London Society takes their problems to Sherlock Holmes. Everyone else goes to Arrowood.
‘Finlay depicts a seedy, desperate London and vivid characters with considerable skill’ The Times
Nowhere to hide.
London, 1879. As winter grips the city, a group of African travellers seek sanctuary inside the walls of the Quaker Meeting House. They are being hunted by a ruthless showman, who is forcing them to perform in his ethnic exhibition in the London Aquarium.
Nowhere to turn.
Private investigator William Arrowood and his assistant Barnett agree to help the travellers avoid capture. But when they arrive at the Meeting House, they find a scene of devastation. Two people have been murdered and the others have fled into the night.
Nowhere to run.
The hunt for the real killer leads Arrowood into the dark heart of Victorian London. A shadowy world of freak shows, violence and betrayal, where there are no good choices and only the slimmest chance of survival…
A gripping historical crime novel, perfect for fans of C. J. Sansom
’Crackles with energy and wit’ The Times
South London, 1896.
William Arrowood, Victorian London’s less salubrious private detective, is paid a visit by Captain Moon, the owner of a pleasure steamer moored on the Thames. He complains that someone has been damaging his boat, putting his business in jeopardy.
Arrowood and his trusty sidekick Barnett suspect professional jealousy, but when a shocking discovery is pulled from the river, it seems like even fouler play is afoot.
It’s up to Arrowood and Barnett to solve the case, before any more corpses end up in the watery depths . . .
Praise for Mick Finlay:
‘Another brilliant read from Mick Finlay . . . even better than [Arrowood]’ B.A. Paris
‘Astounding … If you crave Victorian age murder mystery, love darkly gothic atmospheres and want your detective rather tattered and torn at the edges Arrowood is your man.’ SHOTS
‘Enthralling’ Publishers Weekly (starred review)
William Arrowood ist Privatermittler. Gemeinhin wohl der Zweitbeste in ganz London - direkt nach seinem namhaften Konkurrenten aus der Baker Street 221B. Auch wenn beide ganz unterschiedliche Ansätze in der Verbrechensaufklärung haben. Dieses Mal führt Arrowoods ganz eigene Ermittlungsmethode ihn und seinen Assistenten Barnett auf der Suche nach einer vermissten jungen Frau in die düsteren Gefilde der Viktorianischen Nervenheilanstalten.
'William Arrowood ist keinesfalls perfekt, aber sympathisch, und die Geschichte bewegt sich rasant von Gefahr zu Gefahr und von Twist zu Twist.'
The Times
London Society takes their problems to Sherlock Holmes. Everyone else goes to Arrowood.
1896: Sherlock Holmes has once again hit the headlines, solving mysteries for the cream of London society. But among the workhouses and pudding shops of the city, private detective William Arrowood is presented with far grittier, more violent, and considerably less well-paid cases.
Arrowood is in no doubt who is the better detective, and when Mr and Mrs Barclay engage him to trace their estranged daughter Birdie, he's sure it won't be long before he and his assistant Barnett have tracked her down.
But this seemingly simple missing person case soon turns into a murder investigation. Far from the comfort of Baker Street, Arrowood's London is a city of unrelenting cruelty, where evil is waiting to be uncovered . . .
PRAISE FOR THE MURDER PIT:
'Another brilliant read from Mick Finlay . . . even better than [Arrowood]' B.A. Paris
'gripping' Daily Telegraph
'astounding ... If you crave Victorian age murder mystery, love darkly gothic atmospheres and want your detective rather tattered and torn at the edges Arrowood is your man.' SHOTS
'Enthralling' Publishers Weekly (starred review)
'A gripping novel with an adept sense of place as well as a clear-eyed examination of the dark exigencies of human behaviour' Crime Time
1895: Londres está asustado. Un asesino está al acecho en las calles de la ciudad. Los pobres estan hambrientos; los jefes del crimen están tomando el control; la fuerza policial está a punto de colapsar.
Mientras los ricos buscan a Sherlock Holmes, el famoso detective privado raramente visita las calles sobrepobladas del sur de Londres, donde los crímenes son peores y la gente es más pobre.
En un oscuro rincón de Southwark, las víctimas recurren a un hombre que desprecia a Holmes, a su clientela adinerada y a su alardeante enfoque forense hacia el crimen: Arrowood, psicólogo autodidacta, borracho ocasional e investigador privado.
Cuando un hombre desaparece misteriosamente y la pista clave de Arrowood es brutalmente apuñalada ante sus ojos, él y su compañero Barnett enfrentan su investigación más difícil hasta ahora: capturar al jefe de la pandilla más peligrosa de Londres… En la tradición best seller de Anthony Horowitz y Andrew Taylor, este crimen gloriosamente oscuro perseguirá a los lectores mucho tiempo después de haber leído la última página.
Privatdetektiv William Arrowood ist ein Mann vieler Talente - und einiger Laster.
Die Tagelöhner und Straßenmädchen im armen South London können sich keinen besseren Detektiv leisten und kommen daher mit allen Anliegen zu ihm. Voller Verachtung und Neid blickt er über die Themse auf seinen bekannten Kollegen Sherlock Holmes und dessen betuchte Klientel.
Auch Arrowoods neuester Fall scheint nicht geeignet zu sein, ihn berühmt zu machen: Eine junge Französin bittet darum, ihren verschwundenen Bruder aufzuspüren. Doch hinter dem simplen Auftrag verbergen sich weit mehr Geheimnisse und Leichen, als Arrowood für möglich hielt. Und so führen ihn seine Ermittlungen von den Tiefen der Londoner Unterwelt bis in höchste Regierungskreise...
1895 London is scared. A killer haunts the city's streets; the poor are hungry; crime bosses are taking control; the police force is stretched to the breaking point. The rich turn to Sherlock Holmes, but the celebrated private detective rarely visits the densely populated streets of South London, where the crimes are sleazier and the people are poorer.
In the dark corner of Southwark, victims turn to a man who despises Holmes, his wealthy clientele and his showy forensic approach to crime: Arrowood self-taught psychologist, occasional drunkard and private investigator. When a man mysteriously disappears and Arrowood's best lead is viciously stabbed before his eyes, he and his sidekick Barnett face their toughest quest yet: to capture the head of the most notorious gang in London.
In the bestselling tradition of Anthony Horowitz and Andrew Taylor, this gloriously dark crime debut will haunt readers long after the final page has been turned.
'Crackles with energy and wit' - The Times
London Society takes their problems to Sherlock Holmes. Everyone else goes to Arrowood.
1895: London's scared. A killer haunts the city's streets. The poor are hungry; crime bosses are taking control; the police force stretched to breaking point.
While the rich turn to Sherlock Holmes, the celebrated private detective rarely visits the densely populated streets of South London, where the crimes are sleazier and the people are poorer.
In a dark corner of Southwark, victims turn to a man who despises Holmes, his wealthy clientele and his showy forensic approach to crime: Arrowood - self-taught psychologist, occasional drunkard and private investigator.
When a man mysteriously disappears and Arrowood's best lead is viciously stabbed before his eyes, he and his sidekick Barnett face their toughest quest yet: to capture the head of the most notorious gang in London...
In the bestselling tradition of Anthony Horowitz and Andrew Taylor, this gloriously dark crime debut will haunt readers long after the final page has been turned.
