasy (at first) partnership between Cutter and Bliss. The introductory scenes where Cutter assumes Bliss is his new sergeant (and Bliss decides to just go with it) are very funny and I fully appreciate Cutter's sarcastic wit. It looks like the two are set to continue as a team and one must hope that there will be future installments in the duo's detective career.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting portions of review. Thanks.
January 5, 2021
The characters are what made this story interesting for me. Gideon is smart, but trips over himself when he gets flustered. He's in love with a woman and is willing to do whatever it takes to find her after she goes missing. Inspector Cutter is great, he's an amazing detective with no patience for others and I really enjoyed his back and forth with Gideon. And best for last, Octavia. She's a journalist trying to break big stories in a time where women weren't even really working in professional settings. Octavia never gives up and I want to be her sidekick!
The plot was a bit difficult to follow at times and I wasn't sure if there were paranormal things happening or not. Some of the side characters were hard to keep straight and the ending to the mystery left me with questions.
I think there's some great potential for more crime solving with Cutter, Octavia, and Gideon as a team. They have a nice dynamic and if there are more books, I will check them out!
I received a copy of this audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The plot was a bit difficult to follow at times and I wasn't sure if there were paranormal things happening or not. Some of the side characters were hard to keep straight and the ending to the mystery left me with questions.
I think there's some great potential for more crime solving with Cutter, Octavia, and Gideon as a team. They have a nice dynamic and if there are more books, I will check them out!
I received a copy of this audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 19, 2021
I should have read other opinions before delving into this -- I don't care at all for otherworldly elements, and the resolution on this one hinges on one. It started out so strong, setting a scene and introducing some great characters, several of which I'm assuming will probably pop up in later cases. They are worth following for people who enjoy that sort of thing, but it's not for me.
March 17, 2021
With Esther Tull’s opening chapter, I was intrigued. From her quiet tolerance of butler Mr. Carew, her exacting movement across her attic sewing room, and her descriptive step off the window ledge, I was captivated and ready to learn what led Ms. Tull to this dramatic leap.
And then I met Gideon. Dear Lord, the man needs a lesson in concise language and elimination of word-vomit. He took paragraphs to say what could be said in a few words. I was a bit cheered with the introduction of Inspector Cutter as he seemed to be the one who would cut through Gideon’s verbiage. When Octavia appeared, I thought, “Hmmm. This gal’s spunk and drive just may keep me reading.” But, at page 118, as I read a wordy description of Octavia’s pursuit of Lord Strythe’s story, I realized that Gideon’s voice may be reflective of the author and the words, words, and more words would continue even when Gideon was nowhere in sight. Life is short, there are many books, and, despite the seeming popularity of this book, I called “uncle” and returned Gideon & his tome to the library. (DNF on March 6, 2021; 118 pages read)
And then I met Gideon. Dear Lord, the man needs a lesson in concise language and elimination of word-vomit. He took paragraphs to say what could be said in a few words. I was a bit cheered with the introduction of Inspector Cutter as he seemed to be the one who would cut through Gideon’s verbiage. When Octavia appeared, I thought, “Hmmm. This gal’s spunk and drive just may keep me reading.” But, at page 118, as I read a wordy description of Octavia’s pursuit of Lord Strythe’s story, I realized that Gideon’s voice may be reflective of the author and the words, words, and more words would continue even when Gideon was nowhere in sight. Life is short, there are many books, and, despite the seeming popularity of this book, I called “uncle” and returned Gideon & his tome to the library. (DNF on March 6, 2021; 118 pages read)
December 18, 2018
I’ve just finished reading The House of Vesper Sands and I loved it. It’s the 2nd novel from Paraic O’Donnell and I found it far more accessible than his first The Maker of Swans.
The principle characters of inspector Cutter and his unwitting companion Gideon Bliss are investigating the presumed suicide of a seamstress working for a rich powerful man in Mayfair. Bliss has personal history and romantic interest in another girl, Angie Tatton, who is connected to the death but has subsequently disappeared. They search for the missing girl who it seems has been kidnapped so that the excessive spiritual light inside her can be harvested by ‘spiriters’ to make them younger. A process that results in the deaths of the predominantly young women, Tatton is found but is literally slowly disappearing before their eyes! The novel is set in the Victorian era and it perfectly suits the underlying theme of mysticism and occultism that seems to have been so persuasive at the time.
While there are other interesting characters such as the ambitious journalist Octavia Hillingdon, who is eager to find a real story rather than reporting on fluff pieces, it was the connection between the two men that is reminiscent of both Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson and of Commander Vic Rimes and the rest of his Nightwatch (from Terry Prachett’s Discworld series) that had me reading frantically towards the end. I for one, hope that he reprises these characters in his next novel.
The principle characters of inspector Cutter and his unwitting companion Gideon Bliss are investigating the presumed suicide of a seamstress working for a rich powerful man in Mayfair. Bliss has personal history and romantic interest in another girl, Angie Tatton, who is connected to the death but has subsequently disappeared. They search for the missing girl who it seems has been kidnapped so that the excessive spiritual light inside her can be harvested by ‘spiriters’ to make them younger. A process that results in the deaths of the predominantly young women, Tatton is found but is literally slowly disappearing before their eyes! The novel is set in the Victorian era and it perfectly suits the underlying theme of mysticism and occultism that seems to have been so persuasive at the time.
While there are other interesting characters such as the ambitious journalist Octavia Hillingdon, who is eager to find a real story rather than reporting on fluff pieces, it was the connection between the two men that is reminiscent of both Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson and of Commander Vic Rimes and the rest of his Nightwatch (from Terry Prachett’s Discworld series) that had me reading frantically towards the end. I for one, hope that he reprises these characters in his next novel.
November 26, 2020
I felt like this book started off SO STRONG. The interactions between Bliss and Cutter are amazing. The set-up with Octavia, Bliss, and Cutter with the missing girls is enough to keep you reading. And even when things went into the paranormal, I wasn't against it. The issue I felt with this book is that it couldn't decide whether it was a paranormal story, a gothic horror story, or a historical mystery. And in not finding it's voice, the narrative began to lag. What makes it especially painful is that the reader is simply TOLD everything, rather than immersing the reader in even a little bit of the action. So much happens off the page that it becomes frustrating. It feels like the transitions between scenes are poorly done. It felt like I had missed sections, but I checked and it was definitely the next page in the right order. Thank you to Tin House for an ARC to review.
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