BEHIND CLOSED DOORS by Brian L Porter
BLURB:
The population of London is horrified by the murder spree being conducted by Jack the Ripper. While Police Commissioner Charles Warren investigates the Ripper murders, another, less well publicized killer is at large.
Tucked away on the inner pages of the daily press, a few articles tell of the strange murders taking place on board the carriages of the much-heralded London Metropolitan Railway. Each murder takes place the day after the Ripper killings, as the murderer appears to be taking advantage of the lack of police resources to tackle two major investigations simultaneously.
Inspector Albert Norris is charged with bringing the railway killer to justice, but clues are few and the killer’s motive unclear. He is forced to carry out his investigation ‘quietly and without causing a public panic’ as the authorities try to maintain confidence in the railway system’s safety. The press is being told even less, and Norris can count on little help from above as he attempts to solve the inexplicable series of murders.
MY REVIEW:
n 1888, while Jack the Ripper stirred fear in the hears of London residents, there was another, unknown, serial killer running loose, dumping his victims in the tunnels of the new Underground Railway system. With all the manpower being used in the search for Jack the Ripper, the case was assigned to Albert Norris, previously of the Scotland Yard, but now demoted to Inspector of the London Police Force. Hampered by the constraints placed on him by his upper command and high government officials, Norris nonetheless perseveres, going against all odds to catch the killer.
This was an entertaining historical thriller, well written for the time period involved. The settings and the people were believable and there were plot twists to keep me bouncing back and forth on who the real villain was. I did think some of the dialogue was flat, as well as some of the personality traits, but that might be the difference from an American to an English standpoint.
I did find several handfuls of proofreading errors, which lowered my rating. I look forward to reading more about Inspector Albert Norris. I give it 4 feathers and recommend this who-dun-it thriller.
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