Mayhem, by Sarah Pinborough is an Urban Fantasy story set in London
during the time frame of Jack the Ripper's murders. Although some of the
characters are involved with investigating Jack's slayings, this book
does not focus on that nitrous serial killer. Instead we follow Doctor
Bond as he investigates not only Jack's killings, but another set of
slaying that are, if anything, more sinister and disturbing than Jack's.
Doctor
Bond is a troubled man. He pines for a sweet engaged woman far too
young for him and is also in the throws of losing the battle against
opium addiction. Add to this the horror of seeing the victims of two
sets of killers, both of which the police can not stop, and it is easy
to see how he might be losing his grip.
At first things seem as
normal as any drug addict hunting dual serial killers life could be, but
when Bond meets a strange priest with a withered arm and later a
disturbed Polish hairdresser, he is exposed to the idea that there is a
supernatural cause to the string of second killings. These men claim
that an evil creature called an Upir has attached to a host and is
making this host commit these horrible atrocities.
The plot is
told from several points of view, which gives the reader a well rounded
feel for the tale, but does primarily focus on Dr. Bond. This is done
while still keeping the outcome a secret, so the reader can piece the
mystery together as Bond struggles to. The characters are rich here and
it is easy to become immersed into gas lit London.
Drawbacks are
hard to spot in this one. It is a bit of a complex plot. I would not
suggest reading this one in bursts over time or it could be possible to
lose the thread of the tale. It is a good page turner and would be best
to read on the faster side so every detail is clear. There are also some
leaps in time which, particularly near the beginning, are a little
disorienting.
Pinborough's London is a drab scary place that is
well set for Horror. An inventive monster keeps us interested and
guessing. Mystery readers that do not mind a scare would enjoy this one.
Also horror lovers that like things more subtle and atmospheric would
also find this to their liking.
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Review
By
Michael D. Griffiths
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