A cleverly handled sequel to the classic novella, O'Neill takes something of risk, but it has paid off manifestly. From the very first page, the evocative lure of foggy Victorian London permeates every page, pulling the reader into the narrative and setting irresistibly. In addition to this, O'Neill has the language, narrative style and tone just right, evincing the feel of Stevenson's work throughout, whilst adding his own touches to the writing - not an easy feat by any stretch of the imagination.
The story takes place seven years after the demise of Hyde (and, by extension, Jekyll) and Gabriel Utterson, the trusty lawyer of the original text, best friend and subsequent benefactor of Jekyll's estate, is set to inherit everything and take possession of Jekyll's home within days. Then the unthinkable happens... Jekyll has returned - or, at least, someone claiming to be Jekyll. To add to Utterson's woes, everyone believes this imposter to be the real thing... everyone, that is, except Utterson himself. And his task begins to prove him false, a charlatan, a fraud.
The only downside to this novella, in my opinion, is the way it ends and the resulting treatment of Utterson, which is somewhat disappointing, and leaves the reader with questions remaining unanswered. Events take something of an unexpected turn and it is unclear where the narrative is going as a result; this doesn't detract from what is a well-written and skillfully woven tale for the most part and there is no doubt about the creative mastery of the author, particularly in the manner with which he evokes a sense of Stevenson himself in his techniques and writing style. For those with a penchant for the classics, this is a worthwhile and enjoyable read, one which delivers all it promises.

With my familiarity with the original gothic novel by Robert Louis Stevenson, this was an easy read. The description of the London setting entirely plausible. The story is written from the stance that Dr Jekyll disappeared, leaving behind him paperwork entrusting everything to his legal adviser Mr Utterson. I bought into Utterson's desire to take on Jekyll's estate as the mandatory seven year period from his disappearance comes to pass, and his descent into madness as a man he perceives to be an imposter appears with days to spare and scuppers his planned inheritance.
To make this a five star book I would have wanted the ending to answer a few more of the questions I had about the imposter and his sidekick, rather than what felt to me to be a somewhat hurried conclusion.

I was sceptic about this. I thought it was a retelling. It is not!
This is the sequel to Stevenson's famous Jekyll and Hyde story told from the point of view of Mr Utterson, Dr Jekyll's lawyer.
The writing is good, the author follows Stevenson's footsteps and still was brave enough to create something new that is just as good as the original story.

This is a retelling of the infamous classic text, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Seven years have passed, since the events of the original tale. Jekyll is presumed dead and his lawyer and good friend Gabriel Utterson is set to take over his prior home and fortunes, in just a few days.

But then Jekyll returns. Only Utterson does not believe that this is the case. He believes an impostor is posing as his former friend and has succeeded in fooling their entire social circle of this guise. Utterson can only rely on himself, to prove his assertions correct, uncloak the mystery, and protect his own fracturing sanity.

I was immediately and pleasantly surprised to find the penmanship evoking the feel of the original tale. The reader is transported to Victorian England, with startling ease, as O'Neill creates an evocative atmosphere similar to those I so adore in the Gothic classics. It is this fog-laden landscape that allow the truly chilling elements of both this story, and its predecessor, to permeate throughout, and allows the trickle of dread and anticipation access from the very first page.

What started as an authentic retelling soon, also, turned into an exciting story, in its own right. The elements of the former story are well known and so the author was very adept at continuing to keep his readers guessing, when so much remained true to the original. The characters, setting and bones of the story were known but O'Neill managed to take them in a direction I could not presuppose, and very much appreciated.

This is a truly brilliant re-imagining that does Stevenson the justice his work deserves and is also a perfect example of Gothic suspense, in its own right.

