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Frey & McGray #1
The Strings of Murder
The brutal slaying of a violinist in his home in 1888 sparks a locked room murder mystery investigated by two diametrically opposed Edinburgh detectives.
1888: a violinist is brutally murdered in his Edinburgh home. Fearing a national panic over a copycat Jack the Ripper, Scotland Yard send Inspector Ian Frey. Frey reports to Detective "Nine-Nails" McGray, local legend and exact opposite of the foppish English Inspector. McGray’s tragic past has driven him to superstition, but even Frey must admit that this case seems beyond belief...
There was no way in or out of the locked music studio. And there are black magic symbols on the floor. The dead man’s maid swears there were three musicians playing before the murder. And the suspects all talk of a cursed violin once played by the Devil himself.
Inspector Frey has always been a man of reason—but the longer this investigation goes on, the more his grasp on reason seems to be slipping...
399 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 12, 2015
215 people are currently reading
8937 people want to read
About the author
Óscar de Muriel
21 books563 followersOscar de Muriel was born in Mexico City in 1983 and moved to the UK to complete his PhD. He is a chemist, translator and violinist who now lives and works in Manchester. The Loch of the Dead is his fourth novel, following A Mask of Shadows, A Fever of the Blood and The Strings of Murder.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 859 reviews
August 12, 2018
Disgraced inspector Ian Frey is sent to Edinburgh to investigate the brutal death of a violinist. The violinist was killed in a locked room and there is no way out or in and the walls are covered with magic symbols.
I wish more books were like this; fast-paced, interesting and with short chapters. With short chapters, I'm like "OK, just one more chapter"...and 1-2 hours later 1/3 of the book is done. Anyway, the mystery in this book was interesting and I like that the main characters Ian Frey and Adolpho "Nine Nails" McGrey can't stop insulting each other from the moment they met. Dislike at the first sight, I love it. (I prefer it to love at first sight lol). Yes, there were moments in the book when I got it before the main characters did, but I just credit that to how brilliant I am to figure out things instead of how simple the solution is. Hehehe...
I received this copy from the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review!
I wish more books were like this; fast-paced, interesting and with short chapters. With short chapters, I'm like "OK, just one more chapter"...and 1-2 hours later 1/3 of the book is done. Anyway, the mystery in this book was interesting and I like that the main characters Ian Frey and Adolpho "Nine Nails" McGrey can't stop insulting each other from the moment they met. Dislike at the first sight, I love it. (I prefer it to love at first sight lol). Yes, there were moments in the book when I got it before the main characters did, but I just credit that to how brilliant I am to figure out things instead of how simple the solution is. Hehehe...
I received this copy from the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review!
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July 14, 2023Rather odd murder mystery set in late Victorian Edinburgh. Author made the bold decision to have both of the ill-assorted detective duo be incredibly unlikeable--they are both rude, aggressive and bullying to hide their inner pain, trauma and fear ya di ya. Sadly I've kind of had it with 'privileged men who are horrible to other people rather than dealing with themselves' in general and for the rest of my life, so I wasn't really prepared to extend these fictional ones a lot of leeway. Obviously we learn more of them as we go, but I can't say I wished either of them terribly well even by the end.
The mystery is clever and the setting very vividly (unpleasantly) drawn, though the period language wobbles occasionally and I do really hate 'phonetic' dialogue. I can absolutely see how this would float a lot of people's boats but I found the accumulation of grime and unpleasantness and deeply flawed people being nasty to each other just a bit much. Others will wallow in it, because it does what it does perfectly well; I just didn't like it.
The mystery is clever and the setting very vividly (unpleasantly) drawn, though the period language wobbles occasionally and I do really hate 'phonetic' dialogue. I can absolutely see how this would float a lot of people's boats but I found the accumulation of grime and unpleasantness and deeply flawed people being nasty to each other just a bit much. Others will wallow in it, because it does what it does perfectly well; I just didn't like it.
February 14, 2020
Victorian mystery in perfection.
Absolutely recommended.
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Ein viktorianischer Krimi, wie man ihn nicht besser hätte schreiben können, mit genau dem richtigen Maß an Humor, Spannung, exzentrischen Charakteren und viktorianischem Gedöns.
Ian Frey als überkandidelter englischer Fatzke und Adolphus McGray als abergläubischer und rustikaler Schotte sind natürlich total überzeichnet, was in ihrer Buddy-Cop Konstellation zwar zu erheiternden Szenen führt, die Geschichte aber trotzdem nicht der Lächerlichkeit preisgibt.
Ich kann hier nur für Fans historischer Krimis eine absolute Leseempfehlung aussprechen.
Absolutely recommended.
----------------------------
Ein viktorianischer Krimi, wie man ihn nicht besser hätte schreiben können, mit genau dem richtigen Maß an Humor, Spannung, exzentrischen Charakteren und viktorianischem Gedöns.
Ian Frey als überkandidelter englischer Fatzke und Adolphus McGray als abergläubischer und rustikaler Schotte sind natürlich total überzeichnet, was in ihrer Buddy-Cop Konstellation zwar zu erheiternden Szenen führt, die Geschichte aber trotzdem nicht der Lächerlichkeit preisgibt.
Ich kann hier nur für Fans historischer Krimis eine absolute Leseempfehlung aussprechen.
August 28, 2020
4,5/5 stars for a brilliant mystery thriller that Sherlock Holmes & Edgar A. Poe-fans will love.
Do you like a good murder mystery? I certainly do, mainly because murder mysteries are like Westerns: you know how they work and what you can expect, and if the writer does great things with the standard crime-elements, than you know you’re reading a good story. But starting author Oscar de Muriel does something even better: he wrote a damn good murder mystery about an intriguing paranormal crime case, researched by two clever inspectors.
The story takes place in cold and dreary Edinburgh, November 1888. A talented old violinist is found dead in his room. The body is missing intestines, heart, and liver, and the only thing the maid can tell is that she heard haunting, spine-chilling music coming from the room.
How the murderer got into the locked room – and out! – is a mystery, but when it’s discovered that the old violinist played on a fiddle made, as fables say, by the Devil himself, and more violin players get targeted, the murder gets a lot more macabre.
Inspector Ian Frey is send by Scotland Yard from London to Edinburg to solve the mystery as quickly as possible, since Jack the Ripper is haunting London and the police doesn’t want any more panic. Ian Frey is in his thirties, posh and prejudice against everything Scottish. In Edin-bloody-burgh (Ian’s words), he has to work with the eccentric detective Adolphus ‘Nine-Nails’ McGray. The man misses a finger, has a strong accent and heavy beliefs in the supernatural.
Does he sound like the perfect partner for Ian? I think not.
Yeah, their partnership isn’t smooth and peaceful, but when it comes to the case, they make a great team. It’s not hard to see/look for the similarities between them and Holmes & Watson, but Frey and McGray really are their own character.
Sure, both Frey and Watson share a medical background, but Frey is a lot haughtier than Watson. And while McGray believes just as firmly in the supernatural as Holmes doesn’t (see “The Hounds of the Baskervilles”), the latter is a friendly, down-to-earth man who is easy to like.
It’s incredible how young Mexican Oscar de Muriel has been able to copy the old gothic writing style. This paranormal crime-mystery could easily have been written 100 years ago and wouldn’t have stand out as recent: the characterizations and the scenery descriptions of the English/Scottish towns are lively and spot-on.
Interesting is that Muriel is a violinist and chemist as well, and you can see that personal knowledge in the murder case. I’m curious to see what Muriel will do in the next book (which I definitely will read!) when he has to go in unfamiliar territory, but I have faith in this man’s talent ☺.
All together The Strings of Murder is a great debut. The story is well written and a real page-turner, the characters are sharp and witty, and the mystery is bloody and frightening as Poe’s stories can be.
The similarities with the known (gothic) murder mysteries can be a bother to some readers – while Muriel is a great imitator of the old style, you don’t see much of his own – but I could see Muriel’s own quirks shine through. The 4,5/5 stars therefore are well earned.
And luckily for me, the second book in the Frey & McGray-series is just out, so I can’t wait to soon read more about these two men. Bring it on, Muriel!
Read here my other reviews of the Frey & McGray books:
#2 A Fever of the Blood |
Do you like a good murder mystery? I certainly do, mainly because murder mysteries are like Westerns: you know how they work and what you can expect, and if the writer does great things with the standard crime-elements, than you know you’re reading a good story. But starting author Oscar de Muriel does something even better: he wrote a damn good murder mystery about an intriguing paranormal crime case, researched by two clever inspectors.
