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The Black Museum #1
Judas the Hero
“Hack the angel’s wings off and send them to Scotland Yard in a plastic bag. That should get his attention.”
Things are not looking good for Detective Inspector Judas Iscariot.
Cursed with immortality by a vengeful and angry God, Judas finds himself in present day London and head of the secret occult crime division known as the Black Museum at Scotland Yard. It’s his job to keep London’s mysterious and macabre underworld under control.
He’s on top of his caseload and everything seems fine until one morning a pair of severed angel wings is delivered to the Black Museum and his world is turned inside out and upside down. Again.
It’s true that he is one of histories most hated men, but he’s been given a second chance that could also be – his last.
His investigation takes him on a journey through a city where angels work in pubs, pulling pints and delivering the post, along invisible pathways created by the ancient druids to slave pits under construction sites and on special trains that use Britain’s Ley lines as their tracks. Danger is everywhere and characters from London’s evil past are queuing up to see him fall, but there are also those who will fight his corner too.
WW2 Black Magicians, werewolves in U Boats and the mysterious 10 all want him dead but If Judas can change, if he can help those that need it most and become a ‘Hero’ then it’s just possible that he will finally be forgiven for the crime of all crimes and find peace.
Things are not looking good for Detective Inspector Judas Iscariot.
Cursed with immortality by a vengeful and angry God, Judas finds himself in present day London and head of the secret occult crime division known as the Black Museum at Scotland Yard. It’s his job to keep London’s mysterious and macabre underworld under control.
He’s on top of his caseload and everything seems fine until one morning a pair of severed angel wings is delivered to the Black Museum and his world is turned inside out and upside down. Again.
It’s true that he is one of histories most hated men, but he’s been given a second chance that could also be – his last.
His investigation takes him on a journey through a city where angels work in pubs, pulling pints and delivering the post, along invisible pathways created by the ancient druids to slave pits under construction sites and on special trains that use Britain’s Ley lines as their tracks. Danger is everywhere and characters from London’s evil past are queuing up to see him fall, but there are also those who will fight his corner too.
WW2 Black Magicians, werewolves in U Boats and the mysterious 10 all want him dead but If Judas can change, if he can help those that need it most and become a ‘Hero’ then it’s just possible that he will finally be forgiven for the crime of all crimes and find peace.
330 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 1, 2020
150 people are currently reading
252 people want to read
About the author
Martin Davey
30 books38 followersMartin has had a varied career to date. He joined the Royal Marines at 16; then, he studied art at the prestigious Central Saint Martins School of Art. He has been a copywriter and a creative director at some of London's most famous advertising agencies and also worked in some smaller boutique agencies in Amsterdam and Barcelona.
He has driven a speedboat on the Costa Del Crime, peeled onions, erected scaffolding, and now writes full-time.
He lives in Kent with his wife and two children, and Bobba, their English Bulldog.
He has driven a speedboat on the Costa Del Crime, peeled onions, erected scaffolding, and now writes full-time.
He lives in Kent with his wife and two children, and Bobba, their English Bulldog.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
May 3, 2021
I wanted to like this book. The basic premise is interesting - Judas Iscariot given the opportunity to redeem himself by working to catch and punish evil-doers, and therefore winding up in London working for Scotland Yard.
Unfortunately, neither the writing nor the plot live up to the basic idea.
I found the writing clunky and became increasingly irritated by the lack of research- for instance, if you choose to use biblical figures as major characters, maybe check your source? For instance, to identify that John the Baptist and the disciple, John brother of James, are not the same person?
Or, when talking about the history of the Black Museum, note that the last executions at Tyburn took place in the late 1700s, so are unlikely to feature in the foundation of the Black museum a hundred years later.
I could live with that if the plot was better or more coherent but sadly, it’s not. I found the characters un-engaging and when I wasn’t irritated I was bored.
I finished the book, in the hope it would improve, but sadly in vain. I shall not be reading the sequel.
Unfortunately, neither the writing nor the plot live up to the basic idea.
I found the writing clunky and became increasingly irritated by the lack of research- for instance, if you choose to use biblical figures as major characters, maybe check your source? For instance, to identify that John the Baptist and the disciple, John brother of James, are not the same person?
Or, when talking about the history of the Black Museum, note that the last executions at Tyburn took place in the late 1700s, so are unlikely to feature in the foundation of the Black museum a hundred years later.
I could live with that if the plot was better or more coherent but sadly, it’s not. I found the characters un-engaging and when I wasn’t irritated I was bored.
I finished the book, in the hope it would improve, but sadly in vain. I shall not be reading the sequel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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April 12, 2023Why did I buy 'Judas The Hero'? Well, the publisher's summary said "If you like Rivers of London, the Dresden Files and the Kings Watch, you will like this ", the reviews on GoodReads were mostly four or five stars, and the phrase 'DCI Judas Iscariot' hooked me.
Why did I abandon it at 20%?
Mostly it was because of the writing. Some of the scenes were vividly written and pulled me into them completely, especially the ones where there was some action going on, but then the tone would change into the passive voice when the exposition of the plot or the backstory of a character was needed and all the colour leached out of the text. Then there were the proofreading errors - missing words that had to be guessed at to make sense of a paragraph and misspellings that shouldn't have made it past the final edit. They distracted me like a scratch on a vinyl record. These were compounded by occasional glaring inconsistencies. For example, in the space of a few paragraphs, I was told that this team of ex-apostles working for John The Baptist are scary because they're unkillable immortals and then I was told that they follow their crazy leader's orders because disagreeing with him could be fatal. How can both of those things be true?
The first chapter read like the text version of a graphic novel. I could image the image of the U-Boat on the water at dawn: all the dramatic straight lines, presented in a sharply contrasting palette, heavy on blacks and reds and dark blues but with the orange of a sunrise and the yellow of a dingy for contrast. Unfortunately, the same chapter also characterised the Germans in World War II using the same simplistic clichés I remember from 1970s comic books.
The plot was original and I wanted to be convinced but little things nagged at me. For example, I liked the idea of the Second Fall in the Twenty-First Century, with more angels being kicked out of Heaven but I couldn't see why they'd all want to come to live in England and especially in London.
It was when I met Judas Iscariot that I finally set the book aside. He's the character the whole series hangs on and I found him unconvincing. Most of that was because the writing felt mechanical - like the bones of a first draft - a pencil sketch that needs colour to bring it to life - but some of it was because I couldn't see in this man someone who had lived for more than two millennia and whose mind was first formed in Judea during the Roman occupation.
I know that the things that spoil this book for me won't spoil it for others and I can see that there's a lot of fun to be had with this series if you can relax and roll with it. I'm just too much of a pedant for that. I guess that's my loss.
Why did I abandon it at 20%?
Mostly it was because of the writing. Some of the scenes were vividly written and pulled me into them completely, especially the ones where there was some action going on, but then the tone would change into the passive voice when the exposition of the plot or the backstory of a character was needed and all the colour leached out of the text. Then there were the proofreading errors - missing words that had to be guessed at to make sense of a paragraph and misspellings that shouldn't have made it past the final edit. They distracted me like a scratch on a vinyl record. These were compounded by occasional glaring inconsistencies. For example, in the space of a few paragraphs, I was told that this team of ex-apostles working for John The Baptist are scary because they're unkillable immortals and then I was told that they follow their crazy leader's orders because disagreeing with him could be fatal. How can both of those things be true?
The first chapter read like the text version of a graphic novel. I could image the image of the U-Boat on the water at dawn: all the dramatic straight lines, presented in a sharply contrasting palette, heavy on blacks and reds and dark blues but with the orange of a sunrise and the yellow of a dingy for contrast. Unfortunately, the same chapter also characterised the Germans in World War II using the same simplistic clichés I remember from 1970s comic books.
The plot was original and I wanted to be convinced but little things nagged at me. For example, I liked the idea of the Second Fall in the Twenty-First Century, with more angels being kicked out of Heaven but I couldn't see why they'd all want to come to live in England and especially in London.
