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The Scent of Death
London, 1912. As shoppers stroll along Oxford Street, a smiling clown drops tiny parachutes into the crowd from a nearby rooftop…
People scramble for them, finding a wind-up mouse inside a lovely glittery package.
One street over, Walter Fischer’s Jewellery Shop is robbed, his safe blown open, and everything taken.
New Scotland Yard, and Chief Superintendent Milton says changes are being made.
Some men are being let go, and the ones who remain are being held to a higher standard, including not sleeping with witnesses or reporters for information, unless absolutely necessary.
Inspector Pilgrim, the star of Scotland Yard, is looking for help investigating the robbery, since his regular sergeant is sick.
He chooses PC Braddock, new to the force. As they investigate the robbery, Pilgrim teaches him the tricks of the trade.
Visiting his brother in law, who has connections to the seedier part of London, he gets a list of men with the skill needed to blow a safe using gelignite.
As they start to make their way through the list, a body shows up on Kensington high Street, outside a boarding home for single career girls in the city…
Pilgrim and Braddock soon learn that several of the women have been drugged, only to wake to find their handbags and one shoe missing.
Now they find themselves investigating three cases.
The body turns out to be that of Mr. Sigmund Preedy, a notorious womaniser.
When Pilgrim visits the shop where the girls work, none of them recognise his picture, but pilgrim learns one girl returned to her home in Sheffield just after the murder.
Now, he only has to track her down.
Meanwhile, they work their way through the names on his list, Pilgrim knowing they are getting closer.
But how will a ballet dancer, a clown that has been dead for years, and a little boy with a bandaged nose lead him to the robbers?
The Scent of Death is a must for fans of cosy crime and Sherlock Holmes.
‘Silverwood combines a classic mystery plot with well-developed characters…’ - Publishers Weekly
Roger Silverwood lives on the outskirts of Barnsley. He is the author of 25 DI Angel novels, as well as four other standalone novels. His titles include Missing, Presumed…, Dead Ahead and Shrine to Murder .
People scramble for them, finding a wind-up mouse inside a lovely glittery package.
One street over, Walter Fischer’s Jewellery Shop is robbed, his safe blown open, and everything taken.
New Scotland Yard, and Chief Superintendent Milton says changes are being made.
Some men are being let go, and the ones who remain are being held to a higher standard, including not sleeping with witnesses or reporters for information, unless absolutely necessary.
Inspector Pilgrim, the star of Scotland Yard, is looking for help investigating the robbery, since his regular sergeant is sick.
He chooses PC Braddock, new to the force. As they investigate the robbery, Pilgrim teaches him the tricks of the trade.
Visiting his brother in law, who has connections to the seedier part of London, he gets a list of men with the skill needed to blow a safe using gelignite.
As they start to make their way through the list, a body shows up on Kensington high Street, outside a boarding home for single career girls in the city…
Pilgrim and Braddock soon learn that several of the women have been drugged, only to wake to find their handbags and one shoe missing.
Now they find themselves investigating three cases.
The body turns out to be that of Mr. Sigmund Preedy, a notorious womaniser.
When Pilgrim visits the shop where the girls work, none of them recognise his picture, but pilgrim learns one girl returned to her home in Sheffield just after the murder.
Now, he only has to track her down.
Meanwhile, they work their way through the names on his list, Pilgrim knowing they are getting closer.
But how will a ballet dancer, a clown that has been dead for years, and a little boy with a bandaged nose lead him to the robbers?
The Scent of Death is a must for fans of cosy crime and Sherlock Holmes.
‘Silverwood combines a classic mystery plot with well-developed characters…’ - Publishers Weekly
Roger Silverwood lives on the outskirts of Barnsley. He is the author of 25 DI Angel novels, as well as four other standalone novels. His titles include Missing, Presumed…, Dead Ahead and Shrine to Murder .
- GenresMystery
193 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 28, 2016
27 people are currently reading
87 people want to read
About the author
Roger Silverwood
68 books87 followersThe Yorkshire author writes crime stories about Detective Inspector Michael Angel who lives a fairly happy existence with his wife Mary in the town of Bromersley in South Yorkshire.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 28, 2017
It's London in 1912.
The newspapers are filled with stories of the amazing Titantic and the British Antarctic Expedition. And now there is a story begging to be told involving an unexpected sight.