The story takes place in cold and dreary Edinburgh, November 1888. A talented old violinist is found dead in his room. The body is missing intestines, heart, and liver, and the only thing the maid can tell is that she heard haunting, spine-chilling music coming from the room.
How the murderer got into the locked room – and out! – is a mystery, but when it’s discovered that the old violinist played on a fiddle made, as fables say, by the Devil himself, and more violin players get targeted, the murder gets a lot more macabre.
Inspector Ian Frey is send by Scotland Yard from London to Edinburg to solve the mystery as quickly as possible, since Jack the Ripper is haunting London and the police doesn’t want any more panic. Ian Frey is in his thirties, posh and prejudice against everything Scottish. In Edin-bloody-burgh (Ian’s words), he has to work with the eccentric detective Adolphus ‘Nine-Nails’ McGray. The man misses a finger, has a strong accent and heavy beliefs in the supernatural.
Does he sound like the perfect partner for Ian? I think not.
[Ian:] I produced my handkerchief again and stoically wiped the mud of my clothes. 'I would appreciate it if you refrained from calling me a "London lassie" in the future.'
He laughed. 'Aye, yer right. Ye wouldn't last five minutes against some lassies I ken.'
'Sorry, some of the lasses you...?'
'Ken.'
'Ken?'
'Ken. Know! Och, I forgot you Londoners cannae speak without three marbles in yer gobs.'
Yeah, their partnership isn’t smooth and peaceful, but when it comes to the case, they make a great team. It’s not hard to see/look for the similarities between them and Holmes & Watson, but Frey and McGray really are their own character.
Sure, both Frey and Watson share a medical background, but Frey is a lot haughtier than Watson. And while McGray believes just as firmly in the supernatural as Holmes doesn’t (see “The Hounds of the Baskervilles”), the latter is a friendly, down-to-earth man who is easy to like.
It’s incredible how young Mexican Oscar de Muriel has been able to copy the old gothic writing style. This paranormal crime-mystery could easily have been written 100 years ago and wouldn’t have stand out as recent: the characterizations and the scenery descriptions of the English/Scottish towns are lively and spot-on.
Interesting is that Muriel is a violinist and chemist as well, and you can see that personal knowledge in the murder case. I’m curious to see what Muriel will do in the next book (which I definitely will read!) when he has to go in unfamiliar territory, but I have faith in this man’s talent ☺.
All together The Strings of Murder is a great debut. The story is well written and a real page-turner, the characters are sharp and witty, and the mystery is bloody and frightening as Poe’s stories can be.
The similarities with the known (gothic) murder mysteries can be a bother to some readers – while Muriel is a great imitator of the old style, you don’t see much of his own – but I could see Muriel’s own quirks shine through. The 4,5/5 stars therefore are well earned.
And luckily for me, the second book in the Frey & McGray-series is just out, so I can’t wait to soon read more about these two men. Bring it on, Muriel!
Read here my other reviews of the Frey & McGray books:
#2 A Fever of the Blood |
September 7, 2020
Incredibly entertaining!
April 11, 2018
This was a good, if gruesome criminal mystery, that took place in Scotland during Victorian times. I was in the mood for solving a challenging murder case along with the detectives, and I had one here. But I wasn't prepared for a grisly string of murders to take place, no pun intended. So I ignored the gore and, as usual, I concentrated on the main characters which I found engaging, both separately and even more so when thrown together.
It begins in London in 1888 when Jack the Ripper is on the loose and a possible copycat murder of his is committed in Scotland, though nothing is for certain. Newly dismissed from his position as a detective for Scotland Yard for political reasons, Ian Frey is reinstated by the Police Commissioner to investigate the murder in Scotland before it becomes more widely known and people panic, thinking Jack the Ripper might be extending his territory, meaning no one in or outside of London is safe.
Frey has been on the force for seven years, after dabbling in medicine and the law. He comes from a wealthy family and need never work, but entered law enforcement, seeking a higher purpose in his life beyond leisurely pursuits. So he’s determined to solve the case in Scotland quickly, hoping to win back his place on the force permanently, and win back his higher purpose in life. There’s a catch, though, he soon finds out. In Scotland, he will be working with Detective Adolphous McGray, who heads a special subdivision there called ‘Commission for the Elucidation of Unsolved Cases Presumably Related to the Odd and Ghostly.’ McGray gets assigned unsolved cases to explore less than orthodox explanations for crimes. McGray himself is unorthodox due to something tragic that happened in his past that has him chasing ghosts, among other things. How is conservative Frey, who spends more time on his wardrobe than McGray spends sleeping, to get along with a man who seems more intent on slow walking the investigation than solving it? Will Frey’s nerves fray before this is over, from pressure as the murder count mounts, and from McGray constantly referring to him as “Lassie” because of his dandy tendencies?
I enjoyed this mystery despite its grisly components, and I appreciated the banter between the odd couple investigators on the case. So why three stars? I couldn’t overlook two things that really grated on me. The first thing was the ever changing voices of the characters. McGray is Scottish, but at times, he sounded American. Frey was English, but sometimes, he sounded American, too. And one character of Italian descent alternated between sounding Scottish and American. And the second thing which bugged me even more was the fact that the author used several anachronistic phrases when writing dialogue. For example, he had one character say that he didn’t think another character was “into” witchcraft. The word “into” used in that way is American slang from the late 1960’s. It seemed so terribly out of place in Victorian times that I just had to look it up. I only wish the author had done so, too, before the book went to print. So this and other anachronistic phrases, plus the ever changing accents of the characters really threw me out of that time and place.
Still, I enjoyed the main characters and how they interacted, and the mystery was one I didn’t solve. So I’d be willing to give this author and his series another try to see if the problems in this book lessened in later ones. It’s not a bad period piece mystery, just not the best one out there.
It begins in London in 1888 when Jack the Ripper is on the loose and a possible copycat murder of his is committed in Scotland, though nothing is for certain. Newly dismissed from his position as a detective for Scotland Yard for political reasons, Ian Frey is reinstated by the Police Commissioner to investigate the murder in Scotland before it becomes more widely known and people panic, thinking Jack the Ripper might be extending his territory, meaning no one in or outside of London is safe.
Frey has been on the force for seven years, after dabbling in medicine and the law. He comes from a wealthy family and need never work, but entered law enforcement, seeking a higher purpose in his life beyond leisurely pursuits. So he’s determined to solve the case in Scotland quickly, hoping to win back his place on the force permanently, and win back his higher purpose in life. There’s a catch, though, he soon finds out. In Scotland, he will be working with Detective Adolphous McGray, who heads a special subdivision there called ‘Commission for the Elucidation of Unsolved Cases Presumably Related to the Odd and Ghostly.’ McGray gets assigned unsolved cases to explore less than orthodox explanations for crimes. McGray himself is unorthodox due to something tragic that happened in his past that has him chasing ghosts, among other things. How is conservative Frey, who spends more time on his wardrobe than McGray spends sleeping, to get along with a man who seems more intent on slow walking the investigation than solving it? Will Frey’s nerves fray before this is over, from pressure as the murder count mounts, and from McGray constantly referring to him as “Lassie” because of his dandy tendencies?
I enjoyed this mystery despite its grisly components, and I appreciated the banter between the odd couple investigators on the case. So why three stars? I couldn’t overlook two things that really grated on me. The first thing was the ever changing voices of the characters. McGray is Scottish, but at times, he sounded American. Frey was English, but sometimes, he sounded American, too. And one character of Italian descent alternated between sounding Scottish and American. And the second thing which bugged me even more was the fact that the author used several anachronistic phrases when writing dialogue. For example, he had one character say that he didn’t think another character was “into” witchcraft. The word “into” used in that way is American slang from the late 1960’s. It seemed so terribly out of place in Victorian times that I just had to look it up. I only wish the author had done so, too, before the book went to print. So this and other anachronistic phrases, plus the ever changing accents of the characters really threw me out of that time and place.
Still, I enjoyed the main characters and how they interacted, and the mystery was one I didn’t solve. So I’d be willing to give this author and his series another try to see if the problems in this book lessened in later ones. It’s not a bad period piece mystery, just not the best one out there.
December 29, 2020
This was a wild ride. [Prtf]
April 20, 2017
I am totally guilty of judging a book by its cover. I picked this up randomly at the bookstore because it just looked super freaking cool. Violins, Scotland, black magic, Scotland, locked-room mystery, lunatic asylums and SCOTLAND?! Sold, sold, sold! Besides, I had a quiet weekend ahead, which generally means I will find a comfy spot, fix myself a cocktail and read; no further excuses needed.
