A Game of Iniquity by Miray Kose
London, 1891.
Deliveries. Opium. Regret. The only three things twenty-one-year-old Gabriel Ashmore’s life consists of until four murder victims are found in the increasingly criminal city, all marked with the same black veins. Gabriel is connected to all four. He delivered Erebus to them, a new opium variant on the market, after being forced to provide for his family following the brutal death of his mother four years ago.
Fearing his involuntary part in the murders, he becomes embroiled in an amateur investigation led by the wealthy aspiring detective Alexander Wakefield, supported by the Leader of the Opposition, Lord Benedict Granville.
However, when they witness the fifth death, they realise nothing is as it seems in the city of veils and shadows. Truths become twisted, secrets are revealed and it soon becomes clear they are not dealing with a single killer, but the greatest criminal plot London has ever seen.
'A darkly enchanting and engrossing read – kept me hooked from start to finish.' James Brogden, critically acclaimed author of Bone Harvest
About the author
Miray Kose is a crime fiction writer studying Law at Durham University. She was born in Belgium and now lives in England. She enjoys travelling and is a great lover of history. Game of Iniquity is her debut novel.
Review
‘Game of Iniquity’ is an evocative historical mystery that delves into the drug-fuelled underbelly of Victorian London. This is the author's debut novel and it is an impressive start to what I hope will be an ongoing series.
Gabriel Ashmore has resorted to being a courier for London’s opium industry and in particular a new variant, Erebus. When at one delivery he finds himself confronted with a dead customer with black veins protruding and a knife stuck in his neck, he is dragged into an investigation on how this man died. He fears that he is to partly blame for this death so alongside an aspiring detective, Andrew Wakefield, he starts to look for clues into why his customers are dying as there were three more deaths before this one! Will they be able to find the killer before he strikes again?
To begin with I didn't like Gabriel at all as he came across as a bit self-centred and brash. It took until the later parts of the book that you understand why he might be like that due to events in his lifetime. He is a flawed but well well-meaning character and I hope this does turn into a series as I would read further books in which he and Andrew team up and sleuth!
This was a slow burn to begin with as the pacing is a lot slower in the first half of the book. It was more about getting to know the protagonists and their supporting characters. The actual main narrative of the Erebus took a while to pick up speed. It wasn't until they ventured into the East End that the pace moved up a gear, hurtling to that final destination.
The historical aspect and descriptive writing were especially well done. You could imagine the smell of the opium dens, the darkness and cold of a Victorian winter. It was very easy to visualise all the scenes which with a historical novel is not an easy thing to write, so kudos to the author!
Overall, this was an entertaining read and I will be looking out for other books which this author may write. Let me know if you pick this one up!