Perched on the ledge of a window on the third floor of the Bowers Department Store is the figure of a clown in full makeup. With swift arm movements, the clown flings out tiny parachutes attached to little boxes. The crowd below is mesmerized by this strange sight. They hurriedly open the boxes and find wind-up mice contained within. Is this an advertising or publicity stunt?
A few streets over, a robbery is taking place in an upscale jewelry store. When the jeweler refuses to open the safe, he is beaten by the intruders. One of the men uses gelignite to blow open the safe. The store contents are shoved into mail bags and the thieves are out the door within minutes.
Meanwhile, a dead body is found on the sidewalk not too far away that evening. Who is this man and what actions prompted his death? Better yet, is there some kind of connection to all of this?
Scotland Yard detectives, Inspector Harry Pilgrim and PC Braddock, are assigned to the cases. They seem to be locked in a confusing maze with no leads.
And we as readers seem to be locked in that maze along with these detectives. Roger Silverwood had a splendid storyline going here. However, it becomes bogged down with constant dry police interrogations. "Just the facts, mam." And we were bombarded with an endless machine-gun, rapid fire facts. There was no build-up and no sense of intrigue or thrill. Just like the dead body on the sidewalk, there was absolutely no pulse or heartbeat. None.
I'm being generous with the 3 stars. Sadly, The Scent of Death could well be the story itself.
I received a copy through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Endeavour Press.
The newspapers are filled with stories of the amazing Titantic and the British Antarctic Expedition. And now there is a story begging to be told involving an unexpected sight.
Perched on the ledge of a window on the third floor of the Bowers Department Store is the figure of a clown in full makeup. With swift arm movements, the clown flings out tiny parachutes attached to little boxes. The crowd below is mesmerized by this strange sight. They hurriedly open the boxes and find wind-up mice contained within. Is this an advertising or publicity stunt?
A few streets over, a robbery is taking place in an upscale jewelry store. When the jeweler refuses to open the safe, he is beaten by the intruders. One of the men uses gelignite to blow open the safe. The store contents are shoved into mail bags and the thieves are out the door within minutes.
Meanwhile, a dead body is found on the sidewalk not too far away that evening. Who is this man and what actions prompted his death? Better yet, is there some kind of connection to all of this?
Scotland Yard detectives, Inspector Harry Pilgrim and PC Braddock, are assigned to the cases. They seem to be locked in a confusing maze with no leads.
And we as readers seem to be locked in that maze along with these detectives. Roger Silverwood had a splendid storyline going here. However, it becomes bogged down with constant dry police interrogations. "Just the facts, mam." And we were bombarded with an endless machine-gun, rapid fire facts. There was no build-up and no sense of intrigue or thrill. Just like the dead body on the sidewalk, there was absolutely no pulse or heartbeat. None.
I'm being generous with the 3 stars. Sadly, The Scent of Death could well be the story itself.
I received a copy through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Endeavour Press.
February 6, 2017
GNA I received a free electronic copy of this historical mystery from Netgalley, Roger Silverwood, and Endeavour Press in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all, for sharing your hard work with me.
The Scent of Death covers a murder and a robbery in downtown London in April of 1912, both of which are being investigated by Inspector Pilgrim of Scotland Yard. This is a very detailed tale, keeping well within the bounds of 1912 London and the limitations of forensics at that time. I enjoyed this view into the past and will watch for Roger Silverwood in future.
Dec 30, 2016
Endeavour Press
The Scent of Death covers a murder and a robbery in downtown London in April of 1912, both of which are being investigated by Inspector Pilgrim of Scotland Yard. This is a very detailed tale, keeping well within the bounds of 1912 London and the limitations of forensics at that time. I enjoyed this view into the past and will watch for Roger Silverwood in future.
Dec 30, 2016
Endeavour Press
May 9, 2017
Roger Silverwood's "The Scent of Death" is a well crafted historical mystery set in Edwardian London circa 1912. The novel's protagonist is Detective Inspector Pilgrim of the New Scotland Yard. Early in the novel, Pilgrim needs a replacement to assist him since his sergeant is seriously ill, so he selects young PC Braddock. The main characters are interesting and nicely developed; however, many of the others tend to be less so. Still, it is a nice story that moves along.
The story opens strongly and captures your interest quickly as shoppers stroll along Oxford Street, a smiling clown drops tiny parachutes into the crowd from a nearby rooftop. Crowds gather and laughter begins. Meanwhile, a few streets away, a jewelry store is quickly robbed. The next day a murder is discovered. The body is taken to the morgue, but when Pilgrim and Braddock get there, the body is gone. Strangely, another crime, the assault and theft of handbag and one shoe a lady, is reported for several days. All need to be solved by our good Inspector.
"The Scent of Death" is the first Silverwood novel which I have read. Although I enjoyed it, I did struggle with a 3 or a 4; since it is my first of his, I will give this one a 4. If you are a fan of this genre, I do recommend it to you.
The story opens strongly and captures your interest quickly as shoppers stroll along Oxford Street, a smiling clown drops tiny parachutes into the crowd from a nearby rooftop. Crowds gather and laughter begins. Meanwhile, a few streets away, a jewelry store is quickly robbed. The next day a murder is discovered. The body is taken to the morgue, but when Pilgrim and Braddock get there, the body is gone. Strangely, another crime, the assault and theft of handbag and one shoe a lady, is reported for several days. All need to be solved by our good Inspector.
"The Scent of Death" is the first Silverwood novel which I have read. Although I enjoyed it, I did struggle with a 3 or a 4; since it is my first of his, I will give this one a 4. If you are a fan of this genre, I do recommend it to you.
November 12, 2017
Not bad, but just a few things
Not a bad read. I read it in one sitting. The Kindle version had quite a few errors. Names were mixed up, words were missing and punctuation was off among other things. I also don’t think the details of every cab ride need to be repeated. We get the idea. All in all, though, it was a relatively good book.
Not a bad read. I read it in one sitting. The Kindle version had quite a few errors. Names were mixed up, words were missing and punctuation was off among other things. I also don’t think the details of every cab ride need to be repeated. We get the idea. All in all, though, it was a relatively good book.
February 26, 2017
I couldn't finish this story. It was so very boring, formulaic, and stilted. It reminded me of that British TV show "Jericho."
January 5, 2017
2nd April 1912, London, a clown is dispensing presents from the top of a building, a jewellery robbery is taking place and a dead man is found. Are there are connections and if so what and whom.
Inspector Pilgrim investigates.
The story was okay, not that interesting, but found the writing style a bit disconcerting.
A NetGalley Book
Inspector Pilgrim investigates.
The story was okay, not that interesting, but found the writing style a bit disconcerting.
A NetGalley Book
February 16, 2017
A modest whodunit. Set in London in April 1912, a body is found on the street, but before the police can examine the body, the body is moved. There are enough clues to figure out who committed the crime, but enough red herrings it inject some fun.
January 11, 2017
4 stars
Inspector Pilgrim picks out PC Braddock on practically his first day on the job to assist him in an investigation. It is 1912 London and the villains are afoot. A jewelry store has been robbed and the owner beaten up.
Then a body turns up the next day. It was taken to the morgue, but by the time Pilgrim and Braddock get there, the body is gone. And another crime, the assault and theft of handbags and one shoe of two ladies.
These puzzling crimes keep Pilgrim and Braddock busy.
The story is well written and succinct. Although this is a short novel, it is action packed and no words are wasted. There is time, however, to pepper it with interesting little facts such as the launching of the Titanic and Admundsen’s race to the pole.
I enjoyed this novel. Since it was the first Roger Silverwood novel I’ve read, I will definitely be on the lookout for more of his work.
Thanks to Netgalley and Endeavour Press for forwarding me a copy of this fine book to read.
Inspector Pilgrim picks out PC Braddock on practically his first day on the job to assist him in an investigation. It is 1912 London and the villains are afoot. A jewelry store has been robbed and the owner beaten up.
Then a body turns up the next day. It was taken to the morgue, but by the time Pilgrim and Braddock get there, the body is gone. And another crime, the assault and theft of handbags and one shoe of two ladies.
These puzzling crimes keep Pilgrim and Braddock busy.
The story is well written and succinct. Although this is a short novel, it is action packed and no words are wasted. There is time, however, to pepper it with interesting little facts such as the launching of the Titanic and Admundsen’s race to the pole.
I enjoyed this novel. Since it was the first Roger Silverwood novel I’ve read, I will definitely be on the lookout for more of his work.
Thanks to Netgalley and Endeavour Press for forwarding me a copy of this fine book to read.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews