Published By: Head of Zeus
Pages: 320
Released On: 14/08/2025
A former First World War field hospital, the spooky old mansion at Devil’s Neck attracts spirit-seekers from far and wide.
Illusionist-turned-sleuth Joseph Spector knows the house of old. When stories spread of a phantom soldier making mischief, he joins a party of visitors in search of the truth.
But the house, located on a lonely causeway, is soon cut off by floods. Before long, the stranded visitors are being killed off one by one. The only possible culprit? The ghostly soldier…
With old ally Inspector Flint working on a complex case that has links to Spector’s investigation, the two men must connect the dots before Devil’s Neck claims another victim… Spector himself.
*****
Thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
Book 1: Death and the Conjuror
Book 2: The Murder Wheel
Book 3: Cabaret Macabre
I love this series so much and I want it to go on and on. It’s a classic whodunnit and really arks back to the good ol’ days of Agatha Christie. They have that same classic feeling and I could see them having long lasting appeal.
The cover was wonderful and really caught my eye.
There are always a lot of characters in these books and this one is no different, which can be confusing, especially for someone as bad with names as I am, but it never felt overwhelming.
It really does suck you straight in, but then gets a little quieter. Tom has weaved both paces in very well to make it easy to read.
When you get a series like this that focus on the same characters with similar stories, they can get a bit samey and predictable and boring. But somehow Tom has made them familiar enough so you get what you expect, but different enough that it still keeps your hooked. This is book four and I personally think it’s the best one. I really didn’t have it figured out – although I had my suspicions. It’s so clever, and to keep doing it time and again, with the same characters, but still keep it fresh it very impressive.
It’s almost like we have two stories. We have the scenes with Spector and the scenes with Flint, and then we see how they interweave.
I found this one very involved, a lot of characters, a lot of moving parts, but the business didn’t bother me, in fact it probably meant it held my attention all the more.
I read a lot of thrillers, mysteries, and crime novels, and I always think “this will be the one I work out” and I never do! And I’m always so impressed by Tom’s ability to write these “impossible” books because I wouldn’t have the first clue how to start, let alone finish.
It’s not really a book to read when doing other things. It requires, and deserves, your full attention.
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