My thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for a review copy of this one.

This was an exciting, interesting, very dark and also slightly unsettling piece of historical fiction set in Edinburgh, and combines a mystery with psychological aspects and elements of Celtic folklore and the occult. The Hyde of the title is Captain Edward Hyde, who has returned from service in India and is now Superintendent of Detective Officers in Edinburgh’s City Police.

Our story (being narrated by Hyde to a certain author, I’m sure you can guess who) opens with the creepy wail of what seems to a banshee which stops a young factory worker in her tracks. On the trail of this wail is also Captain Hyde—only he doesn’t remember how he came to be there or following it. Still, he continues on, and it leads him to a grisly sight—a man cruelly murdered and hung upside down, in a manner that Hyde soon realises is connected with Celtic ritual for the victim has been thrice killed. But there is no clue who the person could be.

Meanwhile Hyde has been working on another case, a young man accused of murder (and executed) who Hyde is unsure committed the crime he was accused of. Then an heiress to a department store, Elspeth Lockwood, who was involved with the mysterious but unsavoury Fredric Ballor (dabbling in the occult and seeking the Celtic Otherworld) goes missing, and Hyde is charged with finding her before it is too late. And if that weren’t enough, he is also asked by his boss to keep an eye on the political doings of an artist. Amidst all of this Hyde is struggling with his own losses of memory, periods of time which he can’t account for, where he can’t remember where he was and what he was doing, leading him to fear that it might be himself who is responsible for some of the horrors he comes across (despite his doctor’s assurances to the contrary).

The doctor/surgeon who conducts the autopsies for the police is the historical Dr Joseph Bell, the real-life inspiration behind Sherlock Holmes (including him, and in a role that he would have played in real life, was great fun). And assisting him is Dr Cally Burr who Hyde becomes interested in, and eventually seeks help from, confessing his condition to her. Women doctors were few at the time, and confined to limited areas of practice not being generally accepted as professionals and in Cally’s character we see some of these struggles, added to by her background.

This was a pretty complicated mystery or should I say set of mysteries, with plenty of twists and turns, and also plenty of bodies. While I did manage to guess who the first body might turn out to be, I wasn’t entirely sure about how the ending would turn out or how the pieces of the puzzle would fit together. The entire atmosphere with Celtic rituals and occult elements, gruesome deaths, characters living dual lives (more than one and in more than one way), and one at least trapped in frightening darkness, made this a really creepy read—just perfect for the Halloween/Winter season. In fact, of all the darker-themed books I read around the time, this one was certainly the scariest and most unsettling. I also liked how within all this, the author also managed to weave in and highlight historical issues like the prejudice that some had to face simply for who they were. And the end had a fun touch as well, despite the graver tone of the book as a whole. An excellent read!

Hyde was my first Craig Russell book, and I’m glad to say it was extremely enjoyable.

Firstly, the writing is very good. Russell instantly drew me into 19th century Edinburgh. He paints the city in a beautifully bleak, dark way. The prose really creates a sense of foreboding.

It’s a great take on the story of Jekyll and Hyde. The character of Hyde himself is intriguing, and the supporting cast only strengthens the story.

The only reason I cant give this 5 stars is the ending itself. I felt somewhat let down by it. I felt it was a little too obvious, so that when the ‘twist’ came, I didn’t find myself surpsied.

However that shouldn’t take anything away from what was an enjoyable Halloween read!

I was very exited about this book but sadly it didn’t work for me. The whole thing felt very contrived and the language didn’t flow well enough to draw me in. The premise was good but very quickly it felt like the author was getting bogged down in detail. The plot itself was rather cliched too I’m sorry to say.
The characters were the highlight and I found the characterisation good but it was to enough to save the book for me.

An interesting read for the dark nights of autumn. A mix of supernatural elements and good old fashioned murder. The book does however feel quite formulaic in the way it’s written, and some of the language is very clunky.

4 HAUNTINGLY , GOTHIC , DARKER THAN THE DARKEST NIGHT STARS FOR THIS SPECTACULAR READ!

This is my first book by Craig Russell and I am impressed. It has elements of Magic Realism, Celtic folk tales and all the mysticism of the Scottish Highlands. I am not very well read/versed with those so I faced minor "lost in translation" moments quite a bit. Also the Pleonastic style of writing was unnecessary and in copious amounts.

But, apart from that it was an ATMOSPHERIC and MEMORABLE reading experience that too during a frustrating reading slump. Also this book was worth staying up for, my NIGHT COMPANION.

"THE CEREMONY WAS TO BE TONIGHT. TONIGHT WOULD BE THE GREATEST REVELATION OF ALL"

Judging from the title "HYDE" is this long story based on the the infamous JEKYL and HYDE syndrome that has been regaling our lives for the longest time or something else, READ AND FIND OUT, I am not going to snatch away your reading experience by telling you anything.

Thank you Little, Brown Book Group and NetGalley for giving me the e ARC in exchange for my honest review. I loved this CREEPY book.
#Hyde #NetGalley

Captain Edward Hyde is searching for those responsible for murders in Victorian Edinburgh – but it’s far from easy. In doing so, he is entangled in a world of occultism and dark figures, and while he’s uncomfortable, it’s something he’s sadly all too familiar with. Edward has the ability to experience two realities and it’s in the one brought on by a neurological condition in which he must enter, to find the murderers. If this sounds creepy and gothic, you’re quite right, especially when Hyde’s tale inspires a certain author with the initials RLS. This is a clever, innovative take on a story that has captivated readers for decades, and I feel this book will do the same.

Not just another detective story from the brilliant Craig Russell, but one touching on historical facts, Celtic mythology and a famous story by another well known author. Russell brings it all together in a cracking story with an ending you won't see coming.

Although I have read books by Craig Russell before, this is the first I have read of his in this genre. The plot was a little slow but the strong characters carried the story. A surprising ending (for me anyway!) and I would recommend this book for anyone with an interest in Victorian detective stories and/or Scottish mythology.

After The Devil Aspect, Craig Russell returns with an equally haunting gothic horror, set in Edinburgh, of a certain Edward Hyde, returned from the terrors inflicted by the British in India, now serving as a Superintendent of Detective Officers at New Town Station for City of Edinburgh Police. This is tale that draws on Scottish folklore and legends, of the notorious Deacon Brodie, and the resurrection of a secret Dark Guild, of the devil, a monster, a black hellhound, intent on setting fire to the present Scotland and return it to its more worthy past. Hyde is a troubled man, seeing his psychiatric friend and physician, Dr Samuel Porteus, for he loses time and cannot remember what happened or what acts he might have been responsible for, plagued by nightmares, seeing the dead and glimpsing in his dreams the ancient Celtic Otherworld. Porteus has diagnosed him as epileptic, certain he is a good man, with nothing to worry about, dispensing medication that is continuously altered when it appears to have little effect.

Hyde, however, is a deeply worried and disturbed man, and for good reason when he finds himself following a banshee cry and at the scene of a gruesome 3 fold death at the Waters of Leith, a man hanged upside down, drowned and with his heart removed. He has no idea why or how he came to be there, and deep inside is the fear that perhaps he is the killer, a predicament that leads him to confess all to a exceptional and strong Dr Cally Burr, one of the first female trained doctors in a city that is still resistant to them. Matters are exacerbated with the suspicious disappearance of Elspeth Lockwood, from a wealthy and privileged family. There are agitators, occultists, hanging trees, an execution believed by Hyde to be of an innocent man, more murders, including another 3 fold death, the victim strangled, stabbed and with their eyes removed, the presence of pure evil, and a Hyde facing grave and deadly dangers as connections begin to emerge, but can he trust himself?

Russell has a real talent for writing multilayered atmospheric gothic stories with elements of the supernatural, and plotlines that had me terrified and biting my nails as I tried to work out where all the threats and dangers were coming from. The creation of his Hyde is perfect for a unsettling and disturbing narrative with oodles of dark suspense and tension, ideal for Autumn and Winter reading, and I loved how it all begins and finishes, Hyde with his friend, a Robert Louis Stevenson who finds himself inspired to write his own tale featuring Hyde! A fabulously entertaining read from an author who knows how to spin the darkest of yarns. If you are a fan of Russell and or enjoyed The Devil Aspect, or just enjoy superior storytelling, then this is highly likely to appeal to you. Many thanks to Little, Brown for an ARC.

I am a huge fan of Craig Russell and in particular, loved the Lennox series. However, Hyde left me cold.

Whilst beautifully written with dark and atmospheric gothic tones, the plot was sadly lacking and by the time I reached the end of the story, I no longer cared who had commited the crimes.

I did enjoy the Hyde character as well as Doctor Burr and Hyde's police associates but felt far too long was spent discussing Hyde's intimidating appearance and his feelings towards his love interest - pointless considering the lack of progress in that plot point. Overall, the story felt like a rough draft, with lots of underdeveloped ideas and too many unecessary descriptions. That being said, if a sequel is produced (as I suspect there may be), I would give it another go due to the potential within the characters as well as Russell's writing style,

Disappointing. If looking for a Craig Russell book, I'd recommend the Lennox series over this.

Thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for the ARC.

spoiler alert ** 3.5 stars


Bit of a mixed bag for me.
I enjoyed the setting,the characters,the folklore,the medical stuff,the independent women,the crimes,the solving of the crimes.... so by the end of the book I felt satisfied of having read a good story.
But at times,I felt it was very slow going.
Hyde was a great character,as was and if they came back,I'd be reading book 2.