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3.45 AVERAGE
3.45 AVERAGE
I wanted to like this more, but it just didn't click with me. I listened to it in audio, which usually draws me into the story, but not in this case. I found my attention drifting and not really caring that much about the characters. The narrative jumped around quite a bit between a few characters, which took me out of the story rather than drawing me in.
Minor spoiler here:
I think what put me off most was the supernatural aspect and the idea that you could solve a crime by taking drugs to see an evil spirit/being that is influencing an unsuspecting person into killing women. Also, the ending was sort of a non-event, leaving me wondering why I had bothered sticking with it. I plan to give this author another shot though, as I usually love this genre and time period.
Minor spoiler here:
I think what put me off most was the supernatural aspect and the idea that you could solve a crime by taking drugs to see an evil spirit/being that is influencing an unsuspecting person into killing women. Also, the ending was sort of a non-event, leaving me wondering why I had bothered sticking with it. I plan to give this author another shot though, as I usually love this genre and time period.
Not really a fan of stories of this genre, so struggled a bit to get through it.
Realistically the first half of the book is a 2 star, but what bumps this Victorian novel to the next rating is the added element of the paranormal. The beginning is floundering and dry, while the Torso murders were intriguing (something of which I knew nothing of), yet the characters I couldn't quite make the connection. Aaron's story line was jumbled. Bond's intuitiveness into the Torso murders is the only thing that kept me reading the first half. The random chapters from the Inspector's perspective seemed unnecessary, and his presence faded out as the book barreled toward conclusion. Which still leaves me wondering what his purpose was at all.
Why did I finish?
The introduction of James Harrington and Elizabeth Jackson's POVs are what gave the story line the depth and intrigue it needed. I rather wished Elizabeth appeared more in the story.
Conclusion:
I recommend borrowing from the library.
Why did I finish?
The introduction of James Harrington and Elizabeth Jackson's POVs are what gave the story line the depth and intrigue it needed. I rather wished Elizabeth appeared more in the story.
Conclusion:
I recommend borrowing from the library.
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
http://abitterdraft.blogspot.com/2013/07/review-mayhem-by-sarah-pinborough.html
Jo Fletcher Books is publisher to many good authors, including Tom Pollock, Snorri Kristjansson, and one Sarah Pinborough. Sarah is author to many dark stories, including her Dog Faced Gods horror series, as well as rewritten fairy tales, one being Poison (Snow White) and another being Beauty (Sleeping Beauty). I've yet to read any of her other work, so Mayhem was a first for me in a few ways. Prior to reading it, I hadn't really read any novels that could be categorized under mystery or crime; I'd read some with elements of each, but never something strictly one or the other.
Two things drew me to Mayhem. First, there was the cover - exceptionally elegant and very fitting of the 19th century tale that is told. Second, Jack the Ripper. If for some reason you are unaware of who he was, Jack was a serial killer in late 19th century London who targeted female prostitutes and murdered them in brutal ways. He killed at least five women, likely more, but get this - he was never caught. This anonymity led to widespread terror throughout the area for years to come. Mayhem is not a story of Jack, though, but one of a new killer, dubbed by some as The Thames Killer and as The Torso Killer by others. Though there are similarities between Jack's killings and those of the newcomer, primarily that they both target women, the protagonist, Dr. Thomas Bond, knows that there is indeed a second killer in the London slums who keeps his victims' heads as trophies.
Dr. Bond is a middle-aged man hired as a police surgeon to aid the police in investigating the killings of Jack, and after the limbs of a woman are recovered from the Thames river, he's forced to help track down two killers. Bond's life has become increasingly stressful and sleepless since he began the investigation, leading him to bouts of anxiety and an addiction to opium. Opium is his escape - when he can't sleep he heads to the dens to smoke some poppy and close his eyes, though he usually ends up having terrifying dreams brought on by the drug and his contact with the victims. Throughout Mayhem we see Bond fall into deeper and darker places, and his characterization and development are fantastic.
Alongside Dr. Bond, there are two characters who get a smaller amount of face-time - Inspector Henry Moore and a Polish refugee and hairdresser known as Aaron Kosminski. This is where Mayhem partially fell short for me. Dr. Bond's chapters are told in the first person, which is perfect for the premise of the story, and what I expected the entire story to be, whereas Inspector Moore and Aaron Kosminski's chapters are told in the third person. Although the insight from different characters was interesting - especially seeing their thoughts on Bond's drastic changes throughout the story - I felt that it disrupted the flow of the story and a little distracting. Maybe it was because I hadn't read a story that switched from first to third person throughout the tale before, but I think it could have been beneficial to commit to one or the other. Due to the nature of the story, though, it would not have been complete and the reader would be left wondering what was happening if Kosminski wasn't a point-of-view character.
