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Scotland Yard's Murder Squad #5
Lost & Gone Forever
BRAND NEW, Exactly same ISBN as listed, Please double check ISBN carefully before ordering.
384 pages, Paperback
First published May 17, 2016
112 people are currently reading
2512 people want to read
About the author
Alex Grecian
59 books1,623 followersGrecian is the author of several bestselling thrillers, including THE SAINT OF WOLVES AND BUTCHERS, and five novels featuring Scotland Yard's Murder Squad: THE YARD, THE BLACK COUNTRY, THE DEVIL'S WORKSHOP, THE HARVEST MAN, and LOST AND GONE FOREVER, plus the original Murder Squad ebook, THE BLUE GIRL.
He also created the six-volume graphic novel series PROOF, and the two-part graphic novel RASPUTIN.
He currently lives in the American Midwest with his wife and son. And a dog. And a tarantula.
He also created the six-volume graphic novel series PROOF, and the two-part graphic novel RASPUTIN.
He currently lives in the American Midwest with his wife and son. And a dog. And a tarantula.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 305 reviews
September 2, 2016
Ah, Hammersmith. You fool!
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April 13, 2016I'm disappointed.
The plot of the novel has been outlined by numerous others, including those who liked the premise. Instead of repeating what others have said, let me focus on why I'm disappointed.
The early books of this series fascinated me. They were original, brimming with intriguing characters, had a gripping plot and illuminating description that put the reader on the spot.
Since then, Grecian's apparent fascination with Jack the Ripper has diminished the thrill. Oh, the characters and suspense are still there, but the fixation on Jack steals the vitality I experienced in those earlier books. The serial killer as focus is, if not, should be passe. His time has come and gone. And to bring him back in not one book but several is over the top. We've already had Hannibal Lecter and his brethren.
The addition of Mr. and Mrs. Parker may have been meant to add another element. They were a bit interesting. Still, they're just more serial killers. We're tired of them, Mr. Grecian.
Despite these complaints, Gregian is a master of suspense and kept me reading till the very end.
Yet I beg, please give us something like those first novels.
The plot of the novel has been outlined by numerous others, including those who liked the premise. Instead of repeating what others have said, let me focus on why I'm disappointed.
The early books of this series fascinated me. They were original, brimming with intriguing characters, had a gripping plot and illuminating description that put the reader on the spot.
Since then, Grecian's apparent fascination with Jack the Ripper has diminished the thrill. Oh, the characters and suspense are still there, but the fixation on Jack steals the vitality I experienced in those earlier books. The serial killer as focus is, if not, should be passe. His time has come and gone. And to bring him back in not one book but several is over the top. We've already had Hannibal Lecter and his brethren.
The addition of Mr. and Mrs. Parker may have been meant to add another element. They were a bit interesting. Still, they're just more serial killers. We're tired of them, Mr. Grecian.
Despite these complaints, Gregian is a master of suspense and kept me reading till the very end.
Yet I beg, please give us something like those first novels.
September 8, 2016
This author is much more obsessed with Jack the Ripper than I am. In fact, I'm over serial killers entirely. In addition to the overriding Jack story, there is also a completely unbelievable married pair of killers with a weird relationship. The entire Mr. and Mrs. Parker story was so over the top that I'm not completely sure that it wasn't a joke (very Boris and Natasha, for those who remember Bullwinkle). The search for the missing Walter Day is repeatedly thwarted by contrived missed opportunities. How many times can you have people sight their target but just barely be unable to reach them? In this book it felt like there were 50 such instances. To cap it off, there were some strange and pointless excerpts from what I assumed was a children's book. This is definitely one of those books that I would have skimmed a lot had I not been listening to the audiobook. Unless the serial killer stuff goes away, I won't be continuing with this series.
March 15, 2019
Just finished reading the 5th book in the series Scotland Yard's Murder Squad Series “Lost and Gone Forever”
“I loved the Harvest Man”, and was really looking forward to this final book. It was a good read, but did not capture my interest as much as the last book. Still quite an engaging read from a fine author
“I loved the Harvest Man”, and was really looking forward to this final book. It was a good read, but did not capture my interest as much as the last book. Still quite an engaging read from a fine author
July 4, 2024
8 out of 10. A fairly satisfying (and somewhat emotional) conclusion to the quintet, if indeed this is the last volume, but there are still some dangling threads that need to be addressed (Fiona and Hammersmith foremost among those). As much as I enjoy Jack as a villain, it might be time to move on from him if this series is ever extended. Time to branch out into some of Grecian's other work.
February 16, 2018
I’ve been a fan of Alex Grecian’s Scotland Yard’s Murder Squad since I picked up the first book, The Yard. What I especially loved about The Yard was how it strayed away from the topic so often touched upon in books based in the era – it avoided Jack the Ripper. The same was true of The Black Country, ensuring I would follow the series wherever it went next. In book three, The Devil’s Workshop, I was a bit unsure. The book finally made a play for Jack the Ripper, which saddened me as the avoidance was what I enjoyed so much. It won me over, sure, but I was a bit upset by the change. In The Harvest Man, I found myself a bit more convinced by the change. The Harvest Man wasn’t all I had hoped it would be, but it left me with very high expectations for the next book.
Lost and Gone Forever, however, didn’t quite live up to my expectations. If I’m completely honest, book five is my least favourite in the series to date. In truth, a part of me considered giving this one a three-star rating. In fact, I thought I would be for quite a bit of the earlier part of the book. I’m not sure when, but at some point things started to change. Things started to come together and I found myself enjoying it a lot more. It is not a solid four-star rating, but it was a strong three-point-five-stars that needed to be rounded up. Thus, it may not have been my favourite, but it wasn’t a complete disaster.
I think my biggest disappointment is that The Harvest Man made it seem as though huge things were to come from Lost and Gone Forever. Although many details did come together in this one, although we got to see more of some of the things suggested in the prior books, it wasn’t as powerful as it could have been. In fact, I felt as though it glossed over many things. It seemed to be pulling multiple things together, but it didn’t tie them in a pretty bow – instead, things just were. Some things were great, others not so much.
It was fun, worth reading if you’re a fan of the series, but it is not the best Alex Grecian book I have read. Although I will continue to read this series, I’m not going to be quite as eager to dive into the next when it comes out.
Lost and Gone Forever, however, didn’t quite live up to my expectations. If I’m completely honest, book five is my least favourite in the series to date. In truth, a part of me considered giving this one a three-star rating. In fact, I thought I would be for quite a bit of the earlier part of the book. I’m not sure when, but at some point things started to change. Things started to come together and I found myself enjoying it a lot more. It is not a solid four-star rating, but it was a strong three-point-five-stars that needed to be rounded up. Thus, it may not have been my favourite, but it wasn’t a complete disaster.
I think my biggest disappointment is that The Harvest Man made it seem as though huge things were to come from Lost and Gone Forever. Although many details did come together in this one, although we got to see more of some of the things suggested in the prior books, it wasn’t as powerful as it could have been. In fact, I felt as though it glossed over many things. It seemed to be pulling multiple things together, but it didn’t tie them in a pretty bow – instead, things just were. Some things were great, others not so much.
It was fun, worth reading if you’re a fan of the series, but it is not the best Alex Grecian book I have read. Although I will continue to read this series, I’m not going to be quite as eager to dive into the next when it comes out.
April 26, 2016
Wow, wow, wow. This was I think the best one so far of the Murder Squad books. I just could not put this one down. The hunt for Jack the Ripper continues, or is he dead? They are also missing one of their best detectives, Walter Day, or is he dead?
This one has murderers coming out of the woodwork as two hired assassins are brought in to take care of Jack the Ripper and they are not your average assassins.
There are lots of plot twists and twists to the plot twists. I just absolutely loved it and sped right through this book. Jack was on a mission and no one or nothing was going to stop him. There are definitely pulse generating thrills and a few shouts to the characters "don't go in there". I just love when I get involved in the story. HA!
If you haven't tried Alex Grecian, this is definitely a great one to start with, you will definitely be hooked!
Thanks Penguin Group Putnam for approving my request and to Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review!
This one has murderers coming out of the woodwork as two hired assassins are brought in to take care of Jack the Ripper and they are not your average assassins.
There are lots of plot twists and twists to the plot twists. I just absolutely loved it and sped right through this book. Jack was on a mission and no one or nothing was going to stop him. There are definitely pulse generating thrills and a few shouts to the characters "don't go in there". I just love when I get involved in the story. HA!
If you haven't tried Alex Grecian, this is definitely a great one to start with, you will definitely be hooked!
Thanks Penguin Group Putnam for approving my request and to Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review!
June 20, 2016
I won this book from Goodreads, so thank you!
Now then: I did not enjoy this outing as much as I have the author's previous books. I especially did not enjoy the inclusion of "The Wandering Wood"! I thought that story was just too silly. I'd rather have read excerpts from Alice in Wonderland than that rubbish. I also found it incredulous that Hammersmith spent an ENTIRE YEAR looking for Walter, and could not find him! Other people were practically stumbling over him, and yet Hammersmith was clueless as to his whereabouts! Either he is the laziest person on the earth or the dumbest detective ever! Let me be clear: he spent one year searching for Walter, and did nothing else at all!
BIG SPOILER ALERT TO FOLLOW: And to make matters worse, the author killed one of my favorite characters: Dr. Kingsley, and the ever clueless Hammersmith chose another over Fiona!
Also, what happened to the "giant" man (whose name I have forgotten) that befriended Day and his family? In the "Harvest Man" he was last known to be helping Clare take care of the children. How could the author not mention him, at all, in this story? Especially as Clare still seems to be struggling with hiring appropriate care for her children. How could the author not include this character in this book?
The more I think about it, the more I dislike this book.
Now then: I did not enjoy this outing as much as I have the author's previous books. I especially did not enjoy the inclusion of "The Wandering Wood"! I thought that story was just too silly. I'd rather have read excerpts from Alice in Wonderland than that rubbish. I also found it incredulous that Hammersmith spent an ENTIRE YEAR looking for Walter, and could not find him! Other people were practically stumbling over him, and yet Hammersmith was clueless as to his whereabouts! Either he is the laziest person on the earth or the dumbest detective ever! Let me be clear: he spent one year searching for Walter, and did nothing else at all!
BIG SPOILER ALERT TO FOLLOW: And to make matters worse, the author killed one of my favorite characters: Dr. Kingsley, and the ever clueless Hammersmith chose another over Fiona!
Also, what happened to the "giant" man (whose name I have forgotten) that befriended Day and his family? In the "Harvest Man" he was last known to be helping Clare take care of the children. How could the author not mention him, at all, in this story? Especially as Clare still seems to be struggling with hiring appropriate care for her children. How could the author not include this character in this book?
The more I think about it, the more I dislike this book.
July 5, 2019
The previous book in this series, The Harvest Man, left us on a major cliffhanger. Just what happened to Inspector Walter Day and will we ever see or hear from him again? That’s just what his friends, family, and coworkers think too, especially after a year has gone by when this book opens.
This series has evolved from a fairly typical late 19th century London crime series featuring the Scotland Yard murder squad (a new concept in fighting crime) to a much more mysterious and even bizarre plot that circles around Jack the Ripper. While Saucy Jack has been more of a prominent background character in previous books, this time around he is the central bad guy. And a bloody weird bad guy he is. Joining in the fun is a new mercenary couple named Mr. and Mrs. Parker who are even weirder but in a humorous sort of way.
This could stand as the last book of the series although I have seen a Q&A wherein the author has stated he has plans for a sixth book and then even more that feature Nevil Hammersmith (Good: he's evolved into one of my favorite fictional characters). I’ve enjoyed this series so far and hereby join the chorus asking Mr. Grecian to make it so. I do agree with many other reviewers, however, that it is time to move on from the Jack the Ripper stuff.
If and when the next book in this series appears, I will certainly be reading it.
This series has evolved from a fairly typical late 19th century London crime series featuring the Scotland Yard murder squad (a new concept in fighting crime) to a much more mysterious and even bizarre plot that circles around Jack the Ripper. While Saucy Jack has been more of a prominent background character in previous books, this time around he is the central bad guy. And a bloody weird bad guy he is. Joining in the fun is a new mercenary couple named Mr. and Mrs. Parker who are even weirder but in a humorous sort of way.
This could stand as the last book of the series although I have seen a Q&A wherein the author has stated he has plans for a sixth book and then even more that feature Nevil Hammersmith (Good: he's evolved into one of my favorite fictional characters). I’ve enjoyed this series so far and hereby join the chorus asking Mr. Grecian to make it so. I do agree with many other reviewers, however, that it is time to move on from the Jack the Ripper stuff.
If and when the next book in this series appears, I will certainly be reading it.
April 11, 2021
It says it’s the last in the series!
Continues the story right where we left off OR so it seems, as soon we are to discover a year has passed by….
The gang is all still alive, the characters the same bar two new arrivals who are a proper delight so they are! They pop up every so oft & each time add another nuance which leaves a peculiar taste in the mouth… although come journeys end I think they were underused.
Not sure I enjoyed this one so much as the others as it seemed almost a “forced” ending but with a character like Jack the Ripper within the main story there had to be an ending really, which is a shame as this detective duo & its cast of characters could most certainly have continued as a series for me, there was plenty more that could have been explored if this last book hadn’t been so.
Overall its been a good series but I have to say this finale has left me a tad unsatisfied, perhaps knowing it was the last didn’t help but it jus felt rushed & at times a little lacklustre compared to prior, almost an unwilling ending…. Did the author get bored? Did the publishers pull the plug I ask?
3 stars fair n square
Continues the story right where we left off OR so it seems, as soon we are to discover a year has passed by….
The gang is all still alive, the characters the same bar two new arrivals who are a proper delight so they are! They pop up every so oft & each time add another nuance which leaves a peculiar taste in the mouth… although come journeys end I think they were underused.
Not sure I enjoyed this one so much as the others as it seemed almost a “forced” ending but with a character like Jack the Ripper within the main story there had to be an ending really, which is a shame as this detective duo & its cast of characters could most certainly have continued as a series for me, there was plenty more that could have been explored if this last book hadn’t been so.
Overall its been a good series but I have to say this finale has left me a tad unsatisfied, perhaps knowing it was the last didn’t help but it jus felt rushed & at times a little lacklustre compared to prior, almost an unwilling ending…. Did the author get bored? Did the publishers pull the plug I ask?
3 stars fair n square
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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March 9, 2016What it's all about...
All of my favorite characters are back so immediately upon starting this book I felt as though I was right back with the London Murder Squad...except that nothing was the same. So...in order to truly get into this book you really have to have read all of the others that came before it. There really isn't any other way to truly understand what these characters have gone through and how much they have endured. So...briefly...Walter Day has been held captive by Jack ( the Ripper ) for a year. Hammersmith...a former police associate of Day's...has a private investigator's practice specifically set up by Claire Day...Walter's wife...to find Day. Jack is clever and cruel and sadistic is still killing people. There are other people...specifically hired to kill Jack...they are hired by a powerful secret society...not the police. These books take place in Victorian London so everything is kind of squalid, smelly and vermin filled...plus there are lots of orphans. In those days a penny bought a lot! Jack has messed with Walter Day's head so much that he really doesn't even know who he is any more.
Why I wanted to read it...
I love this series. I love everything about the Murder Squad. It's suspenseful and fast paced and weird and scary and a wonderfully addictive book. I think this one was my favorite one of all of them.
What made me truly enjoy this book...
Jack is the mad man you love to hate. The dialog is great...sharp and witty and even funny at times while still being a very suspense filled book.
Why you should read it, too...
Readers who love this series will love this book.
June 10, 2016
I have so enjoyed this series, but feel that Grecian needs to let go of the Jack character. Serial killers are so overdone at this point. It seems lazy to rely on this monster, shrouded in shadow and fog, to carry the series along. In this one, there was too little of some of the old favorite characters and too much of Jack. Catch him, already. Or kill him. He is just not that interesting. Time to refocus attention on Walter and Neville and the rest of the crew.
Well, at least as far as I'm concerned.
Well, at least as far as I'm concerned.
June 10, 2016
After reading The Harvest Man in this Scotland Yard's Murder Squad series last year, which was brutal but masterful, I wasn't sure how much energy would be left for Lost and Gone Forever. I thought, like me, the characters deserved a good rest after that one. But, Alex Grecian has lost no steam or required no rest to create the fifth entry in this series as a full-on race to a tale that is thrilling, chilling, and gripping. Lost and Gone Forever is much like Saucy Jack with his hold over Walter Day, an unrelenting hold that demands attention. This fifth story may be my favorite yet.
It is 1891 in Londong and has been a year since Walter Day, one of the detectives in the recently created Murder Squad of Scotland Yard, has disappeared. Only a couple of people suspect that Walter is in the hands of Jack the Ripper, who so terrorized Walter's and his wife's lives since the birth of their children. Neville Hammersmith is one of those people. Neville is no longer with the Murder Squad, after being dismissed right before Day's disappearance for reckless and impetuous behavior, and has devoted the entire last year to finding Walter, paid for by Clare Day, Walter's wife. But Jack is an elusive prey and the hunt has been unsuccessful. Evidence of Jack's existence is all too clear, though. The Karstphanomen, the secret society of men who sought out their own brand of justice for criminals and who had at one time had Jack in their possession to torture, are being killed intermittently, suggesting that Jack is wreaking his revenge.
And, then, Walter finds himself a free man, but a changed man who cannot seem to remember his former life and settles into a life of street existence, selling tobacco products made from discarded cigarettes and cigars found on the street. When there are a couple of sightings of Walter by people who recognize him, the search intensifies to bring him home. But, even as Walter begins to remember more of his life before being incarcerated by Jack, Walter knows that there is danger in him to those he loves because of Jack. Walter fears he may never be able to return to a normal life with Jack still on the loose. The remaining Kartsphanomen share this fear of Walter's and have hired a pair of assassins to locate and eradicate Jack. And, there is a missing person's case that Neville Hammersmith's associate has taken on that will have eerie connections to the hunt for Jack. There is indeed much hunting going on, as Jack hunts victims, Walter hunts sanity, Neville hunts Walter, and the Kartsphanomen assassins hunt Jack.
The odd converging point for the different story threads is the newly built department store, Plumm's, a modern behemoth of a place offering all matter of goods and tea shops for the discerning shopper. Passing through the doors and surrounding areas and alleyways of this giant store are all the cast of characters who have built up this amazing series and a few new ones who play their roles well, too.
The Scotland Yard Murder Squad series is indeed a thrilling one for fans of the Victorian dark side and of Saucy Jack. Author Alex Grecian doesn't spare the gore and grisly details of the ugly side of Victorian crime and killings. I have been a fan of it since book #1, The Yard, which peaked my curiosity with the forming of the new Murder Squad in London. The introduction of Jack the Ripper was a bonus for those of us who share a fascination with that dark spot of history. I highly recommend that readers approach the reading of this series in the order the books were written to fully enjoy the development of the characters and the storylines.
It is 1891 in Londong and has been a year since Walter Day, one of the detectives in the recently created Murder Squad of Scotland Yard, has disappeared. Only a couple of people suspect that Walter is in the hands of Jack the Ripper, who so terrorized Walter's and his wife's lives since the birth of their children. Neville Hammersmith is one of those people. Neville is no longer with the Murder Squad, after being dismissed right before Day's disappearance for reckless and impetuous behavior, and has devoted the entire last year to finding Walter, paid for by Clare Day, Walter's wife. But Jack is an elusive prey and the hunt has been unsuccessful. Evidence of Jack's existence is all too clear, though. The Karstphanomen, the secret society of men who sought out their own brand of justice for criminals and who had at one time had Jack in their possession to torture, are being killed intermittently, suggesting that Jack is wreaking his revenge.
And, then, Walter finds himself a free man, but a changed man who cannot seem to remember his former life and settles into a life of street existence, selling tobacco products made from discarded cigarettes and cigars found on the street. When there are a couple of sightings of Walter by people who recognize him, the search intensifies to bring him home. But, even as Walter begins to remember more of his life before being incarcerated by Jack, Walter knows that there is danger in him to those he loves because of Jack. Walter fears he may never be able to return to a normal life with Jack still on the loose. The remaining Kartsphanomen share this fear of Walter's and have hired a pair of assassins to locate and eradicate Jack. And, there is a missing person's case that Neville Hammersmith's associate has taken on that will have eerie connections to the hunt for Jack. There is indeed much hunting going on, as Jack hunts victims, Walter hunts sanity, Neville hunts Walter, and the Kartsphanomen assassins hunt Jack.
The odd converging point for the different story threads is the newly built department store, Plumm's, a modern behemoth of a place offering all matter of goods and tea shops for the discerning shopper. Passing through the doors and surrounding areas and alleyways of this giant store are all the cast of characters who have built up this amazing series and a few new ones who play their roles well, too.
The Scotland Yard Murder Squad series is indeed a thrilling one for fans of the Victorian dark side and of Saucy Jack. Author Alex Grecian doesn't spare the gore and grisly details of the ugly side of Victorian crime and killings. I have been a fan of it since book #1, The Yard, which peaked my curiosity with the forming of the new Murder Squad in London. The introduction of Jack the Ripper was a bonus for those of us who share a fascination with that dark spot of history. I highly recommend that readers approach the reading of this series in the order the books were written to fully enjoy the development of the characters and the storylines.
May 18, 2016
In “Lost and Gone Forever” we revisit with the Scotland Yard Murder Squad. The faces are all familiar but so much has changed since the previous book. Nevil Hammersmith is no longer part of the murder squad. He has moved on to running his own private investigations office, but aside from the odd missing persons case handled by his co-worker, Nevil has only one case that he cares to investigate – the disappearance of Walter Day – believed to be kidnapped by Jack the Ripper.
Day is eventually found but not through any of Nevil’s tireless pursuits. Day is free but he also carries a secret that makes him a very dangerous man.
Can things ever go back to being as they once were or has Saucy Jack irrevocably damaged everything?
This is another good entry into the Murder Squad series. And, in my opinion this one, over any other of the books in the series, would definitely not work as a standalone novel. If you’re a fan of historical thrillers and this story piques your interest, do yourself a huge favor and pick up the others first … you won’t be disappointed.
With that bit of encouragement out of the way I must admit that the first third of this installment had me scratching my head a little. It seemed like a major deviation from the past books. Yes, the characters were all present and accounted for. Yes, the reader is privy to what has happened since we left our friends approximately one year ago. And yes, the reader is allowed to breath a sigh of relief that Walter Day has not perished at the hands of The Ripper. Still, I began to enjoy the story a little more when “the gang” was all reunited in their attempt to apprehend the elusive Jack.
Again, Victorian London is well represented and the addition of a few new characters moves the action along nicely. Buried secrets and lies are finally revealed and Mr. Grecian has thrown in a shocker that I NEVER saw coming. With that he ensures I will be definitely be picking up the next installment. Oh yes!! I am sure there will be another Murder Squad book and I am looking forward to it.
A solid four stars for this one from this fan of the series.
I received this book at no charge from the publisher, Penguin Group Putnam via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Day is eventually found but not through any of Nevil’s tireless pursuits. Day is free but he also carries a secret that makes him a very dangerous man.
Can things ever go back to being as they once were or has Saucy Jack irrevocably damaged everything?
This is another good entry into the Murder Squad series. And, in my opinion this one, over any other of the books in the series, would definitely not work as a standalone novel. If you’re a fan of historical thrillers and this story piques your interest, do yourself a huge favor and pick up the others first … you won’t be disappointed.
With that bit of encouragement out of the way I must admit that the first third of this installment had me scratching my head a little. It seemed like a major deviation from the past books. Yes, the characters were all present and accounted for. Yes, the reader is privy to what has happened since we left our friends approximately one year ago. And yes, the reader is allowed to breath a sigh of relief that Walter Day has not perished at the hands of The Ripper. Still, I began to enjoy the story a little more when “the gang” was all reunited in their attempt to apprehend the elusive Jack.
Again, Victorian London is well represented and the addition of a few new characters moves the action along nicely. Buried secrets and lies are finally revealed and Mr. Grecian has thrown in a shocker that I NEVER saw coming. With that he ensures I will be definitely be picking up the next installment. Oh yes!! I am sure there will be another Murder Squad book and I am looking forward to it.
A solid four stars for this one from this fan of the series.
I received this book at no charge from the publisher, Penguin Group Putnam via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
August 20, 2016
This book should not be read on its own, before you read the previous two books in the series. Together, the three are really one book, which follows the devil that is Jack the Ripper, and his cruel game, playing with inspector Walter Day's life and mind. Jack is truly scary here, a monster which knows no limits to its brutality and enjoyment of being in control of other people's suffering and pain. It is quite a while since I found myself really scared after closing the book at night, not that I closed it that often. The whole series is simply un-put-downable, with characters you care about and feel for or that are very original and well-depicted, subtle mind games, fantastic plots that converge and mix, and the best setting of all - Victorian London. Highly recommended, but start at the first book.
May 26, 2020
There are a couple of misfires in this series but this was very good. Walter has been in the clutches of Jack the Ripper for a whole year whilst his partner and his wife frantically search for him. Jack is slaughtering the cartel who tortured him and Walter has a part to play in his plots. There is a return for most of the usual characters, a very high body count, a sad end to a fave person and some nice twists. Worth a look.
March 19, 2020
And so ends a series I only discovered two months ago and fell completely in love with. It started of as solid crime/detective stories, which focused more and more on the lives of its main characters with every book. In this one the detective part is pretty much gone and we are left with a very tense thriller in which shit hits the fan.
It has toned down on its gore compared to some of the previous books (although Jack does leave us with quite a gruesome murder scene), and we don't have any chapters from the point of view of the criminals. I did really miss these aspects. It almost made this read... boring isn't the right word, but less tense? The stakes are still high but it took me longer than with the previous books to get sucked in.
I have grown to love these people and really wanted things toe end well for them. Grecian gives us a somewhat happy and satisfying ending... but not everything we want. Not all we love survive, not all the bad guys get caught, not all the ships end up together. Yes, this lack of a perfect ending is more realistic and a good thing. But I am also kind of annoyed and now I want another book just to see everyone happy... which is very rare for me. I hardly ever care about the romances.
A small plot line, but one I really liked and though was a great addition is the book Claire Day is writing. We get to read some random chapters of it as interlude, and to be honest, I would love to read the whole story. Even though we only read parts of it, it really got to me.
Overall this is an amazing historical mystery series with an excellent cast of characters you Will love, and I am sad it is over now.
It has toned down on its gore compared to some of the previous books (although Jack does leave us with quite a gruesome murder scene), and we don't have any chapters from the point of view of the criminals. I did really miss these aspects. It almost made this read... boring isn't the right word, but less tense? The stakes are still high but it took me longer than with the previous books to get sucked in.
