Darlene's Book Nook: Audiobook Review: The Yard by Alex Grecian

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Audiobook Review: The Yard by Alex Grecian

TITLE: The Yard

SERIES: Book #1 in a series about the London Murder Squad
AUTHOR: Alex Grecian

PUBLISHER: Penguin Audio
PUBLICATION DATE: May 29, 2012

FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook, 14 hours and 42 minutes
GENRE: Historical Thriller

ISBN: 9781101564660

Victorian London is a cesspool of crime, and Scotland Yard has only 12 detectives - known as “The Murder Squad” - to investigate thousands of murders every month. Created after the Metropolitan Police’s spectacular failure to capture Jack the Ripper, The Murder Squad suffers rampant public contempt. They have failed their citizens. But no one can anticipate the brutal murder of one of their own... one of the 12....

When Walter Day, the squad’s newest hire, is assigned the case of the murdered detective, he finds a strange ally in the Yard’s first forensic pathologist, Dr. Bernard Kingsley. Together they track the killer, who clearly is not finished with The Murder Squad.... but why?

Filled with fascinating period detail, and real historical figures, this spectacular debut in a new series showcases the depravity of late Victorian London, the advent of criminology, and introduces a stunning new cast of characters sure to appeal to fans of The Sherlockian and The Alienist.

MY REVIEW:

I received this audiobook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any compensation for my review, and the views expressed herein are my own.

The Yard takes place in the Victorian era and features the men of London's Scotland Yard who have been assigned to work on a special task force to investigate murders, which was established following the Jack the Ripper cases. The story opens with an officer found slain. In the following chapter, we find out who the perpetrator is and learn more about him. Written from the opposing points of view of the murderer and the detectives, it builds suspense. You know those moments in a thrilling movie when you are yelling at the television for the person to turn around or not to go through the door? Well, this book has a lot of those! I felt as though I was a part of the story, waiting for the detectives to find out what I already knew!

Grecian has developed a whole cast of wonderful characters, and I can't settle on just one favourite! I loved Inspector Walter Day, who married a woman of much higher social status than himself. We learn a little bit of their love story, which was very sweet and romantic. Then there is Constable Nevil Hammersmith who, as a boy, worked in the coal mines. I absolutely adored Dr. Bernard Kingsley, the self-appointed coroner, who has the biggest heart and is so compassionate.

This is Grecian's debut novel, and I love the world that he has created. The setting is so richly detailed that I felt as if I was there. Fans of Sherlock Holmes will love it. It is my understanding that this is the start of a series, and Grecian has already hooked me with his fantastic characters! I look forward to reading more of his work!

This is my first narration by Toby Leonard Moore, and the first thing that I noticed was his breathing. At the outset of the book, I was distracted by his every inhalation and there were also some awkward pauses. I soon became caught up in the drama of the book and no longer paid them any mind. I loved Moore's accent and the tone of his voice, but I was preoccupied with his breathing in the beginning.

MY RATING: