The Devil's Workshop by Alex Grecian - 3.5 Stars

[Olivermagnus]

The Devil's Workshop is the third book in the Scotland Yard Murder Squad series, set in late 1880's London. The story begins with a prisoner who is being tortured by unknown men. Soon the reader discovers who the prisoner is and why he is being tortured. A secret organization of zealots, after capturing certain criminals, attempts to dispense their own brand of justice. They have planned for some of the murderers to escape from prison, so they can punish the men themselves, but the plan goes terribly wrong. As the killers elude them, Scotland Yard’s Murder Squad detectives, Walter Day and Nevil Hammersmith, are asked to find the criminals.

Grecian's description of late Victorian London is excellent. The characters were richly drawn and the life in London at the time was very much a part of the story. You felt as if you were there on the streets. His characters are very believable, as they work through various Victorian attitudes towards social class and gender. The Devil’s Workshop is not a book for the squeamish, but will definitely keep readers on the edge of their seat with the various characters and intense plot.

While I think this is the weakest book of the three I've read, I still really enjoyed it. Through all the twists and turns the story held my interest until the last page. I've come to love Day and Hammersmith and I'm definitely going to read the next book in the series soon.