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Frey & McGray #3

A Mask of Shadows

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Idols of the theatre Henry Irving and Ellen Terry are preparing to stage Macbeth in Edinburgh. But long before the actors hit the boards the play-house is hit with horror; the piercing, desolate wail of a banshee and a bloody message smeared on the street.

Legendary Detective 'Nine-Nails' McGray and disgraced London sceptic Inspector Ian Frey are to investigate. While McGray flicks through tattered tomes on the supernatural, Frey is convinced the whole thing is just a publicity stunt.

But as the gory messages keep coming one thing is sure; whether by human hand or not, death is coming.

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First published February 23, 2017

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About the author

Óscar de Muriel

22 books566 followers
Oscar 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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5 stars
664 (32%)
4 stars
884 (43%)
3 stars
407 (20%)
2 stars
63 (3%)
1 star
10 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 221 reviews
Profile Image for Paromjit.
3,080 reviews26.3k followers
April 5, 2017
This is my first wonderful read of the Frey and McGray series and I adored it. Set in Victorian Edinburgh in 1889, the author uses real people and actual history to inform his novel. He does, however, take a few liberties here and there. The famous Henry Irving and Ellen Terry have bought their production of the cursed Scottish play, Macbeth, to Edinburgh, and even before the play has opened there are banshees and messages of death foretold written in blood on the wall of a nearby street. Inspector Adolphus 'Nine Nails' McGray and Frey comprise the police department that investigates the supernatural, funded largely by Nine Nails who is a believer in the fantastical and close friend of Madame Katerina, endowed with the sight. The narrative is delivered from the perspective of Frey, who is a sceptic and who is minded to write copious notes on the case.

Frey believes the banshee and the writing on the wall is a stunt by Irving's theatre company to ensure that tickets for the play sell as sales had been slow. McGray is not convinced and the two make a wager. Misfortune and horror dog the play as Bram Stoker, the manager, breaks his leg, Wheatstone, the special effects expert is shot in the shoulder and the seamstress, Mrs Harwood, is confined to the Lunatic Asylum, and a local journalist ends up dead. Irving's sons, Harry and Sydney, despise and loathe their father, and turn up to goad Henry, who is estranged from his wife. Irving and Terry have been having a affair which seems to have run its course. Frey and McGray run themselves ragged trying to get to the bottom of the mystery and to prevent the realisation of the prophecy of deaths to come. With further appearances of banshees who can also present themselves in the form of dogs, Frey and McGray find themselves in danger as they got closer to the truth.

This is an atmospheric and entertaining story with a compelling and gripping narrative. I loved the real life characters of Bram Stoker who really did worship the ground Henry Irving walked on and the inclusion of Oscar Wilde. McGray's traumatic family history, his missing finger, his larger than life personality and the physical manner in which he often deals with things, makes him a mesmerising and charismatic character. Frey finds himself adopting McGray's way of handling things, particularly with regard to Superintendent Campbell. There is plenty of humour and comic banter between Frey and McGray. Great book, great series. Highly recommended. Thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph for an ARC.
Profile Image for Cynnamon.
784 reviews130 followers
March 6, 2021
In Volume 3 of the Frey & McGray series, our investigators are on the hunt for a banshee who has announced her fatal work for a Macbeth performance. So the whole story takes place mainly on and behind the stage in the midst of a very eccentric theater crowd.

I really liked the fact that the author interwove a number of historically documented persons in his novel who were actually involved in a Macbeth performance in Edinburgh.

I didn't like the criminal case that much this time. It was a bit of a hassle to find your way through the theater people’s twisted lines of thought and the resolution, especially the surprising twist at the very end, was understandable, but impossible to guess for the reader in advance.

Still, I had a lot of fun. Frey's unspeakable family (aside from Elgie, of course) are always entertaining. Despite some time to get used to it in Scotland, Frey is still a real snob, who often carries his nose far too high and then rightly stumbles over his arrogance. And McGray remains my undisputed favorite. Just because of the description of his character, I would like to see this series of books filmed.

To sum up: Despite some weaknesses this novel still results in 4 stars.

------------------------------------------------------------

In Band 3 der Frey & McGray-Reihe sind unsere Ermittler auf der Jagd nach einer Todesfee, die ihr tödliches Wirken für eine Macbeth-Aufführung angekündigt hat. Die ganze Geschichte spielt sich also hauptsächlich auf und hinter der Bühne inmitten eines sehr exzentrischen Theatervolks ab.

Sehr gut hat mir dabei gefallen, dass der Autor etliche historisch belegte Personen in seinen Roman verwoben hat, die auch tatsächlich an einer Macbeth-Aufführung in Edinburgh beteiligt waren.

Nicht so gut hat mir dieses Mal der Kriminalfall an sich gefallen. Es war ein bisschen mühsam, sich durch die gewundenen Gedankengänge der Theatermenschen hindurchzufinden und die Auflösung, speziell die überraschende Wendung ganz am Schluss, waren zwar nachvollziehbar, aber für den Leser vorab nicht zu erahnen.

Trotzdem habe ich mich köstlich amüsiert. Freys unsägliche Familie (abgesehen natürlich von Elgie) ist immer unterhaltsam. Frey ist trotz einiger Eingewöhnungszeit in Schottland immer noch ein rechter Schnösel, der die Nase oft viel zu hoch trägt und dann zurecht über seinen Hochmut stolpert. Und McGray bleibt mein unangefochtener Liebling. Schon allein wegen der Beschreibung seiner Figur würde ich diese Buchreihe gerne verfilmt sehen.

