Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

I really enjoyed this book although slow at times it had enough of the ingredients I love in a book- set in Victorian London, Dark, gripping with some unexpected twists- this was historical gothic fiction and overall I enjoyed this read.

This is set in Victorian London. This is a dark gripping story, filled with many plot twists.
It is perfects for fans of gothic and dark historical fiction.

Atmospheric but quite dark and disturbing in places, which is to be expected given the title. Well written and evocative of time and place.

Whilst I appreciate receiving an ARC of this book, unfortunately, it was not one for me. I found that I was unable to get into the story or care about the characters and ultimately this was a DNF. However, we do all have different tastes and I'm sure there are people who will enjoy this book.

Great plot and I liked the writing style. I really liked the cover, too. Recommended three star read.

My favourite type of book, crime, history and a bit of dodgy dealing. Very atmospheric and dark historical crime fiction set in 1882 London. Complex and gripping. Recommended.

Characters Of All Sorts Of Sinister.....
Atmospheric, historical suspense, both dark and engaging. A real sense of time and place coupled with well written narrative combine to create an entertaining and well researched tale peopled with characters of all sorts of sinister. Very enjoyable.

I love a good mystery, and if this doesn't fit that bracket, nothing will. Written with wit and intent, this book will keep you guessing with each page. Every time you think you know what's going on - think again.

It was an intense yet fun read, keeping me fully engaged at all times, and grabbing for my attention even when it wasn't in my hands. HIghly recommend.

A great dark historical novel, with great detail and plot. The characters were well thought out and I really like it!

A well written, dark and atmospheric historical thriller that kept me on the edge.
The story is gripping and highly enjoyable, the characters are well thought and complex, the historical background is bleak and vivid.
It's the first book I read by this author and won't surely be the last.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

London of the 1880s and lawyer Cage Lackmann is defending lowlifes for his gangster boss. When he is visited by the police he discovers that a murder has been committed and the clues point to a man he got acquitted five years ago. As Lackmann struggles with guilt and the desire to escape his boss he also tries to solve the crimes but realises that friendship is not as clear as it ought to be.
There was much I liked about this book, the setting particularly amongst the poor of the East End, but I found the plot incredulous at times. I do believe that there is potential for a series here so would not write off Evans at this stage.

I love historical books, I love London, and Whitechapel as a setting, so this book from the start looked a perfect match. Overall, enjoyable. Dark, ridden with nefarious deeds, boy this is bleak - what a dramatic setting for this murder mystery novel.
I thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere of the setting, and it stood out for me after reading the book - and you are given a lot of ponder and puzzle, and there's a fascinating anti-hero to follow.

Dark, bleak, grimy and fabulously created historical murder mystery. I'd recommend.

This book is just exactly my cup of tea! A dark, atmospheric historical fiction thriller... perfect! Definitely one for fans of Michelle Paver and Laura Purcell. I loved it.

Cage Lackmann ought to be a hero, but he’s on his knees. Five years ago, he successfully secured the acquittal of Moses Pickering when he faced a murder charge. Fast forward and another body has been found, bearing all the hallmarks of the murderer in the original case.

Lackmann’s mission to locate Pickering and show the authorities that they have the wrong man again is a delightful escapade. Claire Evans’ last novel, The Fourteenth Letter, brought Victorian London to life in all its grimy, sinister glory, and this is a worthy follow up.

https://lynns-books.com/2020/06/25/the-graves-of-whitechapel-by-claire-evans/
4.5 of 5 stars
The Graves of Whitechapel is a compelling exploration of a grimy, dark and crime infested Victorian Whitechapel. A murder mystery at its core it also looks at the different shades of morality that people experience. This book is relentlessly dark, I kid you not. This is a veritable black hole of despair and desperation but at the same time it’s hopelessly addictive and so very atmospheric. I was literally transported back in time and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this classic-feeling murder mystery.

Five years ago Cage Lackmann successfully defended his client, Moses Pickering, of a murder charge. Moses walked free and Cage continued with his infamous career. Known as the Poet, he’s not averse to waxing lyrical in the courtroom as he defends the ne’er do wells of London’s criminal underbelly. Unfortunately, that case is about to come back and bite him hard on the unmentionable. An identical murder to the one Moses was originally accused of has occurred and whilst this could be a copycat the very fact that Moses has disappeared really doesn’t bode well. Things look very bad for Cage. His career could be over, he has many debts and is down to his last decent bottle of claret. He needs to find Moses and he also needs to find the killer.

I’m not going to elaborate further on the plot but instead discuss what worked so well for me with this one.

Firstly, the style. It’s wonderfully evocative and has the feel of a classic but with a more modern and easy to access style of writing. The attention to detail was excellent and the pacing was almost, after a brief spell finding its feet, frenetic.

Secondly, the setting. Victorian London, without doubt, makes the perfect setting for this style of story. Narrow this to Whitechapel during perhaps one of it’s most illicit and salacious periods and you’re really ticking boxes. This is positively Dickensian (without the overabundant wordiness). Poverty, filth, dark alleys, houses of ill repute, seedy landlords and their dilapidated properties, criminal bosses and down at heel types – it’s all here.

Thirdly, the characters. There’s such a lot going on here. There’s the murders of course which make for compelling enough reading on their own when, like me, you’re desperate to unravel the clues. But, more than the plot there are the characters. They’re all so morally dubious. Cage for example. He has secrets. He’s retained by a criminal boss, There’s a lot more on his mind than murder and he’s the sort of character you kind of want to shake. Or slap. Or both. His family history is also painted in shades of grey with his glamorous yet flighty mother who seemed to sell him out as a young child. We have the beleaguered detective, angry and aptly named Cross – he’s so determined to catch someone that whether he catches the murderer or not seems incidental. And there are a number of other characters, equally painted in shades of grey that help to maintain the sense of mystery.

The plot itself runs around like a headless chicken. Sometimes I was baffled but I was certainly never bored. Cage is like a maniac charging between destinations, picking up clues and red herrings as though there’s no tomorrow. He goes on some wild goose chases. He gets into bother. He uncovers some truths, particularly about people and the fact that sometimes being different isn’t something to be feared.

In terms of criticisms. Nothing much to be honest. The story takes a little time to find it’s feet but to be fair I think this was necessary. It helped to give a feel for the characters and provide some backstory and I think everything here was essential in helping the mystery unfold in a way that was compelling. Plus, there was still these tantilising little snippets that kept you glued. In fact, if time was no issue, and books weren’t multiplying like rampant bunnies around the place, I would love to read this again and follow the trail of clues once more to see what I missed. As it is, those bunnies books won’t read themselves now will they?

In conclusion, this was a wonderfully atmospheric and compelling historical murder mystery that I thoroughly enjoyed. I’d say, if Cage and Cross were to make a reappearance I wouldn’t hesitate to read more, although that’s just purely wishing as there is no indication that this is a series.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publishers, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

In London, 1882, crooked lawyer Cage Lackmann works for underworld kingpin Obediah Pincott. Lackmann is no stranger in bending the law to ensure a not guilty verdict for Pincott's men, even if it means manufacturing a witness or two. One of his successes was Moses Pickering who was accused of murder, but now a second victim has been found killed in the same way, and Pickering is missing. Cage believes Pickering is actually innocent but finds himself implicated in the case and left out in the cold by Pincott. He must find Pickering and clear his own name.

I thought this was an excellently written historical mystery. The reader finds themselves immersed in Victorian London and the author certainly doesn't hold back on the seamier parts of the underworld. Cage is most definitely an anti-hero: he lies, he cheats justice for Pincott, he pays for sex, and sleeps with another man's wife. To say he is flawed is an understatement. Yet he turns out to be quite a sympathetic character in end. The plot is quite complicated and there are lots of twists and turns. It's not difficult to follow but there is quite a lot of skillful misdirection by the author. I really enjoyed reading it.

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers, Little, Brown Book Group UK / Sphere, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Shady lawyer Cage Lackmann has made a career of defending 1882 London's even shadier characters. When a body turns up showing all the same signs as a previous murder allegedly committed by Moses Pickering, Cage can't help but wonder if he's made a terrible mistake helping Pickering to walk free, especially as Moses Pickering is now missing.

This book is such an atmospheric read. There are so many historical details that made me feel as if Evans had really transported me to 1880s London. I did think the plot took a little while to get going but once it did the slow burn was definitely worth all the twists and turns that kept me guessing to the end.

Cage is a very layered character and I really enjoyed the insights into the life of this messy character. I couldn't help but like him. This also allowed the book to have a bit of everything: red herrings; double cross; will-they-won't-they. The mystery, intrigue, and sense of impending doom really helped me to get through the slower plot points.

I loved this dark, twisty, Victorian crime thriller and think I definitely need to read more by Claire Evans. ASAP.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC!

4.5/5 stars

Very atmospheric and dark historical crime fiction set in 1882 London.

Our central character, Cage Lackmann, is a lawyer who struggles with being bought and paid for by a Ukrainian crime lord. He is tasked with solving the murder of a young man with circumstances eerily similar to a case 5 years prior of which his client was acquitted. There’s a little of everything here...lurid secrets, double cross, and a plot that is both twisty and complex.

While I did feel the story was overly drawn out and slow in spots, I was utterly drawn in by the richly imagined characters and historical detail. Every single character is flawed in a myriad of ways, and the sense of impending doom that overlays the entire book heightens the anticipation of...will they or won’t they be redeemed?

Very well done even though a bit of an exhausting read.

Thanks to #NetGalley, #LittleBrownBookGroupUK and #Sphere for providing me the ARC. The opinions are strictly my own.

I remember enjoying Claire Evans debut, The Fourteenth Letter, but this, her latest, is even better, set in the Victorian era, with all the stink, murk and poverty of the period, infused by a dark atmosphere, despair and surprising twists that come when you least expect them. It is 1882, and 33 year old lawyer, Cage Lackmann, aka The Poet of Whitechapel, is in deep trouble as he is being led to a prison cell, a fate that he feels he more than deserves. The story then goes back two weeks to explain just how he ended up in this invidious position. 5 years ago Cage successfully defended a man, Moses Pickering, on the charge of the murder of 15 year old Nathaniel Crewler, convinced that Moses was totally innocent of the heinous crime. Now another 15 year old boy, Baxter Spring, has been discovered murdered, with the same MO as Nathaniel, had Cage made a monumental error of judgement and defended a guilty man?

With Moses running away, solidifying the picture of an all too guilty man, the repercussions for Cage are dire, harassed by the bitter DI Jack Cross who feels that at long last Cage is getting his just desserts, the legal profession is shunning him, and the clients who had once sought the acclaimed and successful lawyer have now all disappeared. Cage is far from a good man, he is owned by the criminal Obediah Pincott, he knows the power of words, stories are his business, understanding stagecraft, all of which has served him so well in court, having grown up in the theatre with his mother, Honor Dossett, an accomplished actress. He has a penchant for wine and whores, has no problems manufacturing witnesses to win his cases and free Pincott's brutal thugs and murderers. Cage is further haunted by his love for the married Emma Kenward, whom he had abandoned 5 years earlier. As Cage tries to find Moses, he becomes obsessed by the ghost of Baxter, the poet who wrote The Graves of Whitechapel, of the death of love, determined at any cost to find his killer.

Evans pays a great deal of attention to details and historical accuracy in the novel, a story of love, revenge, the death of hope and joy, betrayal, murder, machinations and a time where dreams are easily purchased. Her protagonist, Cage, is a complex man of many layers, we learn more of his past in the narrative, his love for his mother, how as a child he had no choice but to become a lawyer for Obediah, and his defence of those he believed innocent for no reward. You can't help but become drawn into the dark shadows that shroud Cage as he fights penury and chains, searching for emotional truths that can make him blind, as he rattles the cages of others as well as his own. This is a brilliant and enthralling read, the darkest of Victorian historical fiction which ensnares the attention of the reader with ease. Highly recommended for fans of historical fiction. Many thanks to Little, Brown for an ARC.