The Detective Branch: A Pyke Mystery (Pyke Mystery 4)
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Review
Dramatically sketching the dark Victorian underbelly of London, Pepper creates a perfect sense of atmosphere and place as he ratchets up the tension in this satisfying thriller. (CATHOLIC HERALD )
A quality slice of Victorian crime (SOUTH WALES ARGUS )
A quality slice of Victorian crime (SOUTH WALES ARGUS )
Review
Dramatically sketching the dark Victorian underbelly of London, Pepper creates a perfect sense of atmosphere and place as he ratchets up the tension in this satisfying thriller. CATHOLIC HERALD A quality slice of Victorian crime SOUTH WALES ARGUS
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
A rollicking story set in London in the 1840s featuring Pyke, the head of the newly formed Detective Branch, who is tasked with investigating the murder of three people killed during a robbery at a pawnbroker's. The fact that Pyke recognises one of the victims, a man who has links with Pyke's own criminal past, is only the first hurdle on a case that threatens to destroy him. Pepper's novel is brimming with period detail, some of it familiar but much of it fresh, and depicts a time when the city was mushrooming with the influx of workers, many from Ireland. It's de rigueur for detectives to be flawed and act as mavericks and Pepper follows that template but skilfully makes Pyke a fully believable hero of his time. Facing corruption and double-dealing on all sides and loss and upheaval in his personal life, Pyke captures our sympathy. This is the fourth of Pepper's novels and the first was short-listed for the CWA New Blood Dagger.
Cath Staincliffe
Cath Staincliffe
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is the fourth Pyke novel and Andrew Pepper paints his atmospheric picture in full detail of Victorian London.He seems to know every alley and back street like the back of his hand as he takes us into the pea-soupers of 1844.He has you griped with a story of high intrigue and low politics,brutal murder with cunning conspiracies.Pyke is at his voilent and vengeful best as he tries to uncover the connection between a robbery that leaves three people dead and the brutal murder of a Rector of a wealthy parish.His suspicions lead him to a dissolute former Catholic priest,rummers of devil worship and a old case that no one wants him to investigate.This is Andrew Pepper at the top of his game,roll on the next Pyke outing.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Together with James McGee's Matthew Hawkwood, Andrew Pepper's Pyke series represent the best crime novels of the era they cover.Whereas Hawkwood is an ex-soldier, Pyke comes from the moe seedy side of the Victorian underworld.The Pyke stories began in 1829 with the excellent Last Days of Newgate and has taken us through a turbulent time for Pyke and his wife (now tragically deceased) his son and his uncle Godfrey, and Pepper never fails to lead us through a vivid period atmosphere in the streets of London with fine action and suspense.Other reviews have set out brief outlines of the plot, and I would heartily recommend both Pepper and McGee's work for those who love their crime and mystery novels.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Brilliant
Great stuff yet again. And again I'm not going to give the plot away. I love the problems Pyke is having at work with his bosses; I love the problems he is having at home. Read more
Published 1 month ago by S Clark H
Better Than Average Mystery
This is the 4th book in the Victorian mystery series featuring Detective Pyke. I haven't read any of the first three so I can't compare this with the earlier ones. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Mrs. C. Colbert
Cop Story by Numbers, saved by a good writer
Does this sound familiar to you?
Take one maverick cop with a shady past and a penchant for breaking the rules to get the job done. Read more
Take one maverick cop with a shady past and a penchant for breaking the rules to get the job done. Read more
Published 11 months ago by EdwaKarD
The Detective Branch ...
I am afraid that I found this book slightly disappointing.
This was my first Andrew Pepper book and I found the prologue (that I read in the bookshop totally gripping!! Read more
This was my first Andrew Pepper book and I found the prologue (that I read in the bookshop totally gripping!! Read more
Published 13 months ago by Tim
A more mature Pyke
Followers of Pyke will be familiar with his mix of persistance, doggedness and outright pychosis when it comes to solving crime. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Mr. A. I. Harrison
Improved with time
I was looking forward to reading this book as the description promised an atmospheric thriller. However, I was not truly engaged with the book until chapter 11. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Waasley
the detective branch
Set in the early 1800's this detective thriller is as dark and gritty as its main character.
Pyke (no first name) has been introduced as starting life in an orphanage, turning... Read more
Pyke (no first name) has been introduced as starting life in an orphanage, turning... Read more
Published 14 months ago by stayhomemom
Gene Hunt and Jack Regan would be proud of Pyke
Although an avid reader of crime novels I normally avoid any set in Victorian times, with the exception of the excellent railway detective series from Edward Marston. Read more
Published 14 months ago by groovingcat
The Detective Branch: A Pyke Novel
This novel is set in mid 19th Century London and is based on Pyke, the Head of the Detective Branch at Scotland Yard. Read more
Published 15 months ago by S. Hinchliffe
Not as good as I had expected
A shooting at a pawn brokers in Victorian London, which leaves three dead, is investigated by the recently formed Detective Branch. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Lindylou
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