I have grown to love these people and really wanted things toe end well for them. Grecian gives us a somewhat happy and satisfying ending... but not everything we want. Not all we love survive, not all the bad guys get caught, not all the ships end up together. Yes, this lack of a perfect ending is more realistic and a good thing. But I am also kind of annoyed and now I want another book just to see everyone happy... which is very rare for me. I hardly ever care about the romances.
A small plot line, but one I really liked and though was a great addition is the book Claire Day is writing. We get to read some random chapters of it as interlude, and to be honest, I would love to read the whole story. Even though we only read parts of it, it really got to me.
Overall this is an amazing historical mystery series with an excellent cast of characters you Will love, and I am sad it is over now.
April 30, 2019
Another good story couldn't predict what happened. Includes historical fiction about Jack the ripper and Scotland Yard at the time.
May 23, 2023
I have been waiting a long time to read Lost and Gone Forever. In Alex Grecian I’ve discovered the mystery genre’s equivalent of George RR Martin. (Grecian: “Sorry I can’t hear you over the sound of my characters screaming.”) A great climax to a five part series. Hunt these down folks they are worth reading. Four stars.
September 5, 2017
Of the five books in the Murder Squad series, this one was the least interesting and least satisfying of them all. I was rung out after finishing Lost and Gone Forever, not because I was left feeling exhilarated but because the content was dark, grisly, predictable, and a bit cartoonish. The added villains, Mr. and Mrs. Parker, were simply ridiculous in their evil villainy and the author’s obsession with attributing Saucy Jack with the brilliance of a master criminal with nine lives started to grate after a while and all I wanted to do was get to the end.
Nevertheless, the villain was indeed cleverer than Day and Hammersmith, these are ordinary men indeed with limited imaginations and skills…no wonder Jack played them for fools at every turn. The only male of consequence was Dr. Kingsley and he naturally met his demise when he is on the cusp of introducing forensic science to police work. Just as another reviewer pointed out, the author is relying on the tiresome trope of killing off a major character with each book. I find that tired old trope to be a formulaic and predictable way of manufacturing conflict. I guess it’s better and safer to remain intellectually and emotionally dense, like Day and Hammersmith.
The women characters had far more gravitas, Claire, Fiona, and even boring Hatty Pitt showed more courage and devotion than their male counterparts. Nevil showed himself especially to be an idiot. Whereas his innocence was once endearing, his obtuseness has become annoying and almost callous. Offering to marry Hatty to give her his name and keep the detective agency open demonstrated how truly dense he is…maybe too much time spent in the coal mines as a child dulled his senses as well as his brain. I'm glad that Fiona Kingsley won't be stuck with such a dense fool as Nevil.
I also missed Henry, I couldn't believe there was absolutely no mention of Henry and now that Dr. Kingsley is dead, Henry won't have work any longer. In this era of London history, there are so few compassionate and intuitive people like Dr. Kingsley. I think it was rather cruel to pull the rug out from under vulnerable and kind characters as Fiona and Henry. The writer might as well killed them both off as well. I am not one who believes that in order to for a person to grow that a character is required to run the gauntlet of misery, pain, loss, and loneliness. I expect a talented writer as Grecian to have been more imaginative.
Overall, this was an okay read and I am glad to be caught up on the series and done. But I am not chomping at the bit to meet up with the Murder Squad characters again anytime soon. I am happy to have a long break from this gruesome series that merely devolved into the Jack the Ripper show.
Nevertheless, the villain was indeed cleverer than Day and Hammersmith, these are ordinary men indeed with limited imaginations and skills…no wonder Jack played them for fools at every turn. The only male of consequence was Dr. Kingsley and he naturally met his demise when he is on the cusp of introducing forensic science to police work. Just as another reviewer pointed out, the author is relying on the tiresome trope of killing off a major character with each book. I find that tired old trope to be a formulaic and predictable way of manufacturing conflict. I guess it’s better and safer to remain intellectually and emotionally dense, like Day and Hammersmith.
The women characters had far more gravitas, Claire, Fiona, and even boring Hatty Pitt showed more courage and devotion than their male counterparts. Nevil showed himself especially to be an idiot. Whereas his innocence was once endearing, his obtuseness has become annoying and almost callous. Offering to marry Hatty to give her his name and keep the detective agency open demonstrated how truly dense he is…maybe too much time spent in the coal mines as a child dulled his senses as well as his brain. I'm glad that Fiona Kingsley won't be stuck with such a dense fool as Nevil.
I also missed Henry, I couldn't believe there was absolutely no mention of Henry and now that Dr. Kingsley is dead, Henry won't have work any longer. In this era of London history, there are so few compassionate and intuitive people like Dr. Kingsley. I think it was rather cruel to pull the rug out from under vulnerable and kind characters as Fiona and Henry. The writer might as well killed them both off as well. I am not one who believes that in order to for a person to grow that a character is required to run the gauntlet of misery, pain, loss, and loneliness. I expect a talented writer as Grecian to have been more imaginative.
Overall, this was an okay read and I am glad to be caught up on the series and done. But I am not chomping at the bit to meet up with the Murder Squad characters again anytime soon. I am happy to have a long break from this gruesome series that merely devolved into the Jack the Ripper show.
April 1, 2017
The fifth book in Alex Grecian’s Murder Squad series begins with (and is punctuated by) excerpts from a children’s book, The Wandering Wood, written in 1893 by a certain Rupert Winthrop. A girl called Anna finds herself in a grand adventure, surrounded by wooden objects—a marionette, a Babushka, a nutcracker—all of them going up against a nasty Jack-in-the-box.
Rupert Winthrop is the pen name of Claire Day, daughter of the wealthy Leland Carlyle, who disapproves of Claire’s having married a valet’s son, no matter if Walter Day is one of the most illustrious and trusted of Scotland Yard’s detectives. But Walter has been missing this past one year, and Claire has had to resort to writing to try and make ends meet, while Day’s loyal colleague Nevil Hammersmith has, under the aegis of Claire, set up a private detective agency—whose main aim is to find Walter Day.
And where is Walter Day? Awakening one day in a cell, naked and dirty and with his memory wiped clean of everything that has gone before. All he knows is that he has been held captive by someone evil, a man named Jack…
Lost and Gone Forever uses the theme of the Jack the Ripper mystery, not for the first time in Grecian’s novels. There’s loads of blood and gore (some truly gruesome) and there’s even a bloodthirstily savage couple, imported from abroad to assassinate Jack before he can wreak further vengeance on those who’ve tried to put him down. The pace—as is usual in this series—is excellent, with swift changes of perspective, switching between Claire, Walter, Hammersmith, Jack, the assassins (‘Mr and Mrs Parker’), and plenty of other people, but always in a way that makes sense and doesn’t jar.
What jars is the somewhat pointlessness of this all. The first book in the series was a superb, old-fashioned whodunit; as the series has progressed, the mystery has gone out of the storytelling. Here, for instance, there’s no mystery, really. We know who Jack is; we know who the hired killers are; we know where Walter Day is. There’s nothing to be discovered—it’s only a question of waiting to see how it all unfolds. And that, sadly, is really rather lacklustre. Bloody, brutal (Mrs Parker’s brutality is bad enough to the point of making her somewhat over the top), but lacking any mystery. Plus, for me a major annoyance was the character of Mr Goodpenny, whose deafness seemed to restrict itself mostly to mistaking one name for the other.
I doubt if I’m going to be reading the next book in the Murder Squad series; this one has pretty much exhausted my interest in it.
Rupert Winthrop is the pen name of Claire Day, daughter of the wealthy Leland Carlyle, who disapproves of Claire’s having married a valet’s son, no matter if Walter Day is one of the most illustrious and trusted of Scotland Yard’s detectives. But Walter has been missing this past one year, and Claire has had to resort to writing to try and make ends meet, while Day’s loyal colleague Nevil Hammersmith has, under the aegis of Claire, set up a private detective agency—whose main aim is to find Walter Day.
And where is Walter Day? Awakening one day in a cell, naked and dirty and with his memory wiped clean of everything that has gone before. All he knows is that he has been held captive by someone evil, a man named Jack…
Lost and Gone Forever uses the theme of the Jack the Ripper mystery, not for the first time in Grecian’s novels. There’s loads of blood and gore (some truly gruesome) and there’s even a bloodthirstily savage couple, imported from abroad to assassinate Jack before he can wreak further vengeance on those who’ve tried to put him down. The pace—as is usual in this series—is excellent, with swift changes of perspective, switching between Claire, Walter, Hammersmith, Jack, the assassins (‘Mr and Mrs Parker’), and plenty of other people, but always in a way that makes sense and doesn’t jar.
What jars is the somewhat pointlessness of this all. The first book in the series was a superb, old-fashioned whodunit; as the series has progressed, the mystery has gone out of the storytelling. Here, for instance, there’s no mystery, really. We know who Jack is; we know who the hired killers are; we know where Walter Day is. There’s nothing to be discovered—it’s only a question of waiting to see how it all unfolds. And that, sadly, is really rather lacklustre. Bloody, brutal (Mrs Parker’s brutality is bad enough to the point of making her somewhat over the top), but lacking any mystery. Plus, for me a major annoyance was the character of Mr Goodpenny, whose deafness seemed to restrict itself mostly to mistaking one name for the other.
I doubt if I’m going to be reading the next book in the Murder Squad series; this one has pretty much exhausted my interest in it.
March 5, 2019
Fifth (and last, I think) in the Scotland Yard's Murder Squad British historical detective mystery series and revolving around Inspector Walter Day. It's set in spring 1891 in London.
My Take
Omigod...you'll crack up at Grecian's re-appearance in the world. I gotta say Day was quite the entrepreneur, in his recycling business. Don't ask. It's disgusting.
There is plenty going on. Walter is lost in his head, needs to earn a living, and is afraid of his kidnapper who keeps popping up. Newly widowed, Hatty is embracing the possibilities and having such fun being a detective. Claire is coping with four children and no husband and dealing with her cretin of a father. Grecian gets Nevil's frustrations across quite well. The Parkers...eeek...Grecian has created a truly nasty couple in the Parkers. All those thoughts Mr Parker has are terrifying, particularly with reference to his partner, and yet he loves, loves, loves her, even as he ties her up to keep himself safe. Interestingly, we don't get Mrs Parker's perspective but her words, and those are even more terrifying. As for Jack...as horrible as he is, he is surprisingly not as creepy as Mrs P.
There are a number of points where I'm confused. Day sounds as if he's truly lost his memory and yet later on in the story, it sounds a'purpose. Then there's the end with Dr Kingsley, and I'm wondering which was the end. The one in the alley or the one in his bed?
It's interesting that Grecian does so well in conveying the manners and mores of the time period, until he slips up with Beatrice Kingsley being at university. It's pretty radical for a woman to attend college in this time.
Nevil is an idiot. And his actions make me think that Grecian isn't actually done with this series. He's done so well in tidying things up, but Nevil's proposal — to the wrong woman and for the wrong reason — makes me think Scotland Yard's Murder Squad still has life ahead.
It's that third person global subjective point-of-view that provides perspectives from so many different characters, providing so much background into their thoughts and emotions. And all those secrets...
The Story
Employed by the parent-beleaguered Claire, Nevil has been spending every minute of every day searching for Walter, even as Jack is busy brainwashing Walter and tidying up members of Kartsphanomen.
A Jack who hides in plain sight.
The Characters
Inspector Walter Day went missing one year ago. Claire is his wife who had given birth to twins — Winifred and Henrietta — shortly before Walter disappeared. She has also published a book of poetry under the pen name Rupert Winthrop. Her adopted boys are the worried Robert and Simon ( The Harvest Man , 4). Tabitha is the new governess...who probably won't last. Arthur Day is Walter's father and a valet.
The manipulative and wealthy Leland Carlyle, her absolute jerk of a father, is from Devon. His wife, Eleanor, bends to him.
Anna is the heroine in Claire's new story, The Wandering Wood. Other characters include Peter; Marionette Puppet, a.k.a., Mary Annette; Babushka is a Russian doll; the Kindly Nutcracker; Rocking Horse; and, Jack.
Esther Paxton, Walter's new landlady, is a draper running a clothing shop. Ben is her deceased husband. The bright Ambrose is a fourteen-year-old homeless boy, brilliant at chess. Jerome is another one of the gang.
Former Sergeant Nevil Hammersmith was fired and opened his own detective agency, the Hammersmith Agency. He employs the affordable Eugenia Merrilow as a secretary; the thrilled Hatty Pitt becomes a detective (both ladies appeared in The Harvest Man ). Timothy Pinch is Hammersmith's roommate and working with Dr Kingsley.
Blackleg, who has aided Nevil in the past, is at the center of certain crime rings in London.
Plumm's Emporium is...
...modeled on Harrod's and owned by John Plumm, entrepreneur. Joseph Hargreave, a.k.a., Kitten, is his lieutenant/manager. Mr Oberon is the manager who takes Hargreave's place. The very deaf Alastair Goodpenny sold his kiosk and invested in Plumm's ( The Harvest Man ). Mr Swann splits. Gregory is a guard.
Dr Richard Hargreave is Joseph's worried brother. Ruth Ruskin is a neighbor of the Hargreaves.
Scotland Yard
Sir Edward Bradford is the commissioner of police; Elizabeth is his wife. The number of inspectors on the Murder Squad have doubled in this past year and include Jimmy Tiffany, Michael Blacker, and Tom Wiggins. Sergeant Kett continues to act as liaison between the constables and inspectors. Sergeant Fawkes can stand in for him.
Dr Bernard Kingsley is the official forensics examiner for the Metropolitan Police, busily introducing scene of crime methods, and teaches at the University College Hospital. Fiona Kingsley, the doctor's daughter, is a brilliant artist who once worked for her father and now sketches witness descriptions for Scotland Yard, and she has been illustrating Claire's books. Catherine had been Fiona's mother; she died of consumption. There is an older sister, Beatrice, away at university.
Constable Colin Pringle had been murdered in The Yard , 1.
The Kartsphanomen are…
…a society of men from all levels of society dedicated to meting out justice…with eye-for-an-eye punishment along the way. The naive and hypocritical high judge takes too much into his own hands.
Jack the Ripper, a.k.a., Saucy Jack, is terrifying. Mr and very psychopathic Mrs Parker are a cold pair of fish...and assassins. There is some confusion as to if the missus is his daughter, his partner, and/or his lover. Hmmm, she can't be his daughter as he mentions early in the story that they played together as children.
Jim has an in with a puppet show. Potter-Pirbright is a valet at Carlyle's gentlemen's club.
The Cover and Title
The gray cover is a fog, a metaphysical reference to Claire and Walter, as they stumble through the mists, and may be Lost and Gone Forever. It's also a scene from within the story, of chairs scattered in the fog, a man's silhouette on the right. The title is at the top in a white ghostly serif font, a chalkline underlining each word. Below that, in black, is the series information. At the bottom is the author's name using the same white font as the title. Beneath that, in white, is an info blurb.
My Take
Omigod...you'll crack up at Grecian's re-appearance in the world. I gotta say Day was quite the entrepreneur, in his recycling business. Don't ask. It's disgusting.
There is plenty going on. Walter is lost in his head, needs to earn a living, and is afraid of his kidnapper who keeps popping up. Newly widowed, Hatty is embracing the possibilities and having such fun being a detective. Claire is coping with four children and no husband and dealing with her cretin of a father. Grecian gets Nevil's frustrations across quite well. The Parkers...eeek...Grecian has created a truly nasty couple in the Parkers. All those thoughts Mr Parker has are terrifying, particularly with reference to his partner, and yet he loves, loves, loves her, even as he ties her up to keep himself safe. Interestingly, we don't get Mrs Parker's perspective but her words, and those are even more terrifying. As for Jack...as horrible as he is, he is surprisingly not as creepy as Mrs P.
"Because he's no doubt off doing something more fun ... Something gooey, like slitting open a serving wench and turning her on a spit over a crackling fire. Watching the fat roll down the skin of her thighs and sizzle on the coals."Day's inability to remember his past was annoying, if only because he was in such denial and because of that ending... Nor do I understand why Jack wants him. Oh, I have plenty of guesses, but I want to know what Grecian thinks.
There are a number of points where I'm confused. Day sounds as if he's truly lost his memory and yet later on in the story, it sounds a'purpose. Then there's the end with Dr Kingsley, and I'm wondering which was the end. The one in the alley or the one in his bed?
It's interesting that Grecian does so well in conveying the manners and mores of the time period, until he slips up with Beatrice Kingsley being at university. It's pretty radical for a woman to attend college in this time.
Nevil is an idiot. And his actions make me think that Grecian isn't actually done with this series. He's done so well in tidying things up, but Nevil's proposal — to the wrong woman and for the wrong reason — makes me think Scotland Yard's Murder Squad still has life ahead.
It's that third person global subjective point-of-view that provides perspectives from so many different characters, providing so much background into their thoughts and emotions. And all those secrets...
The Story
Employed by the parent-beleaguered Claire, Nevil has been spending every minute of every day searching for Walter, even as Jack is busy brainwashing Walter and tidying up members of Kartsphanomen.
A Jack who hides in plain sight.
The Characters
Inspector Walter Day went missing one year ago. Claire is his wife who had given birth to twins — Winifred and Henrietta — shortly before Walter disappeared. She has also published a book of poetry under the pen name Rupert Winthrop. Her adopted boys are the worried Robert and Simon ( The Harvest Man , 4). Tabitha is the new governess...who probably won't last. Arthur Day is Walter's father and a valet.
The manipulative and wealthy Leland Carlyle, her absolute jerk of a father, is from Devon. His wife, Eleanor, bends to him.
Anna is the heroine in Claire's new story, The Wandering Wood. Other characters include Peter; Marionette Puppet, a.k.a., Mary Annette; Babushka is a Russian doll; the Kindly Nutcracker; Rocking Horse; and, Jack.
Esther Paxton, Walter's new landlady, is a draper running a clothing shop. Ben is her deceased husband. The bright Ambrose is a fourteen-year-old homeless boy, brilliant at chess. Jerome is another one of the gang.
Former Sergeant Nevil Hammersmith was fired and opened his own detective agency, the Hammersmith Agency. He employs the affordable Eugenia Merrilow as a secretary; the thrilled Hatty Pitt becomes a detective (both ladies appeared in The Harvest Man ). Timothy Pinch is Hammersmith's roommate and working with Dr Kingsley.
Blackleg, who has aided Nevil in the past, is at the center of certain crime rings in London.
Plumm's Emporium is...
...modeled on Harrod's and owned by John Plumm, entrepreneur. Joseph Hargreave, a.k.a., Kitten, is his lieutenant/manager. Mr Oberon is the manager who takes Hargreave's place. The very deaf Alastair Goodpenny sold his kiosk and invested in Plumm's ( The Harvest Man ). Mr Swann splits. Gregory is a guard.
Dr Richard Hargreave is Joseph's worried brother. Ruth Ruskin is a neighbor of the Hargreaves.
Scotland Yard
Sir Edward Bradford is the commissioner of police; Elizabeth is his wife. The number of inspectors on the Murder Squad have doubled in this past year and include Jimmy Tiffany, Michael Blacker, and Tom Wiggins. Sergeant Kett continues to act as liaison between the constables and inspectors. Sergeant Fawkes can stand in for him.
Dr Bernard Kingsley is the official forensics examiner for the Metropolitan Police, busily introducing scene of crime methods, and teaches at the University College Hospital. Fiona Kingsley, the doctor's daughter, is a brilliant artist who once worked for her father and now sketches witness descriptions for Scotland Yard, and she has been illustrating Claire's books. Catherine had been Fiona's mother; she died of consumption. There is an older sister, Beatrice, away at university.
Constable Colin Pringle had been murdered in The Yard , 1.
The Kartsphanomen are…
…a society of men from all levels of society dedicated to meting out justice…with eye-for-an-eye punishment along the way. The naive and hypocritical high judge takes too much into his own hands.
Jack the Ripper, a.k.a., Saucy Jack, is terrifying. Mr and very psychopathic Mrs Parker are a cold pair of fish...and assassins. There is some confusion as to if the missus is his daughter, his partner, and/or his lover. Hmmm, she can't be his daughter as he mentions early in the story that they played together as children.
Jim has an in with a puppet show. Potter-Pirbright is a valet at Carlyle's gentlemen's club.