I didn’t expect much, I confess it. But the book proceeded to completely blow my mind! I loves me some Gothic mysteries, I am a huge Sherlock Holmes fan and if you add weird occult stuff into the mix, I just go gaga. “The Strings of Murder” had all those elements, but it had so much more. It was fun, fast-paced (it was seriously hard to put down; I finished it over the weekend), the characters of Frey and McGray have the most awesome chemistry and banter (try to read this without giggling or snorting), the creepy-meter was turned up to 11 and well… it’s set in Victorian Scotland!
If every book I picked up on a whim turned out as awesome as this one, I would be a very happy, very broke bookworm. I can’t believe this is Oscar de Muriel’s debut! I heard that Frey and McGray will be back in another book, and that makes me so very happy! The amazing personality conflicts of the snobby Brit and the gruff Scot makes me delirious with glee and I want more!
If you have the same tastes I do, enjoy mysteries, have a latent Anglo-creep streak and love good, entertaining and addictive writing, just get your hands on this book. Like right now. Also, give me the sequel. Right now.
I didn’t expect much, I confess it. But the book proceeded to completely blow my mind! I loves me some Gothic mysteries, I am a huge Sherlock Holmes fan and if you add weird occult stuff into the mix, I just go gaga. “The Strings of Murder” had all those elements, but it had so much more. It was fun, fast-paced (it was seriously hard to put down; I finished it over the weekend), the characters of Frey and McGray have the most awesome chemistry and banter (try to read this without giggling or snorting), the creepy-meter was turned up to 11 and well… it’s set in Victorian Scotland!
If every book I picked up on a whim turned out as awesome as this one, I would be a very happy, very broke bookworm. I can’t believe this is Oscar de Muriel’s debut! I heard that Frey and McGray will be back in another book, and that makes me so very happy! The amazing personality conflicts of the snobby Brit and the gruff Scot makes me delirious with glee and I want more!
If you have the same tastes I do, enjoy mysteries, have a latent Anglo-creep streak and love good, entertaining and addictive writing, just get your hands on this book. Like right now. Also, give me the sequel. Right now.
December 7, 2014
Inspector Ian Frey of Scotland Yard is sent to Edinburgh to help with the investigations into what may be a copycat basing his murders on those of Jack the Ripper. Frey has many reasons for wanting to be away from London, but really doesn’t want to be in Scotland. He must join a new police department run by Detective ‘Nine-Nails’ McGray who believes in psychics and supernatural sources for crime, and who has sorrows of his own. Together these two very different men must investigate a series of gruesome murders linked by some valuable violins and which seem to be the result of an evil other-worldly force.
I was sent a proof copy of this book to read by the Real Readers programme and was pleased to receive it as I have particular love of anything set in the Victorian era. I also read a lot of crime novels so this seemed to be right up my street. I started with high hopes, but found it difficult to get into the book straight away. The opening prologue was very exciting and like the beginning of a Hammer horror film – a horse-drawn carriage races through the night to an isolated house where a terrible crime has taken place. However, as soon as the novel proper started there seemed to be too much scene setting, and too much “tell” rather than “show” so I immediately felt distanced from the characters and just wanted the author to get on with it.
And though I’m aware that all the anti-Scottish sentiment is in the mind of Frey (as the book is written in the first person) it soon became tiresome. Yes, Edinburgh is dirty and smelly, but so was London at that time. It’s difficult to think of a single fully sympathetic Scottish character in the book, though I will admit that Frey seems to be warming to some Scots by the end. I also thought that the portrayal of McGray was a little too “comedy Scotsman”. The author tries to render his accent in writing which isn’t completely successful and makes McGray appear to be of a lower social status than he actually is. This meant that he didn’t really feel like a real person to me so I didn’t really ever feel he was in peril and didn’t feel sympathy for his family situation. Frey himself is a prig who thinks himself better than everyone else and isn’t afraid to say so. I really didn’t relish spending time with him, even after he had become a bit more human by the end of the book. I’m sure that this is an attempt at an Odd Couple type of partnership, but if one half of the couple is a comedy stereotype (complete with tartan suit) and the other is an insufferable prig, I can’t see many people wanting to read about them.
The plot itself is reminiscent of something by Edgar Allen Poe and is very clever, but there were some aspects of it that made me quite uncomfortable. I think the author is trying to demonstrate how much we have moved on since the nineteenth century concerning some aspects of our society, but using a particular type of person purely for the purposes of a sensational crime still seems to me to be in poor taste.
I really wanted to love this book, but found myself let down by it. Lovers of locked room mysteries will probably like it, but a comparison with Jonathan Strange on the cover shows The Strings of Murder up as a very poor second to Susanna Clarke’s wonderful book. I won’t be reading any more of the forthcoming new series of novels starring Frey and McGray as life is too short to spend with people you don’t like.
I was sent a proof copy of this book to read by the Real Readers programme and was pleased to receive it as I have particular love of anything set in the Victorian era. I also read a lot of crime novels so this seemed to be right up my street. I started with high hopes, but found it difficult to get into the book straight away. The opening prologue was very exciting and like the beginning of a Hammer horror film – a horse-drawn carriage races through the night to an isolated house where a terrible crime has taken place. However, as soon as the novel proper started there seemed to be too much scene setting, and too much “tell” rather than “show” so I immediately felt distanced from the characters and just wanted the author to get on with it.
And though I’m aware that all the anti-Scottish sentiment is in the mind of Frey (as the book is written in the first person) it soon became tiresome. Yes, Edinburgh is dirty and smelly, but so was London at that time. It’s difficult to think of a single fully sympathetic Scottish character in the book, though I will admit that Frey seems to be warming to some Scots by the end. I also thought that the portrayal of McGray was a little too “comedy Scotsman”. The author tries to render his accent in writing which isn’t completely successful and makes McGray appear to be of a lower social status than he actually is. This meant that he didn’t really feel like a real person to me so I didn’t really ever feel he was in peril and didn’t feel sympathy for his family situation. Frey himself is a prig who thinks himself better than everyone else and isn’t afraid to say so. I really didn’t relish spending time with him, even after he had become a bit more human by the end of the book. I’m sure that this is an attempt at an Odd Couple type of partnership, but if one half of the couple is a comedy stereotype (complete with tartan suit) and the other is an insufferable prig, I can’t see many people wanting to read about them.
The plot itself is reminiscent of something by Edgar Allen Poe and is very clever, but there were some aspects of it that made me quite uncomfortable. I think the author is trying to demonstrate how much we have moved on since the nineteenth century concerning some aspects of our society, but using a particular type of person purely for the purposes of a sensational crime still seems to me to be in poor taste.
I really wanted to love this book, but found myself let down by it. Lovers of locked room mysteries will probably like it, but a comparison with Jonathan Strange on the cover shows The Strings of Murder up as a very poor second to Susanna Clarke’s wonderful book. I won’t be reading any more of the forthcoming new series of novels starring Frey and McGray as life is too short to spend with people you don’t like.
April 20, 2019
Victorian mystery meets the X Files in this extremely entertaining novel introducing the detective team of London based Inspector Ian Frey and Edinburgh detective Adolphus 'Nine-Nails' McGray.
A brutal locked room murder that hints of Satanic ritual and supernatural forces....what more can you ask for?
But wait, there's more!
The most entertaining dysfunctional duo to grace mystery fiction in some time.....realized upon the page with intriguing depth and humanity......and their verbal sparring is frequently worth the price of admission.
Highly recommended.
A brutal locked room murder that hints of Satanic ritual and supernatural forces....what more can you ask for?
But wait, there's more!
The most entertaining dysfunctional duo to grace mystery fiction in some time.....realized upon the page with intriguing depth and humanity......and their verbal sparring is frequently worth the price of admission.
Highly recommended.
April 23, 2021
Toller Auftakt!!!
October 9, 2019
Ein bisschen derb in den Dialogen, aber ansonsten ein spannender Krimiauftakt mit sehr ungewöhnlichen Ermittlern!
Insgesamt hat mir der Auftakt zur Krimireihe wirklich gut gefallen. Manchmal fand ich den Schreibstil zwar etwas unbeholfen, was aber vielleicht auch an der Übersetzung liegt. Dass einer der Inspektoren z. B. ständig "gackernd lacht" finde ich ziemlich unpassend, keine Ahnung was hierfür das englische Pendant war ... Auch fand ich es teilweise etwas übertrieben, wie oft hier geflucht wird oder auch das gereizte Verhalten sprengte etwas den Rahmen und machte die beiden Protagonisten nicht unbedingt sympathisch.