This is a sequel to the classic story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and i can tell you that if you chose to write a sequel for something so iconic you have to be very brave. It’s not a retelling that you can twist and turn as you like and so many authors tried and failed miserably.
That said, the story follows Mr Utterson, dr. Jekyll’s lawyer that is about to inherit Dr.Jekyll’s fortune in a matter of days. But Jekyll mysteriously reappears after 7 years with some sinister friends. Is he really who he says he is or is he an imposter looking for money? Everyone falls under the spell of the man but Mr. Utterson is not quiet sure about his identity.
The strongest point of this novel is Mr. Utterson. We’re in his mind and we’re often on the verge of losing it. He goes through a lot and even if we’ll never know if Jekyll’s back or not, i felt a strong connection between the writing and the uncertainty of the story.
The writer was brave and i have to say, for once, he did an excellent job in recreating and modernizing such a classic. With the writing style, i was able to feel the madness, the uncertainty, the doubts and all the mysterious and sinister feelings of the main characters. So well, maybe it wasn’t exactly what i was expecting but good job.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

Utterly enjoyable and a dissection of the Dr Jekyll and mr Hyde classic story - the ambient is perfect, and the story fully engaging without being sycophanty, or derivative (strangely) - it is an enquiry into what may really have happened to the 'other', the dark side by followers on. I liked also the narrator's voice. Really entertaining - i could barely resist looking at the end before reading on - oh, okay, i did take a peek. Excellent and satisfying.

So I liked the concept here. But this one leans more towards a miss than a hit for me. The author jumps right into the story, and I really liked that because it immediately sets up the stage. For those who have never read the original class, fear not! The author gives enough hints that the reader can piece the whole thing together. The reason that this novel didn't work for me was because it felt very rushed. Utterson's panic and conviction are realistically portrayed but the madness of his behaviour and the flurry of events that occurred were sometimes hard to follow. It didn't allow the story to develop deeply enough. I wish that the author had slowed down, had made Utterson talk to the imposter a few more times, so that we could have also believed that the imposter might not be Jekyll. I didn't really have any impression whatsoever of the fake Jekyll because there were so few scenes that involved him! There was also other characters that were introduced but then they faded away, and it just made it a very confusing read. I also didn't really like the ending, as it made the novel a moot point. At the end of the day, this novel showed that the original never really needed a sequel. While I appreciate the author's efforts, it just didn't work for me.

Thanks Black & White Publishing and netgalley for this ARC.

Atmospheric, meltdowns, and crazy cool

This story picks up where The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson left off, and contemporary author Anthony O'Neill has done a remarkable job of carrying on seamlessly, in late 19th century, gothic manner. I was surprised and impressed to learn that O'Neill's first work of fiction was a very well-received adaptation of a completely different historical classic: 1001 Nights, which he entitled Sheherazade. The punny titular character Mr. Seek here is Dr. Jekyll's trusted friend and attorney Gabriel Utterson, who now feverishly endeavors to discredit the suddenly reappeared Dr. Jekyll as an evil imposter.

I liked the themes of fractured identities, double- and halved-personas (beyond Jekyll and Hyde we get Mr. Seek and Mr. Guise, Gabriel Utterson and Jericho Horn, etc), and how they are reinforced by metaphors about one's identity being a fragile abode or a veritable palace, or that ones persona can be a "fortress of identity." O'Neill's characters plumb "the mysteries and perils hidden within the dungeons of the human imagination" magnificently, and yet there were many unresolved mysteries which niggled at me. What was the deal with Terrence, the young son of Gabriel Utterson's love interest, the widow Spratling (with his impish gleam, and mocking old man's voice, and the way he scares Utterson away)? Was that a red herring, or something I forgot from the original Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? More importantly, what happened in the graveyard to Jekyll and Utterson as boys? I thought maybe it wasn't a real event, that Utterson only pretended it was in order to trick Mr. Guise into revealing himself. But then when it factored into the ending, I was frustrated and wish it had been made clear!

O'Neill really capture Victorian language and tempo in this sequel/update/refresh of Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Moves at a fast clip and is fun to read.

4 stars for this sequel to Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, the 1886 Gothic novella by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Mr Seek refers to a quote in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, in which its narrator, lawyer Gabriel Utterson, says 'If he be Mr Hyde, I shall be Mr Seek'.

It is possible to read this book without having read Stevenson's and find it an enjoyably dark quick read. You will find the novel to be more layered, intriguing and possibly infuriating if you are familiar with the original novel - if you do not read Stevenson's book before this then I certainly recommend that you read it afterwards.

Anthony O'Neill's sequel takes place seven years after the 'disappearance' of Henry Jekyll. Jekyll's legal status is about to change from missing to deceased and Utterson, as sole beneficiary of Jekyll's will, is poised to take possession of his old friend's home. It is at this point that a man claiming to be Dr Jekyll appears and takes up residence there. Utterson knows this to be a case of identity theft: in Stevenson's book he had seen the dead body of Edward Hyde and read Jekyll's confession that they were one and the same person. Yet to protect his friend's reputation, Utterson had repressed this document, meaning that no-one else knew with certainty that Jekyll was dead.

To Utterson's horror, Jekyll is accepted by everyone - he looks like Jekyll and seems to know things nobody else but Jekyll would know. The book then follows Utterson's increasingly frenzied attempts to discredit Jekyll, even to the point of trying Jekyll's potion himself. This is a darkly glorious chapter of the book, where Utterson 'jerked and jolted and snarled and chuckled; he loped and hunched and sprang and twisted... and all the while the gas lights squealed, the air licked his face, colours reeked, the flagstones dazzled beneath his feet.' The sense of energy and menace here is electric.

It is a brave author who takes on a classic writer's work - for every Wide Sargasso Sea there are dozens or more failed efforts such as Val McDermid's Northanger Abbey. O'Neill has not failed: I am not convinced by Utterson's alteration from calm, scientifically rational lawyer in Stevenson's book to the man portrayed by O'Neill - but I am impressed by the audacity of O'Neill's attempt, and how he encourages us to look again at the duality of man and even to doubt our reading of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

I read this ebook free from NetGalley in return for an honest review. The quote given above is from this ARC, and may therefore have been amended in the final published version.

This was a fun and short read- about the length of a novella. I don't know if I ever actually read Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, but I believe this is intended to be as a kind of sequel. Nowadays, I tend to think of identity theft as a modern crime, but of course this is a conceit. It is as old as time.

I always enjoy a Victorian London setting, the lamplighters, the pickpockets, the smog...

Is this a case of identity theft as the main character seems to believe? Is it paranoia? Is it a descent into madness and if so, whose? I enjoyed this book very much. I kind of guessed how the plot was playing out, but there is still room for doubt that we get to the bottom of the case.
Recommended.
Many thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

I downloaded this book because I was attracted by the stunning cover. I was also intrigued as to how this sequel to the famous Robert Louis Stevenson novella, Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, would play out. I don't have anything against prequels, sequels and re-imaginings to classic novels, provided it's not a novel (Pride and Prejudice!) that's already been done to death.

After starting this novella, I realised I should have re-read the original, because I only had a hazy memory of some of the characters. But it is very well-written, in the style of a Victorian novella, and I soon became gripped by the story.

Almost seven years ago, murderer Mr Hyde was found dead the same day that Dr Jekyll mysteriously vanished. Only his friend, Mr Utterson, knew that the two men were one and the same. Now that Dr Jekyll has been missing for seven years he can be declared legally dead, and Mr Utterson can inherit his property and propose to the woman he loves. Unfortunately, two days before this can happen, someone moves into Dr Jekyll's old house, changes the locks, and announces that he is Dr Jekyll returned from the dead.

This starts Mr Utterson's obsession with proving the man is a fraud. And, as much as I enjoyed the story, part of me did want to say 'Get over it already!' Also, without going into spoiler territory, I did not like the ending.

However, I did think Dr Jekyll and Mr Seek was a clever story and I liked the writing style (which, for some reason, reminded me of Susan Hill's Victorian ghost stories). I think it would appeal to anyone who likes reading Victorian-style mysteries but fans of the original might be taken aback by that ending.

Thanks Black & White Publishing and netgalley for this ARC.

This is a crazy, psychedelic trip of a book. You won't know which way is up and down after reading it.

Re-opening a classic novel can be a profitable enterprise, throwing new light on both the literary and historical past from a modern standpoint: I'm not sure, though, that Stevenson's original is the best starting point given that it's a book with a very firm sense of closure.

O'Neill does a good job at evoking the atmosphere of Victorian London, the formality of language and the imagery and ideas of Gothic - but it can be a bit hard to buy into the idea here: that Jekyll, possibly, has returned and that Mr Utterson, the rational lawyer of the original, can descend into obsession and madness.

This is a quick, fun read - but it doesn't really say anything important about how we might respond to the ideas of the original today.

2.5 stars

This is a sequel to the classic story of Dr Jekyll and Hyde. It is told through the eyes of Dr Jekyll's lawyer, Mr Utterson, who in a matter of days is due to inherit Jekyll's house and fortune. Mysteriously and with lots of sinister friends, Dr Jekyll reappears, but is it really Dr Jekyll or an imposter?

As we go further into this short novella, we see the deterioration of MR Utterson as he battles forces that seem to drive him to desperate acts and what might be considered madness. The author has been able to create the sinister feel of the time period well, but does ask the reader to make pretty big leaps buying the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book..

I wanted to read this book, as I was curious what sequel to such a famous novel would be like. Though it has been a long time since I read Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, I felt O’Neill did a good job making it read like a novel of its time. It made a very credible sequel that did justice to the original. I found myself questioning Mr Utterson’s sanity throughout and at the same time wondering whether he was right, and even after finishing I still wonder what the truth had been.

Objectively, this novel is well executed and cleverly written. However, personally I did feel quite distant from what was happening and I am still trying to figure out whether that is due to the writing, the plot or something else entirely. Whatever that the reason may be, it simply left me with a slight niggle at the back of my mind throughout.

Dr Jekyll and Mr Seek is an intriguing and imaginative sequel to Stevenson’s classic. It takes and develops certain plot elements and themes from the original, subverting them in the process.

It is almost seven years since the strange death of Mr Hyde and the unexplained disappearance of Dr Henry Jekyll. Gabriel Utterson, Jekyll’s lawyer and friend, and depository of Jekyll’s final confession, is well aware that Jekyll and Hyde were one and the same person. He is therefore preparing to stake his claims as the named heir of Jekyll as soon as the latter is presumed dead after the passing of the statutory seven-year period. To his immense surprise and chagrin, Jekyll – or, as Utterson believes, an impostor who claims to be the doctor – returns and takes possession of his house and home. The plot thickens when a number of Jekyll’s acquaintances who could confirm Utterson’s suspicions die suddenly in mysterious circumstances. Utterson embarks on a crusade to prove that Jekyll is dead, despite the fact that several of Jekyll’s closest friends are ready to vouch for the veracity of the newly-returned claimant.

Anthony O’Neill cleverly mimics the style and dialogue of 19th Century novels, his pastiche occasionally bordering on the parody. He recreates some tropes of Victorian urban Gothic fiction, including nightly prowls, shadowy alleys and storm-drenched skies. There is a particularly memorable scene featuring burning tea warehouses which fill the city air with an exotic aroma.

That said, Dr Jekyll and Mr Seek subtly displaces the thematic focus of its model. Stevenson’s tale, which often borders on science fiction, uses the plot to delve into issues of good and evil, and to consider, with horror, the dark side which haunts each and every one of us. O’Neill remains squarely within the Gothic genre, but presents us instead with a study into obsession and madness – in a way, this is more Poe than Stevenson, although O’Neill retains a lighter touch than either. This novel is, to use a musical metaphor, an “improvisation upon a theme” – the influence of the original is manifest, but this new work has enough personality to stand its own ground.

Sometimes you just decide to read a book because you fell in love with the cover.

I’m sure I don’t need to tell anyone the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Even if you’ve never read the original novella by Robert Louis Stevenson, you undoubtedly know the gist of it. And in case you really don’t, there’s no need to worry as things are explained quite brilliantly without breaking the flow of the story.

""If he be Mr Hyde, I shall be Mr Seek""

Seven years ago, Edward Hyde died and Dr. Jekyll went missing. A mere week before Dr. Jekyll will be officially declared dead and his trusted friend and lawyer, Gabriel Utterson, will inherit his belongings, a gentleman shows up claiming to be Dr. Jekyll. Only Mr. Utterson knows this man can only be an impostor but proving it is an entirely different matter.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde compliments the original novella beautifully. It seems like quite a brave thing to do, to pick a classic and decide to write a sequel. They are always so hard to do right, especially by another author. The story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde lends itself to it though and the language and the setting made it feel as if it was deliberately written in those days. It’s delightfully atmospheric from the very first sentence.

""A sulphurous yellow fog, so thick it muffled the chimes of the Sunday church bells, had fastened overnight to London and refused to be dislodged by even the stiffest of breezes.""

And with little details like someone knocking on a door with a cane or the mention of chimney sweeps, I was immediately transported back to that era. The story is quite dark, gritty and depressing and I’m not entirely sure I liked the ending. Having followed Mr. Utterson on his journey and to have him suddenly replaced by another narrator at the end didn’t sit well with me. There are also questions that remain unanswered, where I might have preferred some closure.

However, I thoroughly enjoyed this trip back in time and the author’s writing style. This is a beautifully written mystery full of intrigue and I think it has every reason to stand proudly on the bookshelf next to the original.

I think anyone who is willing to take on a classic book and write a sequel of sorts is a brave soul. Those loyal to the classic seldom find a sequel as worthy. I feel that way about ‘Scarlett’, ‘Rhett Butler’s People’ and ‘Ruth’s Journey’, the three Gone With The Wind sequels. But I do find myself curious to read them nonetheless. There has to be someone out there who can write a sequel that is good. Right?

Now, I read Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde when I was…8 or 9. I was a voracious reader as a kid and I thoroughly remember enjoying it and finding it fascinating. That a man would create this formula to become someone else! And then that someone, Mr. Hyde, being so horrid, so terrible; a true blight on the world. It seemed so strange to me and mind-blowing. I always wondered if it could be done in real life. (Such is the mind of a child.) Of course, I know now that such an event couldn’t occur, but it did stay on my mind for a long while.

I must give Anthony O’Neill the props he so rightly deserves. He was able to evoke the same sort of Gothic feel one gets from reading the original. His descriptions were rich and it really brought you back to the 19th century where the story took place. There was something marvelous about he also made us feel everything that Utterson was going through–and you can imagine that was a lot! He was about to come into ownership of Jekyll’s possessions, since he would soon be declared legally dead since he was missing for seven years. He planned to move into his old friend’s house and to rent his house out to a widow and her son.

Then, all of a sudden, an impostor shows up. At least, that’s what Utterson thinks and he sets out to prove it. However, he’s met with a great deal of resistance, as all of his friends and even Mr. Poole, Jekyll’s old butler, fall under his spell and are convinced that it is the man himself. The fury, the frustration are all at a fever pitch and you really feel for him. To further add to the trouble, bodies begin to pile up. Utterson’s quiet, calm world is once again in shambles. He goes to some truly extreme lengths to prove that this man is not Jekyll–and when I say extreme, I mean, extreme. Be prepared to step into a man’s mind as he begins to lose it. That’s only a minor spoiler–I’m not telling you all what he does. (Seriously, read the book. You’ll find your mouth in a O shape like mine was. To quote Quicksilver from Avengers: Age of Ultron: “You didn’t see that coming!”)

It’s never quite concluded if it was an impostor or not; so it does beg the question, is it possible that Jekyll has indeed returned? But if you’ve read the original, we know he [Hyde] died. Or did he? Did he somehow make it possible to split into two? There’s a lot of questions. I was quite intrigued…and as I was a child, I am full of questions. That’s a sign of a good read to me.