i really enjoyed reading this book, the characters were great and I really enjoyed going on this journey. I liked that it took place in 1892. I found the idea terrifying, it was a great read for Halloween.

I will be honest, I had a hard time getting into this book. The author did a great job with the descriptions but I couldn't get into the characters.

This was Such an enjoyable read. After a spirutalist convinces the people that ghosts from plague victims have come to take revenge, panic arises. It doesn’t take long for the first sightings… and deaths. It is up to a clergyman and a surgeon (with some help from the police) to find out what is going on.

"When Doyle studied medicine at Edinburgh University, he fell under the spell of a Doctor Joseph Bell and gave his character Holmes the same penchant for careful observation and logical deduction that Bell had demonstrated to his students. It was no great stretch of the imagination to reason that an entire generation of medical men would have received the same training from this very real medical pioneer and Dr James Carlyle was born."

Yes, the surgeon in this story is a lot like Holmes, and the clergyman is basically Watson. And they go So well together. It is a joy to see their relationship develop, to read their interesting discussions and their banter. Added to this is Carlyle’s daughter who fights for women’s representation and rights, who is funny and clever but also very firm in her beliefs and easily offended. Together with the police inspector they form a great team with diverse points of views, perfect to solve this mystery.

The mystery itself is somewhat simple, but with this being a short book (200 pages), that was okay. It was certainly interesting and unique and kept me reading well into the night. The writing isn’t anything special, but very readable.

Everything together made this a really fun read, and after only the first chapter I was already loving it so much I instantly requested (and received, jeey) the second book in this series. And I cannot wait to find out what will happen next…

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this review copy. As someone who reads a lot of historical crime fiction, this novel shows a lot of promise and the characters have potential to become more engaging as the series progresses. While I enjoyed the story, the main issue I had with the book is it’s length, it’s far too short. More time should have been spent building up the characters and creating an authentic atmosphere of Victorian London. As this is only the start of the series, the author can do this in future books and I hope they do as I would like to see how they continue this series.

A historical mystery taking place in 1892 London. As the first in a series we are introduced to the two main characters. One is a man of god, the other a man of science. They are drawn together to figure out why Londoners are claiming to have seen plague victims, risen from the dead.

The two men's differing philosophies play off each other well. The details of 1892 London are finely detailed. It is very well written but on the whole, the book is a bit dry for my taste. The mystery seemed incidental, serving as a vehicle to introduce the main characters.

I received a free ARC. I am leaving my honest review.

Interviewing the Dead is the first in a new series by David Field. It sets up the age old questions around God and Science in Victorian England a few years after the end of the Jack the Ripper murders.

When the dead begin to rise from a plague pit and terrorise East London we meet Matthew who is a Wesleyan minister and a firm non believer that the plague victims are seeking revenge on the public. The bodies are piling up when he crosses paths with Dr Carlyle, practising in a new field of anatomising the dead, he uses his talents to gleam information from the victims, much in the manor of the Kathy Reichs character Bones. The doctor is accompanied by his daughter Adelaide, a fiesty, smart, young woman fighting for her place in a man's world. Adelaide was such an interesting character to me as a woman in science before the suffrage movement really takes off, before women win the vote and any semblance of rights, she is fighting to be heard. Throughout the book she continues to fight the patriarchal society she lives in, giving Matthew no doubt what she thinks as their relationship bubbles along in the background. I liked that there wasn't a strong romantic element to the story, it would have detracted from the themes of the book. We follow West and Carlyle, along with Inspector Jennings as the discover whether God or Science is behind the crimes and apparitions, working together to represent their fields but not held back by them. As the debut for this series I think the characters were well set up and has definitely made me want to read Book 2. I liked the discussions between the characters, that neither opinion was ridiculed and it took all of their fields to solve the mystery. It is an enjoyable read, with plenty of potential for expanding the series.

Victorian era settings, spiritualism, and murder are favorite themes of mine so I was excited to read this book. It's fast paced, with interesting characters and points of view. Thanks to Netgalley and Sapere for pulling me out of reading slump!

Should you be afraid of the dead – or the living? What in the hell is really happening in London? Are the victims of the Black Death really rising from the grave to seek their vengeance? Is the renowned spiritualist claiming the dead are now rising to punish Londoners to be believed or is she just some whack job? Or worse is London again at the mercy of a serial killer? So many theories and we have barely even scratched the surface to whats really going on.

Interviewing The Dead is the first book in the Carlyle & West Victorian Mysteries series and it left me sold and eager to read the upcoming books. Not only was the plot interesting the characters were so enjoyable. I absolutely fell in love with "Interviewings" characters and their snarky banter. The writing was straightforward and easy to follow. While the storyline wasnt complex and I wouldnt categorize as thrilling it was still full of enough twists and turns to keep me flipping the pages.

I recieved a digital copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

In this mystery, a Wesleyan clergyman and two scientists team up to solve a mystery involving apparent apparitions and deaths in London. While the mystery itself is interesting, the characters are a bit over the top in terms of speech and action and never quite come together as realistic, remaining stereotypes throughout, A romance between the clergyman and one of the scientists feels forced and unnecessary.

The year of 1892 and a spiritualist is whipping up a frenzy in London, saying that the spirits of a mass grave discovered where hundreds were buried in 1665 are going to rise up and create chaos, mayhem and revenge for their death two centuries before.

Before long, several citizens have actually seen these horrible sights and died as a result and now the hysteria is spreading. Turning to a local cleric Matthew West seems logical for the parishioners but he himself is nonplussed and turns to a local doctor who may have a more clinical view on the happenings. Is this some phenomenon beyond their understanding or is a clever serial killer let loose on unsuspecting Londoners.

As usual more than the actual mystery, my interest lay in the description of London of 1892. This was spot on. Methods used were unorthodox but then we are talking of 1892 and it seems perfectly alright at the time!

Princess Fuzzypants here: This is a corker of a mystery set five years after Jack The Ripper killed his final victim. The East End is still reeling so when people claim to see ghosts of plague pit victims attack them from the bowels of Aldgate Station, hysteria is rampant and those who do not die are injured. But there are those who do not believe the sources are spectral but something nefarious and human.
It will take the combined efforts and talents of four very dissimilar people to solve the question. A famous and well respect doctor, his rebellious and brilliant daughter who works with him in the morgue, a young street preacher and a police inspector are unusual allies but they first deal with the source of the hysteria before they discover who is the brains behind the scare and how and why he is doing it. In fact, when West, the preacher, is confronted by the villain, it is he who provides the final links to getting to the bottom of it and spreading the news that it is over.
Carlyle, the doctor and West, the preacher are a great team. Add in Adelaide, the daughter with a scathing wit and a hot temper, and you have the makings of a highly entertaining and elegant story. I found I could not put it down easily and was disappointed when it ended- albeit leaving much speculation of where this trio will go in the future. I, for one, will wait with anticipation.
Five purrs and two paws up.

As the first book in a series, this has been perfect for introducing the main characters and the backdrop of London and it's conditions.

I wholly enjoyed the mystery and the way it was solved including the few twists along the way and I await the next book in the series!

A pleasant prose that kept me reading to the end, with contrasting personalities and their take on things. The historical time period could have been dealt in detail. The suspense was too plain and was solved by accident. Hope these are dealt with in the forthcoming books. 3.5 stars

3.5 Stars. It took me about 1/3 of the book to start to really get invested/enjoy the story. I really love the main characters and can't wait to revisit them in the next book. I wish the case that they were working on had a little more too it, though. It felt almost too easy, Overall I did really enjoy the read, and plan on reading the next novel.

I enjoyed reading this book even though it was not creepy like I first expected. It was actually a good Historical mystery set in London a few years after Jack The Ripper had run rampant through the Whitechapel area. I thought the characters were nicely developed and the combination of clergy, police and doctor made it quite similar to present day fiction. The addition of a strong and independent female character was a nice addition and I like her immensely. She brought humour to the story. The author did a lovely job of creating the storyline and it flowed nicely from beginning to end without any unnecessary side stories. If is a quick read and I look forward to reading more in this series Thanks to Netgalley and Sapere Publishing for allowing me to read this Book.

I found this a pleasant read, as far as the risen dead and gruesome deaths can be described as ‘pleasant’. A man of Faith and a man of Science join together in 1892 to investigate the deaths of seemingly unconnected people who are reported to have seen the dead return all over London. They track the cause to spiked beer in hostelries but who and why are the questions they must then answer.
I thought the overall atmosphere needed fleshing out a bit - opportunities wasted to really bring 1890s London to life, but the two opposing points of view from the main characters are deftly juxtaposed and encourage the reader to make their own enquiries as the plot develops.

I thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a digital copy of this novel.

Actual rate: 3.50 stars

This book was a very enjoyable read. I have always had an interest in the paranormal, and I watch a lot of paranormal documentaries, but I'm also quite skeptical of too popular beliefs about ghosts and such, so finding a book that deals with investiganting a phenomena that may or may not be related to the paranormal made me very happy.
The story is, nevertheless, narrated through skeptical eyes: both the main character and the other major ones were looking for a "normal" and realistic solution to the mystery, and it was still pleasant to read. The characters were also quite interesting, their personalities were much deeper than I expected from such a short book.
I think that's what penalized this book to me: the shortness. The events and the scenes felt a bit disconnected from each other sometimes, and they could have been developed and described more deeply. Also for being a mystery/thriller with a historical setting it lacked atmosphere, More descriptions of London, its population and its places could have definitely helped the story to seem more complete.
Overall this was a pleasant read, and I may check out the sequel one day.

Interviewing the Dead by David Field -- 4 Stars
Publisher: Sapere Books
ISBN: 9781913518707

Interviewing the Dead is an intelligent and entertaining historical mystery. It is well researched with interesting characters that have differing views of science and religion.
1892 was a time when con men promoted spiritualism, science was evolving, and women were struggling for a place in professional positions. The descriptions of the tricks of mentalists reminded me of observations by Sherlock Holmes. There are visions of ghosts and fears of returning dead among Londoners, but I didn’t find it a “keep you up at night” scary story. It was because the fad of spiritualism and belief of communicating with the dead was in fashion at the time. The note to the reader at the end about historical details of the book was interesting. I enjoyed this novel for the mystery and vivid descriptions of the people and setting in 1892 London.

Reviewer: Nancy

I was given a copy of this book for review.

I was expecting a horror story based on the cover. I was very surprised to find this was a detective novel of sorts. loosely based on Sherlock Holmes methods, the Doctor is the main detective , his assistant is a priest and not a Idiot at all. The Scotland yard man is also willing to accept assistance.

I was very pleased to have been given a copy of this book and do look forward to reading more.

I love this book, the first in a new series, and I couldn't put it down.
The plot is interesting, full of twists and turns, and it kept me hooked till the last page.
I loved the vivid and well researched historical background and the mix of historical fiction and mystery.
The mystery is solid and it kept me guessing, the cast of characters well thought and likeable.
I can't wait for the next instalment because I want to know what will happen in the character's life.
It's strongly recommended.
Many thanks to Sapere Books and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.