Ian Frey ist einer davon. Er ist 31 und arbeitet durch Beziehungen bei New Scotland Yard in London und hat auch schon einige Erfolge zu verbuchen. Allerdings ist er sehr unausgeglichen, auch weil er noch nicht zu sich selbst gefunden hat. Sein bisheriger Weg war unstet und als jetzt über Nacht seine gesamte Lebenssituation über den Haufen geworfen wird, sind das keine guten Vorraussetzungen, um in Schottland Fuß zu fassen.
Dort soll er zusammen mit Inspector McGray einen Mörder fassen, der evtl. die Taten des berüchtigten Jack the Ripper nachahmt.
Mit McGray hat er allerdings einen harten Brocken erwischt, denn sein Benehmen zeugt meist nicht von einem Gentleman und ist rau und ungehobelt. Sein spöttischer Humor und die unorthodoxe Herangehensweise an die Aufklärung, sowie das Herabschauen auf den "englischen Dandy" gestaltet das Zusammenraufen der beiden als recht schwierig. Es macht teilweise Spaß das zu beobachten, war aber eben auch, wie oben erwähnt, manchmal etwas übertrieben vor allem in der groben Aussprache.
Ansonsten war es von der Atmopshäre her eher nüchtern und ich hab schon ein bisschen den angepriesenen Gruselfaktor vermisst. Dafür hat mir der solide aber ungewöhnliche Eindruck gut gefallen und es war auch von den historischen Begebenenheiten passend veranschaulicht.
Der Fall selbst ist sehr verstrickt und gut aufgebaut. Der Autor versteht es, die Spannung aufrecht zu erhalten und hab jeden Moment mitgefiebert. Interessant fand ich auch den Zusammenhang mit der "Teufelstrillersonate" von Giuseppe Tartini, die hier eine wichtige Rolle spielt. Da ein Geiger ermordert wurde, verfangen sich die Ermittlungen in der Welt der Musiker und zusammenhängenden Mysterien. Was auch daran liegt, das Insp. McGray eine Sonderabteilung für okkulte Vorfälle hat und er dadurch übersinnliche Verknüpfungen sieht, wo vielleicht gar keine sind ... aber wer weiß?
Die Aufklärung selbst war überraschend, auch wenn ich gewisse Details geahnt habe.
Insgesamt hat mir der Auftakt zur Krimireihe wirklich gut gefallen. Manchmal fand ich den Schreibstil zwar etwas unbeholfen, was aber vielleicht auch an der Übersetzung liegt. Dass einer der Inspektoren z. B. ständig "gackernd lacht" finde ich ziemlich unpassend, keine Ahnung was hierfür das englische Pendant war ... Auch fand ich es teilweise etwas übertrieben, wie oft hier geflucht wird oder auch das gereizte Verhalten sprengte etwas den Rahmen und machte die beiden Protagonisten nicht unbedingt sympathisch.
Ian Frey ist einer davon. Er ist 31 und arbeitet durch Beziehungen bei New Scotland Yard in London und hat auch schon einige Erfolge zu verbuchen. Allerdings ist er sehr unausgeglichen, auch weil er noch nicht zu sich selbst gefunden hat. Sein bisheriger Weg war unstet und als jetzt über Nacht seine gesamte Lebenssituation über den Haufen geworfen wird, sind das keine guten Vorraussetzungen, um in Schottland Fuß zu fassen.
Dort soll er zusammen mit Inspector McGray einen Mörder fassen, der evtl. die Taten des berüchtigten Jack the Ripper nachahmt.
Mit McGray hat er allerdings einen harten Brocken erwischt, denn sein Benehmen zeugt meist nicht von einem Gentleman und ist rau und ungehobelt. Sein spöttischer Humor und die unorthodoxe Herangehensweise an die Aufklärung, sowie das Herabschauen auf den "englischen Dandy" gestaltet das Zusammenraufen der beiden als recht schwierig. Es macht teilweise Spaß das zu beobachten, war aber eben auch, wie oben erwähnt, manchmal etwas übertrieben vor allem in der groben Aussprache.
Ansonsten war es von der Atmopshäre her eher nüchtern und ich hab schon ein bisschen den angepriesenen Gruselfaktor vermisst. Dafür hat mir der solide aber ungewöhnliche Eindruck gut gefallen und es war auch von den historischen Begebenenheiten passend veranschaulicht.
Der Fall selbst ist sehr verstrickt und gut aufgebaut. Der Autor versteht es, die Spannung aufrecht zu erhalten und hab jeden Moment mitgefiebert. Interessant fand ich auch den Zusammenhang mit der "Teufelstrillersonate" von Giuseppe Tartini, die hier eine wichtige Rolle spielt. Da ein Geiger ermordert wurde, verfangen sich die Ermittlungen in der Welt der Musiker und zusammenhängenden Mysterien. Was auch daran liegt, das Insp. McGray eine Sonderabteilung für okkulte Vorfälle hat und er dadurch übersinnliche Verknüpfungen sieht, wo vielleicht gar keine sind ... aber wer weiß?
Die Aufklärung selbst war überraschend, auch wenn ich gewisse Details geahnt habe.
April 8, 2021
Absolutely loved this book. I've been on the lookout for a murder/mystery series to rival M.R.C. Kasasian's superb 'Gower Street Detective' novels, and it looks like I've actually found one.
Set predominantly in Edinburgh, it's November 1888 and Jack the Ripper is running amok in Whitechapel. Due to a change of leadership within Scotland Yard, Inspector Ian Frey is unceremoniously fired from the job he loves and excels at. However, a reprieve via the Prime Minister sees Frey sent up to Edinburgh to join forces with the wonderfully eccentric Detective 'Nine-Nails' McGray, and his newly created occult investigation department.
This had all the ingredients I was looking for. Namely, creepy Victorian settings, a superb mystery, frequently hilarious dialogue and scenarios, family intrigue and secrets, encapsulated in some genuinely stomach churning events. It's a fun fast-paced read that will have you turning pages in a blur.
Cannot wait to start the 2nd book :)
ps Should you also be looking for wonderful murder mysteries liberally adorned with smatterings of humour, M.R.C. Kasasian's 'Betty Church' mystery series is equally entertaining. See also: Ben Aaronovitch's brilliant 'Rivers of London' series, and Andrew Cartmel's excellent 'Vinyl Detective series.
Set predominantly in Edinburgh, it's November 1888 and Jack the Ripper is running amok in Whitechapel. Due to a change of leadership within Scotland Yard, Inspector Ian Frey is unceremoniously fired from the job he loves and excels at. However, a reprieve via the Prime Minister sees Frey sent up to Edinburgh to join forces with the wonderfully eccentric Detective 'Nine-Nails' McGray, and his newly created occult investigation department.
This had all the ingredients I was looking for. Namely, creepy Victorian settings, a superb mystery, frequently hilarious dialogue and scenarios, family intrigue and secrets, encapsulated in some genuinely stomach churning events. It's a fun fast-paced read that will have you turning pages in a blur.
Cannot wait to start the 2nd book :)
ps Should you also be looking for wonderful murder mysteries liberally adorned with smatterings of humour, M.R.C. Kasasian's 'Betty Church' mystery series is equally entertaining. See also: Ben Aaronovitch's brilliant 'Rivers of London' series, and Andrew Cartmel's excellent 'Vinyl Detective series.
August 14, 2022
Inspector Frey has been let go from his responsibilities, sent to Scotland, and oh yes his fiancé’s broken their engagement. In Edinburgh he’s teamed up with the wild Scotsman Detective ‘nine nails’ McCray.
The division? Glad you asked! It’s the Department investigating Apparitions. A cover for looking at a string of murders that could be related to Jack the Ripper.
Not the glowing recommendation he wanted. The outcome does little to assay his faith in justice. He’s still down one fiancé, although she’s not lost to the family, and still minus a job where he wanted it, London.
The division? Glad you asked! It’s the Department investigating Apparitions. A cover for looking at a string of murders that could be related to Jack the Ripper.
Not the glowing recommendation he wanted. The outcome does little to assay his faith in justice. He’s still down one fiancé, although she’s not lost to the family, and still minus a job where he wanted it, London.
