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The Last Days of Newgate (Pyke Mystery)
 
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The Last Days of Newgate (Pyke Mystery) (Hardcover)

by Andrew Pepper (Author)
3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (29 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Hardcover: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson (6 Jul 2006)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 029785237X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0297852377
  • Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 15.4 x 3.2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 278,265 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

John Cooper, TIMES (27.6.06)
'The novel drips with all the atmospheric detail of a pre-Victorian murder mystery - "pea-soupers", dingy lanterns and laudanum.'

Review
'The main character is a Bow Street Runner who is investigating three brutal murders in St Giles, London. He crosses powerful people, ends up in Newgate prison heading for the gallows, has the help of a headstrong aristocratic beauty...a story of high intrigue and low politics, brutal murder and cunning conspiracies...Tangy and rambunctious stuff.' (Peter Guttridge OBSERVER (18.6.06) )

'The novel drips with all the atmospheric detail of a pre-Victorian murder mystery - "pea-soupers", dingy lanterns and laudanum.' (John Cooper TIMES (27.6.06) )

'This is an excellent, atmospheric mystery...it is the character of Pyke that is of greatest interest. I struggle to find anyone to compare him with, with the possible exception of Patricia Highsmith's Ripley. He is an anti-hero who intends to prove his innocence at whatever cost. But his acts can be heroic - and there is no lack of morality in the book. The final chapter hints at the impact of some of the compromises made. I can't wait for the sequel.' (CRIMESQUAD.COM )

'Gripping and atmospheric.' (DAILY EXPRESS (21.7.06) )

'[The Last Days of Newgate is] peppered with thrilling escapes, audacious crimes, snatched sexual encounters. Several murders (including that of a baby) are graphically described, as is the way that Pyke tortures his principal adversary before consigning him to a cage of hungry sewer rats.' (Sarah Burton TIMES (15.7.06) )

'Pyke is violent, vengeful and conflicted in the best tradition of detectives. His story takes in grisly murder and torture, and uses 1800s London in the same way that hard-boiled fiction uses Los Angeles as a mirror of a corrupt society.' (Jerome de Groot TIME OUT (2-9 August) **** )

'...the period detail is well observed, with the issues of of the day effectively illustrated.' (Robert Colbeck YORKSHIRE EVENING POST (29.7.06) )

'Well researched and enjoyably disturbing, THE LAST DAYS OF NEWGATE is on of the few novels in the new wave of historical fiction likely to leave the reader clamouring for more.' (TLS (27.10.06) )

'This is a potent mix of sectarian politics and raw violence, a richly-researched novel...with a provocative hero...This gritty detective novel will apeal to those who loke plenty of gore and bodies galore.' (Marina Oliver HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW (August 2007) )

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Customer Reviews

29 Reviews
5 star:
 (14)
4 star:
 (5)
3 star:
 (7)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:
 (3)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.9 out of 5 stars (29 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The first in a classic series?, 31 Aug 2006
By Alan Gillis (Edinburgh) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
In an age in which we're overcrowded with more detectives and crime-fiction protagonists than we can possibly keep track off, Andrew Pepper has delivered a central character who is truly unforgettable. `Pyke' is an extraordinarily vivid, and quite unsettling, creation. On his own, he would make this a compulsive read. But better yet, Pepper clearly knows what to do with him. His brilliant novel turns C19th London into a distinctive and authentic hard-boiled city - edgy, confusing, threatening, labyrinthine and teeming with shadow-bound forces. The stench of gin and laudanum comes reeking off the page.

The novel is set in 1829, when ideals and realities that we might call our own - concerning the nature of the State, of justice, of social control, of national identity - are still coming into existence. As such, the book shows them to be, at best, murky and ambiguous. And, as with the best historical novels, this makes Last Days of Newgate very relevant to today.

But none of this is added-on or laborious. Pepper effortlessly makes full use of the historical setting, while keeping his eye on the action, his foot firmly on the accelerator. He has a great filmic writing style, both cajoling and startling, and a genuinely page-turning sense of pace and suspense. While a hard-boiled sensibility is to the fore, the book is packed full with good old-fashioned heroic elements: here there be narrow escapes, trysts with maidens, and feats of daring-do aplenty. There's also a teasingly well-handled `will they? won't they?' love interest. In all, this is a fantastic read and an auspicious debut.



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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Sets out to shock, 14 Feb 2008
By Big Jim "Big Jim" (London, UK) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   
This review is from: The Last Days of Newgate (Pyke Mystery) (Paperback)
Anyone expecting a genteel romp through Georgian England will be a bit shocked by this one. The author obviously didn't want this book compared with more "cosy" historical crime fiction so there is a liberal smattering of swearing, sex and violence throughout the story. That gives it a certain realistic edge. I was a bit concerned when the study of "psychiatry" was mentioned, as I was sure that that name was not used for the study of mental illness in the 1820's but I checked and of course the author is right. He has also nailed the geography of London so I have to assume the other research is accurate as well.

I must admit this book didn't grab me immediately. It doesn't exactly zing along and there are two many back story elements to make a seamless read - always a problem with the first book in a series, but it rewarded patience with a decent enough plot and very believable characters. I'll look forward to the next installment when Mr Pepper has maybe refined his style a bit.
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9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Delicious!, 1 Jan 2007
By Didier (Ghent, Belgium) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   
What a cracking yarn this is! I stumbled across the book by accident but am mightily glad I did so. Pyke is one of the most impressive characters I've come across in ages. A-moral he may seem at times, and I'd rather have him as a friend than an enemy any day of the week, but Pepper shows there's more to the man than the ruthlessness he demonstrates to achieve his goals.

Add to this a whole host of other colourful characters, an intricate plot and fine descriptions of time and place, and what you end up with is a top-notch historical novel. I happily gave up several hours of sleep to keep on reading, and simply can't wait until the next Pyke-novel appears.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable but feels like a deja vu
It's enjoyable and quite well written, however, having enjoyed David Liss' novels already, reading this one feels like reading a copy of the former... Read more
Published 13 months ago by F. S. Carr

5.0 out of 5 stars A riveting read
As Victorian mysteries are a favourite genre, both classic and modern, I thought I would try this Andrew Pepper novel. I was not disappointed. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Ms. K. Johnston

3.0 out of 5 stars Tense and page turning but definite room for improvement
This book is advertised as the First Pyke mystery, so presumably there are more to come. It will be interesting to see how Pyke progresses, and I will definitely read the next... Read more
Published 17 months ago by Mrs. K. A. Wheatley

3.0 out of 5 stars Could do better...
...an enjoyable book to read but the plot is far-fetched in the extreme. Can you really believe that a Bow Street Runner would have ease of access to (and power over) the Home... Read more
Published 18 months ago by Dick here

4.0 out of 5 stars Most enjoyable
The last days of Newgate by Andrew Pepper is a historical novel set in 1829's. It follows Pyke, a member of the Bow Street Runners (a prototypical police force) and his efforts to... Read more
Published 18 months ago by D. Hughes

5.0 out of 5 stars Knock out
Reading this book made me feel like HBO had a direct feed into my mind's eye. It's violent, it's gritty, it's overflowing with atmosphere and it's a gripping read. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Flying Wang

4.0 out of 5 stars Evocative and enjoyable
Not a great book, but a jolly good one.

It is gripping, tense, engaging, evocative and many other things, too. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Neil Kealey

1.0 out of 5 stars ZZZzzzz
Not exactly an Arthur Conan Doyle mystery, but OK for a bedtime book...
Being Andrew Peppers first novel, there's hope yet !
Published 22 months ago by Demetre Koumanakos

5.0 out of 5 stars An Atmospheric Tale

This book charts the path of Pyke, a sometime Bow Street Runner and sometime crook and takes place in the London of 1829. Read more
Published 22 months ago by J. Chippindale

4.0 out of 5 stars Atmospheric Novel

This book charts the path of Pyke, a sometime Bow Street Runner and sometime crook and takes place in the London of 1829. Read more
Published 22 months ago by J. Chippindale

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