This book has a very slow start but has a creepy atmosphere
This book has many twists and is a great crime mystery with historical elements

"Letters from the Dead" by Sam Hurcom is a gripping historical mystery that takes you on a thrilling ride through a web of secrets and deception. Set in a hauntingly atmospheric village, it's a page-turner that keeps you guessing until the very end.

Letters from the dead is book 2 in the Thomas Bexley series. I have yet to read book 1 but I did enjoy book 2 enough to want to go back and take a look into book 1! That aside, it holds its own as a stand alone book, which is always a positive for me!

I think this is a great paranormal series and would honestly love for the author to continue the series. The world building and atmosphere were brilliant.

Also let's take a moment to appreciate that stunning cover art!!

As always thank you to the publisher and netgalley for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review

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.

The premise of 'Letters from the Dead' is right up my street: a ‘period’ crime thriller with elements of the supernatural, technology and conspiracy! However…

This is not a bad book by any means, but it just did not live up to my expectations. The plotting is loose to say the least and could do with a good edit to tighten it up. The dialogue, which is heavily relied upon to progress the plot, is often hard to take seriously and the finale was far from a surprise.

But to make matters worse, it is very much a sequel and I felt that I missed much by not reading the first in the series. Knowledge of the first novel is absolutely assumed, but with very little of that ‘backstory’ presented in 'Letters from the Dead'. That may work for some, but even when not new to a series it is helpful for an author to include small synopses or ‘recollections’ that bring back parts of an earlier story. Virtually nothing of this sort is included in 'Letters from the Dead' but it is littered with comments referring to past occurrences but without any detail of these events. This quickly becomes tiresome to a reader new to the series. Maybe I should have started with the first novel...

I really do hate to be negative (particularly when I have read MANY books far worse than this) and the premise of the series is quite innovative. I was remined throughout the first half of the novel particularly of John Buchan’s 'The 39 Steps' and 'The Wicker Man' film, both of which I am very fond, and this source of inspiration works well with the author’s scientific view of the supernatural. It is a novel idea and does work well. There is some really good stuff in here and I genuinely did want to look more favourably on 'Letters from the Dead' but unfortunately, I was quite glad to get to the end of it.
Probably not quite '4 stars' but is is a fresh idea and a lot more interesting than many a better-known author is putting out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orion for this ARC

I found this to be a brilliant and unique read, read it in one sitting.

I loved Shadow on the Lens and I loved this novel. It's gripping, creepy and highly entertaining.
A gothic thriller that kept me on the edge and wondering if what I read was reality or another of the visions of Thomas.
The plot is tightly knitted and flows, the world building and character development are excellent.
It's a thriller but it's also a fascinating story and I thoroughly enjoyed it even if I discovered the culprit quite soon.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Having become a recluse since his latest case, haunted by visions of the dead and drinking to forget, Thomas Bexley is startled to learn that his former friend and mentor, Elijah Hawthorn, is the lead suspect in a series of abductions and murders. Bexley is determined to prove Hawthorn innocent, but it soon becomes clear that there is no one he can trust. Not even himself, with all the drinking of the past few months.
This is the epitome of gothic fiction, which I very much enjoy. There are many twists and turns that kept me not only guessing what was going to happen next, but also questioning what had happened before. And the ending. Oh, the ending. I definitely did not see that coming.
This is definitely on my list of books to read again for the first time.

Read as a standalone as I hadn't known this was book 2. Enjoyed very much nonetheless. Beautifully written, this held my attention throughout.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.`

This book has all the elements I love. It is historical Gothic fiction - my favourite genre, with a mystery to solve and a totally unreliable narrator in Thomas Bexley. I didn’t read the first in the series, but have since purchased both as I enjoyed this so much. Set in the Edwardian period, with part in London and part in Scotland. Since the events of the last novel Bexley has become a recluse, haunted by so many ghosts that his drinking is out of hand, His friend and former mentor, Professor Hawthorne sends him a message. He has uncovered a conspiracy at the heart of the London Metropolitan Police. However, he is also the lead suspect in a spate of kidnappings. Bexley decides to help uncover the mystery of the kidnappings and help his friend. Yet there’s no escaping the dead, as they simply go wherever Bexley does, and how can he be relied upon if he really is losing his mind?

I did feel like I’d missed out on the first book, because I wanted to know what the old Thomas was like. I needed something to compare with his current situation and what had made his life unravel so spectacularly. However, this mystery was enthralling. The kidnapper is nicknamed The Wraith because he seems to spirit the victim away, there are no signs of a body left behind. With other killers there is a scene of the crime and body to give them clues. The Wraith leaves nothing and his victims never reappear, so are assumed to be dead. Bexley is joined in his endeavours by Beatrice - the sister of one of The Wraith’s victims. They travel together to Hawthorne’s last place of residence, to uncover what he’s been doing for the past few months. What could possibly have caused someone to frame him for these awful crimes?

I loved the sense of place that the author creates. Wherever these two go, I really get a full sense of what it’s like, no matter how horrible. He creates a compelling atmosphere from a creepy deserted Manor House, to gritty opium dens and the reality of London’s grimmer streets. These descriptions are so compelling and draw you deeply into the novel.. The supernatural sequences are so vivid and scary. These ghosts that plague him are so nasty and evil. The most horrific part is that I wasn’t sure whether they were real, or whether they were a figment of Bexley’s damaged psyche. Thomas is so fascinating, His mind is shattered at the beginning of the novel, but the author doesn’t let up. This case piles the pressure on, creating paranoia and what feel like manic episodes. He and Beatrice don’t always get along, she seems annoying at first but I grew to enjoy her and I liked her story arc - she’s trying to find her sibling and her emotions are invested in this. This is a hell of a rollercoaster ride, a mystery that’s brilliantly executed and kept me invested right till the last page.

When I started reading this book I didn’t actually realise it was book 2 in the Thomas Bexley series but it honestly made no difference and can definitely be read as a stand alone which is fab. I will however be reading book 1 A Shadow on the Lens very soon because I just devoured and loved Letters from the Dead.

Thomas Bexley is a very unreliable narrator, he’s a drunk, he doesn’t know what he did yesterday, the day before or even the month before. Having stopped working he’s become a recluse and heavily depends on alcohol to help ward off the visions of the dead he sees but he’s a very interesting character and one I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know.

Throughout the story he questions himself, his sanity and his innocence and as the reader I questioned them too only finding things out as Thomas did.

Set in 1905 London and Scotland the author has done a marvellous job of creating a story that is compelling and eerie. I loved the abandoned Scottish castle, it totally gave me the heebie jeebies and it’s written so well it’s very easy to imagine, to picture the scenes clearly in your mind.

It’s a fantastic mystery that really pulls you in, giving you little clues throughout and I really enjoyed trying to fit them together. It’s dark, gothic, it’s gripping and tense. It’s a story that I got so excited about while reading that i completely lost track of time, it felt like it had a hold of me and wouldn’t let go until I finished the very last page.

Letters from the Dead is a story I highly recommended. It has everything and more that a historical crime fiction book should have and I cannot wait to read more from the very talented Sam Hurcom.

i realised after starting this that it's the second book in a series. i wondered if that would affect my enjoyment of it but it didn't. i really enjoyed the writing and storytelling and would like to go back and take time reading the first one. its an interesting take on historical fiction and the cover is as beautiful as the prose.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with a complimentary eARC for review purposes*

Technically this isn't book two of a series. However, it does follow Thomas Bexley, the main character in Hurcom's A Shadow On The Lens, and I for one feel like I would have enjoyed this far more if I had read that first.

Interesting, Unique and a book I will be collecting for my forever shelf I have found this one hard to put down and have been completely captivated.
I adore the writing style, plot and characters. A great book!

Thomas Bexley just wants a quiet life, pipe and slippers.

Hurcom’s first book, A Shadow on the Lens, was fantastic and I jumped at the chance to read Letters from the Dead. It doesn’t disappoint. Although there are familiar characters and themes, the two books are, in many respects, completely different beasts. I felt completely deceived (in a good way!) by the twists and turns of the book and I loved its unpredictable nature.

What makes Hurcom’s writing so good is that he manages to give the reader the shivers without being gratuitous in his descriptions. It can take just a lamp extinguishing to plunge both protagonist and reader into total darkness and you’ll find yourself asking what that noise was…

Macabre, ghoulish, and intensely chilling; I hope this is not the last we see of Thomas Bexley.

This review will go live on 28 November:

Hi and welcome to my review of Letters from the Dead! Huge thanks to Alex Layt and Orion for the gorgeous review copy!

Letters from the Dead is the second novel featuring Thomas Bexley, but it can be read as a standalone, I should know, it’s what I did. Throughout Letters from the Dead there are references to and hints at what happened to Thomas in the first instalment, A Shadow on the Lens. These references and hints are enough to allow readers like myself who are new to Thomas Bexley to follow the narrative of Letters from the Dead perfectly and I must say that they’ve made me very curious indeed. I enjoyed my time with Thomas so much that I’ve ordered a copy of A Shadow on the Lens.

In Letters from the Dead, we find London terrorised by the Wraith of London. Men and women from all walks of life and all corners of the capital are being kidnapped by a criminal so insidious, so dangerous, so fear-inspiring that people are saying he might be the phantom of the Ripper, able to walk through walls and locked doors. The victims are missing, presumed dead, and the police is at a loss. Former special investigator / crime scene photographer Thomas Bexley is called in for questioning, since a friend and former colleague of his, an forensics expert named Hawthorn, is the prime suspect. Thomas doesn’t know what or who to believe and he’s obviously going through a bit of a rough patch: he can see ghosts and he’s not quite coping with that fact.

On his quest for the truth, Thomas’ lot is thrown in with Beatrice’s, who tells him she’s the sister of one of the missing persons and dead set on finding out who’s responsible, on getting justice. What ensues is part murder mystery, part ghost story, all fantastic historical crime fiction. Set a few decades after Jack the Ripper’s Whitechapel murders, that is exactly the gloomy atmosphere and eerie vibe you can expect from Letters from the Dead, and there are some decidedly creepy scenes in there as well. Victims go missing without leaving a trace or with anyone in their vicinity – family, friends, neighbours – being none the wiser. It is all awfully mysterious so of course I couldn’t get enough of it.

I saw one of the reveals (or rather: part of it) coming ages before Thomas did. At first it made me feel quite clever – look at me, master sleuth – but after a while I just wanted to scream at him to wake up and smell the bloody coffee! Despite his issues and struggles, or perhaps thanks to his issues and struggles, I really liked Thomas Bexley as a protagonist. Most of the time we got on like a house on fire, and part of my obsession with Letters from the Dead stemmed from my needing him to be okay.

A satisfying murder mystery and compelling historical crime fiction with the added bonus (to this particular reader, at least) of an occult element in the form of ghosts, Letters from the Dead was the perfect fit for me, and I think a great many other readers as well. If you enjoy Gothic historical crime fiction set in Victorian/Edwardian times or books like The Quickening by Rhiannon Ward, Spirited by Julie Cohen or Wakenhyrst by Michelle Paver, I highly recommend you check out Letters from the Dead!

Special thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a review e-copy in exchange for honest feedback.

At first, I was totally wondering why I seemed so lost in reading a few chapters. After I finished this book then I realized, this is the 2nd book already. How I wish I can read the first book and do the review too. However, the storyline is different from the first book so I was able to catch up with the plot. I was bored at the first few chapters then things change when there new character comes in.

When Beatrice showed up, it's getting interesting including the mystery/adventure exists in the story. I can't stop reading when I already able to pick up the storyline and curious about what is going on in this story. Beatrice quite annoying to me. A bit. Asking here, there and being a bit of pushy while Thomas is struggling. However, it fits the story or else it will be a dull one.

It is also appealing to me since there is some sort Sherlock vibes, not to the character but to the mystery surrounding in the story. I wish to see Thomas acted as the best investigator as Beatrice mentioned it. He should be portrayed so in this story but all I can found is he is struggling perhaps his strength is shown in the first book. The plot twist thrown in the book already kind of expected near to its revealing time. I mean when you read a few dialogue before the truth came out, you can predicted whos and whats but still good to me. It also can regards as horror genre since there were ghost apparitions here. It gave me goosebumps while reading. I love it !!! From here I realized I love Gothic Historical Fiction books. To me, if I can't stop reading, this book is a page turner and deserve 4.5 or 5 stars.

This story gripped me from beginning to end. The beautiful narrative was filled with twists and turns that had me begging for more and more. As we were brought further and further into his descent into madness, the only thing that stopped me from thinking he was the culprit the entire time was the fact the narration started ten years in the future. Without this nugget of knowledge, I would have fully believed that he had committed the atrocious acts.

The intertwining visits from the dead makes Thomas not the most reliable of narrators but I thought that was part of what made this book brilliant and often found myself rereading sections to try to figure out what was real and what Thomas had imagined.

All in, this was a fantastic crime mystery book that I would recommend to anyone that enjoys the more macabre side of fiction and I look forward to picking up the first book, A Shadow on the Lens, as I feel I need to know what happened in Wales!

Thank you to NetGalley and Orion for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Letters From The Dead is the second novel featuring Thomas Bexley, one of the world’s first forensic photographers. The character of Thomas was first introduced in the author’s debut novel, A Shadow On The Lens, and Letters From The Dead picks up a few months later the events that changed Thomas’s life. If, like me, you haven’t read A Shadow On The Lens, no worries. Hints and mentions will give you an overall background of what happened in the first book and you can easily follow the story of Letters From The Dead.

The story is set in London, in the year 1905. More than a decade after the murders of Jack the Ripper, London is shaken by another serial killer. Renamed the Wraith of London, the serial killer randomly kidnaps men and women around the English capital and their bodies are never found. Lost in his own world of alcohol and seclusion, the once-special investigator Thomas Bexley finds out about the serial killer when interrogated by the Metropolitan Police who thinks that the serial killer is Elijah Hawthorn, once a mentor and friend of Thomas. Not entirely convinced of Elijah’s guilt, Thomas starts investigating on his own going on a journey that will lead him to Scotland, prison, and horrific discoveries…

I really enjoyed reading Letters From The Dead. It is dark, haunting, and gripping and I really liked the protagonist, Thomas Bexley. He is smart, flawed, and authentic. He is also an unreliable narrator. You don’t know if you can trust him. He is addicted to alcohol, he suffers some memory loss. and he has visions which leave you to question what’s happening.

Letters From The Dead is the perfect read for fans of historical crime stories and gothic novels. After reading this well-written and well-plotted story, I am going back and read the first novel, A Shadow On The Lens. Highly recommended!

It’s 1905 and Thomas Bexley, a forensic photographer has begun seeing ghosts.

Bexley also has a drinking problem and has gaps in his memory but after his former mentor is accused of going on a spate of killings, he then has to put all of his problems aside to solve the case.

Problem is The Dead want to find out the truth and they won’t leave him alone until he has done so.

Is it his former mentor that’s killed all those people or a cult that’s behind the killings or is it someone else entirely?

After he finds a body of one of his friends, things start to come to light and he soon starts uncovering the truth.

I loved that I had no idea where it was going and Hurcom constantly surprised me. Every time I thought I knew where the novel was going, Hurcom changed it on us.

This is a fantastic read that’s brilliantly creepy and highly descriptive.

‘Letters from the Dead’ is full of lots of moments that is guaranteed to send chills down your spine and is the kind of novel that is bound to keep you up all night in more ways than one.

This is a perfect mix of Sherlock Holmes and The Others so if you love gothic crime novels or spooky reads then this is the one for you.