Much of what you'll get out of Mayhem is dependent upon your expectations going in. Due to this being my first real crime novel, I had expected a fast-paced story where the investigation was always one step behind the killer until some sort of culmination at the end, and the initial chapter convinced me that's what I was getting. The first chapter was a dark and gripping recount of the Torso Killer's first murder. But after that, the pacing proceeded at an average pace, picking up at points where a new lead or a new victim is found. Despite this, Pinborough's elegant prose, as with the cover, perfectly fit the time of the story and created a sort of fog and feeling of claustrophobia around the darker areas of London. Now and then the story jumped ahead days, weeks, and even months and thus the reader can be left either okay with nothing happening in those intervals or wondering if the time frame could have been condensed to improve the pacing, though that may have thrown off the backdrop of Jack's murders, so take from that what you will.
Another strong aspect of Mayhem is Pinborough's use of news articles and police reports between occasional chapters. When there's a new victim, we're given a chance to read what the citizens of 1887-1889 London read and feel what they felt. Pinborough also shows her skill in writing in revealing the killer around halfway through the story and avoiding the cliché of his immediate capture, but without harming the pacing in any way.
Sarah Pinborough's Mayhem is a dark, elegantly written tale with some particularly gripping scenes and a well executed supernatural aspect that led to a solid, if not slightly rushed ending. There is a definite air of mystery throughout the story and even though it was not the story I expected, it was still an entertaining read and I am looking forward to the 'further adventures of Dr. Bond' in May 2015, when Sarah will be releasing Murder.
Jo Fletcher Books is publisher to many good authors, including Tom Pollock, Snorri Kristjansson, and one Sarah Pinborough. Sarah is author to many dark stories, including her Dog Faced Gods horror series, as well as rewritten fairy tales, one being Poison (Snow White) and another being Beauty (Sleeping Beauty). I've yet to read any of her other work, so Mayhem was a first for me in a few ways. Prior to reading it, I hadn't really read any novels that could be categorized under mystery or crime; I'd read some with elements of each, but never something strictly one or the other.
Two things drew me to Mayhem. First, there was the cover - exceptionally elegant and very fitting of the 19th century tale that is told. Second, Jack the Ripper. If for some reason you are unaware of who he was, Jack was a serial killer in late 19th century London who targeted female prostitutes and murdered them in brutal ways. He killed at least five women, likely more, but get this - he was never caught. This anonymity led to widespread terror throughout the area for years to come. Mayhem is not a story of Jack, though, but one of a new killer, dubbed by some as The Thames Killer and as The Torso Killer by others. Though there are similarities between Jack's killings and those of the newcomer, primarily that they both target women, the protagonist, Dr. Thomas Bond, knows that there is indeed a second killer in the London slums who keeps his victims' heads as trophies.
Dr. Bond is a middle-aged man hired as a police surgeon to aid the police in investigating the killings of Jack, and after the limbs of a woman are recovered from the Thames river, he's forced to help track down two killers. Bond's life has become increasingly stressful and sleepless since he began the investigation, leading him to bouts of anxiety and an addiction to opium. Opium is his escape - when he can't sleep he heads to the dens to smoke some poppy and close his eyes, though he usually ends up having terrifying dreams brought on by the drug and his contact with the victims. Throughout Mayhem we see Bond fall into deeper and darker places, and his characterization and development are fantastic.
Alongside Dr. Bond, there are two characters who get a smaller amount of face-time - Inspector Henry Moore and a Polish refugee and hairdresser known as Aaron Kosminski. This is where Mayhem partially fell short for me. Dr. Bond's chapters are told in the first person, which is perfect for the premise of the story, and what I expected the entire story to be, whereas Inspector Moore and Aaron Kosminski's chapters are told in the third person. Although the insight from different characters was interesting - especially seeing their thoughts on Bond's drastic changes throughout the story - I felt that it disrupted the flow of the story and a little distracting. Maybe it was because I hadn't read a story that switched from first to third person throughout the tale before, but I think it could have been beneficial to commit to one or the other. Due to the nature of the story, though, it would not have been complete and the reader would be left wondering what was happening if Kosminski wasn't a point-of-view character.
Much of what you'll get out of Mayhem is dependent upon your expectations going in. Due to this being my first real crime novel, I had expected a fast-paced story where the investigation was always one step behind the killer until some sort of culmination at the end, and the initial chapter convinced me that's what I was getting. The first chapter was a dark and gripping recount of the Torso Killer's first murder. But after that, the pacing proceeded at an average pace, picking up at points where a new lead or a new victim is found. Despite this, Pinborough's elegant prose, as with the cover, perfectly fit the time of the story and created a sort of fog and feeling of claustrophobia around the darker areas of London. Now and then the story jumped ahead days, weeks, and even months and thus the reader can be left either okay with nothing happening in those intervals or wondering if the time frame could have been condensed to improve the pacing, though that may have thrown off the backdrop of Jack's murders, so take from that what you will.
Another strong aspect of Mayhem is Pinborough's use of news articles and police reports between occasional chapters. When there's a new victim, we're given a chance to read what the citizens of 1887-1889 London read and feel what they felt. Pinborough also shows her skill in writing in revealing the killer around halfway through the story and avoiding the cliché of his immediate capture, but without harming the pacing in any way.
Sarah Pinborough's Mayhem is a dark, elegantly written tale with some particularly gripping scenes and a well executed supernatural aspect that led to a solid, if not slightly rushed ending. There is a definite air of mystery throughout the story and even though it was not the story I expected, it was still an entertaining read and I am looking forward to the 'further adventures of Dr. Bond' in May 2015, when Sarah will be releasing Murder.
When Jo Fletcher tweeted she had 5 copies of “Mayhem” to give away to bloggers, I immediately sent a “I RAISE MY HAND” tweet in reply. I had briefly checked it out and was instantly drawn in by the cover. This is my kind of cover: beautiful, eye-catching, hinting at what will happen when I open the book. I was thrilled when I was selected as one of the five to receive a copy. This time I actually read what this book was all about on Goodreads. It’s definitely different from what I’ve been reading lately, so I thought it would be a welcome change and a chance to broaden the genres I'm reading.
After finishing “Mayhem” I can safely say the cover didn’t fool me and the book delivered in every possible way. What a read!
So what’s it all about? London is in the grip of a grim, dark period that has an effect on everyone living in the area. We’re talking about the time of Jack the Ripper, the notorious serial killer.
Pinborough paints a vivid images of the effect this has on the residents of London, showing how lots of people and the press have morbid fascination with the murders. But this story isn’t about the Ripper murders, though it illustrates perfectly how a certain evil has London in its grip. Jack the Ripper is just a creation of this stifling mood, an example of how it can push people over the edge.
The main focus is on the simultaneously occurring, but lesser known Thames torso killer.
The novel is dotted with newspaper clippings, which gave me the feeling I was actually living the story, making the whole reading experience that more intense.
On to the characters, where Pinborough made some interesting and really good choices. Our main character is Dr. Bond, the coroner examining the remains of all the murder victims. His chapters are written in the first person POV, the only chapter written from this perspective (if you don’t include the diary entries of a certain other character), making him the person we follow most intimately throughout the book. The dark mood hanging over London has a more severe effect on him than on most of the other citizens, keeping him up at night and ultimately driving him to the opium dens to find some sort of relief. He immediately senses that the Thames Killer is somehow more gruesome and different, worse than the Ripper.
Others too get a few chapters, one of them Inspector Moore, who has the almost impossible task of solving the murders. We get to see the difficulties the police had to face from his perspective.
Aaron Kosminski is another important character. A sickly man plagued by nightmares and visions that give him some insight in what exactly is going on in London.
In between are chapters from the viewpoint of the victims of the Thames Killer just before they die. These give a whole other level of experiences to the reader. Pinborough writes these passages so realistically you can almost feel the fear, the despair, the sorrow, the what-if’s going around inside these women’s heads.
Then there’s the man with the waxy coat and the withered arm who shows up at the Thames Killer crime scenes and in the opium dens. How is he connected to the horrible murders?
It’s soon pretty clear that something supernatural is at work here. Can Dr. Bond, the scientist, make peace with that? Although he already knows it’s true deep down, he can’t accept it right away. I’m a scientist too, so I could relate.
Pinborough has a writing style that sucks your right into the story and doesn’t let go ‘till you finish the last page. She can make you feel things, make the book come alive somehow. I was totally feeling the mood she wanted to create here, some sort of uneasy darkness that makes you look over your shoulder more than once when walking on the street all alone. I read “Mayhem” during the cold, grey early ‘spring’ days this year (a depressing couple of weeks if you ask me) and that certainly contributed to the vibe of this book.
After reading “Mayhem”, I went online and did a bit of research on the Thames Torso Killer and Jack the Ripper. It’s really great to see that a lot of the names used in “Mayhem” are actual people who worked on these cases or who had a connection with them. The book piqued my interest and I'm a sucker for unsolved mysteries so you'll probably find me browsing the internet about these subjects in the future.
This has been a rather long review and to conclude I can only say one thing: read it! Now!
I’ll definitely be reading more of Sarah Pinborough’s work (and so should you)!
After finishing “Mayhem” I can safely say the cover didn’t fool me and the book delivered in every possible way. What a read!
So what’s it all about? London is in the grip of a grim, dark period that has an effect on everyone living in the area. We’re talking about the time of Jack the Ripper, the notorious serial killer.
