Enter second murderer: an Inspector Faro novel

Inspector Faro #1

by Alanna Knight

Very good, unread, first edition, first impression hardcover from a remarkable collection of Crime and SF novels. In pristine unclipped dustjacket these 1970s/80s Macmillan volumes are of comparable quality to the Sidgwick, No Exit Press, Gollancz, Collins and Constable sets we are currently sorting. All photo requests welcomed. These really are spectacular quality up to 50 years after publication. CE

Genres: Mystery, Historical Mystery, Historical, Victorian, Scotland, Historical Fiction, Fiction

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

aka Margaret Hope

Alanna Knight MBE has published more than sixty novels (including sixteen in the acclaimed Inspector Faro series, and seven featuring his daughter Rose McQuinn), as well as non-fiction, true crime and several books on Robert Louis Stevenson, numerous short stories and two plays since her award-winning first book ‘Legend of the Loch’ in 1969. A founding member and Honorary President of the Scottish Association of Writers and of the Edinburgh Writer’s Club, born and educated on Tyneside, she has two sons and two granddaughters and lives in Edinburgh.

Reviews

[Andrea]

Set in in the late 1800s in Edinburgh, this seems a well-written enough story, with a moderately likeable detective. But...but.

The deceiving wife murdered by her husband (and considered almost excusably so by the detective). The scheming girl murdered by the unknown. The saintly dead wife (raped at fifteen).

Flipping to the end shows me we do eventually end up with a living female character (who isn't a bit-part servant) - and this, naturally is the love interest. And also the murderer.

I'm just not in the mood for stories where women have only these roles.

[Augustine Onyechi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love a good whodunit, and, being quite the simpleton, I’m not one of those people who figure out the mystery before it is revealed somewhere in the book. My guesses ALWAYS miss the mark by a wide range. Haha!
Mystery novels follow a pattern of twist and turns—and then a big reveal. A good mystery novel experience, for me, is one in which I enjoy the journey to that big reveal: interesting characters and dialogues, and impossible twists. This book was lacking in these aspects. It wasn't gripping, and so I toiled my way to a rather interesting end.

[Novella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finally tracked down this book and ordered it from the UK. It came with a lovely label on the inside cover from a Marine Society and apparently it was from Seafarers Shipboard library! I always think it a bonus to find books marked a special way. Because this is the first in the series of Inspector Faro the storyline starts off with the crimes but has a lot of character as well as plot building, which I think was meant to carry over for later but I rather liked especially the relationship between Faro and his stepson. They are a good team and you will find the inspector is well, human, just don't hold it against him! I always like mysteries with an Inspector of some sort and this one takes place in Victorian times. This was a pleasurable read with no foul language or offensive situations. Hope this isn't too much of a spoiler if I say the ending was agonizingly romantic.

[Les Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book far more on its second reading, so had to update its rating. I cannot understand why I marked it lower the first time read. Well worth a read by those interested in this genre.

[Cece]

I had high hopes for this series-but alas, the style is much too flowery and earnest, as is the main character, Inspector Faro. The book is full of sentences such as:

"A daunting prospect, for he would not be welcome, but he was certain that she had the strength, needed in her calling, not to shrink from what she considered her duty, no matter how distressing the task-and even if it meant visiting the mortuary and identifying the corpse as that of Miss Burnleigh."

I'll put up with sentences that require a roadmap and rest stops from Henry James, because when you finally get to where he wants you to be, it is worth the effort-but not so the writing of Alanna Knight.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic as an easy read that has intrigue, but is not too taxing or heavy going. Alanna write well and the characters are likeable. I like the fact that this is in a series of books as the mail character can develope over the series.

[Ralph Deatherage · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting

Despite the stilted prose of the era, this is a superb story told by a master storyteller. A good book.

[Zezette · Rating 4 out of 5]

British Murder Mystery at its best. I have really enjoyed it. Nice twist in the plot at the end.

[Helen Auld · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the pace and sense of intrigue

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good, old-fashioned murder mystery. Some reviewers called it plodding and slow-moving, and yes, one could say that. However, this is the type of detective story this is - Faro being a steady, stalward but efficient and effective detective inspector. Not one of the bright sparks of the detective fiction oeuvre, but they can't all be the same, and there is room for DI Faro, and his ilk.

Faro is a nice, decent chap, and a likeable character, but my favourite is Vince, his stepson. He is a ray of sunshine and brightens up any scene that he appears in. The story lagged a bit in places, but this happens with cases so was not too irksome, but what happened in the end was so predictable, that I did feel that they all should have seen it coming. Stupid to let her go on for that last performance, especially when it had a death scene at the end!

[Bev · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first in a series of Inspector Faro mysteries, set in 1870 in Edinburgh -- the truth about a murder that was incorrectly tied to an admitted wife-slaying continues to trouble the inspector until the very dramatic conclusion. The historic setting and straight-forward crime solving is attractive, but I'm not sure if I will continue reading this series.

[Cindie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy Read, not sure if I will follow this series, a little two easy and not very difficult to figure out earlier than Faro.....

