ALEX GRECIAN is the national bestselling author of "The Yard" and the long-running and critically acclaimed graphic novel series Proof. He lives in the Midwest with his wife and son.
Praise for THE BLACK COUNTRY
It isn t often that a mystery-thriller enthralls so completely . .
. but as usual with Mr. Grecian, there is more to this tale than
complex plotting. [The] book brings to life the murky collision of
two worlds in the Victorian era: traditional folklore and modern
science. This intersection, captured so well by authors of the
period, from Charles Dickens to Thomas Hardy, was fraught with
complex questions about identity, authority, and belief . . . "The
Black Country" captures all of these nuances while preserving the
fast-paced plotting and breathlessness of a first-rate thriller . .
. Whether you read the tale in the dark night of winter of the haze
of a summer sun, be prepared for the chill. The days are dark in
Black Country. "The Huffington Post"
I enjoyed the swift pacing of Grecian's story, its abundant period
detail and its exuberantly gruesome tone . . . The gentlemanly,
no-nonsense banter of the detectives in the face of evil is one of
the prime pleasures of this riveting Victorian procedural.
"NPR.org"
Grecian s ("The Yard") latest Murder Squad adventure is a
fast-paced homage to the Victorian countryside mysteries of Wilkie
Collins and Charles Dickens. Recommended for Anglophiles, period
mystery enthusiasts, and anyone interested in medical Victoriana.
"Library Journal"
Grecian s riveting novel is an intelligent historical thriller
similar to Jean Zimmerman s atmospheric psychological novel "The
Orphanmaster "(2012), and as shocking as David Morrell s "Murder as
a Fine Art "(2013). "Booklist" (starred review)
Startling and spooky . . . [a] bold melding of horror with
historical elements. "Publishers Weekly" (starred review)
[Grecian] presents with fine precision the gray and gritty
atmosphere of late-Victorian England. "Kirkus"
Praise for THE YARD
Outstanding. If Charles Dickens isn t somewhere clapping his hands
for this, Wilkie Collins surely is. Marilyn Stasio, "The New York
Times Book Review"
"Lusciously rich with detail, atmosphere, and history, and yet as
fast paced as a locomotive, "The Yard" will keep you riveted from
page one. It's truly a one- or two-sitting read." Jeffery Deaver,
author of "Carte Blanche "and "The Bone Collector""
Praise for THE BLACK COUNTRY
"It isn't often that a mystery-thriller enthralls so completely . .
. but as usual with Mr. Grecian, there is more to this tale than
complex plotting. [The] book brings to life the murky collision of
two worlds in the Victorian era: traditional folklore and modern
science. This intersection, captured so well by authors of the
period, from Charles Dickens to Thomas Hardy, was fraught with
complex questions about identity, authority, and belief . . . "The
Black Country" captures all of these nuances while preserving the
fast-paced plotting and breathlessness of a first-rate thriller . .
. Whether you read the tale in the dark night of winter of the haze
of a summer sun, be prepared for the chill. The days are dark in
Black Country."--"The Huffington Post"
"I enjoyed the swift pacing of Grecian's story, its abundant period
detail and its exuberantly gruesome tone . . . The gentlemanly,
no-nonsense banter of the detectives in the face of evil is one of
the prime pleasures of this riveting Victorian
procedural."--"NPR.org"
"Grecian's ("The Yard") latest Murder Squad adventure is a
fast-paced homage to the Victorian countryside mysteries of Wilkie
Collins and Charles Dickens. Recommended for Anglophiles, period
mystery enthusiasts, and anyone interested in medical
Victoriana."--"Library Journal"
"Grecian's riveting novel is an intelligent historical thriller
similar to Jean Zimmerman's atmospheric psychological novel "The
Orphanmaster "(2012), and as shocking as David Morrell's "Murder as
a Fine Art "(2013)."--"Booklist" (starred review)
"Startling and spooky . . . [a] bold melding of horror with
historical elements."--"Publishers Weekly" (starred review)
"[Grecian] presents with fine precision the gray and gritty
atmosphere of late-Victorian England."--"Kirkus"
Praise for THE YARD
"Outstanding. If Charles Dickens isn't somewhere clapping his hands
for this, Wilkie Collins surely is."--Marilyn Stasio, "The New York
Times Book Review"
"Lusciously rich with detail, atmosphere, and history, and yet as
fast paced as a locomotive, "The Yard" will keep you riveted from
page one. It's truly a one- or two-sitting read."--Jeffery Deaver,
author of "Carte Blanche "and "The Bone Collector"
Praise for THE BLACK COUNTRY
"It isn't often that a mystery-thriller enthralls so completely . .
. but as usual with Mr. Grecian, there is more to this tale than
complex plotting. [The] book brings to life the murky collision of
two worlds in the Victorian era: traditional folklore and modern
science. This intersection, captured so well by authors of the
period, from Charles Dickens to Thomas Hardy, was fraught with
complex questions about identity, authority, and belief . . . "The
Black Country" captures all of these nuances while preserving the
fast-paced plotting and breathlessness of a first-rate thriller . .
