Montmorency by Eleanor Updale

Who is Montmorency? Some say he's a dangerous villain. To others he's a hero. How do a terrible accident and an ambitious young doctor forge his two identities? And how long can he sustain them without getting caught?

My thoughts: When we first meet Montmorency he is in jail for a burglary that went wrong. He spends his jail time thinking up new money-making schemes, and eventually plans an elaborate double life for himself. As soon as he is released from prison he puts his new plan into action. He uses the sewers of London to make his way to and from burglaries at expensive properties. With the money he raises from the burglaries he funds his second identity as a gentleman who enjoys the finer things in life.

I really loved this story, mainly because I love reading about Victorian London. The author has done a great job of bringing Victorian London to life in this book. I really felt like I was right there in the middle of everything.

Montmorency was a bit of an unusual character, because of his double identity. I wasn't sure whether to love him, hate him, or both!

Really enjoyed this book and I hope to read the rest of the series too.

Mania by Craig Larsen

Synopsis: On the foggy streets of Seattle, a serial killer known as the Street Butcher is terrorising the city. Newspaper photographer Nick Wilder is accustomed to seeing gruesome homicide scenes. But when the Street Butcher claims Nick's brother his latest casualty, the case suddenly becomes very personal. Determined to find his brother's killer, Nick stumbles into a dizzying labyrinth of deceit and danger. As he digs deeper, Nick discovers his own past holds a key to unmasking a clever, diabolical psychopath. But the real motives behind the murders are as cold and stark as Seattle's winters - and much more blood will spill before Nick learns the horrifying truth.

My thoughts: The book kicks off with a murder, the protagonist, Nick witnesses his brother Sam getting murdered, but his memory is hazy. As the book goes on it jumps backwards and forwards a lot, this is confusing at first but it helps you to understand how Nick is feeling, because he keeps having these blackouts and flashbacks.

The author has done a great job of building up suspense and kept me wondering what was going on, but by about 200 pages in I had a pretty good idea of what the outcome was going to be. Once I got towards the end of the book it was obvious that my suspicions were right, but there was still one big surprise that I hadn’t expected.

I really enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it for other fans of mystery/thrillers

Waiting on Wednesday - The Detective Branch

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

The book I can't wait to read is The Detective Branch by Andrew Pepper. Due for release on February 11th 2010. I have read all of the other books in the Pyke series, and I have really enjoyed them, so I'm really looking forward to finding out what happens next.

Synopsis: London, 1843. Pyke has been part of the Metropolitan Police's newly formed 'Detective Bureau' for six-months. Unsurprisingly Pyke is confronted by faceless opponents within the Bureau and the New Police who don't like his unconventional methods, his criminal past and his dubious law enforcement record. When the body of a policeman is found, it initially appears that the man has been killed while on duty in the course of a robbery that has gone wrong. But Pyke's investigations reveal that the policeman might have been murdered and the robbery offered as a ruse to cover-up what really happened. Then a tavern landlord - and as Pyke discovers a former policeman - is killed and a connection to the dead policeman is unearthed: both joined the New Police at the same time and served under the same inspector in the East End. Digging into both men's past, Pyke's investigative team unearth evidence of corrupt practices and connections to slum-lords and high-ranking City of London officials - as well as a policeman who has subsequently climbed to the top of the New Police.