Pinborough paints a vivid images of the effect this has on the residents of London, showing how lots of people and the press have morbid fascination with the murders. But this story isn’t about the Ripper murders, though it illustrates perfectly how a certain evil has London in its grip. Jack the Ripper is just a creation of this stifling mood, an example of how it can push people over the edge.
The main focus is on the simultaneously occurring, but lesser known Thames torso killer.
The novel is dotted with newspaper clippings, which gave me the feeling I was actually living the story, making the whole reading experience that more intense.
On to the characters, where Pinborough made some interesting and really good choices. Our main character is Dr. Bond, the coroner examining the remains of all the murder victims. His chapters are written in the first person POV, the only chapter written from this perspective (if you don’t include the diary entries of a certain other character), making him the person we follow most intimately throughout the book. The dark mood hanging over London has a more severe effect on him than on most of the other citizens, keeping him up at night and ultimately driving him to the opium dens to find some sort of relief. He immediately senses that the Thames Killer is somehow more gruesome and different, worse than the Ripper.
Others too get a few chapters, one of them Inspector Moore, who has the almost impossible task of solving the murders. We get to see the difficulties the police had to face from his perspective.
Aaron Kosminski is another important character. A sickly man plagued by nightmares and visions that give him some insight in what exactly is going on in London.
In between are chapters from the viewpoint of the victims of the Thames Killer just before they die. These give a whole other level of experiences to the reader. Pinborough writes these passages so realistically you can almost feel the fear, the despair, the sorrow, the what-if’s going around inside these women’s heads.
Then there’s the man with the waxy coat and the withered arm who shows up at the Thames Killer crime scenes and in the opium dens. How is he connected to the horrible murders?
It’s soon pretty clear that something supernatural is at work here. Can Dr. Bond, the scientist, make peace with that? Although he already knows it’s true deep down, he can’t accept it right away. I’m a scientist too, so I could relate.
Pinborough has a writing style that sucks your right into the story and doesn’t let go ‘till you finish the last page. She can make you feel things, make the book come alive somehow. I was totally feeling the mood she wanted to create here, some sort of uneasy darkness that makes you look over your shoulder more than once when walking on the street all alone. I read “Mayhem” during the cold, grey early ‘spring’ days this year (a depressing couple of weeks if you ask me) and that certainly contributed to the vibe of this book.
After reading “Mayhem”, I went online and did a bit of research on the Thames Torso Killer and Jack the Ripper. It’s really great to see that a lot of the names used in “Mayhem” are actual people who worked on these cases or who had a connection with them. The book piqued my interest and I'm a sucker for unsolved mysteries so you'll probably find me browsing the internet about these subjects in the future.
This has been a rather long review and to conclude I can only say one thing: read it! Now!
I’ll definitely be reading more of Sarah Pinborough’s work (and so should you)!
DNF @63%
I gave this book a fair chance. I was considering DNFing it at 12% but the premise sounded so good, paranormal historical horror, yes, please!
But I felt so bored.
It started well, describing the evil spirit-driven murderer and the start of the police investigation. Then it meandered for 100 pages split between 3 POVs and we finally got to part 2.
Then it picked up on the paranormal aspect but added 2 more POVs. And somewhere around 60% it actually told us who the current killer is.
I think if I were attached to any of the characters I would continue but alas I am not.
I really enjoyed the priest in the story, I wish there were some chapters from his point of view.
I gave this book a fair chance. I was considering DNFing it at 12% but the premise sounded so good, paranormal historical horror, yes, please!
But I felt so bored.
It started well, describing the evil spirit-driven murderer and the start of the police investigation. Then it meandered for 100 pages split between 3 POVs and we finally got to part 2.
Then it picked up on the paranormal aspect but added 2 more POVs. And somewhere around 60% it actually told us who the current killer is.
I think if I were attached to any of the characters I would continue but alas I am not.
I really enjoyed the priest in the story, I wish there were some chapters from his point of view.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Mayhem is such a gripping story; I kept wanting to know more and more and I didn't want to put it down. When I did put it down, I knew it could suck me back in easily. The story would stick to me, like a shadow, constantly hungry for more.
I loved the supernatural element to this mystery, that was mainly what I came here for (and because of the kickass cover that I didn't get but one of my reading buddies had that read the book before me. I knew I had to read this.) and it did not disappoint.
You'd be surprised that I did not immediately go and read Murder (the second part), even though I already own a copy- Mayhem was simply so overwhelming that I needed a break from it's grasp.
I loved the supernatural element to this mystery, that was mainly what I came here for (and because of the kickass cover that I didn't get but one of my reading buddies had that read the book before me. I knew I had to read this.) and it did not disappoint.
You'd be surprised that I did not immediately go and read Murder (the second part), even though I already own a copy- Mayhem was simply so overwhelming that I needed a break from it's grasp.
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced