THE LAST DAYS OF NEWGATE BY ANDREW PEPPER (BOOK REVIEW)

This is another of that new breed of historical mysteries -books that owe as much to Bernard Cromwell as they do to Ellis Peters. Though Brother Cadfael would run a mile from the pungent world depicted in these pages.
The book is as much action adventure novel as straight forward crime - I picked it up because the blurb reminded me of the James McGee, Hawkwood series. Well both characters are Bow Street Runners and both are not averse to breaking the law if it is in their best interest to do so. Both series also came out around the same time. That's not to say they are copies of each other but there are enough similarities that anyone who liked one series will probably also like the other.

The Mathew Hawkwood novels start off in the year 1807 and the Pyke series is set a few decades later. But as I say both series feature similar characters and I was hugely taken with the Hawkwood series. And Pyke is equally entertaining.

Pyke (we never learn his first name) is a Bow Street Runner, who walks a razor thin line between law enforcer and criminal, often stepping over to either side. As well as his Bow Street duties Pyke runs a gin house with his mistress and takes on private investigative work for anyone who can meet his fees. Pyke is hired by Lord Edmontown to investigate the disappearance of a certain sum of money from his bank. However the trail soon leads Pyke to a grusome murder of a young Irish couple and their newborn baby. Danger comes from all sides as the Bow Street Runner finds himself involved in Catholic emancipation and the double dealing of political masters.

The historical detail is astonishing and Pepper paints a picture of a bleak and rat infested urban landscape within which most of the action takes place. This is a great crime cum adventure thriller with an engaging protagonist and a tighly wound, intense plot.

I bloody well enjoyed that, you know.