Um zusammenzufassen: Trotz einiger Schwächen gibt das immer noch locker 4 Sterne.
Profile Image for Gabrielle (Reading Rampage).
1,180 reviews1,753 followers
April 24, 2017
I had been eagerly awaiting the return of "Nine-Nails" McGray and Ian Frey - so much so that I ordered my copy of "A Mask of Shadow" from the UK because I couldn't wait until the fall to read the grumpy detectives' newest case. Oscar de Muriel has been delighting me with wonderfully Gothic, funny and creepy investigations in Victorian-era Scotland for two years, and he didn't disappoint with this third episode!

"Macbeth" might not be Shakespeare's most cheerful play, but I think it's his most fascinating work, not just because of the subject matter it addresses, but also because it's history is fraught with mystery and rumors of deaths - both from mundane and supernatural causes… Mr. Henry Irving's illustrious theater company's production of the Scottish Play is disturbed by morbid prophecies scrawled in blood and the unnatural screech of a banshee. Elaborate publicity stunt or genuine curse? Mr. Iriving's assistant, a certain Mr. Bram Stoker, reaches out to McGray and Frey when the company arrives in Edinburgh and the banshee makes itself heard once again.

The Mulder and Scully dynamic of McGray and Frey is obviously still very present, and their banter just as hilarious and colorful as it ever was. The clever use of the juicy lives of Ellen Terry, Henry Irving (and his ambiguous relationship with Bram Stoker) are beautifully weaved in this action-packed mystery. To summarize it too much would give the best bits away, so I will only say that fans of the series who have been anticipating this book will have their money's worth! The final twist at the end was right on point, and I never saw it coming!

Oscar de Muriel's books have always had a knack for hooking my attention: cursed violins, a conspiracy of witches, Shakespeare meets the creator of "Dracula"… I can't wait to see what he will come up with next! Fans of Victorian literature, Sherlock Holmes admirers and crime fiction aficionados should do themselves a favor and read the adventures of Frey and McGray. I am already looking forward to the fourth installment, due for next year!
Profile Image for Melanie.
560 reviews276 followers
January 15, 2018
Ah, I always struggle with mysteries set in the theatre. It was still good, but I am looking forward to the next one, which is not set at the theatre.
Profile Image for Kat.
177 reviews51 followers
January 8, 2019
I’m not sure if I liked this. This series is my guilty pleasure series because it’s not very historically accurate and the female characters are often sexist stereotypes but I usually love the cases Frey and McGray get confronted with. In the first two volumes, “The Strings of Murder” and “A Fever of the Blood”, de Muriel delivers creepy, exciting gothic mysteries with intelligent twists and turns. This third book of the series seemed extra promising: The cursed Scottish Play, Macbeth, is coming to the Edinburgh stage but shortly before its arrival a banshee is seen under Regent Bridge, writing in blood and warning the city that the play will bring death to the stage…

DOUBLE, DOUBLE, TOIL AND TROUBLE

There is actually a lot I liked about this book. For instance, de Muriel finally works with some actual history. Henry Irving’s production of Macbeth never toured Scotland, but it was London’s biggest hit of 1888, starring Irving himself as Macbeth and famous Ellen Terry as Lady Macbeth. Both actors feature as characters in this novel, as well as theatre manager Bram Stoker. Yes, the one who later wrote Dracula. Oscar Wilde gets some cameos as well and I generally liked de Muriel’s portrayal of these real Victorian famous people. Everyone has secrets and dark sides, some more so than others, but all were interesting.

Except for one. I really didn’t like what de Muriel did to Florence Irving. Henry Irving’s wife is somewhat obscure but we know that Irving separated from her after she, seven months pregnant with their second son at the time, told him she thought his acting was foolish. In this novel, Florence Irving is a scheming, bitter snake and I kind of hated that. Henry Irving left his wife alone with two small children and massive scandal to deal with so even if she had been bitter and conniving, which she was not, who could’ve blamed her? In this book everyone just talks about how she’s awful for spending Irving’s money and keeping his sons from seeing him and, to be honest, go lady. I would’ve done the same. (Especially in Victorian London, where a woman like Florence didn't really have any means to financially support herself, but whatever, right? She's so horrible for still taking his money.)

De Muriel doesn’t have the best track record writing female characters (so many devious, sneaky, evil women in this series, really) but I was surprised how well-rounded his portrayal of Ellen Terry was, as well as that of other female characters in this book. There was no need for repeatedly calling the old ladies ugly though, I mean, these are women over sixty, cut them some slack, but I liked Terry, her seamstress Mrs Harwood and Harwood’s young daughter Susy well enough.

BLOOD WILL HAVE BLOOD

I really enjoyed the historical detail in this one. That’s also something that was scarce in the other two books but this one shines from it. For instance, Ellen Terry’s famous green beetle dress she wore as Lady Macbeth (the one Oscar Wilde hated) plays an important role and there’s also a lot of information on Victorian theatre in general. It was nicely written too and very immersive, well done!

You might think I should’ve loved this book since it had everything I missed with the last two: Good historical detail, interesting female characters… It didn’t, however, have what I liked about the last two books: A complex, clever plot.

It started out so well: Macbeth, weird apparitions, omens written in blood, half-burned creepy letters… The ingredients were all good but this time de Muriel didn’t manage to blend them together right. This book is 80% about Frey, the narrator, and McGray running around Edinburgh and questioning people. There isn’t much actual sleuthing and after the action-packed hunt through Scotland and Northern England in book two, this was extra disappointing. This is a murder mystery so questioning suspects must happen but there was barely anything else.

Then, over the course of the last 20%, everything went to pieces for good. Basically, the book reads like de Muriel had no idea how to answer the questions he had his characters asking. The reveals and resolutions seemed far-fetched and didn’t match each other and Frey and McGray came by them by basically going from one person to the next and blindly accusing them until the culprit stumbled into their way and made it easy for them. I was, to say it mildly, very disappointed, because the answers didn’t live up to the creepiness of banshees, obsessive love letters and messages written in blood at all. I didn’t expect a paranormal resolution of course but something more exciting than what I got. Oh, and I wouldn’t have minded if it had made sense, y’know, because it didn’t.

SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES

I was also a bit disappointed with how this book fits into the series as a whole. This is book three but there is no character development at all. McGray’s trauma (from having witnessed his younger sister murdering their parents) is touched upon now and then but we’re basically treading water still. I don’t know more about Amy McGray, why she did it and how McGray feels about it than I did after the first few chapters of book one. Frey is the same: He seems a more complex character but he’s also still very much the same person he was when he first came to Edinburgh in the first book.

I don’t know about you, but this kind of thing makes a series real boring for me real fast. Yes, I like the murder mystery cases but I also read series to see the characters grow. And these don’t. Which also makes the jokes bland since they’re the same old jokes that were also not funny anymore by the end of book one. For some reason it’s the greatest running joke that Frey is pretty and likes fashion and everyone has to comment on it at least once a chapter because apparently an “unmanly” man is a big joke, I don’t even know at this point.

In conclusion, this could have been my favourite book of the series, the ingredients were all there, but it ended up being my least favourite because it unravelled at the end and didn’t deliver any of the excitement, clever twists and good plotting it had promised and that I've come to expect from de Muriel after his previous novels.
Profile Image for Thebooktrail.
1,879 reviews340 followers
May 21, 2017
Review coming very soon as I've just finished it - but just wanted to write a short review

Gothically brilliant and I'm totally freaked out but loved every second. So evocative and brilliantly brings to life a dark chilling backstory about The Scottish Play....

The mask of shadows

Genius writing too and I just love the two policemen! Fresh and original and utterly hilarious.

FUL REVIEW Follow the locations here Visit the locations in A Mask of Shadows if you dare!

I’ve loved Oscar’s books so far and so when he sent me book three, I was excited and nervous – would I like it as I did the first two? It’s about the Scottish play….curses and witches….a bit darker than the other two…

No worries this was brilliant. Scary and very chilling in parts and whatever you think of the furore around the Scottish play, this, the largely true story behind its early days and the actors on the stage is utterly spellbinding. I swear history came to life – it’s as if Bram Stoker and Henry Irving and Ellen Terry were in the room with me – you can hear the swish of their cloaks and I could imagine Dracula was there too, it was all so shadowy and gothic.

I have to go to Edinburgh soon and read this after dark – by gaslight outside the Lyceum. I feel the chills just thinking about it. with writing this powerful and evocative, it wouldn’t be impossible. Oh and I’ve been to Mary King’s Close and found that a bit spooky so that really helped me to immerse myself in the streets of Edinburgh.

There’s something very very special about this book – Oscar de Muriel has captured the banter and the nuances of the Scottish vernacular and humour perfectly. The love.hate relationship between Frey and McGrey has me in tears one minute and jumping out my skin the next when he chastises him with yet another out of the blue scream of obscenities.

This cries out to be on the television. There wouldn’t be many changes needed to Edinburgh that’s the scary thing. But you can visualise everything so clearly such is the brilliantly sharp writing, that all you have to do is read this book.

The amount of care and attention to detail around the historical accuracy is simply stunning. I had heard some of this tory having lived in the city years ago but never like this. In the hands of Oscar de Muriel, it’s a show stopping read.
Profile Image for Demeter Kate.
403 reviews13 followers
August 15, 2024
Sehr umfangreich der Fall.
Die vielen Personen und Umstände verwirren beim Hören und ich mochte nicht das der Sprecher die Namen nun anders ausspricht. (Ich weiß nicht, ob es nun die richtige Aussprache ist, oder ob man aufgrund der Abkürzung I.P Frey da auf eine englische Pronunciation gemacht hat. Mich hat es jedes Mal aus der Story geholt)

Die Anmerkungen zum Ende bzgl der historischen Personen fand ich sehr gut. So konnte man das alles nochmal in einen Kontext bringen. Für den klassisch Ungehobelten wie mich, hörte sich das alles so „die können sich doch gar nicht kennen“ mäßig an 😜

Frey entwickelt sich gerade etwas mehr zu einem offenen Verstand hin. Aber es bleibt genug Dandy Londoner 😊

McGray war eher im Hintergrund hier. Nicht so laut obwohl ein paar Backpfeifen verteilt wurden haha und wir haben einen neuen Spitznamen 😉

