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Arrowood #4
Arrowood and The Meeting House Murders: A gripping historical Victorian crime thriller you won’t be able to put down (An Arrowood Mystery)
London Society takes their problems to Sherlock Holmes. Everyone else goes to Arrowood.
‘Finlay depicts a seedy, desperate London and vivid characters with considerable skill’ The Times
Nowhere to hide.
London, 1879. As winter grips the city, a group of African travellers seek sanctuary inside the walls of the Quaker Meeting House. They are being hunted by a ruthless showman, who is forcing them to perform in his ethnic exhibition in the London Aquarium.
Nowhere to turn.
Private investigator William Arrowood and his assistant Barnett agree to help the travellers avoid capture. But when they arrive at the Meeting House, they find a scene of devastation. Two people have been murdered and the others have fled into the night.
Nowhere to run.
The hunt for the real killer leads Arrowood into the dark heart of Victorian London. A shadowy world of freak shows, violence and betrayal, where there are no good choices and only the slimmest chance of survival…
‘Finlay depicts a seedy, desperate London and vivid characters with considerable skill’ The Times
Nowhere to hide.
London, 1879. As winter grips the city, a group of African travellers seek sanctuary inside the walls of the Quaker Meeting House. They are being hunted by a ruthless showman, who is forcing them to perform in his ethnic exhibition in the London Aquarium.
Nowhere to turn.
Private investigator William Arrowood and his assistant Barnett agree to help the travellers avoid capture. But when they arrive at the Meeting House, they find a scene of devastation. Two people have been murdered and the others have fled into the night.
Nowhere to run.
The hunt for the real killer leads Arrowood into the dark heart of Victorian London. A shadowy world of freak shows, violence and betrayal, where there are no good choices and only the slimmest chance of survival…
448 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2021
27 people are currently reading
314 people want to read
About the author
Mick Finlay
8 books191 followersFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/mickfinlayau...
Mick Finlay was born in Glasgow and grew up in Canada and England. He now divides his time between Brighton and Cambridge. He teaches in a Psychology Department, and has published social psychological research on political violence, persuasion, and verbal and non-verbal behaviour. Before becoming an academic he worked as a tent hand in a travelling circus, a butcher's boy, a hotel porter, and in various psychology-related roles in the NHS and social services. He reads widely in history, psychology, and enjoys a variety of fiction genres (including crime, of course!)
Mick used his background in psychology to write 'Arrowood', a historical crime fiction novel set in Victorian London. It is published HQ (Harper Collins) in the UK and by Mira in the USA. Translations are available by Harper Collins in a number of other countries (e.g. Japan, Brazil, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Poland, Holland, Finland, Norway and Sweden). The sequel, 'The Murder Pit', came out in Jan 2019 (UK), Feb in N America, and other countries later this year (dates to be confirmed).
“Gangsters, pornographers, drunks and Fenian terrorists abound in this Victorian noir detective novel, which crackles with energy and wit.” The Times (of London) – Top 100 Summer Books
“Arrowood is the Victorian workingman’s answer to the higher-class Sherlock Holmes — a foul-mouthed, hard-drinking, shabby detective with a seriously bad attitude toward his more famous counterpart.” Seattle Times – 10 of the Summer’s Hottest Crime Fiction Titles
Mick Finlay was born in Glasgow and grew up in Canada and England. He now divides his time between Brighton and Cambridge. He teaches in a Psychology Department, and has published social psychological research on political violence, persuasion, and verbal and non-verbal behaviour. Before becoming an academic he worked as a tent hand in a travelling circus, a butcher's boy, a hotel porter, and in various psychology-related roles in the NHS and social services. He reads widely in history, psychology, and enjoys a variety of fiction genres (including crime, of course!)
Mick used his background in psychology to write 'Arrowood', a historical crime fiction novel set in Victorian London. It is published HQ (Harper Collins) in the UK and by Mira in the USA. Translations are available by Harper Collins in a number of other countries (e.g. Japan, Brazil, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Poland, Holland, Finland, Norway and Sweden). The sequel, 'The Murder Pit', came out in Jan 2019 (UK), Feb in N America, and other countries later this year (dates to be confirmed).
“Gangsters, pornographers, drunks and Fenian terrorists abound in this Victorian noir detective novel, which crackles with energy and wit.” The Times (of London) – Top 100 Summer Books
“Arrowood is the Victorian workingman’s answer to the higher-class Sherlock Holmes — a foul-mouthed, hard-drinking, shabby detective with a seriously bad attitude toward his more famous counterpart.” Seattle Times – 10 of the Summer’s Hottest Crime Fiction Titles
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
May 28, 2021
This is the latest in Mick Finlay's dark and atmospheric late 19th century Victorian London series featuring the poor man's Sherlock Holmes, PI William Arrowood, a story narrated by Norman Barnett, his assistant. We are immersed in the desperate underbelly of the city, with its filth, stench, poverty, starvation, disease, crime, where life is precarious and cheap, with high numbers of homeless, with people doing what they have to do to survive. It is 1896, life is uncomfortable and crowded in Arrowood's Coin Street home, his wife Isabel has returned with a baby, their relationship a tense affair as he struggles to forgive her for going off with another man. His sister, Ettie is living there with her baby as well, and matters are exacerbated with both babies dangerously ill, adding to everyone's worries and stress levels. Both Ettie and Isabel have ambitions of joining the medical profession, although there is only one place on offer.
William and Norman are employed by Mr Fowler of the Quakers, to protect 4 black Africans from the Natal, Senza, Musa, Thembeka, and the young Sbu, amaQwabe but constantly referred to as Zulus, offering them sanctuary at the Meeting House. They have escaped the clutches of the ruthless, exploitative and brutal Bruno Capaldi and his travelling show of 'exotics' also running the freak show that is Capaldi's Wonders, made up of Leonie, Gisele and Sylvia, aka The Baboon Girl, with their human abnormalities. Such shows were popular in the Victorian era, but for the incarcerated and powerless Africans, they had no desire to participate. It all ends in chaos and tragedy, with the murder of Musa and Mr Fowler, with the others, and Mrs Fowler, missing. Inspector Napper of Scotland Yard is in charge of the case, and with the appearance of Constable Mabaso from South Africa on the scene, he is convinced of the guilt of the Africans. Arrowood and Barnet find themselves on the most twisted and dangerous of cases, where little is as it appears.
Finlay highlights the cruelties and brutalities of the ruthless British Empire, stealing land from indigenous Africans, imprisoning and exploiting them, making life so unbearable that the Africans in London were unwilling to return, and despite all the threats they faced, wanted to stay in England. Few in London are aware of the realities that Africans face, seeing them as uncivilised savage barbarians who are not to be believed or trusted. The racism of Victorian England is deeply entrenched, supported by the so called race 'scientists' and their claims of blacks being subhuman and inferior to whites. To my deep unease, Finlay makes the decision to not use the worst words used by Victorians to refer to blacks, which undermines the authenticity of what is otherwise a well researched novel. For this reason, I awarded 4 stars of what would otherwise have been a 5 star read. This is a wonderful addition to what is a brilliant historical series. Many thanks to the publisher for the ARC.
William and Norman are employed by Mr Fowler of the Quakers, to protect 4 black Africans from the Natal, Senza, Musa, Thembeka, and the young Sbu, amaQwabe but constantly referred to as Zulus, offering them sanctuary at the Meeting House. They have escaped the clutches of the ruthless, exploitative and brutal Bruno Capaldi and his travelling show of 'exotics' also running the freak show that is Capaldi's Wonders, made up of Leonie, Gisele and Sylvia, aka The Baboon Girl, with their human abnormalities. Such shows were popular in the Victorian era, but for the incarcerated and powerless Africans, they had no desire to participate. It all ends in chaos and tragedy, with the murder of Musa and Mr Fowler, with the others, and Mrs Fowler, missing. Inspector Napper of Scotland Yard is in charge of the case, and with the appearance of Constable Mabaso from South Africa on the scene, he is convinced of the guilt of the Africans. Arrowood and Barnet find themselves on the most twisted and dangerous of cases, where little is as it appears.
Finlay highlights the cruelties and brutalities of the ruthless British Empire, stealing land from indigenous Africans, imprisoning and exploiting them, making life so unbearable that the Africans in London were unwilling to return, and despite all the threats they faced, wanted to stay in England. Few in London are aware of the realities that Africans face, seeing them as uncivilised savage barbarians who are not to be believed or trusted. The racism of Victorian England is deeply entrenched, supported by the so called race 'scientists' and their claims of blacks being subhuman and inferior to whites. To my deep unease, Finlay makes the decision to not use the worst words used by Victorians to refer to blacks, which undermines the authenticity of what is otherwise a well researched novel. For this reason, I awarded 4 stars of what would otherwise have been a 5 star read. This is a wonderful addition to what is a brilliant historical series. Many thanks to the publisher for the ARC.
March 29, 2021
Book Reviewed on www.whisperingstories.com
Set in London 1896 (not 1879 as the synopsis states), private investigator William Arrowood is back with his fourth case. This time he has taken on a case concerning four African travellers who have come to him for protection after they have run away from the travelling freak show to whom they have been sold.
Arrowood and his associate Norman Barnett take the four to a Quaker house where they should have been safe. When the pair step away from the house a group of men burst in killing one of the Africans and Mr. Fowler who ran the place. Two of the Africans escape but another and Mr. Fowler’s wife are missing.
Although he knows he will no longer get paid for the job, Arrowood is determined to uncover what happened and locate the missing two people. The police have put just two men on the job to find the killer(s) so are happy for Arrowood’s support in bringing them to justice, but the list is long for suspects, made even longer when officers from South Africa arrive with news that two of the travelling Africans are wanted for murder and theft back home.
Arrowood and The Meeting House Murders is the fourth book in the series and the third I have read, I really need to go back and read book one. I have a love for historical mysteries and sleuths so this series has been exceptionally enjoyable to read.
You not only get to see Arrowood and Barnett in their search for the truth and their detective work you also get to see them as normal people dealing with families/love lives. I adore how much the book is similar to Sherlock Holmes novels and yet the main character hates him. He thinks he is a charlatan. Where Sherlock spends time thinking and coming up with ideas that no one else has thought of, Arrowood is more pragmatic and is an actions man, and likes to get fully involved and work out the case on the go.
If you enjoy historical mysteries or sleuths set in the Victorian era then this series is one to pick up, it is an amazing and engaging read that had me hooked the whole way through, especially when I thought I had things worked out in my head and then I’d have to rethink as author Mick Finlay would take the book in a different direction. He certainly kept me guessing!
Set in London 1896 (not 1879 as the synopsis states), private investigator William Arrowood is back with his fourth case. This time he has taken on a case concerning four African travellers who have come to him for protection after they have run away from the travelling freak show to whom they have been sold.
Arrowood and his associate Norman Barnett take the four to a Quaker house where they should have been safe. When the pair step away from the house a group of men burst in killing one of the Africans and Mr. Fowler who ran the place. Two of the Africans escape but another and Mr. Fowler’s wife are missing.
Although he knows he will no longer get paid for the job, Arrowood is determined to uncover what happened and locate the missing two people. The police have put just two men on the job to find the killer(s) so are happy for Arrowood’s support in bringing them to justice, but the list is long for suspects, made even longer when officers from South Africa arrive with news that two of the travelling Africans are wanted for murder and theft back home.
Arrowood and The Meeting House Murders is the fourth book in the series and the third I have read, I really need to go back and read book one. I have a love for historical mysteries and sleuths so this series has been exceptionally enjoyable to read.
You not only get to see Arrowood and Barnett in their search for the truth and their detective work you also get to see them as normal people dealing with families/love lives. I adore how much the book is similar to Sherlock Holmes novels and yet the main character hates him. He thinks he is a charlatan. Where Sherlock spends time thinking and coming up with ideas that no one else has thought of, Arrowood is more pragmatic and is an actions man, and likes to get fully involved and work out the case on the go.
If you enjoy historical mysteries or sleuths set in the Victorian era then this series is one to pick up, it is an amazing and engaging read that had me hooked the whole way through, especially when I thought I had things worked out in my head and then I’d have to rethink as author Mick Finlay would take the book in a different direction. He certainly kept me guessing!
July 14, 2021
In 1896 London freak shows are all the rage. African Zulus are being brought in and exploited for profit. When 2 are murdered and the rest of the group has fled into the dark underbelly of London Arrowood is enlisted to help solve the mystery. The hunt for the killer leads through the dirty, gritty slums of London populated by the poor and downtrodden. A riveting story full of intrigue and historical action that draws you in from the very beginning.
August 20, 2021
I was offered the PB edition in exchange for my honest review.
This is Mick Finlay's 4th historical crime series set in London in the late 1800, I also have the first three books but decided to read this one first. When I came about this series I thought it was in the same vein as Sherlock Holmes but after reading the first chapter I found out it isn’t and I’m glad because Mick takes you around the poorer part of London with all it’s dirt and smells of Victorian London.
The story centres around a group of Africans brought to London as part of an exhibition or rather a freak show in which they escape, William Arrowood and his assistant Barnett decide to help them out, what follows is an array of murders and kidnappings.
The story sometimes is humorous but mostly gruesome because of the way they lived. At the end there’s an Historical Note explaining the situation of the black people of that era, the hardships, exploitation and abuse by the white’s. The story is based on real accounts which the author explains in detail and is a welcome addition to the story.
Oh and I loved the way Arrowood talks about Sherlock quote ”Why, thank you, Mr Holmes. I’d never have thought of that, Don’t compare me to that charlatan, Napper. Then don’t tell me my job, Arrowood!!!.” So funny.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed it and gave it 4 *.
This is Mick Finlay's 4th historical crime series set in London in the late 1800, I also have the first three books but decided to read this one first. When I came about this series I thought it was in the same vein as Sherlock Holmes but after reading the first chapter I found out it isn’t and I’m glad because Mick takes you around the poorer part of London with all it’s dirt and smells of Victorian London.
The story centres around a group of Africans brought to London as part of an exhibition or rather a freak show in which they escape, William Arrowood and his assistant Barnett decide to help them out, what follows is an array of murders and kidnappings.
The story sometimes is humorous but mostly gruesome because of the way they lived. At the end there’s an Historical Note explaining the situation of the black people of that era, the hardships, exploitation and abuse by the white’s. The story is based on real accounts which the author explains in detail and is a welcome addition to the story.
Oh and I loved the way Arrowood talks about Sherlock quote ”Why, thank you, Mr Holmes. I’d never have thought of that, Don’t compare me to that charlatan, Napper. Then don’t tell me my job, Arrowood!!!.” So funny.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed it and gave it 4 *.
May 12, 2021
I would like to thank Netgalley and HQ for an advance copy of Arrowood and The Meeting House Murders, the fourth novel to feature private detective William Arrowood and his assistant Norman Barnett, set in Victorian London.
Arrowood and Barnett are contracted to protect three black South Africans, who are sheltering with a Quaker organisation to escape a showman who is forcing them to perform in his exhibition. When they arrive for their second shift they find the Quaker host, Mr Fowler, and one of the Africans dead and Mrs Fowler and two Africans missing. Inspector Napper of Scotland Yard is keen to blame the Africans but Arrowood isn’t so sure.
I enjoyed Arrowood and the Meeting House Murders which is twisted tale of murder, betrayal and misdirection. It is told in the first person from Norman Barnett’s point of view and that’s a nice touch, letting the reader get close to the investigation but keeping a distance from the protagonist, Arrowood. I like the mix of subjectivity and objectivity, made possible by Barnett’s ability to see his boss with a clear eye and a certain detachment, despite his affection for him.
The plot is the driver in the novel with its engrossing narrative of misdeeds in foreign lands reaching to London. It’s not difficult to follow, but it is difficult to discern who did what and why, especially when the author keeps upsetting the reader’s assumptions and what they’ve been told in a series of reveals towards the end of the novel. It’s cheeky and clever.
While the plot may be the driver, the nature and setting allow the author to explore broader themes. The novel is excellent on the grinding poverty, filth and degradation of Victorian London. It comes alive in his writing and it wouldn’t be unfair to say it makes me shiver and be glad to live in a nice, warm, clean home. The other big theme is the gross inequities and brutality of the colonial empire. It’s not a subject I know much about, because I don’t like the idea of it and the small details provided in this novel just reinforce my prejudices.
Arrowood and Barnett have a good relationship with warmth and humour. Arrowood presides over a chaotic household while Barnett is still grieving the death of his wife. A study in contrasts that gives the characters humanity and relatability.
Arrowood and The Meeting House Murders is a good read that I can recommend.
Arrowood and Barnett are contracted to protect three black South Africans, who are sheltering with a Quaker organisation to escape a showman who is forcing them to perform in his exhibition. When they arrive for their second shift they find the Quaker host, Mr Fowler, and one of the Africans dead and Mrs Fowler and two Africans missing. Inspector Napper of Scotland Yard is keen to blame the Africans but Arrowood isn’t so sure.
I enjoyed Arrowood and the Meeting House Murders which is twisted tale of murder, betrayal and misdirection. It is told in the first person from Norman Barnett’s point of view and that’s a nice touch, letting the reader get close to the investigation but keeping a distance from the protagonist, Arrowood. I like the mix of subjectivity and objectivity, made possible by Barnett’s ability to see his boss with a clear eye and a certain detachment, despite his affection for him.
The plot is the driver in the novel with its engrossing narrative of misdeeds in foreign lands reaching to London. It’s not difficult to follow, but it is difficult to discern who did what and why, especially when the author keeps upsetting the reader’s assumptions and what they’ve been told in a series of reveals towards the end of the novel. It’s cheeky and clever.
