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Thomas De Quincey #3
Ruler of the Night
Thomas De Quincey is beginning to control his opium addiction when the excitement of his current case threatens to unravel his grip on reality once and for all. On their way home to the Lake District, the De Quinceys become unwitting witnesses to a truly historic murder: the first to take place on one of England's newly constructed railways.
The railways changed everything in the Victorian era, transforming the English countryside, revolutionizing modern industry, and as the De Quinceys discover, providing the perfect escape. Giving chase in a cat-and-mouse game unlike any that have come before, the De Quinceys uncover a dangerous secret that reaches all levels of English society.
The railways changed everything in the Victorian era, transforming the English countryside, revolutionizing modern industry, and as the De Quinceys discover, providing the perfect escape. Giving chase in a cat-and-mouse game unlike any that have come before, the De Quinceys uncover a dangerous secret that reaches all levels of English society.
342 pages, Hardcover
First published November 15, 2016
124 people are currently reading
1816 people want to read
About the author
David Morrell
219 books1,677 followersDavid Morrell is a Canadian novelist from Kitchener, Ontario, who has been living in the United States for a number of years. He is best known for his debut 1972 novel First Blood, which would later become a successful film franchise starring Sylvester Stallone. More recently, he has been writing the Captain America comic books limited-series The Chosen.
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January 17, 2020
”’One reason we’re in debt is that he collects books.’
They seemed perplexed.
‘Many, many book,’ I continued reluctantly. ‘Wherever Father lives, he fills room after room with books until there is barely space in which to move. He finally locks the door and rents another dwelling.’
‘How many places filled with books are you talking about?’ Sean asked.
‘Three. There used to be others.’
‘Three? But how in creation does your father pay the rent.’
‘He can’t. He keeps promising, and occasionally he sends payment for a month or two, leading the landlords to expect the additional money will arrive. Eventually some of them lose patience.’”
Lithograph by Zhenya Gay for the Heritage Press edition of Confessions of an English Opium-Eater by Thomas de Quincey
I’ve seen that look of perplexity when people have walked into my library. Rows and rows of books look like madness to them. Which of course, it is.
Someone mentions to Thomas de Quincey, the famous opium eater, that maybe he should sell books to pay his back rent. His mind can’t even grasp the concept. Books are for buying and owning...not selling. Perish the thought!
When word arrives that his landlord in Grasmere, an English village in the middle of the Lake District, is about to auction off his books, de Quincey and his daughter Emily hop on the first train available with as much money as he can muster and dash off to save his books.
*Sigh,* it is not to be.
Murder most foul literarily splashes him in the face. Blood from the train compartment next door blows in the window of the de Quincey compartment. What, at first, is thought to be water is of the wrong texture and color. This is 1855, and Thomas and Emily have found themselves at the center of a historic murder, the first murder to occur on a English train. A man is brutally stabbed to death in his locked compartment. The railways have been running for twenty-five years without incident, and now the honeymoon is over…first blood has been drawn.
It doesn’t stop there. More incidents occur, and train cars are empty as people are griped with fear. Stock prices for railway shares plummet; fortunes are about to disappear, and the solvency of England herself hangs in the balance. Is it the Russians? We learn that English agents have been undermining the Russian government with “fake news” and now the fear is that the Russians have decided to strike back.
Is this 2016 or 1855?
As Thomas de Quincey tries to put together the whys and the whos of this insidious plot, he is also fighting a battle on another front...the seductive, ruby elixir laudanum. In Victorian times, laudanum was sold across the counter without a prescription. It was lauded for curing basically anything that ails you. Having trouble sleeping? Laudanum will place you in the arms of Morpheus. Having trouble shaking off that rasping cough? Laudanum will take it away. Menstrual cramps? Laudanum will have you ship shape. Toothache? Laudanum will have you feeling no pain. The first, but not the last, opiate epidemic. De Quincey was not alone in his dependency on laudanum; he was just the most outspoken about his addiction. Elizabeth Barrett Browning struggled with her addiction to laudanum her whole life. Other writers such as Byron, Shelley, Keats, Dickens, Poe, Coleridge, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle played with the ruby devil as well.
There were few safe pain relievers available until 1899 when Aspirin was introduced. Those who developed a heavy addiction rarely were able to pull themselves free of the clutches of this drug. To reduce their intake was to suffer, and every time they increased dosages to stem off the hallucinatory tremblings, they were a spoonful closer to death. Against all odds, Thomas de Quincey, who was taking massive doses of laudanum every day, lived, by some miracle, to the ripe age of 74. He was a unique specimen; most of his contemporaries with a similar addiction died young.
