The Death Collector

George Archer mends clocks at the British Museum, leading an unexciting life, until his colleague is murdered and the fragment of a diary Percy was examining becomes a very important piece of paper. George’s wallet containing the fragment is stolen by Eddie, and rescued by Liz. The three of them, together with Sir William, track down the secret and foil the dastardly Augustus Lorimore, who behind the huge gates of his London estate collects dead bodies to further his aims. The opening of the story is quite electrifying and the remainder does not disappoint. Set in the gloom of a fog-bound Victorian London with many twists and turns, this is a very exciting novel, reminiscent in some ways of Philip Pullman’s Victorian novels. Well-written and nicely paced, a real page-turner – and the ending is quite spectacular. The title does not do it justice and may deter some readers which would be a pity.