Found Drowned

Wow. Very impressed with the second book in this series, I would personally say this story is miles better than the first and had me hooked throughout. A series that just gets better and better! A brilliant historical crime investigation full of suspense, set in the 1920’s. It is one of those books that makes you go THAT’S WHY ITS CALLED THAT!

Found drowned highlights how determined and strong May Keaps character really is within her job which she takes very seriously, sometimes too seriously. I would highly recommend this series to you all so far but you must read them in order as this story does make references to book number one (Foul Trade) which could ruin the first story for you.

I enjoyed reading this one. A well written story and well earned four stars. I look forward to reading more in this series and by this author.

*please note this review will be being used on the blog blitz for the 27th of feb*

This is the third May Keaps story I have read, the second full length novel, and I have to say, the more I read, the more I grow to like our intrepid heroine. She is a strong woman in a predominantly mans world and in spite of all the challenges, and threats, which fall upon her, she never backs down. She has some real guts that's for sure.

This time May is faced with trying to find the identity of a young boy whose body is found floating in the Thames. His body is badly injured, a result of his time in the water and potential clash with one of the many boats, but worst of all, no one seems to miss him. As May tries hard to learn his story, sh finds herself drawn into a whole world of deception involving slave labour, workhouses, prostitution and corruption, a world in which her very life is one more under threat.

What I like about these books is the way that author BK Duncan has captured a real feeling of the old post-war East End of London.  There is a real feeling of authenticity to the writing, the spirit of the residents of the worlds that May inhabits, the restrained and yet wholesome relationships she has with her friends and yet the gritty and sometimes heart-breaking honesty of the portrayal of the workhouses and those people who are down on their luck.

This story in particular has a really dark edge, examining some very taboo subjects but in a rather clear and yet sanitized way. We are talking about the abuse of children here,  not  y family, but by men who are able to buy everything they wish. None of it is explained in a gratuitous way but there is no ambiguity about how some of these children make their living. If they are not on the streets then they are forced into working in a sweatshop, their futures still to be determined but with only one likely outcome. It is extremely sad, but the matter of fact way in which the children deal with their lot makes it somehow easier to deal with.

May Keaps is a brilliant character, full of life, confidence, bravado and insecurity all at once. I love to see the way her relationship with journalist Jack Cahill is developing. They play off each other perfectly, the chemistry clear to see and yet something, quite often their investigations, keeps coming between them. May is independent, infuriatingly so at times. Jack is patient and clearly infatuated. I am interested to see where this takes them. As for May's boss, Braxton Clarke, there is also something there, hard to put a finger on what, but certainly something more than simply a boss/employee relationship.

The nature of the story means that this is not always the fastest paced read. Don;t let that fool you though. There are some moments of real tension, times when you feel that May might have taken one chance too many, her life at great risk as is that of those around her. Those are the heart in your throat moments, captured perfectly and still in keeping with the time and setting. And it is nice to see Brilliant Chang back. There is something about the man who I like and he is a truly fascinating character. Skirting on just the right side of the law, he is influential and enigmatic and yet clearly dangerous too. Love him.

This is a brilliant book and if you like your thrillers and mysteries with a more historical setting then I urge you to give this a go. Try out Foul Trade first to get a flavour for the key characters, but make sure you pick up Found Drowned too. Great characters, great story. What's not to enjoy?

When a local young boy is discovered to have drowned, it is May Keaps' job, as Coroner's Officer to find out what happened to him and organise an inquest for him. However, she cannot do this without knowing his name, and her search for answers leads her to the streets of London, where poverty, prostitution and murder are commonplace. Can May discover what happened to the boy before her own life is in danger?
I was pleased to be reunited with May for the second instalment in this series, and once again enjoyed her determination, intelligence and wit in Found Drowned. It is clear that the environments she investigates are far removed from those to which she is accustomed in her own life, and this helps to highlight her commitment throughout the novel.
Found Drowned, like its predecessor, is set in 1920, and I enjoyed the opportunity the novel gave me to step back in time and familiarise myself with the East End society in that period. Duncan has researched the historical aspects of the novel incredibly well, and every description and exchange within the novel felt authentic.
The plot of Found Drowned is complex, and as the pieces come together, the novel is very tense as May learns who she is able to trust. It is more fast paced than the prequel, and I appreciated this as I was constantly intrigued by where the plot would go next.
I look forward to reading more as the series continues.

I love this series and for me it just keeps getting better and better!

I loved the plot in this one and I was intrigued straight from the off and I thought the whole book was addictive, I didn't want to put it down at all and read as much as I could in one sitting.

The characters are great as always and I do love the writing style in this series, it is such an easy read, well paced and well researched.

4.5 stars from me for this one rounded up to 5 stars for Amazon and Goodreads - another great addition to what is turning out to be an excellent series in one of my favourite genres - I loved it!

This is becoming a must read series for me as I am more than taken with May Keaps, my heroine of the past. May is a gutsy young woman who has seen tragedies first hand during the first World War and now works as a Coroner’s Officer, in 1920’s London. The thing is, May isn’t a pen pusher, May is a hands on get her sleeves rolled up type of woman, that gives every dead person, that comes her way, as much peace and dignity as she can.

When the body of a young body is dragged out of the river Thames and signs of abuse become apparent, May is determined to find out who this child was and how he died in such terrible circumstances. It isn’t long before May is up to her neck asking questions in places that she is in danger of going to. She is like a kid poking a hornets nest with a stick and you just know that before long she is going to be running for her life.

I just love not just the stories that BK Duncan creates but the whole package. The dialogue is just superb with phrases and accents flowing of the pages surrounding me and dragging me back in time. There are some hard pages to read of how things use to be back then, when a child could be turned out because the family just couldn’t afford to feed them. There wasn’t a lot to protect the vulnerable members in society.

The more that May does in her job, the more she is becoming accepted for the talents she brings to her role, not her gender. It is lovely to see her get the respect that is due to her and demanded by her boss. Lovely bloke and the police are softening too. So looking forward to the next book in this series to see where May barges in next.

This is first of the two full length books in the series featuring May Keaps, the Poplar Coroner's Officer. set in 1920s East London that I have read. I enjoyed reading the book it has a well written story line and is hard to put down but I think you need to read the first book to get know the characters better because there are references made to the events in the first book which had me feeling a bit lost at times . So I will definitely reading the first one and then coming back to this one with a clearer picture.

A very good book, well researched and entertaining. It's well written and well researched, with interesting characters and a very good plot.
Recommended.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bloodhound Books