As Thomas and Emily unravel the convoluted aspects of this nefarious plot, they will discover that deception and greed lay at the heart of all that has happened. The tendrils of complicity and guilt might very well climb into the hallowed halls of English government. This is the third volume in the Thomas de Quincey series, and each one has been equally enjoyable. I would suggest reading them in order. Start with Murder as a Fine Art and then Inspector of the Dead before reading Ruler of the Night. David Morrell does a wonderful job blending historical events with just enough fiction to bring life to his characters.
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at: https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten
They seemed perplexed.
‘Many, many book,’ I continued reluctantly. ‘Wherever Father lives, he fills room after room with books until there is barely space in which to move. He finally locks the door and rents another dwelling.’
‘How many places filled with books are you talking about?’ Sean asked.
‘Three. There used to be others.’
‘Three? But how in creation does your father pay the rent.’
‘He can’t. He keeps promising, and occasionally he sends payment for a month or two, leading the landlords to expect the additional money will arrive. Eventually some of them lose patience.’”
Lithograph by Zhenya Gay for the Heritage Press edition of Confessions of an English Opium-Eater by Thomas de Quincey
I’ve seen that look of perplexity when people have walked into my library. Rows and rows of books look like madness to them. Which of course, it is.
Someone mentions to Thomas de Quincey, the famous opium eater, that maybe he should sell books to pay his back rent. His mind can’t even grasp the concept. Books are for buying and owning...not selling. Perish the thought!
When word arrives that his landlord in Grasmere, an English village in the middle of the Lake District, is about to auction off his books, de Quincey and his daughter Emily hop on the first train available with as much money as he can muster and dash off to save his books.
*Sigh,* it is not to be.
Murder most foul literarily splashes him in the face. Blood from the train compartment next door blows in the window of the de Quincey compartment. What, at first, is thought to be water is of the wrong texture and color. This is 1855, and Thomas and Emily have found themselves at the center of a historic murder, the first murder to occur on a English train. A man is brutally stabbed to death in his locked compartment. The railways have been running for twenty-five years without incident, and now the honeymoon is over…first blood has been drawn.
It doesn’t stop there. More incidents occur, and train cars are empty as people are griped with fear. Stock prices for railway shares plummet; fortunes are about to disappear, and the solvency of England herself hangs in the balance. Is it the Russians? We learn that English agents have been undermining the Russian government with “fake news” and now the fear is that the Russians have decided to strike back.
Is this 2016 or 1855?
As Thomas de Quincey tries to put together the whys and the whos of this insidious plot, he is also fighting a battle on another front...the seductive, ruby elixir laudanum. In Victorian times, laudanum was sold across the counter without a prescription. It was lauded for curing basically anything that ails you. Having trouble sleeping? Laudanum will place you in the arms of Morpheus. Having trouble shaking off that rasping cough? Laudanum will take it away. Menstrual cramps? Laudanum will have you ship shape. Toothache? Laudanum will have you feeling no pain. The first, but not the last, opiate epidemic. De Quincey was not alone in his dependency on laudanum; he was just the most outspoken about his addiction. Elizabeth Barrett Browning struggled with her addiction to laudanum her whole life. Other writers such as Byron, Shelley, Keats, Dickens, Poe, Coleridge, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle played with the ruby devil as well.
There were few safe pain relievers available until 1899 when Aspirin was introduced. Those who developed a heavy addiction rarely were able to pull themselves free of the clutches of this drug. To reduce their intake was to suffer, and every time they increased dosages to stem off the hallucinatory tremblings, they were a spoonful closer to death. Against all odds, Thomas de Quincey, who was taking massive doses of laudanum every day, lived, by some miracle, to the ripe age of 74. He was a unique specimen; most of his contemporaries with a similar addiction died young.
As Thomas and Emily unravel the convoluted aspects of this nefarious plot, they will discover that deception and greed lay at the heart of all that has happened. The tendrils of complicity and guilt might very well climb into the hallowed halls of English government. This is the third volume in the Thomas de Quincey series, and each one has been equally enjoyable. I would suggest reading them in order. Start with Murder as a Fine Art and then Inspector of the Dead before reading Ruler of the Night. David Morrell does a wonderful job blending historical events with just enough fiction to bring life to his characters.
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at: https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten
October 11, 2016
Arriving just in time of the holidays is the book "Ruler of the Night (Thomas De Quincey #3)" by David Morrell. Although it's not absolutely necessary to read the two prior book befor reading this third installment of the series, it would be highly recommended to do so.
The first two books in the sequence are "Murder As A Fine Art" and "Inspector of the Dead". With "Ruler of the Night" finishing Morrell's Victorian age trilogy. Though promoted as a series about Thomas De Quincey as the spotlight character, the story seems to be driven by De Quincey's daughter Emily. The narrative of the series is broken up, highlighted and expanded upon by Emily's journal entries.
The series is actually a blend of historical fact and fiction with many of the events described based on actual historical events. This installment focuses on the first murder committed on a train on the British rail system in 1855, and the Hydrotherapy craze that was taking place in England in the same time period.
Mr. Morrell's research into the Victorian era and De Quincey's dependence of Opium commonly doled out at the time in the form of Laudanum is quite extensive. There was no moral condemnation of the use of opiates and their use was not regarded as addiction but rather as a habit in the Victorian period. Laudanum is a tincture of opium mixed with wine or water or other alcohol ingredients. Laudanum, called the 'aspirin of the nineteenth century,' was widely used in Victorian households as a painkiller, recommended for a broad range of ailments including cough, diarrhea, rheumatism, 'women's troubles', cardiac disease and even delirium tremens.
The exploits of two Scotland Yard detectives, Ryan and Becker, are as important as De Quincey and his daughter Emily in the series, and at times overshadows our main characters.
If you enjoyed the first two books, than "Ruler of the Night" will be a welcome addition to the series.
This is an ARC of a book due out (11/2016).
The first two books in the sequence are "Murder As A Fine Art" and "Inspector of the Dead". With "Ruler of the Night" finishing Morrell's Victorian age trilogy. Though promoted as a series about Thomas De Quincey as the spotlight character, the story seems to be driven by De Quincey's daughter Emily. The narrative of the series is broken up, highlighted and expanded upon by Emily's journal entries.
The series is actually a blend of historical fact and fiction with many of the events described based on actual historical events. This installment focuses on the first murder committed on a train on the British rail system in 1855, and the Hydrotherapy craze that was taking place in England in the same time period.
Mr. Morrell's research into the Victorian era and De Quincey's dependence of Opium commonly doled out at the time in the form of Laudanum is quite extensive. There was no moral condemnation of the use of opiates and their use was not regarded as addiction but rather as a habit in the Victorian period. Laudanum is a tincture of opium mixed with wine or water or other alcohol ingredients. Laudanum, called the 'aspirin of the nineteenth century,' was widely used in Victorian households as a painkiller, recommended for a broad range of ailments including cough, diarrhea, rheumatism, 'women's troubles', cardiac disease and even delirium tremens.
The exploits of two Scotland Yard detectives, Ryan and Becker, are as important as De Quincey and his daughter Emily in the series, and at times overshadows our main characters.
If you enjoyed the first two books, than "Ruler of the Night" will be a welcome addition to the series.
This is an ARC of a book due out (11/2016).
April 12, 2017
3 sparkling 5 star reviews in this series! David Morrell brings Thomas De Quincey and Victorian London back to life! I cannot say enough positive about this series which starts with "The Fine Art of Murder." Though I was a bit disappointed that this truly looks like an ending in the series, the language, the writing, the story, the action, the customs, the characters and the history are compelling. Read this series, you're in for a treat.
January 29, 2021
I like this series of historical mysteries that combine intricate plots and interesting characters. They have just enough period details without getting bogged down with too much description. This is the third in the series, but it is the only one I've listened to. The narrator of the audiobook, Neil Dickson, did a very good job.
All three books take place over the course of only a few months while the writer Thomas De Quincey (also known as the opium eater) and his daughter Emily are in London to try to track down De Quincey's lost love. In this book, another figure from De Quincey's Dickensian childhood reappears. There is a lot going on in this book including insanity, murder on a train (followed by a lot of other murders), train sabotage, a runaway German doctor tracked by mysterious Russians and a great deal of deception from many parties. Two London policemen, Ryan and Becker, continue from the earlier books and team with De Quincey in his investigations. They are both smitten with Emily, who is an appealing and independent young woman. Emily looks after the interests of De Quincy who is a brilliant detective, but can't function without laudanum. De Quincey would be a pitiable character, constantly broke and drug addicted, if not for the presence of Emily. All three of the books have been very entertaining and I hope the series continues.
All three books take place over the course of only a few months while the writer Thomas De Quincey (also known as the opium eater) and his daughter Emily are in London to try to track down De Quincey's lost love. In this book, another figure from De Quincey's Dickensian childhood reappears. There is a lot going on in this book including insanity, murder on a train (followed by a lot of other murders), train sabotage, a runaway German doctor tracked by mysterious Russians and a great deal of deception from many parties. Two London policemen, Ryan and Becker, continue from the earlier books and team with De Quincey in his investigations. They are both smitten with Emily, who is an appealing and independent young woman. Emily looks after the interests of De Quincy who is a brilliant detective, but can't function without laudanum. De Quincey would be a pitiable character, constantly broke and drug addicted, if not for the presence of Emily. All three of the books have been very entertaining and I hope the series continues.
November 20, 2018
I truly hated to finish this book as I felt like I was saying goodbye to old friends. The trilogy was so well written with a multitude of historical facts complete with research information. Those facts are begging for further investigation by this reader who dearly loves history. I know I will be checking out more David Morrell books in the future.
February 7, 2017
This book is just too long for what it comprises. And also the parts too divergent and don't hang together enough until way past the 1/2 way point. But the characters are well drawn and the time period does come alive. Emily and her father? They both seem rather stilted and not actual. You know that feeling you sometimes get with Sherlock and Watson (overblown parodies of themselves) when they are "legend" and "in action". He tries to approach that with DeQuincey and Emily. But it seems nearly cartoon like, that devotion and bottle sipping. Both.
The best thing about this one was absolutely the trains. LOVED the trains. I had no idea that all those levels of travel (classes) and train cars were not connected to one another. And that in this earlier era each and every car had NO exit to the other cabs or engine of the line. Each being locked by the train employee each and every time from the outside after they were loaded from the station platform directly. And unlocked constantly in that same method too. Being like a "human in a closed, no exit box"! Can you imagine what OSHA would make of that arrangement now?
Some of the train occurrences seemed improbable. The tale itself was overlong and in too many directions to hold the tension high, IMHO. Very bloody and macabre, as well in spots. Too much. There were some under characters done better than the major also, IMHO. I wanted to hear far more about the ex-Crimea soldier who spotted the train fire. And far less about the opium habit.
This is just not my time period. So much artificial posturing and it bores me to death.
But the trains saved the whole. And how they altered everything. The businesses, the products, the buildings, the living styles, not to speak of all those places and spaces you needed to put the horses.
The best thing about this one was absolutely the trains. LOVED the trains. I had no idea that all those levels of travel (classes) and train cars were not connected to one another. And that in this earlier era each and every car had NO exit to the other cabs or engine of the line. Each being locked by the train employee each and every time from the outside after they were loaded from the station platform directly. And unlocked constantly in that same method too. Being like a "human in a closed, no exit box"! Can you imagine what OSHA would make of that arrangement now?
Some of the train occurrences seemed improbable. The tale itself was overlong and in too many directions to hold the tension high, IMHO. Very bloody and macabre, as well in spots. Too much. There were some under characters done better than the major also, IMHO. I wanted to hear far more about the ex-Crimea soldier who spotted the train fire. And far less about the opium habit.
This is just not my time period. So much artificial posturing and it bores me to death.
But the trains saved the whole. And how they altered everything. The businesses, the products, the buildings, the living styles, not to speak of all those places and spaces you needed to put the horses.
February 6, 2017
Maybe not quite as good as the other two books but still a worthy end to the series.
October 29, 2019
Labai faina knyga - įrodymas, kad galima naudoti visą krūvą "Victorian crime fiction" stereotipų, bet iš jų sudėlioti įdomų, dinamišką pasakojimą. Traukinyje įvyksta žmogžudystė, paskui - keli sprogimai - ar jie susiję? Ko siekia staiga pasirodžiusi Thomas de Quincey vaikystės bičiulė? Kaip karas su Rusija susijęs su populiaria vandens gydykla? Atsakymai į šiuos klausimus gal ir nepasirodys šokiruojantys, bet viskas išmaniai suregzta, o personažai gudriai vyniojasi iš situacijų, malonu žiūrėti.
Paskaičiusi autoriaus afterword nustebau, kiek istorinių elementų romane panaudota - pasirodo, net žmogžudystė "nukopijuota" nuo panašios - pirmosios traukinyje įvykusios žmogžudystės.
Paskaičiusi autoriaus afterword nustebau, kiek istorinių elementų romane panaudota - pasirodo, net žmogžudystė "nukopijuota" nuo panašios - pirmosios traukinyje įvykusios žmogžudystės.
October 21, 2018
And the series is over kind of sad about that, I loved the characters and the end wasn't as satisfying as I'd hoped it would be it was really abrupt. Like the other two the story was a simple easy read but it kept me interested and I enjoyed it.
November 23, 2020
This is the last book in the series. I very much enjoyed it as it has multiple plots and ties up all loose threads. I recommend reading the series in order.
August 28, 2016
David Morrell has once again blended history and fiction into a novel that I could not put down. Using the history of the first murder on an English train in 1855, he places Thomas De Quincey and his daughter Emily in an adjacent compartment, involving them in the subsequent investigation. Once again they are joined by Scotland Yard detectives Ryan and Becker, who welcome the opportunity to re-unite with Emily.
Daniel Harcourt, a lawyer with a number of influential clients, was murdered in his first class compartment while traveling to deliver documents provided by his investigator. Soon after, the body of his investigator is also discovered. Ryan and Becker are denied access to Harcourt's lies, essentially blocking their investigation.
While Ryan and Becker search for the killer, Thomas becomes re-acquainted with Carolyn, a woman that he knew as a young girl in his youth, living on the streets of London. She is now married to a gentleman of some importance. Thomas and Emily accompany her to her daughter's estate in Sedwick Hill, located close to a health clinic. The investigation also takes Ryan and Becker to this clinic and from there the book takes off with the speed of a train.
Morrell places the reader in Victorian England, where you can feel the fog close in around you as you listen to the sounds of horses' hooves on the cobblestone. The resulting fall of railroad and industrial stocks after the murder and another attack on the trains reflects on the volatility of the market, bringing to mind the changes in our markets caused by attacks and speculation. Morrell's writing makes this book come alive for the reader. While he has completed his trilogy of De Quincey novels, they will remain on my shelves and be revisited in the future.
Daniel Harcourt, a lawyer with a number of influential clients, was murdered in his first class compartment while traveling to deliver documents provided by his investigator. Soon after, the body of his investigator is also discovered. Ryan and Becker are denied access to Harcourt's lies, essentially blocking their investigation.
While Ryan and Becker search for the killer, Thomas becomes re-acquainted with Carolyn, a woman that he knew as a young girl in his youth, living on the streets of London. She is now married to a gentleman of some importance. Thomas and Emily accompany her to her daughter's estate in Sedwick Hill, located close to a health clinic. The investigation also takes Ryan and Becker to this clinic and from there the book takes off with the speed of a train.
Morrell places the reader in Victorian England, where you can feel the fog close in around you as you listen to the sounds of horses' hooves on the cobblestone. The resulting fall of railroad and industrial stocks after the murder and another attack on the trains reflects on the volatility of the market, bringing to mind the changes in our markets caused by attacks and speculation. Morrell's writing makes this book come alive for the reader. While he has completed his trilogy of De Quincey novels, they will remain on my shelves and be revisited in the future.
December 21, 2016
I'm so sad that this series is done! This final installment was AWESOME! Just as fast-paced and masterfully plotted as the first two, the characters became even more real and familiar to me. I loved the connection with De Quincey's past and the family dynamics at play throughout the novel.
The ending was PERFECT! It made me feel things!
An excellent series, would recommend to anyone who can read! I really hope they make them into movies but don't change a single thing!
The ending was PERFECT! It made me feel things!
An excellent series, would recommend to anyone who can read! I really hope they make them into movies but don't change a single thing!
March 26, 2018
Another great read by David Morrell
September 7, 2019
Morrell’s evocative trilogy mixes mystery and Victorian London. This concluding volume is easily as good as the others, and further proof that Morrell still has the chops. As trains begin to run across the land, and become a viable mode of transportation, England sees its first murder on one. Soon other attacks on other trains lead opium-addicted Thomas De Quincey and his daring daughter Emily on a chase to get to the bottom of it all.
April 16, 2019
Trešā grāmata sērijā par opija lietotāja/detektīva Tomasa de Kvinsija piedzīvojumiem. Joprojām 19. gadsimta vidus Londona ar sarežģītiem, viltīgi savītiem noziegumiem, kas draud sagraut impērijas pamatus. Patika tā mozaīka, kas beigās salikās, un pats nozieguma skelets šķita stipri veidots, taču romāna "miesa" mani pārliecināja mazāk. Par labu nāca tas, ka autors necenšas pārstāstīt iepriekšējo romānu notikumus, par sliktu runā tas, ka galvenie varoņi autoram šķiet jau mazliet apnikuši.
July 8, 2016
I would like to thank Edelweiss, Mulholland Books, and David Morrell for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review. This is the third and final installment to Morrell's captivating character Thomas De Quincey, the famous Opium-Eater. The author takes actual historic events and winds a Victorian mystery around it which in turn makes this series an entertaining adventure.
July 26, 2016
I love the way David Morrell weaves a story around real settings, true events and characters that actually lived. It's a great way to learn about some little known historical happenings. I will miss deQuincy and Emily now that this series is coming to an end.
August 3, 2024
Отличный цикл получился, мне не хотелось, чтобы он заканчивался.
В этой книге снова происходят весьма кровавые и масштабные убийства (мне кажется, что даже масштабнее, чем в прошлых частях), и Томас де Квинси снова берется их распутывать. Детективная линия в этой части слабее, чем в первых двух, а финал этой истории оказывается не таким впечатляющим с точки зрения именно детектива. Но это совсем не портит впечатления. Потому что книга скорее переходит в жанр психологического триллера, а за этим очень интересно наблюдать.
Описательный талант автора снова проявляется во всей красе. Атмосфера просто отличная. Каждая сцена у него продумана и выверена до мелочей, прорисована так, что картинка прямо встает перед глазами. А уж когда дело доходит до остросюжетных столкновений, то у Моррелла практически нет конкурентов: он описывает все четко, без лишних деталей, динамика зашкаливает, и градус опасности все время повышается (сцена в тоннеле с собаками - выше всяких похвал).
Порадовало, что главному герою наконец-то удалось выяснить судьбу его любви. Я не думала, что тайна откроется, но все же секрет раскрыт, и хотя это очень больно, может быть, де Квинси сможет жить спокойно, не оглядываясь вокруг в поисках призраков. Хочется поблагодарить автора за такой финал.
Цикл отличный, рекомендую к прочтению всем, кому нравятся напряженные триллеры и викторианская эпоха
В этой книге снова происходят весьма кровавые и масштабные убийства (мне кажется, что даже масштабнее, чем в прошлых частях), и Томас де Квинси снова берется их распутывать. Детективная линия в этой части слабее, чем в первых двух, а финал этой истории оказывается не таким впечатляющим с точки зрения именно детектива. Но это совсем не портит впечатления. Потому что книга скорее переходит в жанр психологического триллера, а за этим очень интересно наблюдать.
Описательный талант автора снова проявляется во всей красе. Атмосфера просто отличная. Каждая сцена у него продумана и выверена до мелочей, прорисована так, что картинка прямо встает перед глазами. А уж когда дело доходит до остросюжетных столкновений, то у Моррелла практически нет конкурентов: он описывает все четко, без лишних деталей, динамика зашкаливает, и градус опасности все время повышается (сцена в тоннеле с собаками - выше всяких похвал).
Порадовало, что главному герою наконец-то удалось выяснить судьбу его любви. Я не думала, что тайна откроется, но все же секрет раскрыт, и хотя это очень больно, может быть, де Квинси сможет жить спокойно, не оглядываясь вокруг в поисках призраков. Хочется поблагодарить автора за такой финал.
Цикл отличный, рекомендую к прочтению всем, кому нравятся напряженные триллеры и викторианская эпоха
April 7, 2021
This was a fabulous end to this victorian era thriller series about Thomas De Quincey, his daughter and policemen friends solving complex murder cases. The gloomy, foggy, mysterious atmosphere was lovely.
June 7, 2020
This is the third and final book in Morrell's trilogy featuring Thomas De Quincey, who wrote the notorious Confessions of an English Opium-Eater. I've read the first two books in the trilogy, Murder as a Fine Art and Inspector of the Dead and really enjoyed them both. This one was also very compelling and entertaining. Set against the backdrop of mid-1800s England, the plot is about someone committing the first murder ever on board a moving train. Then after that happens, further damage is done to the railroads' reputation when a bomb is set off in one of London's stations and another train is set on fire resulting in a horrific crash. This sends the stocks of the railroads into a nose dive and fear is widespread about even using the rails which at this point in time is a young industry but is able to cut the time for travel immensely. Another plot point of the novel is the death of the current Czar of Russia and his possible murder by his attending German physician. Was he killed to try to put an end to the Crimean War that is raging at the time? De Quincey and his daughter, Emily, are called on by the Prime Minister and the police to try to help solve these crimes. They happened to be on board the same train where the first murder was committed so they have some expertise from the start. As the story unfolds, it becomes more and more twisted but eventually De Quincey comes to the right conclusions.
Again, Morrell uses some very interesting historical events to make the story more realistic. These include a hydropathy clinic where patients undergo various water treatments to try to alleviate their ills. This was evidently a craze during the time and provided a setting for some of the plot related to the possible murder of the czar. I hated to see this novel end because it is the last in Morrell's trilogy and I will really miss the characters and storylines of these novels. But I do have some of his other novels on my shelves that I hope to read sometime soon.
Again, Morrell uses some very interesting historical events to make the story more realistic. These include a hydropathy clinic where patients undergo various water treatments to try to alleviate their ills. This was evidently a craze during the time and provided a setting for some of the plot related to the possible murder of the czar. I hated to see this novel end because it is the last in Morrell's trilogy and I will really miss the characters and storylines of these novels. But I do have some of his other novels on my shelves that I hope to read sometime soon.
April 2, 2017
I love this series, and book three did not disappoint. David Morrell, is an extraordinary author. He brings Victorian London to life in all its gritty splendor. This book is just so compelling, and you just cannot put it down. It is not just the,stories, but the characters, that one comes to admire. The brilliance of Thomas Dr Quincey, the kindness of his,daughter, the two detectives Ryan, and Becker, and of course the murders, and mystery. He is known as the opium eater, and has published many books, and,short stories in his travels. He is frail, even ill, but still his mind is sharp, and his daughter devoted. He can see deeper into the minds of cc the murderer, and put the puzzles together. His s style though is not gruff, but knowing, and kind. This story is about the rail road as it is coming into fashion, and the first horrible murder. It soon becomes clear that this murder is linked with other mysteries, and more bodies, explosions, and mayhem. I loved every minute. I hope this is not the end of this series. I know he writes stand alone books, but I would really miss the series that is the total package. This was so easy to award this book five stars......
September 21, 2018
The railroad network in England is still something of a novelty when Thomas deQuincey (Confessions of an English Opium Eater) and his daughter Emily are taking a trip. A man is murdered in one of the first class compartments, and the two begin investigating at once.
David Morrell has taken an actual historic person and made him a private investigator of sorts, and in doing so he takes us deep into British politics, society at all levels, police procedures of the time, and even medicine (much of the action takes place at a hydrotherapy clinic). From the most important royalty to the lowliest street waterboy, we get to know the people of London through the eyes of the deQuinceys and their two police detective friends (both of whom are in love with Emily).
Not only is Morrell's prose entertaining; he draws you in with characters who are seldom all that they appear to be (the end of the book had so many twists and turns that I had to go back and re-read a couple of times to make sure I had properly understood). The "whodunnit" was a total shocker. I thoroughly enjoyed the tale.
David Morrell has taken an actual historic person and made him a private investigator of sorts, and in doing so he takes us deep into British politics, society at all levels, police procedures of the time, and even medicine (much of the action takes place at a hydrotherapy clinic). From the most important royalty to the lowliest street waterboy, we get to know the people of London through the eyes of the deQuinceys and their two police detective friends (both of whom are in love with Emily).
Not only is Morrell's prose entertaining; he draws you in with characters who are seldom all that they appear to be (the end of the book had so many twists and turns that I had to go back and re-read a couple of times to make sure I had properly understood). The "whodunnit" was a total shocker. I thoroughly enjoyed the tale.
April 1, 2021
Класичний історичний детектив, підвид "розслідує хтось відомий". Тут це Томас де Квінсі, знаменитий курець опіуму, та його донька Емілі, а допомагають їм два поліцейські, яких я постійно плутала між собою. У потязі вбивають повіреного у справах, у нього були дуже високородні клієнти з отакенними таємницями, а до того ж це ще й перше вбивство у потязі взагалі з моменту їх запуску, тому біржі теж страждають, і паніка в суспільстві. Ще там будуть змовники проти царату, колишня подруга з дитинства і трішки королева Вікторія за лаштунками. Нічого видатного, але міцний жанровий роман, ідеально йде під чай/пледик/чхання/відпочинок на дивані (підкреслити вибране).
November 13, 2017
I picked this book up because I wanted to read from the author who wrote about Rambo. I should have known better. Morrell is a good writer, but the book, "Ruler of the Night" was a period piece done in Victorian England. It just wasn't my cup of tea. It just seemed that the whole book went the same pace as the English trains, that went about 10 miles per hour. A good history lesson of life in England, but not a story that I liked.
August 2, 2019
This was the weakest book of the series imo. It felt like the author crammed too much in to tie up the loose ends of the series. Also, the De Quincey's weren't with Ryan and Becker in the first half of the book. Even still, the mystery was enjoyable. I hate to see this series come to an end. Thomas De Quincey and Co were brilliant. Also, there was a narrator change. :/
Story and narration: 4
Story and narration: 4
July 2, 2020
Trečioji detektyvų trilogijos, kurios pagrindinis veikėjas yra rašytojas ir įžymusis opiomanas Tomas de Kvinsis ir jo dukra Emilė, dalis. Patiko pirmosios knygos"Žmogžudystė yra menas" ir "Mirusiųjų inspektorius", patiko ir trečioji dalis, nes autorius puikiai vaizduoja karalienės Viktorijos laikų Angliją, sukuria įtemptą siužetą, kai iki istorijos pabaigos nusikaltimo autorius lieka nežinomas.
October 17, 2020
Третій і останній (принаймні поки що) роман Девіда Моррелла із серії детективів у декораціях вікторіанської Англії про «любителя опіуму» Томаса де Квінсі.
Цього разу під час подорожі потягом з Лондона Томас де Квінсі та його донька Емілі стають свідками зухвалого вбивства у купе першого класу. Жертва – відомий у ділових колах Лондона працівник нотаріальної контори. Більше того, це вбивство – перше в історії британської залізниці. Після того як відбувається серія інших терактів та нещасних випадків на залізниці, серед населення починається паніка – британці бояться подорожувати потягами і ті ходять пустими. Внаслідок цього галузь, у якій донедавна відбувався справжній економічний бум і яка виступала локомотивом росту британської економіки та промисловості стикається з великими проблемами. Підозри падають, в першу чергу, на російських диверсантів – у розпалі Кримська війна і тривають бойові дії між Англією та Російською імперією. А враховуючи смерть російського імператора Миколи I та здогадки росіян, що монарх помер не власною смертю, а був отруєний німецьким лікарем Мандтом на замовлення британців – така версія виглядає правдоподібною. Чи це дійсно так? Хто винен у диверсіях на британській залізниці? Хто скоїв це перше в історії Англії вбивство у потягу? Відповіді на ці питання шукатимуть знайомі нам за попередніми книгами Томас та Емілі де Квінсі, інспектор Шон Райан та сержант Джозеф Беккер.
Роман однозначно вартий уваги та неодмінно має сподобатись шанувальникам історичного детективу та атмосфери вікторіанської Англії. Гідне продовження попередніх двох романів серії. Загалом всі три книги із серії про Томаса де Квінсі сподобались і сподіваюсь, що колись цю трилогію перекладуть та надрукують української мовою.
Цього разу під час подорожі потягом з Лондона Томас де Квінсі та його донька Емілі стають свідками зухвалого вбивства у купе першого класу. Жертва – відомий у ділових колах Лондона працівник нотаріальної контори. Більше того, це вбивство – перше в історії британської залізниці. Після того як відбувається серія інших терактів та нещасних випадків на залізниці, серед населення починається паніка – британці бояться подорожувати потягами і ті ходять пустими. Внаслідок цього галузь, у якій донедавна відбувався справжній економічний бум і яка виступала локомотивом росту британської економіки та промисловості стикається з великими проблемами. Підозри падають, в першу чергу, на російських диверсантів – у розпалі Кримська війна і тривають бойові дії між Англією та Російською імперією. А враховуючи смерть російського імператора Миколи I та здогадки росіян, що монарх помер не власною смертю, а був отруєний німецьким лікарем Мандтом на замовлення британців – така версія виглядає правдоподібною. Чи це дійсно так? Хто винен у диверсіях на британській залізниці? Хто скоїв це перше в історії Англії вбивство у потягу? Відповіді на ці питання шукатимуть знайомі нам за попередніми книгами Томас та Емілі де Квінсі, інспектор Шон Райан та сержант Джозеф Беккер.
Роман однозначно вартий уваги та неодмінно має сподобатись шанувальникам історичного детективу та атмосфери вікторіанської Англії. Гідне продовження попередніх двох романів серії. Загалом всі три книги із серії про Томаса де Квінсі сподобались і сподіваюсь, що колись цю трилогію перекладуть та надрукують української мовою.
April 30, 2021
titular sentence:
p8: The Opium-Eater is [the] ruler of the night. -Ralph Waldo Emerson to Thomas de Quincey
punctuation:
p98: "In the chaotic street, the commissioner glared angrily at him.
semantics:
p197: Or did I manage to shoot him?
In the future I may be looking to get a fix of Victorian era crime. There's definitely something there that is... addicting.
p8: The Opium-Eater is [the] ruler of the night. -Ralph Waldo Emerson to Thomas de Quincey
punctuation:
p98: "In the chaotic street, the commissioner glared angrily at him.
semantics:
p197: Or did I manage to shoot him?
In the future I may be looking to get a fix of Victorian era crime. There's definitely something there that is... addicting.
May 5, 2018
Detektīvsižets aizraujošs un vide laba, bet romantiskā līnija manai gaumei par salkanu. Abu policistu aizgrābtā mīlas jūsma vairāk atgādināja dāmu romānus, tāpēc biju visai pārsteigta, ka romāna autors ir vīrietis :)
September 14, 2018
Ну, так, без фанатизма. Может, я даже прочту другие книжки этой серии, но не вот прям огонь. Детектив тут, мягко говоря, не уровня Агаты Кристи. Может, кого-то прёт от атмосферы старой Англии, но, по-моему, и она тут весьма средненько передана.
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