Alles in einem ein Fall, der dem Autor viel herzblut entlockt hat und bestimmt zu seinen Lieblingen gehört

Und weiter geht es … still obsessed
Profile Image for Auntie Terror.
476 reviews111 followers
October 22, 2023
This one had a weird vibe due to the strange fixation on characters' heights and the portrayal of Oscar Wilde on the one hand (a foppish, annoying caricature with the wrong haircut for the time, no wit, and also not really necessary for the plot at all- and even his poetry was criticized while at the same time not correctly represented) and Bram Stoker on the other (as a sad and pitiable victim of unrequited homosexual love).
The plot itself had a bit of a hole in the twist about the banshee, I thought - which wasn't that much of a twist in itself.
The biggest twist in this was that the author revealed in the notes that Oscar Wilde is one of his favourite authors which you'd never guess from the novel. If this is what de Muriel treats historical figures he likes, I'd be curious to see what happens to those he doesn't.
Profile Image for AdiTurbo.
836 reviews99 followers
June 19, 2017
Not as engaging as the first two books in the series, maybe because of less focus on McGray and Frey's personal lives and development, and the relationship between them, and more on outside events. Still, this was a clever, most enjoyable book to read, and I truly love this wonderful series.
Profile Image for Spartan Ranger ☢.
193 reviews31 followers
August 7, 2020
Die Todesfee der Grindlay Street, Frey & McGray #3
O. de Muriel, 2017
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Es donnerte, die Menge zuckte zusammen. Die inmitten der Nebelschwaden nur schemenhaft zu erkennende Bühne wurde durch grelle Blitze erleuchtet. Plötzlich ragte aus dem dichten Nebel ein Speer heraus, auf dessen Spitze der abgetrennte Kopf von König Macbetch steckte.


Nach dem unglaublich guten zweiten Band, hatte ich mich sehr auf den dritten Teil der Reihe gefreut, muss aber im Nachhinein sagen, dass das gut gemeinte 4.0 Sterne sind, da mich der Band doch etwas enttäuscht hat. Am Ende hat mir doch das gewisse Etwas gefehlt, das mich am zweiten Band so begeistert hat.



Dass ich das Buch so schnell durchgelesen habe, lag zum einen daran, dass ich sehr viel Zeit hatte und mich schon darauf gefreut habe, danach wieder etwas anderes lesen zu können. Außerdem hatte ich die wage Hoffnung, dass sich die Geschichte doch noch richtig und spannend entwickeln würde.

Fazit: Mir hat die Action gefühlt, und wirklich Mystery war das Buch leider nicht. Es gab keine spannenden Verfolgungen, keine Momente, in denen man wirklich nicht wusste, ob das nun echt ist oder ein cleverer Trick. Nach dem zweiten, unglaublich tollen Buch, ist das der Teil leider eine kleine Enttäuschung. Ich hoffe, der nächste Band wird wieder besser!!
Profile Image for Michael ♤.
33 reviews15 followers
April 5, 2019
Nach den beiden unglaublich guten Vorgängern hatte ich mich schon sehr auf den dritten Teil der Reihe gefreut.
Wo der erste Teil sein Hauptaugenmerk auf Horror und der zweite auf Okkultes, Sagen und Mysterien legen, kam mir dieser sehr ausgeglichen vor. Es gibt natürlich wieder übernatürliche Phänomene, (irische) Sagen und Tote, die ja überhaupt erst dafür sorgen, dass Frey und McGray mit dem Fall beauftragt werden. Es spielt daneben auch aber die zwischenmenschliche Beziehung zwischen den beiden eine große Rolle, was meiner Meinung nach in den vorherigen Teilen zu sehr auf das Hickhack zwischen Engländer und Schotte reduziert war. Was mir ebenfalls gut gefallen hat ist, dass das Buch, anders als der zweite Teil, nicht zum größten Teil aus Action-Sequenzen bestanden hat.

Ein weiterer kleiner Bonus sind Personen wie Bram Stoker, Oscar Wilde, Lewis Carroll und Henry Irving, die darin auftauchen und wichtige Rollen spielen.

Dieser Teil hat mir bisher am besten gefallen, da es die besten Eigenschaften der beiden Vorgänger verbindet und dann noch einen drauf setzt. Ich kann schon gar nicht abwarten das nächste Buch der Reihe zu lesen.
Profile Image for Lee  Imagina Sueña  .
606 reviews408 followers
February 13, 2024
En este 3er libro de Frey y McGray encontramos como Oscar de Muriel incluye en la historia muchos personajes de la vida real, del mundo del teatro y de la literatura de la epóca victoriana, mediante una puesta en escena de Macbeth en Edimburgo, pero con muchas amenazas , accidentes, sangre y muertes.

Ya podemos apreciar que la pareja de investigadores ya estan más acoplados y que aunque siguen teniendo sus diferencias ya empiezan hasta estimarse.


Además me gusta mucho el epílogo dónde el autor nos comenta que realmente paso y que parte es ficción.


175 reviews
October 7, 2019
Heb echt iedereen verdacht in deze 😂 perfect boek om te lezen in de herfst, het gure weer past helemaal bij de sfeer 😁
Profile Image for Melanie Berg CuJo.
172 reviews10 followers
January 15, 2019
Rezension von Melanie (Thrillerqueen) Die Todesfee der Grindelay Street, Band 3

4 von 5 🌟 ausgezeichnete Fortsetzung

Klappentext
"London 1889. Nach der Aufführung von »Macbeth« wird eine mit Blut geschriebene Botschaft aufgefunden: In Edinburgh, der nächsten Station der berühmten Theatertruppe, soll jemand grausam zu Tode kommen. Der Fall ruft die Inspectors Ian Frey und Adolphus McGray auf den Plan. Während der vernünftige Engländer Frey die düstere Ankündigung für reine Publicity hält, ist McGray von einem übernatürlichen Phänomen überzeugt, da Besucher eine »Todesfee« vor dem Theater gesehen haben wollen. Ein Wettlauf mit der Zeit beginnt, denn was auch immer dahintersteckt – in der Premierennacht in der Grindlay Street soll der Tod die Hauptrolle spielen ... "

Meinung
Die berühmte Theatergruppe von Henry Irving führt in London Macbeth suf,; dabei taucht eine mit blutgeschriebene Nachricht auf. Diese kündigt den Tod von Irving an.

Ich liiiiiiiebe ja Edinburgh war unter anderem ein schöner Urlaub inkl. Rundreise, und dort ist die nächste Station der Theatergruppe, hier sollen Frey und ein Kollege die Theatergruppe beobachten.

McGrey wird hingegen beauftragt Nachforschungen anstellen, er glaubt an etwas Übernatürliches. Und will es aufklären.

Ich bin ein Leser der vordersten Reihe, und war von Anfang an begeistert, diese Atmosphäre, in Kombination mit ein bisschen Grusel. Klarer Schreibstil mit genug Spannungsanteil. 

Und auch der große Theater-Teil war genial beschrieben.

Ich freue mich schon wie es hier weitergeht!

Absolute Leseempfehlung!

Fakten
576 Seiten  
TB 10,00 € 
Ebook 9,99 €

Erschienen im @ Goldmann Verlag

Kaufen kann man das Buch direkt beim Verlag und bei jeder Plattform, welche Bücher und Ebooks anbietet. 

Ich möchte mich bei bei @Randomhouse für die Verfügung Stellung des Rezensionsexemplars bedanken.

Dies hat keinerlei Einfluss auf meine persönliche Meinung!
119 reviews
June 11, 2018
This is quite a difficult book to review. I’ve now finished the Frey and McGray trilogy and while I enjoyed the historical settings and historical figures depicted in all three books I can’t say I would recommend them. The author certainly has a skill for setting the scene. He has obviously done some very detailed historical research, which I did appreciate. Victorian Edinburgh was very well depicted as were his characters, however the mystery plot fell flat at many points. They dragged on, took unnecessary turns and then ended somewhat predictably.
Profile Image for 4cats.
1,017 reviews
April 16, 2017
Third in the Frey and McGray crime novels, which are laced with a wicked sense of humour, great historical detail and plotting which will keep you guessing until the end.

A Mask of Shadows features a star studded cast of characters, Macbeth is being performed in Edinburgh, and the Scottish play finds itself being cursed by devilish deeds and mishaps. And so Frey and McGray find themselves mixing with Ellen Terry, Henry Irving, Bram Stoker, John Singer Sargent and Oscar Wilde, in an attempt to solve an occult curse placed upon the play and its' cast.

I love this series, Frey and McGray are 2 of my absolute favourite characters. Their banter is second to none.
Profile Image for PinkAnemone.
254 reviews9 followers
January 27, 2019
London 1889. Nach der Aufführung von »Macbeth« wird eine mit Blut geschriebene Botschaft aufgefunden: In Edinburgh, der nächsten Station der berühmten Theatertruppe, soll jemand grausam zu Tode kommen. Der Fall ruft die Inspectors Ian Frey und Adolphus McGray auf den Plan. Während der vernünftige Engländer Frey die düstere Ankündigung für reine Publicity hält, ist McGray von einem übernatürlichen Phänomen überzeugt, da Besucher eine »Todesfee« vor dem Theater gesehen haben wollen. Ein Wettlauf mit der Zeit beginnt, denn was auch immer dahintersteckt – in der Premierennacht in der Grindlay Street soll der Tod die Hauptrolle spielen ...(Klappentext)

♞♞♞♞♞

"Heil Dir! Macbeth, bald findest du den Tod.
Heil Dir! Und Schottlands Bühne färbt sich rot." (S. 22)

Bram Stoker (ja, genau DIESER Bram Stoker) ist Theaterintendant des Lyceum Theatre in London und das Stück Macbeth ist derzeit der Renner.Bis eine mysteriöse und vor allem blutige Nachricht nach einer Aufführung ganz London erschüttert. Nun heißt es dieses Stück wäre verflucht. Die Londoner Polizei nimmt dies natürlich nicht ernst, schon gar nicht, dass eine Todesfee geheult haben soll als diese Nachricht hinterlassen wurde. Der Fall war für sie abgeschlossen, doch nicht für Stoker und seine Theater-Crew.
Macbeth wird nun auch in Edinburgh aufgeführt und genau hier soll es angeblich zu einem Todesfall kommen, so die Prophezeiung. Stoker hat einen Tipp erhalten, dass er sich dort an Inspector McGray wenden soll, denn dieser ist genau der Richtige für SO EINEN Fall .... und somit beginnt die Jagd nach der mysteriösen Todesfee, denn diese lässt sich auch in Edinburgh blicken.

Dies ist der 3. Teil der Frey & McGray-Reihe und auch diesmal bin ich wieder begeistert.

Hier nimmt Bram Stoker eine sehr wichtige Rolle ein. Diejenigen, welche mit der Biografie des irischen Schriftstellers, aus dessen Feder "Dracula" stammt, vertraut sind wissen, dass er einen Hang zum Mystizismus hegte. Und diejenigen, welche diese viktorianische Krimi-Reihe bereits kennen wissen ebenso, dass sich auch Inspector McGray mit dem Paranormalen beschäftigt und sogar eine spezielle Polizeieinheit gründete - "Kommission zur Aufklärung ungelöster Fälle mit mutmaßlichem Bezug zu Sonderbarem und Geisterhaftem".
Sein Kollege Frey hält von dem ganzen Humbug hingegen so gar nichts und tut das natürlich auch immer laut kund. Ihr könnt Euch also vorstellen was sich hier abspielt. Angespannte Atmosphäre mit vielen Wortwechseln zwischen den Protagonisten und somit ein amüsantes Lesevergnügen für uns Leser.
Doch dieses Buch lässt den Leser nicht nur schmunzeln, sondern auch gespannt jede Seite umblättern. Dieser Fall ist nämlich wirklich äußerst verzwickt.

"Dann blinzelte sie, und ihr war, als weiche alles Leben aus ihr,
bis sie nur noch eisige Kälte in ihrer Brust spürte.
Fussie hatte an blutgetränktem Hirn rumgekaut.
Und genau in dem Moment, als Ellen Terry zu schreien anhob,
war der Schrei der Todesfee zu vernehmen."
(S. 18)


Der Schreibstil ist gewohnt flüssig und klar und auch die Erzählweise wie immer packend. Als Leser hat man das Gefühl den Polizeibericht von Inspector Frey zu diesem Fall zu lesen und das auf sehr amüsante und vor allem packende Art und Weise. Dieser beinhaltet niedergeschriebene und gesammelte Dokumente von Inspector Frey, sowie Randnotizen und Tagebucheinträge von Bram Stoker leiten die Kapitel ein.
Es wird dabei auch auf die vergangenen Geschehnisse eingegangen, um sich wieder in der Welt von Frey & McGray zurechtzufinden und so manches aufzufrischen. Man muss also diese Reihe nicht zwingend der Reihe nach lesen, wobei es doch von Vorteil wäre, um in den vollen Lesegenuß zu kommen.

Oscar de Muriel schafft es bekannte historische Fakten, bezüglich der Biographie so mancher vorkommenden Charaktere, mit einer fiktiven Story zu verweben und so einen interessanten, wie auch spannenden viktorianischen Krimi mit viel Atmosphäre entstehen zu lassen.

Dieser Krimi beinhaltet auch unglaublich viele Wendungen, sodass es niemals langweilig wird, Man hat hier wirklich keine Ahnung was einem auf den nächsten Seiten erwartet.
Der Humor kommt auch hier wieder nicht zu kurz und vor allem der verbale Schlagabtausch zwischen Frey und McGray ließen mich öfters laut auflachen. Diese beiden schenken sich wirklich nichts und erinnern mich in gewisser Weise an die Filme mit Bud Spencer und Terence Hill, wenn Terence Hill ein versnobter Engländer wäre.

"Ich lachte lauthals auf.
>>Und das aus dem Mund von Nine-Nails McPorridge.<<
>>Och, halten sie den Schnabel, Sie Mädchen mit Haaren im Gesicht.<<"
(S. 86)

Am Ende des Krimis befinden isch noch "Historische Anmerkungen" und "Anmerkungen des Verfassers", welche man isch ebenfalls nicht entgehen lassen sollte.

Fazit:
Ich bin ja von Beginn an Fan dieser viktorianischen Krimi-Reihe und bisher konnte mich wirklich jeder Band begeistern. Im vorliegenden 3. Teil legt der Autor sogar noch ein Schäuflein nach. Dies kam natürlich auch daran liegen, dass ich ein Fan von Bram Stoker und vor allem auch vom Werk "Macbeth" bin. Tja, und nun kann ich es ein weiteres Mal nicht mehr erwarten bis der nächste Teil auf Deutsch erscheint.

© Pink Anemone (inkl. Info zu den berühmten Persönlichkeiten, Fotos, Leseprobe und Autoren-Info)
Profile Image for Amina (ⴰⵎⵉⵏⴰ).
1,564 reviews300 followers
October 20, 2023
The mystery was good, the inspectors were as awesome as always, the pace was fast, the suspects were numerous, the descriptions very accurate, the book, historically, very very well researched but I didn't find it as thrilling as the first two, but go ahead, pick it up, don't miss out on McGray and Frey going crazy!
Profile Image for Yuckamashe.
656 reviews11 followers
July 25, 2020
This third installment of the Frey and McGray series does not disappoint. Thankfully, McGray has become less abusive and more bearable. I was starting to get fed up with his antics. This book is all about the doomed Macbeth. They are investigating mysteries surrounding The plays performances. Of course, mystery and murders abound. Frey finally moves out so the odd couple lives separately!
Profile Image for Oneofthefoxes.
746 reviews24 followers
October 31, 2021
So 2,5 in etwa

Ich muss sagen, das ich eigentlich sogar überlegt hatte den Band zu überspringen, weil ich zu Beginn das Setting irgendwie blöd fand. Seit ein paar Jahren mag ich das Theater als Schauplatz nicht mehr so gerne. Nun ja, mein innerer Monk hatte aber etwas dagegen.
Insgesamt finde ich "Die Todesfee der Grindlay Street" einfach richtig schlecht. Zu Beginn war es eigentlich ganz ok soweit, aber nach und nach wollte Oscar de Muriel viel zu viel. Er versucht den historischen Kontext auf biegen und brechen einzubringen, in dem er eine Riege an bekannten Namen auflaufen lässt. Von Bram Stoker bis Oscar Wilde. An sich kannten sich die verschiedenen Personen tatsächlich, aber in Zusammenhang mit der Handlung war das einfach übertrieben.
Außerdem fand ich auch, das der Muriel an vielen Stellen übertreibt. Ja, McGray ist ein Mann, der tut was er möchte und dem egal ist, das er Menschen verletzt oder wie in der Öffentlichkeit wirkt. Aber ständig packt er irgendwen am Kragen um an Informationen zu gelangen ... irgendwann war das einfach nur noch langweilig.
Dazu bemüht der Autor ständig das Stilmittel der Voraussage a la XY passiert, aber damals wusste ich noch nicht dass.... Dazu kam, das die Handlung sich extrem zog. Bis dann mal das Ende kam, hatte man die Vorhersagen eh wieder vergessen... Die Lösung war ziemlich langweilig, ich hatte sie mir relativ am Anfang schon gedacht und muss sagen, das es ein bisschen lächerlich war, das diese Spur obwohl sie offensichtlich vor ihren Füßen lag, nicht erkannt wird. Stattdessen gibt es ständige Wiederholungen und genau genommen passiert eigentlich über viele Seiten nichts. Nur blablabla...

Einzig die historischen Hintergründe fand ich sehr interessant, da Ellen Terries Kleid für ihre Darstellung der Lady Macbeth tatsächlich historisch belegt ist und sogar noch existiert und besichtigt werden kann. Das Bild das sie in diesem Kleid zeigt, habe ich sogar schon im Original in der Tate Gallery besichtigt.

Wenn der nächste Band genauso bescheuert daher kommt, werde ich die Reihe jedenfalls nicht weiter verfolgen. Schade, Band 1 und 2 waren ganz unterhaltsam und nicht so drüber...
Profile Image for Luke.
815 reviews40 followers
December 22, 2017
where to start with this incredible book and series I love these books and the charecters and this book did not disappoint which I knew it wouldn't now onto the review like the other 2 books I was on the edge of my seat wanting to read more never wanting to put the book down it took a lot of mental work to close the book in the end which is the makings of a great story. one thing that I found with this book is that it's the first book to make me laugh at the end of the epilogue when everything clicked and I was just laughing like oh my God I won't spoil it but I'd like to think that Ian fray was going the same thing. but again like the other 2 books it's a welcome edition Oscar de murel is getting better with each book and is a true joy to read I would not just highly recommend this book to everyone but also recommend that they pick up strings of murder and a fever of the blood because these are little gems that need to be discovered by everybody 5 star rating I'd give it more if i could ☺
Profile Image for Melodramaticfool.
285 reviews35 followers
January 19, 2018
Where do I start? Lies, secrets, scandals and drama galore!!
Muriel has no issues hooking us in for another wild ride with our two bickering detectives! Unlike the two predecessors, this tale doesn't experience a death until midway, albeit it was anticlimatic. But then all this tension is purposely built up; questions, suspicions, unknown information suddenly attained, and it's all released in this wild ride in the last 44 pages!
I found myself eagerly hoping for more bonding moments between the two detectives and dare I hope for some kindling romance began the fiesty Caroline Ardglass and our scorned lover Ian Frey?? (Although we do not see her for the entire book so I may be grasping at straws here...)

What adventure awaits next time for our daring duo?!
Profile Image for Georgie.
44 reviews
April 22, 2022
another absolute banger. it was so nice to see frey and mcgray able to work together even after the events of the last book, and i hope they can really talk about it, still…. NEXT BOOK MAYBE? although i didn’t get that mcgray apology that i was hoping for, the two of them were able to call a truce in their own awkward way. i think that mcgray delivering that alcohol to frey as he promised was his roundabout way of an offer of reconciliation. for the pair of them to end the book on a toast to “the unsolved” was a big improvement from how things ended in the last book. and i’m so pleased!!!!

i love when frey gets injured. he’s so cool. he always gets back up and brushes it off no matter how banged up he gets. what a cool guy. but also such a pompous LOSER!!! (lovingly)

this had a LOT of characters to try and remember, but it helps a bit if you actually know macbeth and all the characters in it, otherwise there’s just a LOT of characters happening that are actually playing OTHER characters… so many names. i know macbeth but i still managed to get a little muddled, so i definitely have to put the previous book in the series (a fever of the blood) above this one. still five stars though, i love these characters too much to insult them with anything less.

it’s truly commendable how much work and consideration de muriel put into the theatre production, the author’s note at the end gave me an enlightened perspective. i love his notes at the end, it truly shows how much of his heart de muriel put into these great stories.

everything about this series is so refreshing for me, so naturally i already ordered book four. there’s somewhat of a formula to each of the books in this series if you squint, but it’s a formula i’m unashamedly addicted to.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Kleine_Leseecke.
195 reviews5 followers
August 27, 2022
Kurzmeinung. Für den Inhalt bitte den Klappentext lesen.

Für den dritten Teil habe ich mir ein harmonischeres Miteinander der Hauptfiguren gewünscht. Tatsächlich war McGrey um einiges umgänglicher als zuvor. Das scharfe Gemobbe blieb Gott sei Dank aus. Somit hat sich in diesem Fall meine Erwartung erfüllt.

Dafür musste man wirklich hart im Nehmen sein, was das überbrücken von Langeweile anging. Die anfänglichen 250 Seiten waren belangloses Blabla. Es passierte so gut wie nichts und wenn dann doch mal eine kurze Spitze auftauchte, dann würde diese gekonnt totgeredet. Wieder habe ich mir mehr Bezug zur irischen und schottischen Mythologie gewünscht. - Vergeblich.

Der zweite Teil des Buches nahm dann endlich Fahrt auf. Die Charaktere interagierten endlich und es kam wirklich mal zu Ermittlungen mit dem unverwechselbaren Muriel - Stil. Warum nicht gleich so? Außerdem gefielen mir die Gastauftritte und geschichtlichen Bezüge von Bram Stoker und Oscar Wilde sehr gut.

Der Schluss war dann wenig bis nicht überraschend, worauf ich aber nicht näher eingehe, ansonsten kann ich den Ausgang auch gleich verraten.
🎭 Fazit 🎭
Insgesamt ein enttäuschendes Leseerlebnis mit ein paar wenigen Lichtblicken. Freunde der eigentlichen Thematik - der Mythologie - kommen leider nicht auf ihre Kosten. Eine Leseempfehlung möchte ich daher nicht geben.
Profile Image for viktor.
422 reviews
December 18, 2022
while oscar de muriel clearly has a love of the historical, this does not translate into... writing well. the style that this book was written in was infuriating, horrible attempts at witty lines constantly, and a style that prioritizes the narrator's internal dialogue WAY too heavily considering i dont fucking care about him. these two clowns of police detectives ruin every scene they're in, which is..... every scene. the mystery, too, was awful, i found myself constantly checking to see if anyone even died because the stakes feel so low yet confusingly complex. the final scene was this terribly drawn-out romp through the backstage of a theater while a performance of macbeth was going on, to which the Theater Person within me screamed and wailed.
the only reason that this book is awarded 2 stars instead of one.... bram <3. bram stoker was a fascinating historical personage and would make a wonderful literary study. he was such a secretive and deeply conventional man, which makes him the perfect subject for a mystery! but as much as i enjoyed the scenes with him i think there could have been more done. i mean, youre going to include oscar wilde and NOT talk about how him and bram stoker courted the same woman, and how stoker would go on to write dracula as a response to the wilde trial?!! smh. i did like the inclusion of his diary, it was a cute homage.
in truth, this book is trash. but i can't say i don't sometimes enjoy trash.
Profile Image for Jaanaki.
130 reviews43 followers
Read
November 2, 2017
The third book in the series and this time Inspectors Frey and Macgray get embroiled with the backstage drama ,deceit and treachery of the English theatre in Victorian England.One significant aspect that I admired about the third book was that there was a lot of history interspersed with the plot .One example is that macbeth was considered a haunted play and theatre managements never used to refer it by name but always called it "The Scottish Play " ,to avoid bad luck.There really was a Henry Irving and Ellen Terry and Bam Stoker.Most of the fictional events have been built using historical anecdotes and facts.The paranormal diversion is provided with banshees ,omens written in blood ,black hounds and there is a unexpected twist at the end .
235 reviews1 follower
February 1, 2020
I am falling in love with this series. Set in Victorian Edinburgh, this series is focused on two detectives called Frey & McGray who focus on solving mysteries that seem to have a supernatural tint to them. This series also focuses on mental illness as well. This particularly book is focused on the play Macbeth and banshees. Several famous people are side characters (or name-dropped) in this book, including Bram Stocker, Henry Irving, Ellen Terry, Oscar Wilde, and Lewis Carrol, which adds an interesting flair to this novel. Overall, the mystery is wonderful, with crazy twists and turns that just keeps you reading and reading. I would definitely recommend.
Profile Image for Karime Cury.
Author 24 books67 followers
September 6, 2021
Genial como todas las historias de Oscar. Me encantó la forma en que entretejió las vidas de estos personajes tan conocidos, con el misterio que tuvieron que resolver los inspectores Frey y McGray, cómo todo parece acompasarse para las vidas futuras de estos personajes históricos, y los enredos propios de la historia.
Es una pena tener que esperar tanto para leer el cuarto libro, (creo que empezaré a comprarlos en inglés, pero es que me encanta también la manera en que Oscar ha reinterpretado la trama y los temas lingüisticos en español).
Muy recomendable, como todos los libros de Oscar. Su investigación histórica es maravillosa. Te ubica en el espacio y tiempo de forma impresionante. Quedé encantada.
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