The Incendiary's Trail is provides a fresh opportunity to enjoy London as a scene of Dickensian squalor, with suitably grotesque characters and an intriguing and original plot. I very much appreciated the author's skill in teasing the reader with solutions to elements of the mystery in the course of the novel, rather than waiting until the last few pages to reveal all - and there was always plenty more to keep me intrigued and racing to the end. Fans of Mr Whicher should recognise some of the characters, and the setting of London's new detective force in its infancy, but with all the excitement and mystery surrounding the murder and none of the dullness. Don't get me wrong: I am a fan of Mr Whicher but I feel the book is constrained by the need to stick to the facts: one friend described it to me as 'so boring, and yet so compelling' which I think is pretty accurate. As a work of fiction The Incendiary's Trail is not thus constrained and that means you get all the compelling without the boring!
The Incendiary's Trail is a first work by a new author, there are hints in the story that there may be more to come. I feel this could be the start of a great new detective series - I thoroughly recommend it.
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