May 31, 2015
The author’s love of, and passion for, Victorian crime fiction comes shining through the book, garnered by his childhood reading, growing up in Mexico, of Sherlock Holmes. He recreates with ease all the sights, smells and atmosphere of London and Edinburgh, as the story pivots between the slums and gentrified locales of both cities during this period. Indeed, sometimes the writing is realistic enough of the lowdown dirty streets, to make your nose wrinkle, as our indomitable detectives, Frey and McGray, navigate their way through the filthy highways and byways, and the equally malodorous residents. Equally, de Muriel perfectly captures the snobbery and superiority of the upper classes, as they become inveigled in this testing investigation, which revolves around ghastly murder, and haunted violins…
The plotting is superb throughout, suffused with all the familiar tropes of a traditional locked room mystery, with a good smattering of red herrings and false alleys along the way. I remained in blissful ignorance of how the crimes were committed until close before the end of the book, and enjoyed the air of ghostly goings-on, and twisting plot reveals that drove the action on throughout. My enjoyment of the book was further compounded by the brilliant characterisation of de Muriel’s ill-matched detective duo. He played them off against each other beautifully, pitting the uptight namby-pamby London detective, Frey against the rough, plain-speaking Scottish detective ‘Nine-Nails’ McGray. The ill tempered banter, and rivalry between the two was beautifully played throughout, even extending the north-south divide to their quibbling servants, and the way that they were perceived by the more well-to-do members of the cast in the course of their investigation. With de Muriel’s liberal use of the Scottish vernacular in the case of McGray, compared with the southern nicety of Frey, their voices rang loud in my head as I was reading, and I learnt some wonderfully earthy Scottish insults along the way! By depicting these two so colourfully throughout the book, there can be little doubt that this partnership will run and run, underscored by the resentment but grudging respect that defines their personal and professional relationship.
Being a musician himself, has also added a terrific sense of realism to the plot in the way that the world of music, and more specifically violins, feature in the story. Drawing on real life virtuosos, esteemed makers of musical instruments, and the fantastical stories that have accompanied some of these instruments along the way, there is an added depth and interest to the central plot, at their role within it. Indeed, a friend of mine, an adept violinist himself, was thoroughly intrigued when I mentioned this book, and was quick to verify the veracity of the facts that de Muriel interweaves into the story. So more brownie points for de Muriel…
So all in all a bit of a find this one, threaded with humour, intrigue, colourful characters, and a real sense of time and place. A very impressive debut, and I cannot await the further adventures of Frey and McGray. A cracking good read, and a case that Holmes himself would love to have flexed his detective skills with.
The plotting is superb throughout, suffused with all the familiar tropes of a traditional locked room mystery, with a good smattering of red herrings and false alleys along the way. I remained in blissful ignorance of how the crimes were committed until close before the end of the book, and enjoyed the air of ghostly goings-on, and twisting plot reveals that drove the action on throughout. My enjoyment of the book was further compounded by the brilliant characterisation of de Muriel’s ill-matched detective duo. He played them off against each other beautifully, pitting the uptight namby-pamby London detective, Frey against the rough, plain-speaking Scottish detective ‘Nine-Nails’ McGray. The ill tempered banter, and rivalry between the two was beautifully played throughout, even extending the north-south divide to their quibbling servants, and the way that they were perceived by the more well-to-do members of the cast in the course of their investigation. With de Muriel’s liberal use of the Scottish vernacular in the case of McGray, compared with the southern nicety of Frey, their voices rang loud in my head as I was reading, and I learnt some wonderfully earthy Scottish insults along the way! By depicting these two so colourfully throughout the book, there can be little doubt that this partnership will run and run, underscored by the resentment but grudging respect that defines their personal and professional relationship.
Being a musician himself, has also added a terrific sense of realism to the plot in the way that the world of music, and more specifically violins, feature in the story. Drawing on real life virtuosos, esteemed makers of musical instruments, and the fantastical stories that have accompanied some of these instruments along the way, there is an added depth and interest to the central plot, at their role within it. Indeed, a friend of mine, an adept violinist himself, was thoroughly intrigued when I mentioned this book, and was quick to verify the veracity of the facts that de Muriel interweaves into the story. So more brownie points for de Muriel…
So all in all a bit of a find this one, threaded with humour, intrigue, colourful characters, and a real sense of time and place. A very impressive debut, and I cannot await the further adventures of Frey and McGray. A cracking good read, and a case that Holmes himself would love to have flexed his detective skills with.
August 1, 2023
Me ha gustado mucho esta novela, ambientada en el siglo XIX, tiene unos crímenes muy originales y buen ritmo, pero lo mejor es la pareja protagonista.
La novela comienza con el traslado de Ian Frey, un inglés estirado y flemático, a Escocia para investigar un crimen que tiene gran parecido co los crímenes de Jack el Destripador, y va a ser subordinado de Adolphus McGray, un escocés rudo y malhablado, que lleva una subdivision paranormal en la policía escocesa.
Estos 2 personajes hacen de la lectura de este libro algo verdaderamente divertido y entretenido, además de que la narrativa del autor hace que su lectura sea ágil.
Mi única pega es que toda la traducción de este libro es muy mexicana, y lo que más, el personaje de McGray, algo que no me pega con la ambientación del libro, ni con el personaje mencionado, ya que es escocés.
Aún así he disfrutado mucho de esta novela, por sus personajes, ambientación y crímenes.
La novela comienza con el traslado de Ian Frey, un inglés estirado y flemático, a Escocia para investigar un crimen que tiene gran parecido co los crímenes de Jack el Destripador, y va a ser subordinado de Adolphus McGray, un escocés rudo y malhablado, que lleva una subdivision paranormal en la policía escocesa.
Estos 2 personajes hacen de la lectura de este libro algo verdaderamente divertido y entretenido, además de que la narrativa del autor hace que su lectura sea ágil.
Mi única pega es que toda la traducción de este libro es muy mexicana, y lo que más, el personaje de McGray, algo que no me pega con la ambientación del libro, ni con el personaje mencionado, ya que es escocés.
Aún así he disfrutado mucho de esta novela, por sus personajes, ambientación y crímenes.
April 10, 2021
Nachdem ich anfangs etwas Probleme hatte, mit den Figuren warm zu werden, hat es mir doch sehr gut gefallen. Ich mag ja Krimis mit Gruselfaktor, und ich liebe Geschichten mit ein paar "unerklärlichen" Elementen, mit Übersinnlichem und Zauberei.
Frey und McGray sind schon Originale, jeder auf seine Weise. Und wie sie sich zusammenraufen ist wirklich gut geschrieben. Auch die anderen Figuren sind ausführlich und stimmig beschrieben.
Das macht Lust auf mehr, der zweite Teil ist schon bestellt...
Frey und McGray sind schon Originale, jeder auf seine Weise. Und wie sie sich zusammenraufen ist wirklich gut geschrieben. Auch die anderen Figuren sind ausführlich und stimmig beschrieben.
Das macht Lust auf mehr, der zweite Teil ist schon bestellt...
October 4, 2018
Tenía ganas de leer este libro desde que lo vi en la Feria del libro de mi ciudad el año pasado, tardé mucho en llegar a él y después de leerlo no puedo evitar pensar "pero como he podido tardar tanto"
Ian Fray, un inglés tan flemático como puede ser, tiene que viajar a Edimburgo, con un encargo especial de parte del mismo primer Ministro, ha de ir a investigar un asesinato sangriento y escalofriante y tiene que hacerlo de la manera más secreta posible, para ello, lo mandan a trabajar bajo las órdenes del inspector McGray en la subdivisión de la "Comisión para la Elucidación de Casos Relacionados con lo Oculto y Fantasmal".
Decir que el libro no me ha defraudado en absoluto es decir poco, tiene una historia extraordinaria, un ritmo buenísimo, unos personajes que te ganan al segundo uno, un sentido del humor maravilloso, un thriller que atrapa y todo enmarcado en el más estricto ambiente gótico.
McGray no puede ser más diferente a Fray, un Escocés de pura cepa, vulgar, mal vestido, mal hablado, odia a los ingleses tanto como Fray odia a los escocés, cree tanto en lo sobrenatural como Fray no cree.
Así comienza esta investigación secreta y peculiar, juntando a dos personajes tan diferentes como adorables y juntos lo son más, las pullas que se echan me hicieron la semana ¡Geniales!.
Es innegable la influencia de Allan Poe, entre lo gótico, un asesinato de habitación cerrada, la época y por supuesto su mención en el libro, sin embargo y a pesar de esta influencia, el estilo narrativo de Oscar de Muriel es muy original, brillante, te atrapa, tiene un ritmo sorprendente, con un sentido del humor muy peculiar, eso sí, se nota que el escritor es mexicano, tiene muchos localismos a la hora de traducir el inglés escocés y lo soez de McGray, a mí me ha gustado esto, lo he encontrado cercano y fácil.
Los asesinatos son imaginativos, creativos y sorprendentes, la investigación es bastante peculiar y el desenlace del caso sencillamente es manejado magistralmente, mientras que en el transcurso del libro nos va entregando pistas que nos hace creer quién es el posible asesino, da un giro inesperado que lleva la investigación hacia un final que yo no me esperaba.
Es una historia redonda por donde se le mire y muero por leer la continuación y no perder de vista a este par de personajes maravillosos.
Ian Fray, un inglés tan flemático como puede ser, tiene que viajar a Edimburgo, con un encargo especial de parte del mismo primer Ministro, ha de ir a investigar un asesinato sangriento y escalofriante y tiene que hacerlo de la manera más secreta posible, para ello, lo mandan a trabajar bajo las órdenes del inspector McGray en la subdivisión de la "Comisión para la Elucidación de Casos Relacionados con lo Oculto y Fantasmal".
Decir que el libro no me ha defraudado en absoluto es decir poco, tiene una historia extraordinaria, un ritmo buenísimo, unos personajes que te ganan al segundo uno, un sentido del humor maravilloso, un thriller que atrapa y todo enmarcado en el más estricto ambiente gótico.
McGray no puede ser más diferente a Fray, un Escocés de pura cepa, vulgar, mal vestido, mal hablado, odia a los ingleses tanto como Fray odia a los escocés, cree tanto en lo sobrenatural como Fray no cree.
Así comienza esta investigación secreta y peculiar, juntando a dos personajes tan diferentes como adorables y juntos lo son más, las pullas que se echan me hicieron la semana ¡Geniales!.
Es innegable la influencia de Allan Poe, entre lo gótico, un asesinato de habitación cerrada, la época y por supuesto su mención en el libro, sin embargo y a pesar de esta influencia, el estilo narrativo de Oscar de Muriel es muy original, brillante, te atrapa, tiene un ritmo sorprendente, con un sentido del humor muy peculiar, eso sí, se nota que el escritor es mexicano, tiene muchos localismos a la hora de traducir el inglés escocés y lo soez de McGray, a mí me ha gustado esto, lo he encontrado cercano y fácil.
Los asesinatos son imaginativos, creativos y sorprendentes, la investigación es bastante peculiar y el desenlace del caso sencillamente es manejado magistralmente, mientras que en el transcurso del libro nos va entregando pistas que nos hace creer quién es el posible asesino, da un giro inesperado que lleva la investigación hacia un final que yo no me esperaba.
Es una historia redonda por donde se le mire y muero por leer la continuación y no perder de vista a este par de personajes maravillosos.
February 15, 2022
Interessante Prämisse, aber leider unterirdischer Schreibstil.
Alle Charaktere benehmen sich unendlich theatralisch, weil der Autor kein Gespür für passende Adjektive und Verben hat. Passende Verben. SO wichtig.
Alle haben ununterbrochen "geschrien", "gebrüllt", "gelacht", "gekichert", "sich die Haare gerauft" und das meistens innerhalb von wenigen Sätzen. Wenn ihr euch das Mal bildlich vorstellt, wie ein Mensch während einer normalen Unterhaltung zuerst einen Satz "kichert", den nächsten "brüllt", den nächsten schallend lacht und sich dann die Haare rauft, dann würdet ihr vermutlich ganz langsam zurückweichen und die Psychiatrie anrufen, weil das nämlich völlig wahnsinnig rüberkommt.
Aber leider tun das alle Charaktere und zwar ununterbrochen. Dadurch sind sie alle nicht wirklich unterscheidbar und sie wirken auch alle wahnsinnig.
Diese mangelnde Subtilität macht sich leider auch inhaltlich bemerkbar. Es gibt keinerlei emotionale Abstufungen. Jeder spricht seine Gefühle direkt aus, bzw. brüllt sie lautstark durch die Gegend. Es gibt hier keine Metaebene, keine versteckten Gefühle, keine ambivalenten Gefühle und wirklich null Subtilität. Alle Charaktere sind maximal offenherzig und direkt und brüllen die ganze Zeit durch die Gegend was sie denken und fühlen.
Auch Ian Frey, der von seinem schottischen Kollegen permanent als "mädchenhaft" bezeichnet wird, verhält sich leider gar nicht mädchenhaft, sondern brüllt und wütet durch die Gegend. Ich wünschte, der Autor hätte den Mumm gehabt Frey wirklich ein bisschen zart besaitet, soft spoken und eitel sein zu lassen, denn das hätte die Dynamik zwischen ihm und dem raubeinigen Schotten sehr viel mehr kontrastiert und im Endeffekt viel spannnender gemacht. So sind eigentlich kaum erkennbare Unterschiede zwischen den beiden.
Das sind eigentlich totale Anfängerfehler und die hätte man durch ein gutes Lektorat eigentlich überwiegend in den Griff bekommen können. Entweder hat hier also das Lektorat versagt oder bei der Übersetzung ist etwas dramatisch schiefgelaufen, das kann ich nicht beurteilen.
Auf jeden Fall viel verschenktes Potential, denn die Prämisse ist eigentlich sehr interessant. Und die beiden Hauptcharaktere hätten - in passende Verben gekleidet, die sie nicht wie Comic-Villains wirken lassen - auch durchaus das Zeug vielschichtig zu sein.
Alle Charaktere benehmen sich unendlich theatralisch, weil der Autor kein Gespür für passende Adjektive und Verben hat. Passende Verben. SO wichtig.
Alle haben ununterbrochen "geschrien", "gebrüllt", "gelacht", "gekichert", "sich die Haare gerauft" und das meistens innerhalb von wenigen Sätzen. Wenn ihr euch das Mal bildlich vorstellt, wie ein Mensch während einer normalen Unterhaltung zuerst einen Satz "kichert", den nächsten "brüllt", den nächsten schallend lacht und sich dann die Haare rauft, dann würdet ihr vermutlich ganz langsam zurückweichen und die Psychiatrie anrufen, weil das nämlich völlig wahnsinnig rüberkommt.
Aber leider tun das alle Charaktere und zwar ununterbrochen. Dadurch sind sie alle nicht wirklich unterscheidbar und sie wirken auch alle wahnsinnig.
Diese mangelnde Subtilität macht sich leider auch inhaltlich bemerkbar. Es gibt keinerlei emotionale Abstufungen. Jeder spricht seine Gefühle direkt aus, bzw. brüllt sie lautstark durch die Gegend. Es gibt hier keine Metaebene, keine versteckten Gefühle, keine ambivalenten Gefühle und wirklich null Subtilität. Alle Charaktere sind maximal offenherzig und direkt und brüllen die ganze Zeit durch die Gegend was sie denken und fühlen.
Auch Ian Frey, der von seinem schottischen Kollegen permanent als "mädchenhaft" bezeichnet wird, verhält sich leider gar nicht mädchenhaft, sondern brüllt und wütet durch die Gegend. Ich wünschte, der Autor hätte den Mumm gehabt Frey wirklich ein bisschen zart besaitet, soft spoken und eitel sein zu lassen, denn das hätte die Dynamik zwischen ihm und dem raubeinigen Schotten sehr viel mehr kontrastiert und im Endeffekt viel spannnender gemacht. So sind eigentlich kaum erkennbare Unterschiede zwischen den beiden.
Das sind eigentlich totale Anfängerfehler und die hätte man durch ein gutes Lektorat eigentlich überwiegend in den Griff bekommen können. Entweder hat hier also das Lektorat versagt oder bei der Übersetzung ist etwas dramatisch schiefgelaufen, das kann ich nicht beurteilen.
Auf jeden Fall viel verschenktes Potential, denn die Prämisse ist eigentlich sehr interessant. Und die beiden Hauptcharaktere hätten - in passende Verben gekleidet, die sie nicht wie Comic-Villains wirken lassen - auch durchaus das Zeug vielschichtig zu sein.
September 22, 2022
3.5 stars
This is the first in a new-to-me historical mystery series. The blurb is quite good and sets up the story without being spoiler-y. Take a moment to read it...
a few thoughts:
This book is not for those readers who are easily disturbed by descriptions of blood and gore. Nor is it for readers who are put off by anything macabre. However, the author avoids sensationalizing those elements; they are treated in a matter of fact manner.
I really enjoyed the interplay between Frey and McGray. Frey comes off as such a pompous twit; McGray seems to be deliberately winding him up. The only thing they have in common is that they are both serious about solving the mystery.
I also enjoyed all the violin lore.
I liked this well enough that I'm going to continue reading the series. Next up:A Fever of the Blood
This is the first in a new-to-me historical mystery series. The blurb is quite good and sets up the story without being spoiler-y. Take a moment to read it...
a few thoughts:
This book is not for those readers who are easily disturbed by descriptions of blood and gore. Nor is it for readers who are put off by anything macabre. However, the author avoids sensationalizing those elements; they are treated in a matter of fact manner.
I really enjoyed the interplay between Frey and McGray. Frey comes off as such a pompous twit; McGray seems to be deliberately winding him up. The only thing they have in common is that they are both serious about solving the mystery.
I also enjoyed all the violin lore.
I liked this well enough that I'm going to continue reading the series. Next up:A Fever of the Blood
December 19, 2020
Ļoti interesants un viegli lasāms vēsturiskais detektīvs. Lieliski attēlotas attiecības starp angļu detektīvu (īstens stīvais brits, kurš ir zemās domās par citu tautību cilvēkiem) un skaļo, parupjo skotu detektīvu, viņu mūžīgā kasīšanās tiešām liekas smieklīga. Kopumā romāna centrā ir nogrēkojies Skotlenjarda det. Frejs, kurš nav varējis noķert Džeku Uzšķērdēju ( nu kāpēc vienmēr autori piesauc tieši Džeku, it kā trūktu citu slepkavību 19.gs. beigu Londonā, Temzas bezgalvainie upuri, piemēram), tādēļ viņš tiek nosūtīts uz Edinburgu,lai izmeklētu noslēpumainu vijolnieka slepkavību.
Sērijā ir vairākas grāmatas, bet laikam iepauzēšu, jo ir aizdomas, ka autors mēģinās detektīvstāstā iebīdīt paranormālo, kas, manuprāt, bojās visu.
Sērijā ir vairākas grāmatas, bet laikam iepauzēšu, jo ir aizdomas, ka autors mēģinās detektīvstāstā iebīdīt paranormālo, kas, manuprāt, bojās visu.
November 27, 2014
The Strings of Murder – A Great Read
The Strings of Murder is the brilliant crime debut of Oscar De Muriel who has written a brilliant mixture of crime historical noir mixed with a touch of horror. It would be easy to say this is for a particular fan of historical crime fiction but it offers fans of all crime fiction a great mixture of noir and horror while being firmly set in Victorian Edinburgh.
Inspector Ian Frey is summoned to meet the Metropolitan Police Commissioner in St Paul’s Cathedral where he is told they are both about to be dismissed from the force because of their lack of progress in the Jack the Ripper case that is tearing the east end of London to pieces.
Frey is given hope of staying in the Police when he is sent to Edinburgh to assist in the investigation of a murdered violinist that looked similar to the murders of Jack the Ripper. He is not happy to be sent to Scotland a country he regards as backward at best, and even worse when he meets his colleague and new boss ‘Nine Nails’ McGray. It is all too much for Frey especially when he finds that Frey does not go by the ‘book’ and believes in supernatural and occult nonsense.
As the body counts increases the pressure on McGray and Frey doubles especially when there seems to be no rhyme or reason as to why the murders are taking place and their intestines being removed. The only seeming connection are that all the murdered people happen to be violinists who happen to know each other, including a possible victim, Frey’s own younger brother.
They are so desperate for clues so that they are able to catch the murderer they strike up a hopeful plan which seems rather macabre to Frey but knows he needs to go with it. Somehow even though both detectives are close it does not stop the murders and they do not know where to look either above or below ground. If Frey can protect his brother he and McGray may just be able to solve the case and he can go home for Christmas.
Oscar De Muriel has written a spellbinding fast paced crime thriller that takes you crashing through Victorian Edinburgh. Through the use of prose De Muriel is able to recreate the city and the smells of the period as his imagery is so strong and wonderful. This is an excellent crime debut which may be the first in a series which I really hope does happen.
The Strings of Murder is the brilliant crime debut of Oscar De Muriel who has written a brilliant mixture of crime historical noir mixed with a touch of horror. It would be easy to say this is for a particular fan of historical crime fiction but it offers fans of all crime fiction a great mixture of noir and horror while being firmly set in Victorian Edinburgh.
Inspector Ian Frey is summoned to meet the Metropolitan Police Commissioner in St Paul’s Cathedral where he is told they are both about to be dismissed from the force because of their lack of progress in the Jack the Ripper case that is tearing the east end of London to pieces.
Frey is given hope of staying in the Police when he is sent to Edinburgh to assist in the investigation of a murdered violinist that looked similar to the murders of Jack the Ripper. He is not happy to be sent to Scotland a country he regards as backward at best, and even worse when he meets his colleague and new boss ‘Nine Nails’ McGray. It is all too much for Frey especially when he finds that Frey does not go by the ‘book’ and believes in supernatural and occult nonsense.
As the body counts increases the pressure on McGray and Frey doubles especially when there seems to be no rhyme or reason as to why the murders are taking place and their intestines being removed. The only seeming connection are that all the murdered people happen to be violinists who happen to know each other, including a possible victim, Frey’s own younger brother.
They are so desperate for clues so that they are able to catch the murderer they strike up a hopeful plan which seems rather macabre to Frey but knows he needs to go with it. Somehow even though both detectives are close it does not stop the murders and they do not know where to look either above or below ground. If Frey can protect his brother he and McGray may just be able to solve the case and he can go home for Christmas.
Oscar De Muriel has written a spellbinding fast paced crime thriller that takes you crashing through Victorian Edinburgh. Through the use of prose De Muriel is able to recreate the city and the smells of the period as his imagery is so strong and wonderful. This is an excellent crime debut which may be the first in a series which I really hope does happen.
September 8, 2023
Och, I bloody loved it!!
I'll be short and effective in this review!
Setting: Edin(bloody)burgh, Scotland.
Period: 1888
What happened: I won't blab about it, it has been done enough times in the blurb and in other reviews as well.
The protagonists:
- Adolphus - Nine Nails - McGray, one wild excentric (you'll find out why) scotsman at the head of an unusual police department: "Commission for the Elucidation of Unsolved Cases Presumably Related to the Odd and Ghostly (you'll also find out why it had been created) and who's past and present are loaded with pain and trauma but you'll love his good heart as much as I do (do not did, because I still do, in the present)
- Ian. P. Frey (alias the british lass and other nicknames) one british pompous, I'm better than everyone a**hole. Disgraced, dumped and sent to a location he despises, you'll really enjoy Nine nails torturing him throughout the story, at least, I did, enormously 😂
- A whole set of secondary characters, all as charming as they come.
So, Amina, would you please come to the point?
Aye!
This was fast paced, no time for bordom, suspects keep apearing and changing, I got some serious leads along our two detectives, but, I was as dumbfounded as they were in some situations.
Even if some readers found McGray and Frey to be unlikable, unbearable and sometimes a pain in the a**, I ended up warming to both and enjoying their partnership more than they did themselves
The mystery was very good, the book was well researched and the writing fluid ,captivating me and keeping me intrested til the very end.
So, go ahead and pick this one up, you're in for a treat!
I'll be short and effective in this review!
Setting: Edin(bloody)burgh, Scotland.
Period: 1888
What happened: I won't blab about it, it has been done enough times in the blurb and in other reviews as well.
The protagonists:
- Adolphus - Nine Nails - McGray, one wild excentric (you'll find out why) scotsman at the head of an unusual police department: "Commission for the Elucidation of Unsolved Cases Presumably Related to the Odd and Ghostly (you'll also find out why it had been created) and who's past and present are loaded with pain and trauma but you'll love his good heart as much as I do (do not did, because I still do, in the present)
- Ian. P. Frey (alias the british lass and other nicknames) one british pompous, I'm better than everyone a**hole. Disgraced, dumped and sent to a location he despises, you'll really enjoy Nine nails torturing him throughout the story, at least, I did, enormously 😂
- A whole set of secondary characters, all as charming as they come.
So, Amina, would you please come to the point?
Aye!
This was fast paced, no time for bordom, suspects keep apearing and changing, I got some serious leads along our two detectives, but, I was as dumbfounded as they were in some situations.
Even if some readers found McGray and Frey to be unlikable, unbearable and sometimes a pain in the a**, I ended up warming to both and enjoying their partnership more than they did themselves
The mystery was very good, the book was well researched and the writing fluid ,captivating me and keeping me intrested til the very end.
So, go ahead and pick this one up, you're in for a treat!
July 15, 2015
Surely a dream debut for Oscar de Muriel. One that I hope will give the impetus for a whole series to follow. Set in the late 19th century, this story follows a snobbish London homicide detective to Edinburgh, where he has to find the perpetrator of a series of macabre murders. His partner is an irascible, eccentric Scots detective named McGray. It's one of those pairings of opposites that immediately sparkles with chemistry.
The mystery itself is original and complex, and at its heart lies a secret worthy of the most fevered imaginings of Gothic literature, which is where the detective novel emerged from, after all. Very nicely done and with lots of local colour and odour!
The supporting characters are delightful and have all the makings of a solid cast of regulars for a long-running series.
I don't usually start thinking of possible sequels when I read a book, but this is one fictional world I immediately want to return to. I hope enough fans of historical mysteries share my excitement.
The mystery itself is original and complex, and at its heart lies a secret worthy of the most fevered imaginings of Gothic literature, which is where the detective novel emerged from, after all. Very nicely done and with lots of local colour and odour!
The supporting characters are delightful and have all the makings of a solid cast of regulars for a long-running series.
I don't usually start thinking of possible sequels when I read a book, but this is one fictional world I immediately want to return to. I hope enough fans of historical mysteries share my excitement.
September 1, 2017
Oh you MUST read this. Its a cross between Sherlock Holmes and The Phantom of the Opera!!!!! Historical fiction set in Victorian times. One of my favourite eras.
This is book 1 of Inspector Fry from London CID working with Inspector McGray of Edinburgh. The characterisations are so good. I feel that even though its book 1 I know them so well. Very different personalities and they don't particularly like each other, but that is part of the charm. Very good plot. Its a little bit dark and scary but not too frightening. If you have a nervous disposition then there are gory medical details included too!
I have really enjoyed this and couldn't find fault with it hence my 5* Hope that book 2 isn't a let down after this was so good. I can't wait to continue this series
This is book 1 of Inspector Fry from London CID working with Inspector McGray of Edinburgh. The characterisations are so good. I feel that even though its book 1 I know them so well. Very different personalities and they don't particularly like each other, but that is part of the charm. Very good plot. Its a little bit dark and scary but not too frightening. If you have a nervous disposition then there are gory medical details included too!
I have really enjoyed this and couldn't find fault with it hence my 5* Hope that book 2 isn't a let down after this was so good. I can't wait to continue this series
October 18, 2020
Ya tenía en mi librero dos novelas del autor pero no los he leído, llegué a esta novela por el mejor club de lectura de México y por fin pude conocer la pluma de Oscar. Es una novela muy buena, personajes muy bien formados así como una historia muy bien investigada antes de ser plasmada en papel, el único pero que le pongo es el siguiente, no sabía que originalmente fue publicado en inglés ( lo compré en español) y luego traducido por el mismo autor a su versión en español, este es el punto débil que no permite que le ponga cinco estrellas, fue realmente muy incómodo leer una historia de un inglés y un escocés tropicalizada al "mexicano". A pesar de tenerme muy intrigado hubo momento que estuve a punto de dejar l lectura por ese detalle, palabras como "chingaos" "tiliches" "chupes" me hicieron desesperar, no sé cuál fue el motivo del escritor de traducir de esa manera pero no sé si se da cuenta que sin querer nos hace ver como tontos a los mexicanos. También no toleré la manera en que hace diferenciar el acento de los escoceses, de repente le perdía y me venía a la mente los sureños o gente de color de Estados Unidos, pero bueno, sin contar estos detalles de traducción, es un libro que vale mucho la pena!!
Ya quiero leer los siguientes tomos!!! ( por supuesto que ahora será en su idioma original).
Ya quiero leer los siguientes tomos!!! ( por supuesto que ahora será en su idioma original).
April 24, 2021
Guter Auftakt zu dieser Krimi-Reihe. Spannend, mit witzigen und eigenwilligen Charakteren. War genau das Richtige zur Entspannung zwischendurch.
August 4, 2018
Trigger warnings: murder, gore, death of an infant, poisoning.
3.5 stars.
I picked up the fourth book in this series when I was in Edinburgh and was immediately sold. Until I realised it was the fourth book in a series, obviously, at which point I put it back on the shelf and bought this on my Kindle instead.
I loved that this is set in Edinburgh, that our protagonist just wants to be back in London working on solving the Ripper Murders but is instead dispatched to Edinburgh to help work on a case that may or may not be paranormal, something he has nothing but eye rolls for. He's paired up with a slightly bonkers Scotsman who's full of contempt for his prissy London ways, and the two are forced to get along while they investigate the murders of a bunch of violinists.
For the most part, I enjoyed this. The setting is great, the murders are creepy, McGray is a delight throughout, and there's all kinds of fun mentions of Edinburgh's seedy past, like body snatching.
That said, I *did* feel like it took a little too long to get going, and I reeeeeeeeeally didn't love the fact that Frey ends a lot of chapters by being like "I thought things were going well. But they were about to get much, MUCH worse...". Like, once is okay. But this was a LOT and I didn't love the constant references to the fact that the protagonist was reflecting back on what had happened well after the events.
Still, I'll probably continue on with the series, if only because sassy Scottish detectives + Victorian era + creepy murders = my jam.
3.5 stars.
I picked up the fourth book in this series when I was in Edinburgh and was immediately sold. Until I realised it was the fourth book in a series, obviously, at which point I put it back on the shelf and bought this on my Kindle instead.
I loved that this is set in Edinburgh, that our protagonist just wants to be back in London working on solving the Ripper Murders but is instead dispatched to Edinburgh to help work on a case that may or may not be paranormal, something he has nothing but eye rolls for. He's paired up with a slightly bonkers Scotsman who's full of contempt for his prissy London ways, and the two are forced to get along while they investigate the murders of a bunch of violinists.
For the most part, I enjoyed this. The setting is great, the murders are creepy, McGray is a delight throughout, and there's all kinds of fun mentions of Edinburgh's seedy past, like body snatching.
That said, I *did* feel like it took a little too long to get going, and I reeeeeeeeeally didn't love the fact that Frey ends a lot of chapters by being like "I thought things were going well. But they were about to get much, MUCH worse...". Like, once is okay. But this was a LOT and I didn't love the constant references to the fact that the protagonist was reflecting back on what had happened well after the events.
Still, I'll probably continue on with the series, if only because sassy Scottish detectives + Victorian era + creepy murders = my jam.
October 12, 2018
3.5 estrellas.
Este libro me ha gustado aunque no me ha parecido una obra maestra o un libro que todos deben de leer, simplemente es un libro que logra su acometido que es el de entretener. Me gusto mucho el desarrollo de la historia y sobre todo los personajes principales que son los inspectores Frey y McGray que son muy divertidos juntos, la historia tiene un buen final y el estilo de escribir de Oscar de Muriel es bastante ameno. Lo que no me gusto es que la historia tarda muchísimo en engancharte, estamos hablando que hasta la mitad del libro me sentí atrapado por la trama, la primera parte del libro puede parecer algo lenta ya que prácticamente te habla de la situación de Frey y de su mudanza a Escocia y alrededor de la pagina 200 ya empiezan a trabajar en el caso, pero una vez que esto empieza el libro se vuelve muy entretenido.
Este libro me ha gustado aunque no me ha parecido una obra maestra o un libro que todos deben de leer, simplemente es un libro que logra su acometido que es el de entretener. Me gusto mucho el desarrollo de la historia y sobre todo los personajes principales que son los inspectores Frey y McGray que son muy divertidos juntos, la historia tiene un buen final y el estilo de escribir de Oscar de Muriel es bastante ameno. Lo que no me gusto es que la historia tarda muchísimo en engancharte, estamos hablando que hasta la mitad del libro me sentí atrapado por la trama, la primera parte del libro puede parecer algo lenta ya que prácticamente te habla de la situación de Frey y de su mudanza a Escocia y alrededor de la pagina 200 ya empiezan a trabajar en el caso, pero una vez que esto empieza el libro se vuelve muy entretenido.
April 24, 2021
*almost* a 4 star read. I enjoyed the relationship between the two main characters and the Edinburgh setting.
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