Release: November 9th 2021
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Source: HFVirtual Book Tours
Find it at: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, BAM, Indiebound
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London, 1878. One April morning, a small boat bearing a young woman’s corpse floats down the murky waters of the Thames. Identification of the victim shows as Rose Albert, daughter of a prominent judge. The Scotland Yard director gives the case to Michael Corravan, one of the only Senior Inspectors remaining after a corruption scandal the previous autumn left the division in ruins. Reluctantly, Corravan abandons his ongoing case, a search for the missing wife of a shipping magnate, handing it over to his young colleague, Mr. Stiles.
An Irish former bare-knuckles boxer and dockworker from London’s seedy East End, Corravan has good street sense and an inspector’s knack for digging up clues. But he’s confounded when, a week later, a second woman is found dead in a rowboat, and then a third. The dead women seem to have no connection whatsoever. Meanwhile, Mr. Stiles makes an alarming discovery: the shipping magnate’s missing wife, Mrs. Beckford, may not have fled her house because she was insane, as her husband claims, and Mr. Beckford may not be the successful man of business that he appears to be.
Slowly, it becomes clear that the river murders and the case of Mrs. Beckford may be linked through some terrible act of injustice in the past—for which someone has vowed a brutal vengeance. Now, with the newspapers once again trumpeting the Yard’s failures, Corravan must dredge up the truth—before London devolves into a state of panic and before the killer claims another innocent victim.
About the Author:
Karen Odden earned her Ph.D. in English from New York University and subsequently taught literature at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She has contributed essays to numerous books and journals, written introductions for Victorian novels in the Barnes & Noble classics series, and edited for the journal Victorian Literature and Culture (Cambridge UP). Her previous novels, also set in 1870s London, have won awards for historical fiction and mystery. Also, a member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime and the recipient of a grant from the Arizona Commission on the Arts, Karen lives in Arizona with her family and her rescue beagle Rosy..
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Down a Dark River Review:
“Down a Dark River” is an intriguing historical mystery crime fiction that draws you into the world of London in 1878, and I enjoyed it!
Firstly, I enjoyed the author’s writing style because it made me feel like watching a classic B&W noir film or reading a Sherlock Holmes novel. Inspector Corravan is a compelling lead who tries to do good even if people like Vincent undermine him at times. It was interesting to see how he managed the investigations as the death counts increased. I also enjoyed his camaraderie with Inspector Stiles and thought they made a good pair. Moreover, the author beautifully adds a touch of romance with Corravan’s solid feelings for Belinda. Even the supporting characters like Philip Durrell (and his expertise in the jewelry) and Mr. Dorstone were memorable.
Secondly, the author also wrote the mystery well. While the book starts slow, I enjoyed it once we learn about Rose’s death. The author adds many suspects and motives like the Thierry Necklace and case involving the judge, where you don’t know how the story would turn out. I also felt the addition of Harry was brilliant and added to the complexity of the plot. Moreover, as the story progresses, there are more murders, and you have no idea how the story will proceed. Some memorable moments in the tale were when COrravan interviews Isabella or meets with Mr. Dorstone.
However, my only criticism of the tale is that the author added too many details. At times, the author also details the background characters, and I felt too much happening in the canvas.
Apart from that, I enjoyed reading “Down a Dark River” and thought it was a lovely start to the “Inspector Corravan” series.
Giveaway:
Enter to win a copy of Down a Dark River by Karen Odden!
The giveaway is open to the US only and ends on December 1st. You must be 18 or older to enter.
Book Tour Schedule
I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the Down a Dark River by Karen Odden Blog Tour hosted by HFVirtual Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!