It was when I met Judas Iscariot that I finally set the book aside. He's the character the whole series hangs on and I found him unconvincing. Most of that was because the writing felt mechanical - like the bones of a first draft - a pencil sketch that needs colour to bring it to life - but some of it was because I couldn't see in this man someone who had lived for more than two millennia and whose mind was first formed in Judea during the Roman occupation.
I know that the things that spoil this book for me won't spoil it for others and I can see that there's a lot of fun to be had with this series if you can relax and roll with it. I'm just too much of a pedant for that. I guess that's my loss.
June 22, 2020
This was a Kindle Unlimited book I borrowed as the premise intrigued me. The title character is Judas Iscariot who was made immortal and has to do good deeds to try to redeem himself. He has been in London for decades, in charge of the Black Museum in Scotland Yard, which, this being a fantasy novel, is alive and full of notorious criminals who are imprisoned there.
Someone is killing angels and sending their wings to Judas, who is investigating their brutal murders. As this is the first in a series, these murders lead to a wider supernatural problem which continues in the next book.
I enjoyed this book and it is a fast paced read. Lots of supernatural elements are introduced and the angels (from the second fall, explained in the book) are an interesting addition.
I look forward to reading the next book in the series but I hope it will be proofread more thoroughly than this one - far too many spelling mistakes, typos, and things like ‘where’ instead of ‘were’.
Someone is killing angels and sending their wings to Judas, who is investigating their brutal murders. As this is the first in a series, these murders lead to a wider supernatural problem which continues in the next book.
I enjoyed this book and it is a fast paced read. Lots of supernatural elements are introduced and the angels (from the second fall, explained in the book) are an interesting addition.
I look forward to reading the next book in the series but I hope it will be proofread more thoroughly than this one - far too many spelling mistakes, typos, and things like ‘where’ instead of ‘were’.
November 12, 2020
Judy's the Hero
OMG That was so much better than I expected. Will be seriously disappointed if books 2 and 3 aren't up to this standard. Loved every minute of it.
OMG That was so much better than I expected. Will be seriously disappointed if books 2 and 3 aren't up to this standard. Loved every minute of it.
May 10, 2024
Quiet liked this. Will read the second book
December 28, 2020
I'm definitely conflicted about this book. On one hand, some of the writing is beautifully descriptive - so illustrative, draws you right in. But then it shifts into passive voice and loses its delicacy. The story is fascinating, amazing imagination, but the editing and spelling goes all over the place.
What is desperately needed is a full edit, really.
Other than that, I'm confused over the Ten. There's a Disciple missing; actually, there's two missing, given that one of them is given the name Paul, who was never one of the Twelve. I'm hoping this is explained in the next book and isn't another editing error.
I did enjoy it - hugely. But it could have been so much better. With a proper edit and clean up, it would be a fantastic read, utterly original and so engaging. It's just the mistakes are too many.
Does that mean I wouldn't recommend it? Certainly not. It is a cracking plot, a fascinating premise. It's just the mistakes and passive voice passages detract so much from what is otherwise a great story.
If it is ever re-written and edited, I'd love to read it again.
What is desperately needed is a full edit, really.
Other than that, I'm confused over the Ten. There's a Disciple missing; actually, there's two missing, given that one of them is given the name Paul, who was never one of the Twelve. I'm hoping this is explained in the next book and isn't another editing error.
I did enjoy it - hugely. But it could have been so much better. With a proper edit and clean up, it would be a fantastic read, utterly original and so engaging. It's just the mistakes are too many.
Does that mean I wouldn't recommend it? Certainly not. It is a cracking plot, a fascinating premise. It's just the mistakes and passive voice passages detract so much from what is otherwise a great story.
If it is ever re-written and edited, I'd love to read it again.
September 25, 2025
Had no idea where this book was going to go and it jumped wonderfully. The characters are evil, funny, mean, strong, nasty, decent.....very human...for non humans at times. Amazing story, i couldnt stop reading. Martin Davey's mind is genius. On to the next.
September 29, 2021
Thoroughly enjoyable, quirky, thought-provoking. Very different to what I expected as well. Great writing and fabulous characters. I romped through the whole series.
August 16, 2022
This is a great read. Set in an alternative London, where angels fly and have day jobs. They are being slaughtered which brings in Judas, the great betrayer, who after becoming immortal eventually decides to become a policeman. Of course he's not a normal police detective but an occult detective in charge of the black museum.
From the beginning, after the second world war, the book brings mystery then bloody murder. Its a grim London, that takes you by the throat and drags you along. With an array of interesting characters and a need to know what happens next. Judas is both over tired and over worked, we get a little of his history before we see how good he is at his job. Then the 'oh boy' what happens next ending. Not quite a cliff hanger, but you really want to know.
As you might guess, I am about to embark on the next book and looking forward to the ride. If its a good as this one, then I suggest if you are a fan of crime novels and/or urban fantasy this is for you.
From the beginning, after the second world war, the book brings mystery then bloody murder. Its a grim London, that takes you by the throat and drags you along. With an array of interesting characters and a need to know what happens next. Judas is both over tired and over worked, we get a little of his history before we see how good he is at his job. Then the 'oh boy' what happens next ending. Not quite a cliff hanger, but you really want to know.
As you might guess, I am about to embark on the next book and looking forward to the ride. If its a good as this one, then I suggest if you are a fan of crime novels and/or urban fantasy this is for you.
June 22, 2025
A Brilliant New Series!
DCI Judas Iscariot (yes, THAT Judas) of The Black Museum Scotland Yard, heads a small unit of officers and is responsible for the Black Museum. It started as a collection of macabre relics, tools of the trade of some of Britain’s most vicious criminals.
Over time it became something else entirely, put all that evil energy in one place and it took on a life of its own, it became a supernatural prison. DCI Iscariot has his work cut out, someone sent a mutilated pair of Angel wings to the museum. Someone has been killing Angels and puzzle from WWII is causing problems.
This book is an absolute treasure, it grabs your attention and pulls you right in. A whole host of historical villains, a biblical figure infamous as a traitor is navigating his way through history fighting the good fight alongside a sardonic partner with terrible driving skills. Welcome to The Black Museum.
DCI Judas Iscariot (yes, THAT Judas) of The Black Museum Scotland Yard, heads a small unit of officers and is responsible for the Black Museum. It started as a collection of macabre relics, tools of the trade of some of Britain’s most vicious criminals.
Over time it became something else entirely, put all that evil energy in one place and it took on a life of its own, it became a supernatural prison. DCI Iscariot has his work cut out, someone sent a mutilated pair of Angel wings to the museum. Someone has been killing Angels and puzzle from WWII is causing problems.
This book is an absolute treasure, it grabs your attention and pulls you right in. A whole host of historical villains, a biblical figure infamous as a traitor is navigating his way through history fighting the good fight alongside a sardonic partner with terrible driving skills. Welcome to The Black Museum.
December 7, 2024
This book is brilliant, very well written and a cracking read.
Judas Isacriot is redeeming himself, the real one, the other disciples appear as very bad men and there are Angels, real ones, that live openly on earth too and are the second falling and then there is a group of men who are running riot and trying to bring death and disease and ruin on the earth. Judas is trying hard to stop them. He has the black musuem which is a grisly relic of the criminals that were either caught or had their items stowed in it and from there the criminals still ride and are locked up. I loved it. The story, the imagination, the details and the using the ley lines as a road too! There's eleven books so far, so ten more to go!
Judas Isacriot is redeeming himself, the real one, the other disciples appear as very bad men and there are Angels, real ones, that live openly on earth too and are the second falling and then there is a group of men who are running riot and trying to bring death and disease and ruin on the earth. Judas is trying hard to stop them. He has the black musuem which is a grisly relic of the criminals that were either caught or had their items stowed in it and from there the criminals still ride and are locked up. I loved it. The story, the imagination, the details and the using the ley lines as a road too! There's eleven books so far, so ten more to go!
February 14, 2022
I wish I could give this more stars than I did, but while the premis of the book and its story is excellent, with really intriguing characters, the execution of it is sadly lacking.
This is down to the editing, which includes grammatical foe pars, spelling mistakes, sentence structure issues and the mixing of past and present tense, sometimes within the same sentence.
Also for a book set in London, England, there's a few American idioms that jar rather painfully. All in all I wish this book was better. A nice full edit and tidy up is badly needed!
This is down to the editing, which includes grammatical foe pars, spelling mistakes, sentence structure issues and the mixing of past and present tense, sometimes within the same sentence.
Also for a book set in London, England, there's a few American idioms that jar rather painfully. All in all I wish this book was better. A nice full edit and tidy up is badly needed!
October 31, 2023
Interesting premise, not great execution
The book has an interesting premise, and the writing is often good. The world building is patchy, in terms of logicality, but often fun.
My main concerns with the book are that it is weirdly paced - the book just ends without resolving a major plot strand, and the other major plot just seems to be wrapped up very quickly about two thirds of the way through. And there are no women in this world (none with speaking roles, anyway). Not one. So I'm not going to read another one.
The book has an interesting premise, and the writing is often good. The world building is patchy, in terms of logicality, but often fun.
My main concerns with the book are that it is weirdly paced - the book just ends without resolving a major plot strand, and the other major plot just seems to be wrapped up very quickly about two thirds of the way through. And there are no women in this world (none with speaking roles, anyway). Not one. So I'm not going to read another one.
March 21, 2024
The book was a lot of fun, actually, and very entertaining. Was it the best book I ever read? Probably not. Did I rush through it jecw se I wanted to know where it'd go? Absolutely. There was a lot of historical stuff and just cool ideas in general that I enjoyed. The Black Museum in and of itself is an amazingly cool idea!
What threw me off sometimes was that things seemed to be resolved rather quickly and there were some changes of POV right in the middle of a chapter. All in all, a solid book though. Might be tempted to read more of this series.
What threw me off sometimes was that things seemed to be resolved rather quickly and there were some changes of POV right in the middle of a chapter. All in all, a solid book though. Might be tempted to read more of this series.
July 27, 2025
I love crime books and mythical stories and events and the way this author has put both these elements together is genius. A really fresh take on all these elements. This book has ample amounts of crime solving and mythical creatures, events and artifacts. Some characters are real from hundreds, some thousands of years ago who have a relationship with the main character Judas Iscariot who now lives in modern day London. Definitely read the book and find out as it's an incredibly well thought out and written book which I really, really enjoyed.
May 23, 2021
A great find!
I loved this book, I really enjoy the idea of the London I know and love being secretly inhabited by Angels and all manner of fantastical creatures right under the noses of the unsuspecting populace. Judas is a likeable leading man and the tentative mutual tolerance between him and Archangel Michael will be interesting to see develop, hopefully into a friendship. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.
I loved this book, I really enjoy the idea of the London I know and love being secretly inhabited by Angels and all manner of fantastical creatures right under the noses of the unsuspecting populace. Judas is a likeable leading man and the tentative mutual tolerance between him and Archangel Michael will be interesting to see develop, hopefully into a friendship. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.
January 26, 2022
Extremely promising start to a series
Really enjoyed this book. It's like a mix of Robert Galbraith, and Neil Gaiman, and a couple of asides which felt very Terry Pratchett-y. The overall book isn't anything other than its own great story though. The moral musings of the author throughout are sometimes subtle, sometimes profound, and sometimes based on the greatest of emotions, hope. Hope that somehow we can find redemption for the things we get wrong.
Really enjoyed this book. It's like a mix of Robert Galbraith, and Neil Gaiman, and a couple of asides which felt very Terry Pratchett-y. The overall book isn't anything other than its own great story though. The moral musings of the author throughout are sometimes subtle, sometimes profound, and sometimes based on the greatest of emotions, hope. Hope that somehow we can find redemption for the things we get wrong.
July 15, 2024
I stubled across this author after reading the entireity of the 'Rivers of London' series and I am glad that I did. Anchored (again) in London, the book takes characters thata re known through religous teachings and recasts them in a way which is enthralling.
The strucutre of the book is different, with the stroy fleshed out in the first few chapters befoe the min character is introduced, however this works wonderfully and Martin's writing style brings it together smoothly.
The strucutre of the book is different, with the stroy fleshed out in the first few chapters befoe the min character is introduced, however this works wonderfully and Martin's writing style brings it together smoothly.
November 10, 2021
This was a great little read. It took a little while to get used to the style of writing, it comes across standoffish to me rather than immersing you in the characters. I liked the concept and the well known characters having a twist to them was fun. The story was fast paced and interesting if a little predictable in places. I will definitely carry on with the series, it was fun.
March 27, 2022
An interesting premise, but something to be taken very much with care. A militant Christian would be up in arms, if they were ever to attempt to read this.
The story is just interesting enough to keep the reader engaged and the character of Judas is, strangely, likable enough to warrant interest in the next book in the series.
The story is just interesting enough to keep the reader engaged and the character of Judas is, strangely, likable enough to warrant interest in the next book in the series.
July 6, 2020
Great story!
I really enjoyed this book!
The plot was original and I really didn't want to put it down. The proof reading wasn't up to scratch but it didn't take any of the enjoyment away.
Excellent!!
I really enjoyed this book!
The plot was original and I really didn't want to put it down. The proof reading wasn't up to scratch but it didn't take any of the enjoyment away.
Excellent!!
September 17, 2020
Well crafted characters and good storyline
Bit of an abrupt ending however, so looking forward to the sequel. I’m not yet sure where the storyline will go but there is plenty of scope to develop a whole series
Bit of an abrupt ending however, so looking forward to the sequel. I’m not yet sure where the storyline will go but there is plenty of scope to develop a whole series
April 17, 2021
Great idea for a book
Great idea but unfortunately not a great book . I think it may have been written for a schoolboy magazine. Poor characters and for anyone who doesn't know London most of it was just a blur. I won't be reading the follow-up.
Great idea but unfortunately not a great book . I think it may have been written for a schoolboy magazine. Poor characters and for anyone who doesn't know London most of it was just a blur. I won't be reading the follow-up.
May 7, 2021
Masterful urban fantasy
Absolutely loved this book, fantastic characters, never imagined I would be cheering Judas on! If you liked The shadow police series by Paul Cornell, or the Alex Verus books by Benedict Jacka, you will enjoy it.
Absolutely loved this book, fantastic characters, never imagined I would be cheering Judas on! If you liked The shadow police series by Paul Cornell, or the Alex Verus books by Benedict Jacka, you will enjoy it.
May 13, 2021
Good idea, love the world, like the characters but plot underwhelming and couldn’t hold my attention, in the end I DNFd at 81% which is supposed to be the most exciting part of the book. Guess that says a lot.
May 10, 2022
Loved this book. Easy to read, perfect for the daily commute.
It's got Angel's, Archangels, Saints, a museum full of dodgy artifacts in the heart of Scotland Yard. Not to mention ghosts, bad guys who really are very naughty.
It's got Angel's, Archangels, Saints, a museum full of dodgy artifacts in the heart of Scotland Yard. Not to mention ghosts, bad guys who really are very naughty.
July 31, 2023
Surprisingly compulsive.
The idea of Judas Iscariat as an immortal police detective is novel, and I approached it warily. I am glad to say it is well written, clever, and is a definite page turner. Alas, a cliffhanger ending.
The idea of Judas Iscariat as an immortal police detective is novel, and I approached it warily. I am glad to say it is well written, clever, and is a definite page turner. Alas, a cliffhanger ending.
October 9, 2023
Supernaturally excellent. I really enjoyed this book. Quite imaginative and a gripping storyline. Blending a millennia of history and folklore with a very engaging main character .
I will definitely continue the series.
I will definitely continue the series.
December 9, 2023
It has some very interesting ideas and premises. As usual with a first book you don't know what you will get, but I finished the first and started the second on a bus ride into the City centre. War and Peace it is not, but is a very good read. Looking forward to books 2 and 3.
October 7, 2024
Interesting concept
I've enjoyed this first outing with Judas. I like the idea of him becoming the "good guy" and things not being so black and white. Looking forward to the next book now.
I've enjoyed this first outing with Judas. I like the idea of him becoming the "good guy" and things not being so black and white. Looking forward to the next book now.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews