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buecherbjoern's review against another edition
3.0
Dieser zweite Band um Frey und McGray im Schottland des späten 19. Jahrhunderts ist eine ebenso tolle Geschichte wie sein Vorgänger - den Stern weniger gibt es nur, weil der Wechsel der Szenerie nicht so mein Fall ist - aber das wird beim nächsten Buch bestimmt wieder besser..
cornerofmadness's review against another edition
3.0
I didn’t realize that this was book two and it probably would have had helped to figure out how this odd couple got together. The best way to describe Frey and McGray is an English and Scottish Scully and Mulder respectively set in Victorian Edinburgh. Frey is a wealthy Londoner who decided to go into policing and ended up sent to Scotland for reasons I’m not entirely sure (probably in book one) but being embarrassed by his fiancée running off with his brother was part of it. McGray known as Nine Nails because his insane sister slaughtered his family and cut off one of his fingers in the process, is a Scottish detective.
The things that grated on me was the anti-English sentiment (which yes was real then and fairly deservedly but this harped on and on about it) and McGray constantly making the equivalent of dandy/gay jokes about Frey all the time left me with a bad taste in my mouth. There was an uneven pacing to some of it as well.
But there was good too. A man has escaped from the same asylum McGray’s sister is in and in fact she spoke to him, the first words she had spoken since her incarceration there. Ardglass is the son of a wealthy aristocratic alcoholic nicknamed Lady Glass because of her drinking issues. Ardglass is supposedly dead which was less embarrassing than he’s insane but is he? Ardglass is on the loose killing everyone who helped to put him away.
However, are the witches helping him or out to kill him? McGray, Mulder-like, believes in supernatural things like magic and is convinced they are real witches (in fact that’s all their division does, hunt down supernatural crimes). Frey, our Scully clone, doesn’t believe in it at all and is horrified most of the time to be partnered with McGray. Both of them are sort of whining and nasty to each other so it was hard to like either of them.
Is it really magic or is that magic science? The book is written so you can take it either way. As a mystery it is interesting and holds your attention, but it could had been tightened up. Just cutting out some of the nasty barbed banter would have shortened this fifty pages at least. Will I read another? Probably but this one is iffy for me.
The things that grated on me was the anti-English sentiment (which yes was real then and fairly deservedly but this harped on and on about it) and McGray constantly making the equivalent of dandy/gay jokes about Frey all the time left me with a bad taste in my mouth. There was an uneven pacing to some of it as well.
But there was good too. A man has escaped from the same asylum McGray’s sister is in and in fact she spoke to him, the first words she had spoken since her incarceration there. Ardglass is the son of a wealthy aristocratic alcoholic nicknamed Lady Glass because of her drinking issues. Ardglass is supposedly dead which was less embarrassing than he’s insane but is he? Ardglass is on the loose killing everyone who helped to put him away.
However, are the witches helping him or out to kill him? McGray, Mulder-like, believes in supernatural things like magic and is convinced they are real witches (in fact that’s all their division does, hunt down supernatural crimes). Frey, our Scully clone, doesn’t believe in it at all and is horrified most of the time to be partnered with McGray. Both of them are sort of whining and nasty to each other so it was hard to like either of them.
Is it really magic or is that magic science? The book is written so you can take it either way. As a mystery it is interesting and holds your attention, but it could had been tightened up. Just cutting out some of the nasty barbed banter would have shortened this fifty pages at least. Will I read another? Probably but this one is iffy for me.
patrick6367's review against another edition
3.0
Loved the first one, struggled more with the second one. Both of the protagonists were a lot more unlikeable this time around and the "villains" were both harder for me to accept with a 2022 mind set and were also a little caricaturish. I felt like there was a bit of a missed opportunity to make both the villains, and the protagonists, more nuanced and sympathetic. I'd say this was a solid 3.5 in that it was good, but not great. However the writing shows promise and I will continue with this series and hope the writer steers the lads in such a way as I can cheer whole-heartedly for them instead of raising my eyebrows at their actions and words. My favorite part of the book was actually the two page Author's Note at the very end were he explained how he came up with the novel. That alone was enough for me to decide I'm sticking with the series as the author seems very likeable. I just hope he makes his characters a little more likeable going forward.
dmferragamo's review against another edition
Not too bad....a nice easy historical mystery type read. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone but I wouldn't discourage anyone from reading it either.
stoker's review against another edition
2.75
Better than the first book. i really shocked myself by continuing this series. i just needed an audio book and i did not have anything lined up. i just decoded to go for it.
there was too much action in this book. i wanted the characters just to calm down but it was soooo action packed. i lost my attention to the plot at around 50% in but i continued because i wanted to know how the book ended. the ending was okay lol not the best thing ever.
i kept getting confused with the characters too. maybe i will listen to the next book if i do not have any other audiobooks to read.
there was too much action in this book. i wanted the characters just to calm down but it was soooo action packed. i lost my attention to the plot at around 50% in but i continued because i wanted to know how the book ended. the ending was okay lol not the best thing ever.
i kept getting confused with the characters too. maybe i will listen to the next book if i do not have any other audiobooks to read.
janetl69's review against another edition
3.0
After being impressed with Oscar's first book, I, sadly, didn't like this one as much. McGray went off the deep end in this one and Frey never did what he said he would do and always did the opposite so both main characters kind of annoyed me in this one. Also, as someone who has chosen to walk the path of The Craft, I don't like how the witches were portrayed. This is exactly how witches have gotten a bad wrap. I will say that I really couldn't tell who was on who's side through the whole book, so as far as mystery goes, he did a good job there.
I will probably pick up the next book, just to see if there are any changes to McGray and his behavior to, well, everyone and to see if Frey ever makes it out of "Edin-bloody-burgh".
I will probably pick up the next book, just to see if there are any changes to McGray and his behavior to, well, everyone and to see if Frey ever makes it out of "Edin-bloody-burgh".
squid_vicious's review against another edition
5.0
The sequel to “The Strings of Murder” did not disappoint me one bit! Just as action and humour-filled as its predecessor, “A Fever of the Blood” was a wonderful and gripping Victorian mystery, juicy with intrigue and hints of the paranormal, just the way I like them… I love creepy stuff, so even if I hadn’t already been super excited to read another adventure of Frey and McGray’s, the chilling intro of the witches’ curse would have been enough to get me hooked.
My favorite duo of detectives actually leave Scotland this time around, as they chase a man who was locked in the same lunatic asylum as McGray’s sister Pansy… until he brutally murdered a nurse and broke out. But as they follow the mad man’s trail down to Lancashire, the evidence they uncover forces them to ponder whether or not this man is really insane. They rapidly unearth a very old, extremely far-reaching conspiracy and realize that the kingdom’s strings have been pulled by a secret and occult society for a long time, and that their asylum escapee is out for revenge for wrongs done to his family many years ago.
We were introduced to Ian Frey, the London dandy inspector, and “Nine-Nails” McGray, the gruff Scottish detective in “Strings of Murder”: their personalities and background are further developed in “Fever of the Blood”, and we see their relationship, but also their personalities evolve as they investigate this case. Of course, their trademark banter and sharp personality conflict serves as a glorious comic relief to this fast-pace investigation. I really can’t get enough of McGray’s creative name-calling and of Frey’s pompous outrage. It simply tickles me pink.
The occult in this book is wonderfully portrayed. I loved that De Muriel mixed in a bit of folklore from his home country of Mexico in the story of those English witches: it may not be 100% historically accurate, but it added an exotic touch to the menacing atmosphere.
In short, “A Fever of the Blood” is a wonderfully entertaining historical mystery, with an agile balance of darkness, touching humanity and nail-biting climax. I highly recommended it to fans of the first book and to anyone who loves a good Victorian thriller.
My favorite duo of detectives actually leave Scotland this time around, as they chase a man who was locked in the same lunatic asylum as McGray’s sister Pansy… until he brutally murdered a nurse and broke out. But as they follow the mad man’s trail down to Lancashire, the evidence they uncover forces them to ponder whether or not this man is really insane. They rapidly unearth a very old, extremely far-reaching conspiracy and realize that the kingdom’s strings have been pulled by a secret and occult society for a long time, and that their asylum escapee is out for revenge for wrongs done to his family many years ago.
We were introduced to Ian Frey, the London dandy inspector, and “Nine-Nails” McGray, the gruff Scottish detective in “Strings of Murder”: their personalities and background are further developed in “Fever of the Blood”, and we see their relationship, but also their personalities evolve as they investigate this case. Of course, their trademark banter and sharp personality conflict serves as a glorious comic relief to this fast-pace investigation. I really can’t get enough of McGray’s creative name-calling and of Frey’s pompous outrage. It simply tickles me pink.
The occult in this book is wonderfully portrayed. I loved that De Muriel mixed in a bit of folklore from his home country of Mexico in the story of those English witches: it may not be 100% historically accurate, but it added an exotic touch to the menacing atmosphere.
In short, “A Fever of the Blood” is a wonderfully entertaining historical mystery, with an agile balance of darkness, touching humanity and nail-biting climax. I highly recommended it to fans of the first book and to anyone who loves a good Victorian thriller.
aislinn_mac2's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
rabe's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0