Silk
by Chris Karlsen
published by Books to Go Now
December 2014
ISBN n/a
Why read? Review
Challenges: n/a
With Silk,
Chris Karlsen has done an excellent job combining police procedural with
Victorian historical fiction. Aside from
having the most notorious serial killer on their hands, the Victorian era was
an exciting time for London police detectives because forensics was just
starting to be understood, and Karlsen shows this perfectly in Silk.
Someone is killing young women in the museum
gardens, and the case has Inspector Rudyard Bloodstone baffled. Things take an even more interesting turn
when one of the bodies turns out to be the work of a copycat. That particular murder takes Bloodstone and
his partner down a twisted path that leads to a psychotic nobleman and more
bureaucratic red tape than they want.
However, there are two murderers, and Bloodstone is determined to solve
the case, his love life be damned.
Karlsen does some very interesting and fine things
with Silk. First, we really get to know
Bloodstone as a person, not just a detective.
His personal life is a major part of the book, and while it does not
further the plot, it is needed to make him a well-rounded and thoroughly
likeable character. Karlsen also, as
some mystery and thriller writers do, gives us a look at the killer as he
descends on his path to madness.
However, she only shows us one killer, still leaving plenty of mystery
to keep the reader guessing until the very end.
If you love police procedurals or the Victorian era,
Silk is a must read. I hope Chris Kalsen has more planned for
Bloodstone, both professionally and personally.
Rating 4/5
