[REVIEW] Gallows Court

This Advance Reader Copy of the book is courtesy of NetGalley and the book’s publishers. I am not receiving any financial or additional benefit from either group for posting this review other than the opportunity to read this book before it’s released publicly. 

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tl;dr Review:

A crazy, topsy-turvy mystery set in 1930’s London that’s lots of fun and keeps you on your toes.

Full Review:

This was one of those books I read in one sitting because I kept being surprised, even when I thought I had it figured out. Gallows Court by Martin Edwards is filled with some over-the-top drama, but overall it was a lot of fun trying to pin down who the murderer was. It felt like an old school game of clue or one of those murder mystery dinners people host that keep you guessing.

The publisher’s description is equal parts dramatic yet accurate.

LONDON, 1930.

Sooty, sulphurous, and malign: no woman should be out on a night like this. A spate of violent deaths – the details too foul to print – has horrified the capital and the smog-bound streets are deserted. But Rachel Savernake – the enigmatic daughter of a notorious hanging judge – is no ordinary woman. To Scotland Yard’s embarrassment, she solved the Chorus Girl Murder, and now she’s on the trail of another killer.

Jacob Flint, a young newspaperman temporarily manning The Clarion’s crime desk, is looking for the scoop that will make his name. He’s certain there is more to the Miss Savernake’s amateur sleuthing than meets the eye. He’s not the only one. His predecessor on the crime desk was of a similar mind – not that Mr Betts is ever expected to regain consciousness after that unfortunate accident…

Flint’s pursuit of Rachel Savernake will draw him ever-deeper into a labyrinth of deception and corruption. Murder-by-murder, he’ll be swept ever-closer to its dark heart – to that ancient place of execution, where it all began and where it will finally end: Gallows Court.

Not only did the book keep me guessing up until the end, but it also made me enjoy a male protagonist as the narrator. Though it toggles back and forth between Rachel and Jacob, I was surprised by how much I related to Jacob.

Normally, I cannot stand male protagonists. They are often obnoxious, narcissistic, and ridiculous. Yet Jacob was smart and sweet, if a bit naive. I had moments where I wanted to tell him to not go somewhere because I knew it would end badly. Bless his heart. hahaha.

Overall, if you’re looking for a fun murder mystery that keeps you in suspense, then I highly suggest you pick up this book.

I give it 4 out of 5 thumbs up.