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The Black Museum #2.5
Oliver Twisted (The Black Museum #3).
“The places we are going to visit tonight are by far the most dangerous that this fair city has to offer. The streets and lanes are nasty places; a man might get lost in there and never reappear. The canals are full of bodies, and the rats grow fat on them.”
Christmas is coming to Victorian London’s most notorious slum, the Rookeries of St Giles. And as the snow falls, the bloody body count rises. A demonic serial killer stalks the streets, and nobody is safe.
Judas Iscariot, renowned thief-taker and scourge of London’s dark and dangerous underworld, has been engaged by a mysterious old businessman turned guardian angel, who wishes to keep a promising young writer called Charles Dickens safe, as he roams the streets looking for inspiration for his novels.
But Judas is not the only one watching Dickens closely. Murderers, ferocious beasts, and the rest of the worst that the underworld has to offer want his head, or his soul – depending on who gets there first.
A mouth-watering mashup of some of literature’s best-known characters, Oliver Twisted is a festive tale like no other, featuring the world’s most unusual investigator.
Christmas is coming to Victorian London’s most notorious slum, the Rookeries of St Giles. And as the snow falls, the bloody body count rises. A demonic serial killer stalks the streets, and nobody is safe.
Judas Iscariot, renowned thief-taker and scourge of London’s dark and dangerous underworld, has been engaged by a mysterious old businessman turned guardian angel, who wishes to keep a promising young writer called Charles Dickens safe, as he roams the streets looking for inspiration for his novels.
But Judas is not the only one watching Dickens closely. Murderers, ferocious beasts, and the rest of the worst that the underworld has to offer want his head, or his soul – depending on who gets there first.
A mouth-watering mashup of some of literature’s best-known characters, Oliver Twisted is a festive tale like no other, featuring the world’s most unusual investigator.
70 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 4, 2020
31 people are currently reading
32 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 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 23, 2021
I do wish I could give 5 stars, because the story and the idea is wonderful. But the editing is completely non existent. Unfortunately, it's enough to throw me out of the story at times.
Also there's some truly glaring mistakes. Catholic priests aren't allowed to marry, not even in the 19th century. So for Judas to visit a Catholic church and meet the priest and his wife is pretty much an unforgivable error. And that's before we get started with the whole history of Catholic Emancipation and when they were actually allowed to have churches in England (not until the end of the 18th century and the Act of 1829, if anyone interested).
At one point, Judas references his sixty pieces of silver, before later getting the thirty correct.
They're little things, perhaps, but they spoil what would otherwise be a genuinely good series. The writing slips into passive voice, slowing down the action and - again - throwing the reader out of the narrative.
It just needs a good editor and it would be brilliant. 😥
Also there's some truly glaring mistakes. Catholic priests aren't allowed to marry, not even in the 19th century. So for Judas to visit a Catholic church and meet the priest and his wife is pretty much an unforgivable error. And that's before we get started with the whole history of Catholic Emancipation and when they were actually allowed to have churches in England (not until the end of the 18th century and the Act of 1829, if anyone interested).
At one point, Judas references his sixty pieces of silver, before later getting the thirty correct.
They're little things, perhaps, but they spoil what would otherwise be a genuinely good series. The writing slips into passive voice, slowing down the action and - again - throwing the reader out of the narrative.
It just needs a good editor and it would be brilliant. 😥
December 13, 2023
Good idea but spelling/grammar lets them down
All three black museum books have been GREAT stories. However, missing words in sentences and some grammatical errors have continually appeared in every single book. It pulls you out of the story sadly. Correct these and they would be 5 star. Amazing idea and engaging characters and plots
All three black museum books have been GREAT stories. However, missing words in sentences and some grammatical errors have continually appeared in every single book. It pulls you out of the story sadly. Correct these and they would be 5 star. Amazing idea and engaging characters and plots
July 3, 2021
Another fab book
It was a really good read from start to finish. I love retelling of old story and this is up there with the best of them. I hope there are many many more stories about Judy's, he has been added to my list of favourite characters 😊
It was a really good read from start to finish. I love retelling of old story and this is up there with the best of them. I hope there are many many more stories about Judy's, he has been added to my list of favourite characters 😊
August 11, 2025
This was a cute little novella in the series and I liked the 'cameos' from some stables of the english classic fiction. I wanted a little more detail but that always seems the case with novellas. It has made me want to carry on with the series in a faster pace than I currently am.
December 16, 2020
Oliver Twisted
Dickens, and how he found his way!
A little view into how C.D was inspired
Another good little read ❤️it
Links into the authors other books,
Dickens, and how he found his way!
A little view into how C.D was inspired
Another good little read ❤️it
Links into the authors other books,
January 16, 2022
A novella from the files of DCI Judas Iscariot with a Dickens twist! Really well written and a great addition to the series.
January 2, 2024
Great short story in the series.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews