(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

Shanghai, 1928. The body of a blonde is washed up on the Beach of Dead Babies, in the heart of the smog-filled city. Seemingly a suicide, a closer inspection reveals a darker motive: the corpse has been weighed down, it’s lower half mutilated…and the Chinese character for ‘justice’ carved into the chest.
The moment Inspector Danilov lays eyes on the dismembered body, he realises that he has an exceptional case on his hands. And when the first body is followed by another, and another, each displaying a new, bloody message, he has no option but face the truth. He is dealing with the worst kind of criminal; someone determined, twisted…and vengeful.
Someone who must be caught….whatever the cost.

I have to admit from the start that I picked this book because it was compared to the Bernie Gunther series by Philip Kerr (of which I am a huge fan!) While there are some passing similarities, I think this book - and detective - stand well enough on their own two feet and don't require comparisons like that.

I will leave the blurb above to speak for the plot, but I would like to just touch on the things that made this a success for me:

* Inspector Danilov is one of the more intriguing detectives I have come across for a while. His backstory, coupled with his partnership with young Strachan, was something that I really appreciated as a lover of historical fiction.
* The time period is a fascinating study. To find a Russian detective living - and working - in Shanghai was something that I could really buy into. Shanghai is a thriving multicultural city at this time and really made for an outstanding setting.
* While I wasn't expecting it, the lack of graphic descriptions of the crimes was a nice touch, not needing to rely on grisly details to sell a story. The mind is very capable of conjuring up those images on its own.

All of these things, and more, made this a very good starting point for a different series. Looking forward to seeing what else is coming in the future.


Paul
ARH

Shanghai, 1928. The body of a blonde is washed up on the Beach of Dead Babies, in the heart of the smog-filled city. Seemingly a suicide, a closer inspection reveals a darker motive: the corpse has been weighed down, it’s lower half mutilated…and the Chinese character for ‘justice’ carved into the chest

An Inspector Danilov Historical Thriller, Book 1

This is the first book I have read by this author. A great and interesting read. A little different, but enjoyable.