The Cover and Title
The gray cover is a fog, a metaphysical reference to Claire and Walter, as they stumble through the mists, and may be Lost and Gone Forever. It's also a scene from within the story, of chairs scattered in the fog, a man's silhouette on the right. The title is at the top in a white ghostly serif font, a chalkline underlining each word. Below that, in black, is the series information. At the bottom is the author's name using the same white font as the title. Beneath that, in white, is an info blurb.
May 19, 2016
Inspector Walter Day arrived several years ago in “The Yard” on the trail of Jack the Ripper but finding plenty of other sordid killings to solve. At the end of the last installment, “The Harvest Man,” Day had gotten even closer to catching Jack, but then abruptly disappeared and hasn’t been seen for a year.
Of course, since Day is the hero of this series, he’s not dead - no spoiler here; it’s in the opening chapter of the book - and he manages to escape from his captor, Jack the Ripper himself. A year in captivity took its toll on Day’s mind in particular, as well as on his friends and family, who never stopped looking for him. But other things are afoot in gritty Victorian London, including the opening of a grand department store, the mysterious murders of well-placed men, and a pair of professional assassins summoned from abroad. These parallel threads in the story - some loose ends from the previous books and some new ones - come together by the end, but not without quite a bit of blood and gore. I don't want to give away any more here, but plenty of bad apples about translate into plenty of mayhem.
The series is fascinating from the viewpoint of historical detail and the development of modern police procedure, and the books have interesting plots and fast pacing. Enjoyment of “Lost and Gone Forever” doesn’t depend on having read the previous books in the series, but this is a series best read in order, and the latest book is a worthy addition to it.
Of course, since Day is the hero of this series, he’s not dead - no spoiler here; it’s in the opening chapter of the book - and he manages to escape from his captor, Jack the Ripper himself. A year in captivity took its toll on Day’s mind in particular, as well as on his friends and family, who never stopped looking for him. But other things are afoot in gritty Victorian London, including the opening of a grand department store, the mysterious murders of well-placed men, and a pair of professional assassins summoned from abroad. These parallel threads in the story - some loose ends from the previous books and some new ones - come together by the end, but not without quite a bit of blood and gore. I don't want to give away any more here, but plenty of bad apples about translate into plenty of mayhem.
The series is fascinating from the viewpoint of historical detail and the development of modern police procedure, and the books have interesting plots and fast pacing. Enjoyment of “Lost and Gone Forever” doesn’t depend on having read the previous books in the series, but this is a series best read in order, and the latest book is a worthy addition to it.
June 2, 2016
This is an awesome continuation of Alex Grecian's Scotland Murder Squad series. It is 1989, and the Murder Squad is going through difficult times. Sergeant Nevil Hammersmith has lost his job for being too impetuous. In response, he set up his own detection agency to concentrate mainly on finding Walter Day who has been missing for a year. His wife carries on with their children even though her father begs her to live at his estate. There is a strong suspicion that he is in the hands of Jack the Ripper. Hammersmith is disturbed in his hunt by a pair of bounty hunters whose case seems to be wound up with his own. A new department store named Plumms' has opened and Day's wife, Claire, takes her nanny and children to the opening. She spots Jack and her husband at the top and panics. Day has amnesia and calls himself Ambrose. It is ironic that the two are so close, yet do not meet.Grecian characterizes his characters with delineation. This is yet another masterful story about the members of London's murder department.
March 27, 2016
Hopefully, you've read the series of Murder Squad books ... when you reach Lost and Gone Forever, it won't disappoint. What a delight, to rejoin the beloved Nevil Hammersmith as he hunts for his friend Walter Day ... all the while, the reader can rejoice in a turn-of-the-century department store setting! Mr. Selfridge-style details make it all come to life. A bit gory (as Alex's books are), but this one isn't AS gory, and has some special characters ... some from the previous book have returned ... and others, like sweet Ambrose, are memorable. Very suspenseful, there is a sweeping journey in this tale; one that will strike your heart with loyalty, friendship, steadfastness and love, while that black doom continues to lurk. Alex Grecian has a way with words, and both Nevil Hammersmith and Walter Day are extraordinary characters, with strong and admirable women doing their part. Long awaited, Alex Grecian's latest does not disappoint.
November 13, 2016
Well...I'm glad to know what happened to Walter Day, although beyond a few clues yielded by his behavior and actions, we don't really know, do we? And there were elements of the story that were interesting, especially the setting of Plumm's department store and how it figured in everything. But I have to agree with other readers that:
A. I'm so over Jack the Ripper and am really hoping this is Mr. Grecian's last obsessive hurrah with him as well;
B. I did not understand the incorporation of the Parkers and thought it was, at best, a distraction and at worst, a poorly done red herring;
C. I didn't care for the whole children's story plot device; and
D. I want to kill Neville Hammersmith myself!
I have enjoyed the writing, the characters, and the plotting, of previous books and am really hoping that the next outing with the Murder Squad has absolutely nothing to do with Jack the Ripper!
A. I'm so over Jack the Ripper and am really hoping this is Mr. Grecian's last obsessive hurrah with him as well;
B. I did not understand the incorporation of the Parkers and thought it was, at best, a distraction and at worst, a poorly done red herring;
C. I didn't care for the whole children's story plot device; and
D. I want to kill Neville Hammersmith myself!
I have enjoyed the writing, the characters, and the plotting, of previous books and am really hoping that the next outing with the Murder Squad has absolutely nothing to do with Jack the Ripper!
March 30, 2016
Having read all of the other Alex Grecian novels featuring Scotland Yard's Murder Squad, I was really looking forward to seeing what happened to Walter Day after the open ending of the previous novel. And so once again I was transported back to the dark, dangerous, fogbound streets of Victorian London and found Hammersmith still working for Clare Day, searching for our missing Inspector. I must admit I didn't feel the immediacy of the previous 4 novels, where was the good doctor and Fiona only appeared for fleeting moments. I felt this novel didn't get into its' pace until about a third of the way through, and I felt that is was slightly disjointed at times. However, I love the series and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys good Victorian crime novels.
July 12, 2016
This is the 5th book in Grecian's Murder Squad series and I wouldn't suggest starting with this one. Why? You really need to see the characters change and grow over the course of the series, as well as knowing plot developments, for this to have its utmost impact. I don't want to spoil anything and will just say that I really liked this and I'm happy that the jacket copy says there will be another in the series. If you haven't read this series, I highly recommend going back to the The Yard and starting...you'll be hooked.
May 19, 2016
I like Alex Grecian - I like his books and his writing, but I wasn't thrilled about this one. Not sure why. Maybe because the Parkers were never fully explained? And for Day to be gone a year?
April 12, 2017
Better than # 4 in the Murder squad series and the search for "Jack". The entire series make up a very good period piece but the series MUST be read in sequence to give the reader a complete picture of what is happening. This novel would make little sense without reading the previous novels in the series. Only real complaint is the ending seemed a bit weak. Encourage readers to take the series in order.
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