I last Frey and McGray! I put off reading this for so long because I didn’t want it to be over. I will miss the swearing and the overt prigishness but all good things must come to an end and they have one last case to solve. It’s Edinburgh so of course we must dig up a body, it’s traditional! This body however has a devilish mark carved into it that can’t be explained and when another body from our favourite local lunatic asylum turns up with the same mark in close proximity to Amy McGray (that magnate for disaster) our boys have no choice but to sort it all out before poor dear Amy is hanged for crimes she couldn’t possibly have committed.
This last instalment was all that I have come to expect from this series, over dramatic, gothic, sweary fun with some light romance and a good many dead bodies. All the loose ends are tied up satisfactorily and a good time was had by all. A worthy send off for our Victorian odd couple.

I remember picking up the first book in this series because of how intriguing it sounded and yes, the cover also lured me in I won’t lie!

I instantly enjoyed the setting and the imperfect characters who make quite the odd team but somehow make it work despite their differences!

I know all good things have to come to an end but I’m gutted to lose this series! This last book is every bit as atmospheric and engrossing as the other books and it really brings everything full circle I think! As in it brings everything together that’s been threaded throughout from the beginning, especially regarding Pansy who always intrigued me!

As always, there’s brilliant twists and turns and shocking reveals and I truly hope this isn’t the author’s last work because they’re an excellent mystery teller!

A terrific ending to a fantastic series. All the threads neatly tied up, and even some happier endings for our detective duo. The only reason it took me so long to finish this was because I had to read three of the remaining books of the series in between so I wouldn’t miss anything. I loved this series and the dark edge to it. Really clever, well thought out and fantastically written. It will be missed!

What an excellent end to an entertaining series! I've loved all the Frey and McGray books but this is a fast paced and well-written conclusion that successfully ties up all the loose ends. As ever, there's lots of shenanigans and gore but all with an undercurrent of friendship. It's hard not to give anything away but I highly recommend The Sign of the Devil, particularly if you've read others in the series.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Sign of the Devil by Oscar de Muriel

Evil has returned to Victorian Edinburgh. Body snatchers are busier than ever, feeding the frenzy for autopsy theatre. But one night the body snatchers are disturbed and the corpse is recovered, a mark of the devil on its skin. It had not been there before. That same night a patient is murdered in Edinburgh’s lunatic asylum. An identical symbol is marked on the walls. The prime suspect is a young woman, another inmate, indeed considered possessed. She is Amy (or Pansy) McGray, found guilty of killing her parents with an axe, also wounding her brother, Detective ‘Nine-Nails’ McGray. It is up to McGray, and his long-suffering former associate Inspector Ian Frey, to prove her innocence, right the wrongs of the past and solve the mystery of the sign of the devil.

The Frey and McGray series has been a joy to read over the last few years. Surely, these are the most perfect examples of Victorian melodrama and mystery. Sadly, with this, the seventh novel, the series comes to an end. It is very much a conclusion to the series, looking back to the beginning and coming to terms with the event that has cast a shadow from the start – the murder of McGray’s family and the confinement of his sister, now mute and troubled. All of which means that this is not a stand alone novel, nor is it the one to start with. INstead, go back to the beginning and Strings of Murder.

I love these characters. The very tartan McGray and the extremely English Frey are a great double act. Much of the time we see McGray through Frey’s eyes and his exasperation, and McGray’s constant teasing, are hugely entertaining. These are dark books, dealing with diabolical crimes, but they are also very funny.

There has always been an element of the supernatural in these novels. McGray is a firm believer in such things as devils and witches and he always gets the unsolvable cases that nobody else wants. Frey is the opposite. He believes in logic and deduction. But combined they have a habit of working things out. They also have a habit of getting stabbed. Frey is especially scarred by their earlier cases. No wonder he’s not keen to work with McGray again. But there is something about McGray’s sister that pulls these two men together to clear her name.

I love the depiction of Victorian Edinburgh. I don’t know the city and so can’t vouch for the accuracy but it is so atmospherically drawn, by night and by day. The surrounding countryside seems both beautiful and threatening and the grand houses hide sinister secrets. The crimes are gruesome. It is also a place of science and education.

The Sign of the Devil brings the series to a satisfactory conclusion. If you’ve not read any of the books, then this is the perfect time to start, knowing that it’s complete. I will miss Ian and Nine-Nails. I’m also intrigued to see where the author, the very talented Oscar de Muriel, turns his attention next.

It feels like yesterday I was picking up my copy of Loch of the Dead (book 4) because I was drawn to the cover art and then half way through realising I had stumbled into a series and was intrigued and bought the three prior books! Frey insists he is now retired, but it doesn't take much to convince him to come back up to Edinburgh to help out his old partner and dare I say friend Nine-Nails McGray. Without giving anything away, because you must read the first 6 books, I absolutely loved this last adventure as it ties up a lot of loose ends and leaves it equally open if our author ever decides to revisit these characters he has brought to life in my mind! I am equally sad and so happy to see Frey & McGray do what they do best and get to the bottom of another mystery. It has all the same much loved characters from the previous stories and the same sense of mystery and adventure woven through out. A must read! *Netgalley gifted me an early copy, but I also had preordered a copy from waterstones

Great plot, great pacing, and a voice that jumps off the page.
Adrenaline charged...an action-packed, twist-a-minute thrill ride.

The end of a series it’s always a bitter-sweet moment and if you loved the characters it may be hard to say good bye.
I discovered this series using Netgalley and fell hard for the “strange couple” Ian Frey and Adolphus “Nine Nails” McGray. They’re a perfect match in a sort of positivism vs occultism and this differences made them a very effective couple of detective. They’re also complex person and there’s always a fun side that makes me smile.
As this was the final story part of me wanted to read it very fast and part of me was reluctant to say goodbye.
I thoroughly enjoyed this twisty and gripping novel, it surprised me and kept me hooked. It’s a gothic novel with plenty of humour.
We get to know what happened and all the mysteries were solved in a very satisfying way.
I loved this series and think it was one the most entertaining in the historical mystery field.
I can’t wait to read the next book by Oscar de Muriel and I’m sure I won’t be disappointed.
This gripping and entertaining novel is strongly recommended.
Many thanks to Orion and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

‘The Devil has come to Edinburgh’ - publishers’ teaser.

My thanks to Orion Publishing for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Sign of the Devil’ by Oscar de Muriel.

This is the seventh and final book in de Muriel’s series of Victorian mysteries featuring Detective Aldolphus ‘Nine Nails’ McGray of the Edinburgh Police and Detective Ian Frey, who had been transferred to Scotland from London. Over the course of the previous six books they have investigated a number of cases with suspected occult elements.

It is pretty much impossible to say very much about the plot of ‘The Sign of the Devil’ without spoilers as it brings together plot threads that have run through the series since its inception in ‘The Strings of Murder’. So just a vague overview:

Edinburgh, 1890. An attempted grave robbery is thwarted by Detective McGray and his fellow police though the unearthed corpse is found to have a disturbing symbol upon their face. Then when one of the patients at Edinburgh's lunatic asylum is murdered, the same sign is found daubed in blood on the wall: the mark of the devil! The prime suspect is someone (no spoilers!) close to McGray and in order to prove their innocence his old friend, Ian Frey joins the investigation. 

While I have read/listened to four of the six previous books, I am not quite up to date. While background details are provided this is a series that I feel is best read in order to allow for maximum appreciation of the dynamics between Frey and McGray as well as for the various developing story threads.

Although I am a little sad to say goodbye to Frey & McGray, I felt that de Muriel brought the series to a satisfying conclusion. It has been an outstanding series and having reached the conclusion, I am now tempted to return to the start to revisit as well as fill in the gaps.

I happy to enthusiastically recommend ‘The Sign of the Devil’ and the series as a whole to lovers of historical crime mysteries given the strong characterisations, its series of intriguing mysteries, and the close attention to period detail that allowed for a sense of immersion in the narrative.

I am looking forward to de Muriel’s future projects wherever his imagination takes him next.

A patient is murdered in an Edinburgh asylum and there bears no trace of the killer save for a mark daubed in blood on the walls - the mark of the Devil. The prime suspect is Amy McGray, a fellow patient who is notorious for killing her parents when she was a teenager. Her brother, Detective ‘Nine-Nails’ McGray is determined to prove her innocence and calls upon retired Inspector Ian Frey who is recuperating in his home in Gloucestershire.

Reluctantly Frey agrees to help his old friend and so begins a journey which will unearth buried secrets and change their lives forever.

This is a bittersweet book for those of us who have followed Frey and McGray from the beginning; we finally get the answers we have been waiting for but it comes at the cost of this being the final instalment. The best part of these books has been the relationship between the two and watching it develop has been wonderful. They are still chalk and cheese and the bickering between them is still delightfully amusing, but there is also an understanding and compassion there.

The plot races along at a fair speed and the setting of Edinburgh, as always, adds a dark and gothic atmosphere to the book. The twists and turns are masterfully crafted and fans will be satisfied with the reveal of what really happened on the night Amy and Nine-Nails’ parents died.

Although it’s a shame to say goodbye to these characters, I can’t wait to see what Oscar de Muriel will come up with next.

An immensely satisfying conclusion to this Victorian Scotland historical mystery series. The final investigation by Frey and McGray is a cracker, and ties up various threads.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group for an advance copy of The Sign of the Devil, the seventh and final novel to feature Inspectors Frey and McGray, set in Edinburgh in 1890.

Amy McGray, sister of Inspector Adolphus “Nine Nails” McGray and Edinburgh’s most famous asylum inmate is under suspicion again when grave robbers steal a body that has a strange mark on it, the same mark that appears on the body of a murdered asylum inmate. The mark is identified as the mark of the devil and Amy, already identified with the devil is prime suspect. Inspector Ian Frey says he is retired but is prevailed upon to help Nine Nails in one last case, that of clearing her name.

Wow, what a roller coaster! The Sign of the Devil is the last novel in the series and, boy, does it go out with a bang. It has been a while since I spent time with the duo, so I had forgotten what an exhilarating read this series is, but I think the author has excelled himself here.

The plot is fairly basic in its concept - find the murderer and save Amy, or Pansy as she is more commonly known, from the gallows. Nothing else is, with the novel running the gamut of emotions at high octane. It made laugh, it made me cry, it made me hold my breath in tense anticipation of what would happen next and it never lets up. It feels as if there is something happening on every page, culminating in a literally spectacular finale on a hillside outside the town. I am in awe of the author’s ability and imagination to put so much into the novel, make it fun and for it all to make sense.

This novel, however, is not just about danger and action scenes as it brings out all the secrets that have driven the previous novels and ties them all together. Needless to say there are surprises, not just in what is revealed but in how the various characters react to that information. It is satisfying.

The main strength of the series is the interactions between Frey and McGray. Frey is usually the cool, logical one, although he has his moments in this novel, and McGray the hot headed, impulsive one, who surpasses himself here. The comparison is marked, but it is also the foundation of their success. They might not like it, but they need each other. They make me laugh.

The Sign of the Devil is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

I'm bereft, this is the final part of the Frey and McGray Victorian crime series and what a final part. After The Dance of the Serpents, Frey has retired from the force and is recuperating at his Gloucestershire home. However, Caroline Ardglass arrives on his doorstep begging him to return to Edinburgh to help his friend and partner Adolphus McGray, there has been a murder at the asylum where McGray's sister Pansy is kept, and unfortunately she has become the centre of the case. How can Frey ignore Caroline's plea?

With plenty of action, wit, cracking dialogue and the perfect partnership between the Englishman and the Scotsman you will not be disappointed with this edge of your seat finale, my only sadness is that this is the final book in one of the most enjoyable crime series to hit the shelves in years. My hope is that Oscar de Muriel may miss his characters as much as his readership will.

A huge fan of this series, I was so pleased to be approved for this final piece in the puzzle and with huge anticipation and set out on my final adventure.

And I’m so happy to report I was not left disappointed, this stunning series finale served to tie up and Andre all the questions I had, it brought closure and will leave me bereft, but it was a fitting end,

And with the end , this means something new can bloom, and I for one can’t wait to see what is next from Oscar De muriel

A fine conclusion to a gripping series.

It.s the one fans have been dreading and anticipating in equal measure. The conclusion to the Frey and McGray series of adventures. Some five months have passed since the events of "The Darker Arts"and Frey has retired from the Police service and returned to England to recover from his injuries. McGray, meanwhile, has been put in charge of an investigation into a series of grave robberies. His sister, Pansy, remains in the lunatic asylum and he is no closer to solving the mysteries surrounding her descent into madness. However, fate intervenes to bring them all back together when Frey receives a visit from Caroline Ardglass, begging him to return to Edinburgh to assist McGray.

With that, we immediately get drawn in to a ripping tale of non-stop fights, chases and enquiries which bring together the events from the previous five books. It's a glorious tale of family, friendship, betrayal and loyalty, as one by one the secrets behind the death of MCGray's parents, and the sequence of events they set in motion, are resolved and revealed. The Sign of the Devil is another example of historical detective fiction done to perfection. The relationship between Frey and McGray remains key to the attraction, and their ongoing love-hate repartee is a joy. I'll miss them. Oscar de Muriel is a master of storytelling.

Fans of the series will not be disappointed. For all we didn't want the books to ever end, at least we get closure, mostly. We don't get to meet all our favourite characters from the previous books, but those we hate get their come-uppance and those we love get their rewards. We get answers to most of our questions, and I'm sure another read-through of the previous books will reveal a host of clues we missed first-time around.

I was lucky to receive a Netgalley ARC for review but you can bet I'll be first in line for a proper copy when it's published. Thoroughly recommended.

Wow! What an ending!
Frey has left the force and is recuperating at his home in Gloucestershire when he receives word that McGray needs his help. It's a strange case, involving body snatchers, and a murder at the asylum - the same asylum where McGray's sister Pansy is kept, after murdering their parents six years ago.
With the finger of suspicion pointing at Pansy, Frey heads back to Edinburgh to help his friend.
The Sign of the Devil is the final instalment in the Frey and McGray series, and it's immense.
It has all the horror and humour like the previous books, and will keep you on the edge of your seat right to the very last page.
Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for the ARC

I have read and loved this series from the publication of the first book and was overjoyed to receive an ARC of this book. I love how this series is really one long book spread over different publication years as every book starts where the last ended. This the final book in an outstanding series, tied up all of the questions that had threaded their way through the ongoing adventures of Ian and Nine Nails. I am desperately sad that this is the last book but overjoyed that here we have an author who knew how to end such an outstanding piece of work.
This is a must read series of books.

The third and final Frey and Mc Gray mystery, I am doing the happy dance. Historical mystery fiction at it's best. Poor Frey just wants a quiet life after his last two dices with death. Frey is intrigued when he is accosted by two dark clothed women are they witches? This book has everything I expect from this author gruesome murders, intense and in places heart stopping. An asylum full of lunatics or are they? Set in Victorian Scotland this was a reading feast, so descriptive and impossible to put down. This author has saved the best for last. A very happy reader and I can't wait to see where this author's imagination leads me next.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

This is the latest and final addition to Oscar de Muriel's wonderfully chilling and melodramatic Victorian Edinburgh based historical mystery series, featuring Inspector Ian Frey and Adolphus 'Nine-Nails' McGray, it draws together the various threads that start with the first book in the series. Frey is having a difficult time of it, his father has died and he is no longer a police officer, but when he hears of McGray and his troubles in Edinburgh from Caroline Ardlass, despite everything, he just knows he has to help McGray. On a dark and cold night, McGray, after receiving information that bodies are being taken from Greyfriars Kirkyard, chases bodysnatchers and is able to retrieve one of the corpses, which is shockingly marked with the sign of the devil. The same sign is found at Edinburgh's Royal Asylum for the Insane run by Dr Clouston, where a patient, John MacDonnell, suffering from extreme delusions is murdered.

As readers of this series will remember, the asylum is where Pansy, McGray's 'mad sister' who killed her parents is, and rumours and hysteria have people pointing the finger at her, even though she could not possibly bear any responsibility for what happened. McGray is grateful for Frey's return, irrespective of the ambiguity of his no longer be a serving police officer, but Superintendent Trevelyan has no problems with the two of them investigating, although he warns them the likelihood is that they will only be able to do so for a couple of days at most before they will have be removed. Frey soon uncovers information that he must keep secret from the volatile McGray, who struggles to keep his feelings under control and has a fearsome temper. As the narrative builds towards a horrifying conclusion, a web of intrigue, behind the scenes machinations, secrets, lies and deception are revealed, whilst Frey is shocked to discover that McGray is engaged to be married.

This is a particularly atmospheric addition to the series, I particularly loved the deadly mob scenes near the end, the crowds out of control and baying for blood, and where it appears as if all is lost. One of the highlights of the series is the chalk and cheese characters of Frey and McGray and the relationship that develops between them, Frey with his logical mind, copious taking of notes, and McGray with his suffering, and absolute loyalty and commitment to his sister, Pansy, a man who so often acts first without consideration of the consequences. I am sorry to hear that this is the end of what has been a brilliant historical series, but it finishes with a bang, a well plotted, tense and suspenseful novel where all the pieces of the puzzle finally come together beautifully. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.