MURDER AS A FINE ART
David Morrell
Mulholland Books
May 2013
It is 1854 and London is being terrorized by a series of senseless, savage mass murders which mirror those of 43 years earlier, "The Ratcliffe Highway Murders". Thomas De Quincey, who scandalized England with his "Confessions of an English Opium Eater" also wrote an account of the Ratcliffe Highway Murders which seems to be the blueprint for the new murder spree. Naturally the powers that be would love to pin the crimes on De Quincey. De Quincey himself is an unlikely suspect as he is small, thin, elderly and suffers from a life-long opium addiction. Without the help of his capable daughter, Emily, and two members of the Constabulary, De Quincey will no doubt swing for the crime.
Murder as a Fine Art moves through every level of British society, from the lowest strata to the upper echelons of British government. I have always had a fascination with the Victorian Era, because it is so alien to our own; yet at the same time is a mirror for us. The same ever widening divisions between the "haves" and the "have-nots" are at play today, as well as the deep strain of hypocrisy and callousness in our public life. All of this is touched upon in Murder as a Fine Art, as well as a suspenseful and harrowing crime story. We get to take a walk in the mind of a murderer that is both illuminating and deeply disturbing.
I highly recommend Murder as a Fine Art to fans of historical fiction and crime.
RATING- 4.5 Stars
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