While the plot may be the driver, the nature and setting allow the author to explore broader themes. The novel is excellent on the grinding poverty, filth and degradation of Victorian London. It comes alive in his writing and it wouldn’t be unfair to say it makes me shiver and be glad to live in a nice, warm, clean home. The other big theme is the gross inequities and brutality of the colonial empire. It’s not a subject I know much about, because I don’t like the idea of it and the small details provided in this novel just reinforce my prejudices.
Arrowood and Barnett have a good relationship with warmth and humour. Arrowood presides over a chaotic household while Barnett is still grieving the death of his wife. A study in contrasts that gives the characters humanity and relatability.
Arrowood and The Meeting House Murders is a good read that I can recommend.
June 14, 2021
This is the fourth in Mick Finlay's superb historical crime series set in London in the 1890s and it continues the high standards set by the previous novels. It was wonderful to be reunited with the regular cast - Arrowood himself and his loyal sidekick Barnett, Ettie and Isabel, Neddy and Flossie, Lewis and Willoughby, Mrs Pudding. The characters are so vividly drawn, it really is like seeing old friends, but Finlay is also brilliant at illuminating those glimpsed in the street - using a quick brushstroke of detail he conveys so much about a life which, on the streets of South London at this time, is usually a hard one, beset by poverty.
The plot of this fourth novel involves a group of African men and women brought to London as part of an exhibition to be gawped at by British people who are far removed from the horrors of their nation's empire. But these horrors come home to roost in this richly complex plot which explores exploitation, loyalty, contested morality, hidden identities and revenge. An excellent read!
The plot of this fourth novel involves a group of African men and women brought to London as part of an exhibition to be gawped at by British people who are far removed from the horrors of their nation's empire. But these horrors come home to roost in this richly complex plot which explores exploitation, loyalty, contested morality, hidden identities and revenge. An excellent read!
August 12, 2021
Fourth book in the Arrowood series set in Victorian London. Arrowood and Bennett two private investigators ( not in Sherlock Holmes area). They are not your usual heroes having to live in the centre of the slum areas and having to exist to survive. Arrowood has a heart of gold for the young and vulnerable and has characters he has saved from previous stories living with friends and family. He is not immune from the sadness of the time with young babies not surviving the local diseases and living conditions. He takes on the job of guarding a group of Africans who are being put on show with other unusual performers of the time. Murder will occur at the Quaker Meeting house but this mystery has many twists and turns and even gold coming into the equation. This mystery gets bogged down a bit and is not as quick paced and exciting as previous stories. The characters are well worth following into future stories.
I was given an arc of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I was given an arc of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
July 7, 2021
Having now read two of the four Arrowood Books, I have gone and purchased the original two that I had missed. It's a quality series that I feel is rather hard to come by these days. Usually, you'll have a really good book followed by weaker entries trying to expand the world. It seems the commitment by the Author keeps this series refreshed.
Admittedly, I did like the third one better than the newer one. A bit of the book involves a Freak Show which, although eventually played for a humorous performance, is a topic I've particularly no interest in. It's been overplayed as of late. I don't think Finlay intentionally tried to catch a trend. The story here feels natural for its time period. I'm turned off by them.
I liked how the characters have developed from one book to the next. I get a lot of enjoyment from Arrowood as the anti-Holmes. I'm looking forward to the additional books I have to read and for further books in the series.
Admittedly, I did like the third one better than the newer one. A bit of the book involves a Freak Show which, although eventually played for a humorous performance, is a topic I've particularly no interest in. It's been overplayed as of late. I don't think Finlay intentionally tried to catch a trend. The story here feels natural for its time period. I'm turned off by them.
I liked how the characters have developed from one book to the next. I get a lot of enjoyment from Arrowood as the anti-Holmes. I'm looking forward to the additional books I have to read and for further books in the series.
September 26, 2021
Arrowwood is one of my favorite old time detectives. Bit rough around the edges but a very kind soulz wanting to help and solve the murders of the less unfortunate in victorian times. Never shy away from a case even though he might not be paid nearly as much as Sherlock Holmes. I love the grittyness of the plot in this series. Sometimes books set in victorian times can be looked through a rose colored glasses and be very romantic way of seeing it. But not in Arrowwood. This part of the series was as good as the others, very intriguing to listen about and enjoyed following along not just on the case but how the lives of arrowwood and the other characters has developed under the few books. Definitely think it's best to read them in order.
July 8, 2021
The publicity blurb says, “London Society takes their problems to Sherlock Holmes. Everyone else goes to Arrowood.” This is, indeed, a very different world to that of the occupant of 221B Baker Street.
“The Guvnor lived in rooms behind the pudding shop on Coin Street, just down the road from Waterloo Station. There were five of them there. His sister Ellie and wife Isabel slept in the bedroom with their two babies, Mercy and Leopold. Arrowood had a mattress on the parlour floor. Since I’d last been there, the Christmas decorations had been put out.: some holly and twigs strung up to nails on the wall, a few painted baubles hanging from the mantel, a little model of a manger with the baby Jesus on the dresser. The babies slept in their boxes on the table.”
ArrowoodThe narrator is Norman Barnett, William Arrowood’s equally impoverished assistant. Neither man is a stranger to tragedy. Barnett’s wife, ‘Mrs B’ died some months previously, while Isabel Arrowood left her husband to live with a richer man in Cambridge. He died from cancer, leaving her with his baby in her womb. She has since been taken back by her husband, but all is far from well between them. We are in the final years of the 19th century, a few decades since Gustave Doré produced his memorable – and haunting – engravings of the darker side of London, but Arrowood’s London is hardly a shade lighter. Poverty, death and illness are everywhere – in the next room, or just around the corner.
The plot has the lurid and fantastical quality of a magic lantern show. Four black South Africans have escaped the grinding poverty and oppression of their homeland and somehow made their way to Europe. They have been hired to part of a circus cum freakshow run by an unscrupulous showman called Capaldi. Billed to perform as Zulus, the quartet have escaped. Capaldi, having fed and housed them in anticipation of capitalising on their curiosity value to his audiences, is aggrieved and wants them back. They have taken refuge with Mr Fowler, a well-meaning Quaker who works with The Aborigines’ Protection Society 1
Fowler hires Arrowood and Barnett for a few days to act as night-time bodyguards to the Africans who are sheltering in the Quaker Meeting House, but when they arrive for duty, they find Fowler shot dead and one of the Africans, Musa, tied up, his face battered, and dead from strangulation. Inspector Napper of the Metropolitan Police takes charge of the murder enquiry but, short staffed, he asks Arrowood for help. The finger of suspicion points at Capaldi and his enforcers, but life is never that simple.
As the case becomes ever more complex, Arrowood faces professional failure, but tragedy looms at home. Finlay has created a complex character. He is physically unprepossessing, overweight, a face like a bloodhound and he is a martyr to piles. When, in order to earn the money for some quack medicine for one of the poorly babies back in Coin Street, he is forced to deputise for one of Capaldi’s freaks – The Baboon Woman – I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
There is a rather melancholy soundtrack to the plot, including The Violet I Plucked From Mother’s Grave, reputedly a song frequently sung by the Ripper’s last victim, Mary Lane Kelly. Finlay’s research into the darker aspects of late Victorian life is impressive, particularly in the kinds of medicine available to the general public. Two such potions that probably killed as many as they cured were Godfrey’s Cordial and Black Drops2
Eventually, and with fatal consequences for more than one of the participants, the case is solved, but to no-one’s particular satisfaction. It being late December, there is barely a chink of daylight on the London Streets, and this is echoed by the sombre mood of the narrative. I don’t suppose there is such a thing as Victorian Noir, but if there were, it is here. It’s superbly written, and both chills and grips like a London fog. Arrowood and the Meeting House Murders is published by HQ, an imprint of Harpr Collins, and is out now.
1.The Aborigines’ Protection Society (APS) was an international human rights organisation founded in 1837, to ensure the health and well-being and the sovereign, legal and religious rights of the indigenous peoples while also promoting the civilisation of the indigenous people who were subjected under colonial powers, in particular the British Empire.
2. Godfrey’s Cordial was a patent medicine, containing laudanum (tincture of opium) in a sweet syrup, which was commonly used as a sedative to quieten infants and children in Victorian England. Black Drop was a 19th-century medicine made of opium, vinegar, spices, often sweetened with sugar and made into something resembling a boiled sweet.
“The Guvnor lived in rooms behind the pudding shop on Coin Street, just down the road from Waterloo Station. There were five of them there. His sister Ellie and wife Isabel slept in the bedroom with their two babies, Mercy and Leopold. Arrowood had a mattress on the parlour floor. Since I’d last been there, the Christmas decorations had been put out.: some holly and twigs strung up to nails on the wall, a few painted baubles hanging from the mantel, a little model of a manger with the baby Jesus on the dresser. The babies slept in their boxes on the table.”
ArrowoodThe narrator is Norman Barnett, William Arrowood’s equally impoverished assistant. Neither man is a stranger to tragedy. Barnett’s wife, ‘Mrs B’ died some months previously, while Isabel Arrowood left her husband to live with a richer man in Cambridge. He died from cancer, leaving her with his baby in her womb. She has since been taken back by her husband, but all is far from well between them. We are in the final years of the 19th century, a few decades since Gustave Doré produced his memorable – and haunting – engravings of the darker side of London, but Arrowood’s London is hardly a shade lighter. Poverty, death and illness are everywhere – in the next room, or just around the corner.
The plot has the lurid and fantastical quality of a magic lantern show. Four black South Africans have escaped the grinding poverty and oppression of their homeland and somehow made their way to Europe. They have been hired to part of a circus cum freakshow run by an unscrupulous showman called Capaldi. Billed to perform as Zulus, the quartet have escaped. Capaldi, having fed and housed them in anticipation of capitalising on their curiosity value to his audiences, is aggrieved and wants them back. They have taken refuge with Mr Fowler, a well-meaning Quaker who works with The Aborigines’ Protection Society 1
Fowler hires Arrowood and Barnett for a few days to act as night-time bodyguards to the Africans who are sheltering in the Quaker Meeting House, but when they arrive for duty, they find Fowler shot dead and one of the Africans, Musa, tied up, his face battered, and dead from strangulation. Inspector Napper of the Metropolitan Police takes charge of the murder enquiry but, short staffed, he asks Arrowood for help. The finger of suspicion points at Capaldi and his enforcers, but life is never that simple.
As the case becomes ever more complex, Arrowood faces professional failure, but tragedy looms at home. Finlay has created a complex character. He is physically unprepossessing, overweight, a face like a bloodhound and he is a martyr to piles. When, in order to earn the money for some quack medicine for one of the poorly babies back in Coin Street, he is forced to deputise for one of Capaldi’s freaks – The Baboon Woman – I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
There is a rather melancholy soundtrack to the plot, including The Violet I Plucked From Mother’s Grave, reputedly a song frequently sung by the Ripper’s last victim, Mary Lane Kelly. Finlay’s research into the darker aspects of late Victorian life is impressive, particularly in the kinds of medicine available to the general public. Two such potions that probably killed as many as they cured were Godfrey’s Cordial and Black Drops2
Eventually, and with fatal consequences for more than one of the participants, the case is solved, but to no-one’s particular satisfaction. It being late December, there is barely a chink of daylight on the London Streets, and this is echoed by the sombre mood of the narrative. I don’t suppose there is such a thing as Victorian Noir, but if there were, it is here. It’s superbly written, and both chills and grips like a London fog. Arrowood and the Meeting House Murders is published by HQ, an imprint of Harpr Collins, and is out now.
1.The Aborigines’ Protection Society (APS) was an international human rights organisation founded in 1837, to ensure the health and well-being and the sovereign, legal and religious rights of the indigenous peoples while also promoting the civilisation of the indigenous people who were subjected under colonial powers, in particular the British Empire.
2. Godfrey’s Cordial was a patent medicine, containing laudanum (tincture of opium) in a sweet syrup, which was commonly used as a sedative to quieten infants and children in Victorian England. Black Drop was a 19th-century medicine made of opium, vinegar, spices, often sweetened with sugar and made into something resembling a boiled sweet.
July 9, 2021
I had high hopes for "Arrowood and the Meeting House Murders" as it is one of many Arrowood books by Mick Finlay. However, it didn't hold my interest enough to want to read anymore in the series. I think if you had got to know Arrowood in the previous novels then that would help but he seemed quite a bland character. Not for me.
June 20, 2021
London 1896. Private investigator William Arrowood and his assistant Barnett agree to help a group of African travellers who are seeking to avoid being forced to perform in an ethnic exhibition in the London Aquarium. When they arrive at the meeting house, however, they discover that two people have been murdered and the others have fled into the city...
This is the fourth novel in Mick Finlay’s Arrowood series and, although the plot here is self contained, I did feel at a disadvantage in not having read the preceding three books. Presumably the character building and back stories of Arrowood, Barnett and the supporting cast are found here. As a book in its own right, the characters within Arrowood and The Meeting House Murders felt decidedly thin and ill defined.
It is clear from the author’s afterword that this is a well researched novel and indeed the late Victorian setting is on the whole convincingly conveyed. The author does state, however, that he has deliberately omitted some of the attitudes and language common amongst some parts of Victorian society towards people of colour. Whilst I can see the reasoning behind his decision, I am not convinced that the past should ever be sanitised to avoid offending modern sensibilities. It seems somewhat disrespectful to the people who lived through and were subjected to those attitudes and actions. As a result the plot of this novel felt watered down to me. The issue of race in UK-based historical fiction has certainly been handled with more power elsewhere.
Fans of the Arrowood series will, I am sure, enjoy this book. Unfortunately it wasn’t a novel that resonated strongly with me.
Many thanks to NetGalley and HQ publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is the fourth novel in Mick Finlay’s Arrowood series and, although the plot here is self contained, I did feel at a disadvantage in not having read the preceding three books. Presumably the character building and back stories of Arrowood, Barnett and the supporting cast are found here. As a book in its own right, the characters within Arrowood and The Meeting House Murders felt decidedly thin and ill defined.
It is clear from the author’s afterword that this is a well researched novel and indeed the late Victorian setting is on the whole convincingly conveyed. The author does state, however, that he has deliberately omitted some of the attitudes and language common amongst some parts of Victorian society towards people of colour. Whilst I can see the reasoning behind his decision, I am not convinced that the past should ever be sanitised to avoid offending modern sensibilities. It seems somewhat disrespectful to the people who lived through and were subjected to those attitudes and actions. As a result the plot of this novel felt watered down to me. The issue of race in UK-based historical fiction has certainly been handled with more power elsewhere.
Fans of the Arrowood series will, I am sure, enjoy this book. Unfortunately it wasn’t a novel that resonated strongly with me.
Many thanks to NetGalley and HQ publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 13, 2023
First of all, I loved the Arrowood series. The dark rendering of Victorian London's underclass, the wonderful dimension given to minor characters, the careful plotting put it high on my list of favorite historical series. Unfortunately, I had a more difficult time getting into this book.
In this 4th Arrowood book, Arrowood and Norman deal with the plight of a group of Africans brought to Europe presumably as part of a sideshow, with the backstory that deals with a household dynamic that now includes his sister Ettie and her newborn, and his estranged wife Isabel and her newborn, with both women hoping to enter a training program for doctors.
Though an extensive author's note at the end explains the historical background of certain plot elements, and the author's note at the beginning explains the author's decision to moderate the racial language, avoiding slang and slurs that would have been common in Victorian England, I found the end result to be both over-researched and less authentic than the previous books in the series, and for all the research, I never found the aspect of the core plot that involved the Africans to be credible, while it was the minor episodes (Arrowood performing as a sideshow primate!) that provided the sharpness, originality and dark humor that I've come to expect from the series.
I was a buyer of all of the books, and will be in the future, but I found this one to be the weakest of the series.
Having said that, I would love to see this picked up for miniseries and have taken the liberty to cast Mark Benton (Shakespeare and Hathaway) as Arrowood.
In this 4th Arrowood book, Arrowood and Norman deal with the plight of a group of Africans brought to Europe presumably as part of a sideshow, with the backstory that deals with a household dynamic that now includes his sister Ettie and her newborn, and his estranged wife Isabel and her newborn, with both women hoping to enter a training program for doctors.
Though an extensive author's note at the end explains the historical background of certain plot elements, and the author's note at the beginning explains the author's decision to moderate the racial language, avoiding slang and slurs that would have been common in Victorian England, I found the end result to be both over-researched and less authentic than the previous books in the series, and for all the research, I never found the aspect of the core plot that involved the Africans to be credible, while it was the minor episodes (Arrowood performing as a sideshow primate!) that provided the sharpness, originality and dark humor that I've come to expect from the series.
I was a buyer of all of the books, and will be in the future, but I found this one to be the weakest of the series.
Having said that, I would love to see this picked up for miniseries and have taken the liberty to cast Mark Benton (Shakespeare and Hathaway) as Arrowood.
September 28, 2022
It is a bitter winter in 1896 and a cold and brutal time in London for William Arrowood for this fourth murder mystery. As ever, the story is narrated by the faithful, resourceful and loyal Norman Barnett, whose insight into the situations they face may not be as incisive as “the guvnor”, but who is very useful in a fight. As in the previous books, this is not genteel Victorian life and subtle criminal enquiries, but a dirty and basic city where women, men and children had very little, and survival was often the only priority. Some lived a little better, with money for treats and at Christmas time, outings. This is the setting for the job that Arrowood has taken on, to earn a few shillings. Two women and two babies live with him in a tangle of relationships resulting from the events as recorded in the previous novels, and there are other friendships and obligations that overlap into this book. It definitely works as a standalone book, with self-contained themes and events that make the most of the settings and memorable characters. I really enjoyed this book and was very pleased to have the opportunity to read and review it.
This novel revolves around the arrival in London of a group of African travellers. They have been apparently brought by a showman, Bruno Capaldi, to become exhibits in his show of Wonders alongside other human curiosities. They have escaped from his control and are hiding in a Quaker Meeting House, where they have sought sanctuary. Mr Fowler, a leading Quaker, is concerned that they are in danger of discovery, and hires Arrowood and Barnett to guard them. Only one of the group speaks any English, and it becomes apparent that they are concealing secrets. When an attack happens, Detective Inspector Napper is brought in, and despite the publicity surrounding the murders, he is forced to ask Arrowood for help in discovering what is really going on. Arrowood agrees with the prospect of reward as well as concern for the people who are apparently adrift in a dangerous city. He is also mindful of his need to help support his wife Isabel and sister Ettie, especially when their babies become ill. Being a Private Investigator will call on all his skills as an investigator, as well as encountering the sheer physical challenges of London life.
As ever this book is vivid and full of detail, an immersive read of realistic characters who are introduced and maintained with careful detail. There is an immense amount of research behind this book in order to make the streets of London come so alive, and there is real skill in blending in all the details so they become natural. There is real depth to this novel, as alongside the main mystery there are subplots of Arrowood’s complicated family arrangements and Barnett’s own feelings, as well as other friends such as Lewis and Willoughby. This book also poses questions of the nature of Britain’s colonial behaviour and what happens when those native people affected rebel or come to Britain. I found it offered fascinating insights into a world where people with visible differences were put on display, and the effects that would have. This novel opens a world of realities of late Victorian life that are not always the subject of historical fiction. I recommend this book, and indeed others from the series, as gripping and enthralling novels of London life and rewarding mysteries.
This novel revolves around the arrival in London of a group of African travellers. They have been apparently brought by a showman, Bruno Capaldi, to become exhibits in his show of Wonders alongside other human curiosities. They have escaped from his control and are hiding in a Quaker Meeting House, where they have sought sanctuary. Mr Fowler, a leading Quaker, is concerned that they are in danger of discovery, and hires Arrowood and Barnett to guard them. Only one of the group speaks any English, and it becomes apparent that they are concealing secrets. When an attack happens, Detective Inspector Napper is brought in, and despite the publicity surrounding the murders, he is forced to ask Arrowood for help in discovering what is really going on. Arrowood agrees with the prospect of reward as well as concern for the people who are apparently adrift in a dangerous city. He is also mindful of his need to help support his wife Isabel and sister Ettie, especially when their babies become ill. Being a Private Investigator will call on all his skills as an investigator, as well as encountering the sheer physical challenges of London life.
As ever this book is vivid and full of detail, an immersive read of realistic characters who are introduced and maintained with careful detail. There is an immense amount of research behind this book in order to make the streets of London come so alive, and there is real skill in blending in all the details so they become natural. There is real depth to this novel, as alongside the main mystery there are subplots of Arrowood’s complicated family arrangements and Barnett’s own feelings, as well as other friends such as Lewis and Willoughby. This book also poses questions of the nature of Britain’s colonial behaviour and what happens when those native people affected rebel or come to Britain. I found it offered fascinating insights into a world where people with visible differences were put on display, and the effects that would have. This novel opens a world of realities of late Victorian life that are not always the subject of historical fiction. I recommend this book, and indeed others from the series, as gripping and enthralling novels of London life and rewarding mysteries.
July 4, 2021
I’ve been with Arrowood from the start of the series so I knew just what to expect in this fourth instalment – a fiendish mystery, grimy Victorian London and some great characters. Thanks to Mick Finlay and HQ for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, plus the invitation to join the blog tour.
This story centres on the murder of two people in a Quaker Meeting House – including someone that Arrowood was meant to be protecting. We are in a world of Victorian ‘ethnic’ shows where Black Africans are displayed for the pleasure of the viewing public and it is Arrowood – the working class version of Sherlock Holmes – who is left to untangle the mystery of the deaths. Accompanied by his sidekick, Barnett (the narrator of the story), Arrowood has to face tragedy at home, dubious kinds of ‘help’ from the police and a secret that has its roots in South Africa.
The real strength of the Arrowood books is the historical setting, As usual, we are presented with a vivid version of Victorian London – and it isn’t pretty. The racist attitudes of the white characters are presented as the social norm – although Arrowood and Barnett are, understandably, quite modern in their more enlightened views so they don’t lose the reader’s sympathy. The use of the ‘freak shows’ to display people feels supremely uncomfortable to modern sensibilities and Finlay does an excellent job of giving all the characters a dignity and humanity denied to them by their horrific situations.
Victorian London is grim. This is a world that jumps off the page because it is grimy, seedy and inherently cruel. The background information on Arrowood’s home situation – complete with poverty, infant sickness, women struggling to find their professional purpose – gives us an insight into life for people at the poorer end of the social spectrum. It is not easy reading, but it is meticulously researched – Finlay gives some interesting further reading and information at the end of the book. Similarly, the African background and culture is also rooted in historical fact and referenced in detail at the end.
The characters of Arrowood and Barnett will be familiar to regular readers of the series and are as expected. If anything, we see a bit more emotional depth to both characters in this book as they grapple with some difficult circumstances. I particularly like the characters of Effie and Isabel and would love to see them given more to do in the narrative (as they have occasionally in previous books).
This is a complex and well-plotted mystery. It perhaps doesn’t have the pace and liveliness of some of the earlier books, but it does have historical integrity and depth of emotion. It was genuinely interesting to read about some of the people marginalised in Victorian London, plus those who really have become casualties of political decisions regarding Britain’s Empire.
Overall, this is an interesting and (I assume) authentic view of Victorian London. The characterisation is strong and it raises some intriguing questions about morality, diversity and integrity. I’d recommend reading this as part of the series – it would work as a standalone, but is probably best enjoyed by those who know the back stories of the key players.
This story centres on the murder of two people in a Quaker Meeting House – including someone that Arrowood was meant to be protecting. We are in a world of Victorian ‘ethnic’ shows where Black Africans are displayed for the pleasure of the viewing public and it is Arrowood – the working class version of Sherlock Holmes – who is left to untangle the mystery of the deaths. Accompanied by his sidekick, Barnett (the narrator of the story), Arrowood has to face tragedy at home, dubious kinds of ‘help’ from the police and a secret that has its roots in South Africa.
The real strength of the Arrowood books is the historical setting, As usual, we are presented with a vivid version of Victorian London – and it isn’t pretty. The racist attitudes of the white characters are presented as the social norm – although Arrowood and Barnett are, understandably, quite modern in their more enlightened views so they don’t lose the reader’s sympathy. The use of the ‘freak shows’ to display people feels supremely uncomfortable to modern sensibilities and Finlay does an excellent job of giving all the characters a dignity and humanity denied to them by their horrific situations.
Victorian London is grim. This is a world that jumps off the page because it is grimy, seedy and inherently cruel. The background information on Arrowood’s home situation – complete with poverty, infant sickness, women struggling to find their professional purpose – gives us an insight into life for people at the poorer end of the social spectrum. It is not easy reading, but it is meticulously researched – Finlay gives some interesting further reading and information at the end of the book. Similarly, the African background and culture is also rooted in historical fact and referenced in detail at the end.
The characters of Arrowood and Barnett will be familiar to regular readers of the series and are as expected. If anything, we see a bit more emotional depth to both characters in this book as they grapple with some difficult circumstances. I particularly like the characters of Effie and Isabel and would love to see them given more to do in the narrative (as they have occasionally in previous books).
This is a complex and well-plotted mystery. It perhaps doesn’t have the pace and liveliness of some of the earlier books, but it does have historical integrity and depth of emotion. It was genuinely interesting to read about some of the people marginalised in Victorian London, plus those who really have become casualties of political decisions regarding Britain’s Empire.
Overall, this is an interesting and (I assume) authentic view of Victorian London. The characterisation is strong and it raises some intriguing questions about morality, diversity and integrity. I’d recommend reading this as part of the series – it would work as a standalone, but is probably best enjoyed by those who know the back stories of the key players.
July 10, 2021
My thanks to HQ for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Arrowood and the Meeting House Murders’ by Mick Finlay in exchange for an honest review. As it was published on the day I began reading, I purchased its audiobook edition narrated by Malk Williams.
This is the fourth in Finlay’s Arrowood series set in late Victorian London featuring down market ‘private investigating agent’, William Arrowood. The books are narrated by Norman Barnett, the Watson to Arrowood’s Holmes. Though don’t mention Holmes in Arrowood’s presence!
London, December 1896. A small group of African travellers have sought sanctuary at the Quaker Meeting House. A ruthless showman is hunting them intending to force them to perform in
his ethnic exhibition at the London Aquarium.
Private investigator William Arrowood and his assistant Barnett are employed by the Quakers to help the travellers to avoid capture. Yet when they arrive at the Meeting House, they find a scene of devastation. Two people have been murdered and the others have fled into the night.
No further details to avoid spoilers though be assured that there is plenty of action and interesting twists along with developments in the personal lives of Arrowood and Barnett. Finlay’s vividly evokes London of the period as well as the lives of the poor and working class.
Finlay opens with a very useful list of characters as well as a note on terminology in which he advises of his decision to not use certain words that were routinely used during the period to refer to Africans in order to find a compromise “between historical accuracy and the needs and values of the current day.”
In the closing Historical Note he gives background on the situation of black people in 1890s Britain, the real life inspirations for the novel’s African characters, the popularity of freak shows and ethnic exhibitions, and a few details about the history of Natal and South Africa during this period. At the end is a select list of sources. I very much appreciate Mick Finlay providing this information on the social history of the late Victorian period.
Overall, ‘Arrowood and the Meeting House Murders’ was excellent and continues to confirm Mick Finlay status as one of the best authors of historical crime thrillers writing today.
A highly recommended novel and series.
This is the fourth in Finlay’s Arrowood series set in late Victorian London featuring down market ‘private investigating agent’, William Arrowood. The books are narrated by Norman Barnett, the Watson to Arrowood’s Holmes. Though don’t mention Holmes in Arrowood’s presence!
London, December 1896. A small group of African travellers have sought sanctuary at the Quaker Meeting House. A ruthless showman is hunting them intending to force them to perform in
his ethnic exhibition at the London Aquarium.
Private investigator William Arrowood and his assistant Barnett are employed by the Quakers to help the travellers to avoid capture. Yet when they arrive at the Meeting House, they find a scene of devastation. Two people have been murdered and the others have fled into the night.
No further details to avoid spoilers though be assured that there is plenty of action and interesting twists along with developments in the personal lives of Arrowood and Barnett. Finlay’s vividly evokes London of the period as well as the lives of the poor and working class.
Finlay opens with a very useful list of characters as well as a note on terminology in which he advises of his decision to not use certain words that were routinely used during the period to refer to Africans in order to find a compromise “between historical accuracy and the needs and values of the current day.”
In the closing Historical Note he gives background on the situation of black people in 1890s Britain, the real life inspirations for the novel’s African characters, the popularity of freak shows and ethnic exhibitions, and a few details about the history of Natal and South Africa during this period. At the end is a select list of sources. I very much appreciate Mick Finlay providing this information on the social history of the late Victorian period.
Overall, ‘Arrowood and the Meeting House Murders’ was excellent and continues to confirm Mick Finlay status as one of the best authors of historical crime thrillers writing today.
A highly recommended novel and series.
April 13, 2021
Another winner from Mick Finlay, with all the sights, smells and dirt of Victorian London. Rousing stuff.
Mick Finlay’s historical detective series featuring William Arrowood and his assistant Barnett have fitted nicely into my current reading interest. Set in London in the late 1800s, his world is that of Sherlock Holmes, whom he hates with a vengeance, seeing him as a puffed-up fraud, only made famous by his published adventures. Arrowood’s London is darker and dirtier, and his clients from the seedier side of society.
“Arrowood and the Meeting House Murders” is the fourth book in the series and we’re still in late 1896, soon after the events of “Thames Corpses”. His marriage to Isabel is on shaky ground, after her return home, and her affair still looms large. Business is poor and with Christmas coming, he needs some money. When four African “Zulu’s” come to him for protection, having escaped from the Capaldi travelling freak show, he grudgingly agrees to help. He and Barnett take them to a Quaker meeting house, safe from the Capaldi’s However, things go wrong, the house is raided and two people are murdered, with the others missing.
Having taken a fee, Arrowood feels obliged to locate the missing people. What follows is a tremendous romp through London. There are red herrings, wrong turns, upsets and betrayals. The relationship between Arrowood and Barnett continues to entertain, as the former becomes even more morose and surly, and frankly unlikeable at times, while Barnett is the more rational and focussed. There are a couple of clichéd characters in here, but they simply add to the richness of the story.
A lingering problem I had with the Arrowood books was the tendency to use modern parlance – but I didn’t notice any of that here. There is a strong theme throughout the book about the treatment of slaves and the black community in the Victorian age. The preface to my NetGalley ARC makes clear that the author has modified the language of the book to suit modern values, so as not to offend, and I think this is appropriate.
Fans of ES Thomson, Laura Shepherd-Robinson and Alex Grecian will love this book. Heartily recommended.
Mick Finlay’s historical detective series featuring William Arrowood and his assistant Barnett have fitted nicely into my current reading interest. Set in London in the late 1800s, his world is that of Sherlock Holmes, whom he hates with a vengeance, seeing him as a puffed-up fraud, only made famous by his published adventures. Arrowood’s London is darker and dirtier, and his clients from the seedier side of society.
“Arrowood and the Meeting House Murders” is the fourth book in the series and we’re still in late 1896, soon after the events of “Thames Corpses”. His marriage to Isabel is on shaky ground, after her return home, and her affair still looms large. Business is poor and with Christmas coming, he needs some money. When four African “Zulu’s” come to him for protection, having escaped from the Capaldi travelling freak show, he grudgingly agrees to help. He and Barnett take them to a Quaker meeting house, safe from the Capaldi’s However, things go wrong, the house is raided and two people are murdered, with the others missing.
Having taken a fee, Arrowood feels obliged to locate the missing people. What follows is a tremendous romp through London. There are red herrings, wrong turns, upsets and betrayals. The relationship between Arrowood and Barnett continues to entertain, as the former becomes even more morose and surly, and frankly unlikeable at times, while Barnett is the more rational and focussed. There are a couple of clichéd characters in here, but they simply add to the richness of the story.
A lingering problem I had with the Arrowood books was the tendency to use modern parlance – but I didn’t notice any of that here. There is a strong theme throughout the book about the treatment of slaves and the black community in the Victorian age. The preface to my NetGalley ARC makes clear that the author has modified the language of the book to suit modern values, so as not to offend, and I think this is appropriate.
Fans of ES Thomson, Laura Shepherd-Robinson and Alex Grecian will love this book. Heartily recommended.
June 12, 2021
William Arrowood is back and investigating the murders of some African travellers that he and his assistant Barnett agreed to help. They have been trying to escape a showman who is forcing them to perform in his ethnic exhibition.
I only recently discovered this book series and have really loved them. Set in Victorian London, the murk, violence and reality of life and death in this time is laid bare, plus you get an excellent detective story into the bargain!
Arrowood is a Victorian anti- Sherlock Holmes, he’s a bit pitiful, frequently drunk and has to be kept on the straight and narrow by his assistant Barnett who narrates the story.
Arrowood and Barnett are tasked first with protecting the African travellers and then with finding the killers of two of them. Adept at assisting the police with their enquiries whilst striking out on their own to get to the truth. There is brutality, racism, disease and they enter the shadowy world of Victorian freak shows where people are controlled, imprisoned and treated appallingly. Arrowood tends to go in headlong leaving Barnett to pick up the pieces and sustain the injuries. He is frankly a bit of a car crash, I would half expect to see him in a Hogarth painting, swollen, puffy, drunk and stinking but he gets the job done and tends to have his inspiration when in his cups!
There is an interesting note from the author about terminology, and how what was acceptable and used commonly then is not acceptable now and offensive. Racism was commonplace in white Victorian Society and this story reflects that well, with characters that are openly racist using language to reflect that, but without stepping into using the most offensive terms at the time. I think this was a compromise which worked well and also conveys the attitudes at the time which are unacceptable to us now.
This such a great series, you need it on your list!
✩✩✩✩
[Ad- PR Product]
Thanks to Mick Finlay and HQ Stories for sending me this copy
I only recently discovered this book series and have really loved them. Set in Victorian London, the murk, violence and reality of life and death in this time is laid bare, plus you get an excellent detective story into the bargain!
Arrowood is a Victorian anti- Sherlock Holmes, he’s a bit pitiful, frequently drunk and has to be kept on the straight and narrow by his assistant Barnett who narrates the story.
Arrowood and Barnett are tasked first with protecting the African travellers and then with finding the killers of two of them. Adept at assisting the police with their enquiries whilst striking out on their own to get to the truth. There is brutality, racism, disease and they enter the shadowy world of Victorian freak shows where people are controlled, imprisoned and treated appallingly. Arrowood tends to go in headlong leaving Barnett to pick up the pieces and sustain the injuries. He is frankly a bit of a car crash, I would half expect to see him in a Hogarth painting, swollen, puffy, drunk and stinking but he gets the job done and tends to have his inspiration when in his cups!
There is an interesting note from the author about terminology, and how what was acceptable and used commonly then is not acceptable now and offensive. Racism was commonplace in white Victorian Society and this story reflects that well, with characters that are openly racist using language to reflect that, but without stepping into using the most offensive terms at the time. I think this was a compromise which worked well and also conveys the attitudes at the time which are unacceptable to us now.
This such a great series, you need it on your list!
✩✩✩✩
[Ad- PR Product]
Thanks to Mick Finlay and HQ Stories for sending me this copy
May 31, 2021
The stories that we see in Sherlock Holmes show the well-heeled looking to Holmes and Watson for help, but the world that the characters portrayed by Mick Finlay are in the London of the same time, but the cities, the people, and their stories are very different.
This isn’t a world of education, brutal crimes solved, and the evil characters bought to justice. This is a grimy and crime-ridden London, where families are driven to desperate measures to stay alive.
It is late December 1896, as both winter and fear grip a family of African Travellers, who are seeking safety and refuge from a fierce showman who wants his exhibits at any price.
William Arrowood, a man of good heart and intentions, and his assistant Norman Barnett (also the narrator) vow to protect the family. Soon two of them are murdered, and the rest flee into a London that offers them nothing but fear.
The book goes along at quite a pace, but there is a reality here as well, as the case proves challenging to prove, and Arrowoods own family succumbs to the cold of the December nights.
The story is not emotionally the easiest of reads, as the most sympathetic characters are the ones who suffer the most. Everyone struggles with one thing or another, whether it is grinding poverty, ill-health caused by any number of medical complaints, and the evil characters evade capture, using their riches to their advantage. The finale of the novel is particularly bleak.
It cannot all be happy endings, but the novel is perhaps based on more historical accuracy than it is based on sentimental wish fulfilment. The book is well written. The characters are all three dimensional, occupying different areas of morality. It is a created world that exchanges safety and certainty for brutality and laws of its own making.
June 20, 2021
Another in the Arrowood series, and like the others, this is a more than passable offering in general terms. The Arrowood stories are well researched and well written, and the main characters are well-rounded, well developed and completely plausible. This being said, I found this story a tad lack-lustre and something of a damp squib, although the premise held such potential.
Without providing an unnecessary and superfluous story synopsis, the author boldly wades into the murky and contentious waters of racism, prejudice and imperialism, yet pulls his punches when coming down to employing the actual language, terminology and attitudes that would have been utilised by Victorian Londoners towards black people. This seems a rather singular and unaccountable decision. Why raise the issue and then shy away at the last? Had Mick Finlay the courage of his original convictions, this would have been a much better book. In the light of the current trend for reassessment of the role of Colonialism in British history, this smacks of a further attempt to rewrite history in order to whitewash (pardon the expression) the part played by the British in the exploitation and disenfranchisement of the indigenous people of the lands they colonised. This was undoubtedly not the author's intention, but he has succeeded in undermining the wishes of the descendants of these people for recognition and acknowledgement of the wrongs done to their forebears. This is not the best of the Arrowood books for this reason and mars what would, but for this equivocation, have been quite a good book.
I received a free copy of this book from the publishers in return for an honest, unbiased review.
Without providing an unnecessary and superfluous story synopsis, the author boldly wades into the murky and contentious waters of racism, prejudice and imperialism, yet pulls his punches when coming down to employing the actual language, terminology and attitudes that would have been utilised by Victorian Londoners towards black people. This seems a rather singular and unaccountable decision. Why raise the issue and then shy away at the last? Had Mick Finlay the courage of his original convictions, this would have been a much better book. In the light of the current trend for reassessment of the role of Colonialism in British history, this smacks of a further attempt to rewrite history in order to whitewash (pardon the expression) the part played by the British in the exploitation and disenfranchisement of the indigenous people of the lands they colonised. This was undoubtedly not the author's intention, but he has succeeded in undermining the wishes of the descendants of these people for recognition and acknowledgement of the wrongs done to their forebears. This is not the best of the Arrowood books for this reason and mars what would, but for this equivocation, have been quite a good book.
I received a free copy of this book from the publishers in return for an honest, unbiased review.
May 8, 2023
Not my favorite of the series, but still an outstanding series. I generally hate leaving stars for my reviews because every book has its strengths and weaknesses. My choice of stars in this case isn't for the setting (which is characteristically superb) or the character development (which is equally superb). Finlay is a top notch writer. I'll probably read anything he publishes from here on just because his name is on the cover.
That being said, I got a little lost in this plot, with all the coming and going, and the shell game of characters playing hide-and-seek. It was hard for me to follow the "sides" of the conflict in this one. I also read right before bed, and it could be that it's hard for me to get involved in such a complex plot and fight sleep at the same time -- a knock on me, and not the writer. So take that criticism with a grain of salt. Another thing crept into this one a bit potentially, though I admit I know little enough on the subject to judge: writers often inject modern sensibilities into the pages of historical fiction. (Again I say) I don't know whether it happened in this case or not. I didn't do the research. I'm sure public opinion on British imperialism were all over the place in 1896. The fact that publishers are publishing a lot of books in this vein just always feels a bit forced to me. However... Kudos to Finlay for revealing the opinions of characters like Delphine if more of those pepole existed than we previously knew. It's just too bad their voices couldn't have been louder.
That being said, I got a little lost in this plot, with all the coming and going, and the shell game of characters playing hide-and-seek. It was hard for me to follow the "sides" of the conflict in this one. I also read right before bed, and it could be that it's hard for me to get involved in such a complex plot and fight sleep at the same time -- a knock on me, and not the writer. So take that criticism with a grain of salt. Another thing crept into this one a bit potentially, though I admit I know little enough on the subject to judge: writers often inject modern sensibilities into the pages of historical fiction. (Again I say) I don't know whether it happened in this case or not. I didn't do the research. I'm sure public opinion on British imperialism were all over the place in 1896. The fact that publishers are publishing a lot of books in this vein just always feels a bit forced to me. However... Kudos to Finlay for revealing the opinions of characters like Delphine if more of those pepole existed than we previously knew. It's just too bad their voices couldn't have been louder.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 4, 2023
*3,5
"Arrowood and the Meeting House Murders" ist nicht ganz so stark wie der Vorgänger, auch wenn mir die Charaktere wieder sehr gefallen haben. Ich finde sie einfach sehr sympathisch.
Gut gefallen hat mir grundsätzlich auch die originelle Geschichte mit den afrikanischen Einwanderern und deren Verbindung zu den Kuriositätenshows, die es damals noch gab.
Problematisch wird es dann aber, wenn es um den Umgang mit den Einstellungen der Vikorianer zu Kolonialismus, Farbigen und anderen Minderheiten geht. Natürlich war die Gesellschaft damals noch nicht so aufgeklärt und tolerant, wie wir es heute sind. Das merkt man auch an der Geschichte. Der Autor versucht, der modernen Leserschaft gerecht zu werden und verpasst allen Hauptcharakteren eine sehr liberale, jedoch unglaubwürdige Haltung gegenüber Kolonialismus und Rassismus. So gut der Gedanke ist, ist er jedoch einfach nicht realistisch.
Auch hat die Geschichte das Problem, dass sie über weite Stellen, vor allem aber im Mittelteil, nicht vom Fleck kommt. Das macht die Handlung unnötig zäh. Leider gibt es auch nicht viel Nebenhandlung (im Vergleich zum letzten Band). Auffällig ist auch, dass unsere Detektive sehr häufig (!) in Pubs gehen. Auf die Dauer trägt dies zur Eintönigkeit der Handlung im Mittelteil bei.
Trotz allem lohnt es sich, den Band zu lesen.
"Arrowood and the Meeting House Murders" ist nicht ganz so stark wie der Vorgänger, auch wenn mir die Charaktere wieder sehr gefallen haben. Ich finde sie einfach sehr sympathisch.
Gut gefallen hat mir grundsätzlich auch die originelle Geschichte mit den afrikanischen Einwanderern und deren Verbindung zu den Kuriositätenshows, die es damals noch gab.
Problematisch wird es dann aber, wenn es um den Umgang mit den Einstellungen der Vikorianer zu Kolonialismus, Farbigen und anderen Minderheiten geht. Natürlich war die Gesellschaft damals noch nicht so aufgeklärt und tolerant, wie wir es heute sind. Das merkt man auch an der Geschichte. Der Autor versucht, der modernen Leserschaft gerecht zu werden und verpasst allen Hauptcharakteren eine sehr liberale, jedoch unglaubwürdige Haltung gegenüber Kolonialismus und Rassismus. So gut der Gedanke ist, ist er jedoch einfach nicht realistisch.
Auch hat die Geschichte das Problem, dass sie über weite Stellen, vor allem aber im Mittelteil, nicht vom Fleck kommt. Das macht die Handlung unnötig zäh. Leider gibt es auch nicht viel Nebenhandlung (im Vergleich zum letzten Band). Auffällig ist auch, dass unsere Detektive sehr häufig (!) in Pubs gehen. Auf die Dauer trägt dies zur Eintönigkeit der Handlung im Mittelteil bei.
Trotz allem lohnt es sich, den Band zu lesen.
August 8, 2021
Norman Barnett is the narrator of this gritty story of crime in London towards the end of the nineteenth century. He works with William Arrowood as private investigators, but neither seem to be making much money at the venture. They both have complex private lives (probably covered in books 1-3 of the series, but the reader is quickly brought up to speed).
In this tale they meet Africans who have been brought over to star in a type of freak show and who are trying to avoid capture and return to the showman. Barnett and Arrowood go to the Meeting House to talk to the Africans, only to find one dead along with the Quaker minister and the others have fled, along with the minister's wife. The tale is gritty, with a clear picture painted of life in London for the poorer classes, as well as the prejudice those of another race could expect. The frailty of life for children is also explored, which provides a heartrending backdrop for Arrowood. However, there is also humour and ways that the poor can survive and even enjoy their lives.
A good read, enjoyable, interesting and I'm looking out for more in the series.
In this tale they meet Africans who have been brought over to star in a type of freak show and who are trying to avoid capture and return to the showman. Barnett and Arrowood go to the Meeting House to talk to the Africans, only to find one dead along with the Quaker minister and the others have fled, along with the minister's wife. The tale is gritty, with a clear picture painted of life in London for the poorer classes, as well as the prejudice those of another race could expect. The frailty of life for children is also explored, which provides a heartrending backdrop for Arrowood. However, there is also humour and ways that the poor can survive and even enjoy their lives.
A good read, enjoyable, interesting and I'm looking out for more in the series.
September 6, 2021
A group of Africans are fleeing a ruthless showman, who want to display them to the London populace, and they ask Mr. William Arrowood for help. When one of the African party is found dead along with the man who had been trying to help, the race is on to find the killer and to unravel the truth from the prejudice of the time.
This was a dark and gritty tale. Much darker than I was prepared for. The author does an excellent job of showing the hard side of life in Victorian London. I felt the misery and despair of the poor of the time. I don't think I would have minded if the language hadn't been so vulgar. Four letter words abound!
Though I have heard of this series before, this was my first time reading one of Arrowood's adventures. I definitely think this is a series that need to be read from the beginning. The consequences of previous decisions were being played out, and I didn't always understand why things were happening.
I think I am not the intended audience for this book. I would only recommend it to mature readers looking for a gritty historical mystery.
I received a copy from NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own.
This was a dark and gritty tale. Much darker than I was prepared for. The author does an excellent job of showing the hard side of life in Victorian London. I felt the misery and despair of the poor of the time. I don't think I would have minded if the language hadn't been so vulgar. Four letter words abound!
Though I have heard of this series before, this was my first time reading one of Arrowood's adventures. I definitely think this is a series that need to be read from the beginning. The consequences of previous decisions were being played out, and I didn't always understand why things were happening.
I think I am not the intended audience for this book. I would only recommend it to mature readers looking for a gritty historical mystery.
I received a copy from NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own.
May 11, 2021
The fourth book in this excellent series featuring William Arrowood and Norman Barnett. It's 1896 and as usual the protagonists are desperate for work to help pay the bills. They agree to help protect a group of travellers who have arrived from Paris under misleading circumstances. Originally from Africa they have been forced into agreeing to perform for a showman in London. It isn't long before murder takes place and Arrowood and Barnett find themselves working along side the police to get to the bottom of the mystery.
As with the other books in this series, the characters are excellent. The atmosphere of Victorian London is wonderfully portrayed.
I found the tone of this book slightly different to the previous books. There is the usual humour but there are also very serious themes of racism and exploitation as well as illness and death that are very poignant.
The story moves a great pace and the twists and turns of the plot makes for a totally unpredictable story.
I received a free review copy of the book in exchange for my honest and unedited review.
As with the other books in this series, the characters are excellent. The atmosphere of Victorian London is wonderfully portrayed.
I found the tone of this book slightly different to the previous books. There is the usual humour but there are also very serious themes of racism and exploitation as well as illness and death that are very poignant.
The story moves a great pace and the twists and turns of the plot makes for a totally unpredictable story.
I received a free review copy of the book in exchange for my honest and unedited review.
November 10, 2021
Mick Finlay’s character of Arrowood, the private investigator, appears again in a new mystery novel set in Victorian London. Several South Africans have arrived in Britain and they bring trouble with them to the streets of London, drawing in Arrowood and Barnett, his long suffering assistant.
Native South Africans have been brought to London to appear in a show run by an unscrupulous gang. When they escape, they ask Arrowoood for protection but two of them are killed. This sets off a dark chain of events involving stolen gold and a sinister secret group based in South Africa.
As in his past novels, the author creates an atmospheric setting of the poorer areas of London and the characters who live there. However, for me, this was not the most successful of the Arrowood novels. The involvement of the native Africans was interesting but the fact that the root of the events lay in South Africa seemed to disconnect the story from the original context.
Native South Africans have been brought to London to appear in a show run by an unscrupulous gang. When they escape, they ask Arrowoood for protection but two of them are killed. This sets off a dark chain of events involving stolen gold and a sinister secret group based in South Africa.
As in his past novels, the author creates an atmospheric setting of the poorer areas of London and the characters who live there. However, for me, this was not the most successful of the Arrowood novels. The involvement of the native Africans was interesting but the fact that the root of the events lay in South Africa seemed to disconnect the story from the original context.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 13, 2023
Mick Finlay writes Grimdark of historical crime. Is there already a category for what he does? It’s a good book but I just feel awful after reading it. His characters are terrible people who live terribly sad and difficult lives. I just hate them all. So why have I read all four books? They are interesting and well written. There is a veil of anti-colonialism in this one that irritates me. Why do we assume the native cultures were better off without interference from more advanced cultures? We should have just left them in ignorance, poverty and disease to make war on each other while we had wealth, trade, industry, and some sort of hygiene? I don’t think we should look back on our own past wearing a hairshirt. It was what it was because people are who we are. Learn from our mistakes and do better.
May 26, 2021
Arrowood and Barnett are called on to give protection to 4 Africans who a trying to escape from the clutches of a showman. Things rapidly go bad though as one of them is murdered along with a Quaker Mr Fowler and the other 3 and Mrs Fowler go missing. Arrowood and Barnett offer to help the hard pushed police along with a South African policeman who arrives in pursuit and tales of a robbery and fleeing criminal gang members.
They investigate more of the unseemly side of late victorian life with freak shows and other unsuitable entertainment.
Finlay covers the attitudes to race, empire and the exploitation of unfortunates with a deft touch.
There is also some humour too with a particularly funny section when a replacement for the missing Baboon Girl needs to be found at short notice.
They investigate more of the unseemly side of late victorian life with freak shows and other unsuitable entertainment.
Finlay covers the attitudes to race, empire and the exploitation of unfortunates with a deft touch.
There is also some humour too with a particularly funny section when a replacement for the missing Baboon Girl needs to be found at short notice.
July 8, 2021
A disturbing, late Victorian tale that explores colonialism, depravity, poverty and racism from the point of view of Norman Barnett, assistant to private inquiry agent William Arrowood. In a twisty plot where nothing is what it seems, Arrowood seeks justice.
This well-researched story focuses on the inhumanity of colonialism and the hidden side of Victorian England and its Empire. Vibrant characters draw the reader into a grim Victorian world. The author's note on his historical research sets the story in context.
The criminal investigation is clever, but it's the ethos and the inequalities and terrible injustices that resonate.
I received a copy of this book from HQ via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
This well-researched story focuses on the inhumanity of colonialism and the hidden side of Victorian England and its Empire. Vibrant characters draw the reader into a grim Victorian world. The author's note on his historical research sets the story in context.
The criminal investigation is clever, but it's the ethos and the inequalities and terrible injustices that resonate.
I received a copy of this book from HQ via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
dnf
July 11, 2021This book was sent to me for review for the blog tour with HQ but I made the mistake in not realising this was the 4th book in a series.
Set in Victorian London, 1986, we’re following Detective William Arrowood by narration from his assistant Norman Barnett. There’s a wide cast of characters and myself found the scenes with Young Neddy enjoyable.
I feel like I could really enjoy this series had I started from the beginning. However, it feels like a heavy and hard read even though the language and writing style are nothing difficult.
I do love a good mystery and this one has slight ties to my favourite ever setting/theme - the circus. I’ll definitely come back to try and find out what has happened to the 4 unfortunate souls.
Set in Victorian London, 1986, we’re following Detective William Arrowood by narration from his assistant Norman Barnett. There’s a wide cast of characters and myself found the scenes with Young Neddy enjoyable.
I feel like I could really enjoy this series had I started from the beginning. However, it feels like a heavy and hard read even though the language and writing style are nothing difficult.
I do love a good mystery and this one has slight ties to my favourite ever setting/theme - the circus. I’ll definitely come back to try and find out what has happened to the 4 unfortunate souls.
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