. Whether you read the tale in the dark night of winter of the haze
of a summer sun, be prepared for the chill. The days are dark in
Black Country."--"The Huffington Post"
"I enjoyed the swift pacing of Grecian's story, its abundant period
detail and its exuberantly gruesome tone . . . The gentlemanly,
no-nonsense banter of the detectives in the face of evil is one of
the prime pleasures of this riveting Victorian
procedural."--"NPR.org"
"Grecian's ("The Yard") latest Murder Squad adventure is a
fast-paced homage to the Victorian countryside mysteries of Wilkie
Collins and Charles Dickens. Recommended for Anglophiles, period
mystery enthusiasts, and anyone interested in medical
Victoriana."--"Library Journal"
"Grecian's riveting novel is an intelligent historical thriller
similar to Jean Zimmerman's atmospheric psychological novel "The
Orphanmaster "(2012), and as shocking as David Morrell's "Murder as
a Fine Art "(2013)."--"Booklist" (starred review)
"Startling and spooky . . . [a] bold melding of horror with
historical elements."--"Publishers Weekly" (starred review)
"[Grecian] presents with fine precision the gray and gritty
atmosphere of late-Victorian England."--"Kirkus"
Praise for THE YARD
"Outstanding. If Charles Dickens isn't somewhere clapping his hands
for this, Wilkie Collins surely is."--Marilyn Stasio, "The New York
Times Book Review"
"Lusciously rich with detail, atmosphere, and history, and yet as
fast paced as a locomotive, "The Yard" will keep you riveted from
page one. It's truly a one- or two-sitting read."--Jeffery Deaver,
author of "Carte Blanche "and "The Bone Collector"
Praise for THE BLACK COUNTRY
"Grecian's riveting novel is an intelligent historical thriller
similar to Jean Zimmerman's atmospheric psychological novel "The
Orphanmaster "(2012), and as shocking as David Morrell's "Murder as
a Fine Art "(2013)."--"Booklist" (starred review)
"Startling and spooky . . . [a] bold melding of horror with
historical elements."--"Publishers Weekly" (starred review)
"[Grecian] presents with fine precision the gray and gritty
atmosphere of late-Victorian England."--"Kirkus"
Praise for THE YARD
"Outstanding. If Charles Dickens isn't somewhere clapping his hands
for this, Wilkie Collins surely is."--Marilyn Stasio, "The New York
Times Book Review"
"Lusciously rich with detail, atmosphere, and history, and yet as
fast paced as a locomotive, "The Yard" will keep you riveted from
page one. It's truly a one- or two-sitting read."--Jeffery Deaver,
author of "Carte Blanche "and "The Bone Collector"
"Alex Grecian's "The Yard "is a brilliantly crafted debut novel
with unforgettable characters. An utterly gripping tale perfectly
evokes Victorian London and brings you right back to the depraved
and traumatic days of Jack the Ripper. And I mean that in the best
possible way."--Lisa Lutz, author of "The Spellman Files"
Praise for THE BLACK COUNTRY
"Startling and spooky . . . [a] bold melding of horror with
historical elements."--"Publishers Weekly" (starred review)
"[Grecian] presents with fine precision the gray and gritty
atmosphere of late-Victorian England."--"Kirkus"
Praise for THE YARD
"Outstanding. If Charles Dickens isn't somewhere clapping his hands
for this, Wilkie Collins surely is."--Marilyn Stasio, "The New York
Times Book Review"
"Lusciously rich with detail, atmosphere, and history, and yet as
fast paced as a locomotive, "The Yard" will keep you riveted from
page one. It's truly a one- or two-sitting read."--Jeffery Deaver,
author of "Carte Blanche "and "The Bone Collector"
"Alex Grecian's "The Yard "is a brilliantly crafted debut novel
with unforgettable characters. An utterly gripping tale perfectly
evokes Victorian London and brings you right back to the depraved
and traumatic days of Jack the Ripper. And I mean that in the best
possible way."--Lisa Lutz, author of "The Spellman Files"
Praise for THE YARD
"Outstanding. If Charles Dickens isn't somewhere clapping his hands
for this, Wilkie Collins surely is."--Marilyn Stasio, "The New York
Times Book Review"
The Murder Squad is back on the case! When a small boy and his parents go missing, Insp. Walter Day and Sgt. Nevil Hammersmith trade the fog of London for the coal mines of the British Midlands.The duo arrive in the tiny village of Blackhampton, weighted down under a thick layer of snow, secrets, and superstition. Soon, the case that was supposed to be open-and-shut has developed more twists and turns than the labyrinthine mining tunnels underlying the village. As a deadly stranger watches, more villagers disappear and Hammersmith develops a mysterious illness. Verdict Grecian's (The Yard) latest Murder Squad adventure is a fast-paced homage to the Victorian countryside mysteries of Wilkie Collins (The Moonstone; The Woman in White) and Charles Dickens (Bleak House; The Mystery of Edwin Drood). Recommended for Anglophiles, period mystery enthusiasts, and anyone interested in medical Victoriana. [See Prepub Alert, 11/12/12.]-Liv Hanson, Chicago (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
The small mining town of Blackhampton is a far cry from the bustling streets of Victorian London, but when three members of a prominent family go missing and a human eyeball is found in a bird's nest, Inspector Walter Day and Sergeant Nevil Hammersmith of Scotland Yard's murder squad are brought in to help the local police in their search for the missing family. When they arrive they find a town drenched in secrets, steeped in old superstitions, and haunted by the past and death. What happened to the family? Whose eye was in the nest? And what is the mysterious illness that is striking down the town's populace? These are only a few of the many questions that Day and Hammersmith must find answers to during their time in the Black Country. Toby Leonard Moore is in fine form as he expertly brings Grecian's historical mystery to life. With his even, pleasantly accented voice and calm, methodical pacing, Moore skillfully pulls listener sin and guides them through the twists and turns of this dark and captivating tale. At the same time he convincingly creates a wide range of diverse characterizations. A Putnam hardcover. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
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