[Marion · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great series

[Jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

Crime in Victorian Edinburgh, featuring the unhappily widowed Inspector Faro.

[Ave Jeanne Ventresca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful !

Enjoyed this powerful and well crafted murder mystery. Intense scenes, vivid dialogue and believable characters abound. Look forward to reading #2!

[Josher71 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like it but it was just kind of dull.

[Thom Swennes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Patrick Hymes, an Irish laborer living in Edinburgh, Scotland, kills his wife by strangulation in a fit of rage. When apprehended, he readily admits to the crime but when another woman is strangled in close proximity to the crime, the police immediately think the two crimes are related. Patrick denounces his role in this second murder but on May 11, 1870, he is nevertheless sentenced to hang for both murders. Even though the second murder wouldn’t have added or detracted from his ultimate demise, he vehemently denies anything to do with the death of Lily Goldie, the second victim.
Inspector Jeremiah (Jeremy) Faro listens to the condemned man and wonders if he may just be telling the truth. The Edinburgh Police Department is happy the two crimes are closed and the perpetrator will soon be hanged and has no desire to reopen the case. The tenacious Inspector Faro can’t let sleeping dogs lie and begins a private inquiry of his own. He isn’t gifted with the famed detective Sherlock Holmes’s powers of deduction, logic, and observation but he does have a focused doggedness, love for lists, and a knack of elimination.

This Victorian tale of murder could easily have been from the pens of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Thomas W. Henshew or Fred M. White, popular mystery writers of the age. Enter Second Murderer is the first book of the hitherto thirteen volume series. This is a great story for those readers that enjoy the, now classic, tame and bloodless mysteries of the Victorian age. People used to today’s murder mysteries will probably find this book too domesticated and mundane.

[Annette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Detective Inspector Faro and his step-son Vince live together in a home in Edinburgh. They have a housekeeper named Mrs Brook. Faro is a widower who loved his late wife. His two younger daughters are living with his mother in the northern part of Scotland.
This is the Victorian Era and the customs of the time are different from today's.
DI Faro has had a difficult relationship with his step-son in the past. But now, Vince is a beginning doctor and they have developed a better relationship. Vince also has nurtured some of Faro's natural love of investigation. They enjoy analyzing and solving the puzzles of crime.
The descriptions of people, places and things are well written. At times the descriptions were more descriptive than I would have liked. Fewer words and less complicated descriptions would have been appreciated.
Character development is quite well done. I had difficulty dealing with the way women were portrayed. The characters of most women were generally less than honorable. That was annoying to me.
This is an interesting book. It is a well constructed book. Ms Knight is a talented author who has created the atmosphere of a very different time. It is a quick read and the first in a series which should be entertaining reads.

[Tamara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed this Victorian mystery. Set in Edinburgh. Main character is a widower, a detective, a stepfather, and father of two daughters. Returning after an illness, he determines that a case deemed solved was closed because it suited the police to have it off their books. His investigation leads him to a troop of actors, a Quaker mission, a convent, and assorted characters.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

So-so. I enjoyed the main character, Faro, and his adventures--especially trying to figure out a murder that has been blamed on someone else.

Fairly good writing, but I've read lots of classic mysteries and this one doesn't quite measure up--the author uses some terminology they wouldn't have used then.

[Teddi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Version was an epub that was strangely layed out and had several spelling errors.
Has a good flow once I got past the first chapter (made me wonder if pages were missing as it didn't really "begin" but more like jumping in the middle). Also ended abruptly but in the manner I expected it to. Overall, was a bit of a dull read. Will see how the next one goes.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh. This could of been better, but the "love" story was just so grating and forced. I find it hard to enjoy a novel when I don't like any of the characters, but the weak mystery didn't help matters. This was free through Kindle Unlimited, so I might try the next just to see if it improves, but my hopes aren't high.

[Anouska Loves to Read · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this book a bit dull and lacklustre, the story was a bit flat and the characters were either cheesy cliches, unlikeable or boring. I wouldn’t recommend this book and I definitely won’t be reading any more in the series or by this Author. Very disappointing. I’m sure there are a lot of people who would enjoy it but just not for me.

[Bionic Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first "Inspector Faro" book by Alannah Knight, dating from 1989. The setting is Victorian, the location Edinburgh. This one is quite intriguing, so it will be interesting to see how they developed.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rather uneven and the solution to the mystery dawned on me considerably before Faro caught on. There were things I liked about the setting and backstory and for those reasons I will probably read more of this series, but I can't say I was particularly impressed by the protagonist.

[Trish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another interesting historical series

[Kt. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Typos in Kindle version were very distracting but otherwise a good read

[Deborah aka Reading Mom · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first in the Inspector Faro series--a bit over 3 star, but probably less than 4. Enjoyable Victorian detective story set in Edinburgh, Scotland. Will continue the series

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can read my review here: http://www.whatireallythink.net/enter...

[Toni Roush · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice

A decent story, set in times past. I would be glad to read mote by this author and see where her characters go.