Ruler of the Night

Starred review from September 5, 2016
Set in 1855, Edgar-finalist Morrell’s spectacular third and final whodunit featuring opium addict and author Thomas De Quincey (after 2015’s Inspector of the Dead) finds De Quincey and Emily, his 22-year-old daughter and partner in detection, traveling by train from London to the Lake District, where he hopes to stop a landlord to whom he owes money from auctioning his beloved books. When lawyer Daniel Harcourt, who’s also a passenger on the train, is strangled, the De Quinceys become involved in the subsequent investigation. With railway travel relatively new, the first murder ever on an English train causes an uproar and makes a speedy solution essential to restoring public trust. The powers that be, many of whom utilized the dead man’s
services, limit access to Harcourt’s client files in a determined effort to cover something up. The narrative builds to a powerful but bittersweet ending that will leave readers hoping that Morrell eventually chooses to resurrect this superb series. Agent: Jane Dystel, Dystel & Goderich Literary Management.

Narrator Neil Dickson delivers Victorian sensibilities with quiet assurance. David Morrell's conclusion to his 1850s trilogy features ingenious real-life opium-eater Thomas De Quincey and his partner in sleuthing, daughter Emily. The two are traveling by train from London to the Lake District, when a grisly murder, the first ever on this newfangled conveyance, threatens to sway an already dubious public against rail travel. Dickson provides both principal and secondary characters with unique personalities that reflect the buttoned-up moral scruples of the period. He delivers rich details, descriptions, and plummy accents when called for, and he is completely believable in imparting Morrell's informative background on the tragic occurrence that led the real De Quincey to opium addiction. To get the most out of them, listen to these three engaging mysteries in order. S.J.H. � AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine