Gallows Court (Rachel Savernake #1) By Martin Edwards

Paromjit

Martin Edwards writes a truly atmospheric and fiendishly intricate piece of historical crime fiction with strong elements of horror set in 1930s London. It begins on the remote Irish island of Gaunt, with a young desperate girl, Juliet Bretano in her journal documenting her fears for herself after what she is certain is the murder of her parents, convinced it is the work of the evil Rachel Savernake, the daughter of a judge with a fearsome reputation. Years later, Rachel, now a rich heiress with her father dead, has moved and established herself in London, where many are aware that behind the scenes she is known as an amateur detective, leading the police to a murderer moving in powerful circles. Jacob Flint is a guileless young crime reporter on the Clarion, where Tom Betts, the chief crime reporter is close to death after suffering life threatening injuries after a hit and run car accident. With a number of murders, an apparent suicide of a philanthropic man in a locked room confessing to a heinous killing, and the public burning alive of a man during an illusionist performance, and more dark deeds, the constant presence of the enigmatic and composed Rachel is a link that gives rise to suspicions in Flint and the rising Scotland Yard detective, Inspector Oakes.

Flint finds himself on the scene of high profile deaths that lead to several exclusive front page stories, but his attempts to get a closer acquaintance with Rachel are rebuffed, as he wonders whether Betts accident was in fact an accident. He is a man way out of his depth but unable to stop investigating as hes find himself in mortal danger at every turn as death comes to those close to him. Is Rachel helping him or is there a more macabre motive behind her machinations? Flint encounters cryptic codes, the strange presence of chess pieces, and leads that guide him to Gallows Court and the suggestion of a rotten circle of evil at the heart of the British establishment with connections to an Oxford Orphans home. Drawn to the vulnerable and terrified actress Sarah Delamere with her traumatic history, he goes out of his way to protect her, despite the grave threats he faces. The narrative drives inexorably to a grim and blood curdling finale where it becomes transparently clear that nothing is as it seems.

Mark Edwards plotting is superb in this complex historical crime mystery, with the twists and turns ratcheting up the levels of suspense and tension. He is an illusionist in his own right as well as deploying them in this story. The characterisation is wonderful as Rachel is a woman you want to know more about, she is just so compelling as you try to figure out exactly who she is and Flint is the perfect foil of a young man, lost and rudderless in a dark sea of wickedness, in sharp contrast to her Machiavellian darkness. This is a fantastic and well constructed historical novel that I so enjoyed reading and recommend highly to other readers. Many thanks to Head of Zeus for an ARC.

Susan

Lovers of Golden Age detective fiction, such as myself, are all aware of author, Martin Edwards, from the excellent introductions he has written to so many such novels – not to mention his non-fiction work about the genre, “The Golden Age of Murder,” and his more contemporary crime novels. This is something a little different from him, a dark and sinister crime novel, set in 1930, London.

Young reporter, Jacob Flint, is a crime reporter on the Clarion. The chief crime reporter, Tom Betts, was recently left for dead, after a hit and run accident. However, as Jacob finds himself at the scene of a high-ranking suicide, he begins to question what Tom was working on and whether his accident was really attempted murder?

This crime novel has a very involved storyline, which involves lots of different strands. There is the disquieting presence of Rachel Savernake; daughter of Judge Savernake, who has recently left the small island of Gaunt and set up home in London. Her father has died and her wealth, and beauty, makes her of interest for those reasons – however, she is also reportedly interested in amateur detection and Inspector Oakes and Jacob Flint are both keen to understand her motives better.

Murder and danger follows Flint around London, as he tries to discover Rachel Savernake’s involvement in the strange events he is investigating. Despite threats to his life, he seems unable to let the story go. There are links to corruption, to a possible decadent society and to events in Rachel Savernake’s past.

Edwards does a good job of creating a very atmospheric period; full of theatres, heiresses, landladies, orphanages, illusionists and bizarre crimes. Overall, this is a good read – much darker than the usual Golden Age mystery, but full of intrigue and good characters. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.

Miriam Smith (A Mother’s Musings)

“Gallows Court” by Martin Edwards is a historic crime novel set in London 1930’s and is the first in the enigmatic and thrilling Rachel Savernake series.
The author transported me instantly to the Golden Age of suspense and I truly felt immersed in the 1930’s, an era of which I haven’t read a lot of but do love.
The character of Rachel (daughter of a notorious hanging judge) is like no other and along with all the other intriguingly named and imaginative people in the story, is someone you will want to follow in future books, as she’s such a wonderful addition to the crime solving world. Ladylike, astute, wealthy, intelligent, attractive, what more would you want in a female amateur detective in fiction?
I particularly liked Rachel’s back story throughout which was incorporated with a journal written by Juliet Bretano in 1919, whilst the family were living on the isolated island of Gaunt. Together with a very clever plot of murders, involving the wealthy and upper echelons of society, this made a delightful (and at times brutal) story that had me gripped from beginning to end. Although a very complex crime story, it does all come together at the end and everything falls into place for the reader to fully understand. There’s a constant ambience of suspicion and mistrust and I can wholeheartedly say I enjoyed every minute of it!
Martin Edwards’ latest book in the series “Mortmain Hall” appears to be another cracking crime fighting scenario for Rachel to get her teeth into. Alongside her journalist friend, crime reporter for the Clarion newspaper, Jacob Flint and her ‘team’ of three servants the Truemans, I can’t wait to read straight away and enjoy this dark but inviting golden era of crime detection.

4 stars

Morgan

1930's London: Jacob Flint is a young journalist looking for a scoop to make his name as a crime reporter.

Rachel Savernake is ‘the richest woman in London’, a woman of mystery and questionable background.

Several murder/suicides have taken place within a short period of time where Jacob has appeared on the scene rather quickly.

The book is interspersed with a young girl's journal written in 1919 – who is Juliet Brentano?

There are too many characters to keep track of and by the end I was too confused to even care who did what to whom and who was pretending to be whom.

Peggy, the receptionist at the Clarion (Jacob’s employer) was the most interesting character to me even though she appears infrequently and has nothing whatsoever to do with the murder mysteries.

Blaine DeSantis

Talk about a book that picks up steam! Thanks NetGalley for the free advance copy of this book for an honest review. Tremendous mystery with lots of murders, and yet a purpose behind the murders. About half way through the book this book is like a locomotive, and it is runaway excitement and entertainment, to the point where I could not put it down until I had finished it! Well written, with so many twists and turns it is hard to keep up. But it all comes together under a masterful job by the author, Martin Edwards. Now why not a 5*****. By the end everything got so quickly resolved in such a convoluted manner that I am not sure that all the readers will enjoy this. The book is well plotted with interesting characters, from Rachael Savernake, to Jacob Flint and Sara Delamere. Just good stuff, and it appears that there could be a sequel possible and knowing all the twists and turns the author uses, I can see him writing another book featuring Savernake and Flint. 4.5**** on my scale.

John

Tough one to review - at first, I disliked the book not certain I could go on as it was just so dark! Also, I did have a bit of trouble keeping the characters straight. The ending did redeem the book where things made more sense, rather than just dead bodies falling like slow-motion dominoes, etc. Not much more to say without getting into plot details, and by now others have covered that better than I might.

Some reviewers disliked the audio narration, but I thought it worked very well; I notice they've switched to a male narrator for the sequel.

Recommended for those looking for a thriller/suspense over a period police procedural.

Now, for those who've read the story...

Bev

Gallows Court (2018) is a bit of a departure for Martin Edwards, though those of us in the GAD (Golden Age of Detection) world shouldn't be surprised. Edwards is the author of two modern mystery series: one featuring Liverpool lawyer Harry Devlin and the other set in the Lake District and featuring DCI Hannah Scarlett and Oxford historian Daniel Kind. But Edwards is also very much a GAD man--serving as eighth President of the Detection Club, an office filled by the likes of G. K. Chesterton, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Agatha Christie. He has also helped bring vintage crime classics back into the public view by introducing British Library Crime Classic reprint editions of various long-forgotten GAD authors, providing a guide to such crime classics in The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books, and giving us the history of crime fiction between the wars in The Golden Age of Murder. With Gallows Court, Edwards uses his extensive knowledge of the Golden Age period and accepted tropes to create a historical novel that both pays homage to the conventions and atmosphere of the mysteries of the period and turns some of those conventions on their head.

In fact, it wasn't until I started totting up the number of deaths (for the Medical Examiner Reading Challenge) that I realized just how far this had strayed from some of the conventions of GAD mysteries. Generally speaking, the bodies don't tend to pile up in the detective novels of the 1920s and 30s they way they do here--unless you're Agatha Christie and plotting a house party on an isolated island where the guests will die one by one. But Edwards spins such a terrific, twisty tale that I didn't mind that it's a bit more corpse-laden and grisly than my usual GAD fare. The characters are well-done with interesting motives and realistic reactions to the situations they find themselves in. An absorbing and atmospheric historical mystery that kept me reading--I finished it in one day and enjoyed every minute. My only slight quibble is that, as a GAD mystery fan, I had anticipated fair play in the solution. There is an element to the ending that I didn't find to be quite fair. Nevertheless, it was a satisfying ending with a bit of poetic justice delivered to the villain of the piece.

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Gigi

This brilliantly plotted novel is probably my favorite Martin Edwards mystery to date. A deviously intricate plot backs up the atmospheric setting of this Golden Age-style mystery, and I didn't guess the satisfying solution.

Rachel (not currently receiving notifications) Hall

Labyrinthine trawl through the dark underbelly of 1930s London - immersive, atmospheric & tightly-plotted.

Although I was well aware of Martin Edwards reputation as an authority on golden age detective fiction, Gallows Court is the first of his novels that I have read and apparently marks the start of a slight change in his style, combining a contemporary twist with a classic period setting.

A chilling entry from a journal written in 1919 sets a sinister tone as the novel opens with a newly orphaned teenage girl living on the austere island of Gaunt naming Rachel Savernake as the person she holds responsible for murdering her parents.. Fast-forward to 1930 and twenty-five-year-old Rachel, daughter of a notoriously draconian hanging judge, has arrived in London and as the sole beneficiary to the family fortune has wealth beyond her imagination. Having tipped off Scotland Yard as to the identity of the killer of a brutally murdered chorus girl that cast of net of fear through a London that is foggy and can hide many a misdemeanour, her amateur detection skills have raised eyebrows. With the illustrious perpetrator having committed suicide before justice could be done and another killer at large after butchering a nurse, the reader is privy to ruthless Rachel overseeing eminent banker and philanthropist, Lawrence Pardoe, signing a confession before shooting himself in a room locked from inside. But is he really the man Scotland Yard are hunting for and if so, how did Rachel Savernake know?

Callow and gauche, twenty-four-year-old Jacob Flint is an eager journalist on the crime desk at The Clarion recently down from Yorkshire and keen to make his name by securing a scoop. Taking his lead from his indisposed boss who believes there is more to Rachel Savernake’s amateur detection skills than meets the eye and has a notion that they are more likely reliant on insider knowledge, he arrives at her door. Certainly the thoroughness of her research into a hopelessly out of his depth, Flint, is nothing if not suggestive of a guilty conscience and when his request for an interview is spurned but swiftly followed up by an anonymous tip off that sends him to Pardoe’s home just as his body is being removed, he knows he is onto something. With the reader primed to be suspicious of a Rachel after the diary extract and seeing her behind the scenes machinations is it impossible not to draw the same conclusion and when the ailing chief crime correspondent utters the phrase, “Gallows Court”, it is the start of a game of cat and mouse as Flint chases the clues that Rachel feeds him.

As further deaths follow, all of them connected by either Rachel’s presence or individuals connected to the wealthy and entitled upper-class circle that her father moved in, suspicions deepen but whether her intentions are honourable and just, or sadistic and megalomaniacal is uncertain. Despite the set-up sounding convoluted and heavy, as the narrative unfolds the story is intuitively easy to follow although admittedly the plot is elaborate with several strands and a large cast of characters for readers to keep track of. For this reason I would advise reading at a clip in order to keep a handle of how each piece of the puzzle fits together and appreciate just how tightly-plotted the book is. Whilst I was on board for well over ninety percent of the novel and knocked sideways by one or two of the revelations that took me by surprise, I was less certain as regards one of the final discoveries (possibly a twist too far) and the denouement.

The story itself is highly character-driven with the beguiling characterisation of protagonist Rachel Savernake central to the novel exuding a palpably tense atmosphere and keeping the reader on edge and invested. Extraordinary self-possessed, unforgiving and risk loving with an irreverent sense of humour, twenty-five-year-old Rachel manages to remain an enigma right into the close. Fascinating but yet impenetrable she is cool-headed, ruthless and unknowable.

A series that I intend to follow and hopefully the start to a welcome series of dark and evocative golden age thrillers. As a lover of the period it was a joy to encounter an entirely more realistic depiction of the era than the usual romanticism.

Emma

4.5 stars I thoroughly enjoyed this book: couldn’t make up my mind whether Rachel was a Goodie or a Baddie (which the author intended) and didn’t see the twist or two before they were revealed.

Maine Colonial

I have mixed feelings about this. Despite some reviews, and Edwards’s reputation as an expert, it doesn’t have the feel of a Golden Age mystery at all. Golden Age mysteries are rarely so sordid, and the crimes in this novel can’t be called anything else. This isn’t really a whodunnit, either. From fairly early on, you have a very good idea whodunnit; it just takes awhile to figure out the reasons behind the killings.

The most mysterious part of the book is figuring out the Rachel Savernake character. Edwards plays us along for a good long time about what kind of person she is and what she’s up to. We do know from the start that she’s extremely intelligent and strong in body and mind. The rest we learn as we go.

Jacob Flint, the second lead, if you want to think of it that way, is all too easy to figure out. He’s a callow young journalist, burning with ambition, but not the smartest guy around. He has more than one too-stupid-to-live moment. He doesn't have enough charm for me to indulge him his blunders or pushiness.

It was hard to get started with the book. A lot of characters are introduced early on, and they don’t make a vivid enough impression to remember who’s who. I kept having to backtrack. I also didn’t feel engaged until about 40% into it. At that point, things started meshing better and the plot began moving right along.

There are some surprise twists to the plot, and a lot of action once it gets into gear. That’s all to the good. I just thought the criminal theme was sordid (I mean more so than your usual murder mystery), and not my cup of tea. This is now a series, and I’m interested in reading more, but hoping for a less debased theme.

Trigger warning re violence against women, though not described in graphic detail.

Paula

Entertaining enough, but way over the top.I wonder if it was intended as a parody?
5/10

April Taylor

The author is clearly talented, and I love the fact that he’s not afraid to use words that might make readers check a dictionary. However, this book took almost to the halfway point to really capture my attention, and then there were so many twists and turns - several of which were very convoluted - that I became impatient with the ending.

In a nutshell, you’ve got a journalist, an eccentric wealthy woman, and a long list of other characters who keep dying in mysterious/suspicious ways. There are several big twists in the last third of the novel. The first one was excellent, but the others were a mixture of predictable and borderline absurd.

Part of the problem for me was that the author had a highly disturbing story built and then tossed the kitchen sink at it, presumably to make it even more disturbing. Instead, it fell out of the realm of believable and into the land of cartoonish super villainy.

I also hated the way men talked about, thought about, and treated women. Yes, it was probably pretty accurate given the time period, and yes, a female character gets the last jab in toward men. But some of the commentary just felt unnecessary, and it also constantly reminded me that the author is male.

Overall, I enjoyed parts of this book but wish I’d DNF’ed it at the 25% mark, like I almost did.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a copy.

Jim Dooley

I’m not exactly sure what I expected from the marketing descriptions of GALLOWS COURT, but my reading experience was quite different. That’s not a bad thing at all. In many ways, it reminded me of the revenge horror films of Vincent Price. Indeed, there are a number of moments that could be “references” to THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES and THEATRE OF BLOOD. And the climax brought to mind a scene from Disney’s THE GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE (which also had villain voiced by Vincent Price). I’ve long been a fan of those shows, so I quite enjoyed GALLOWS COURT.

For the Reader who interprets a “Golden Age” crime thriller as shorthand for a Lord Peter Wimsey mystery, GALLOWS COURT will be something of a shock to the system. This isn’t a “nice” or “cozy” story by any stretch of the imagination.

Like those more fanciful Vincent Price films, there are a number of moments that strain credibility. Any singular incident (or even a couple of them) might be accepted. Yet, the idea that all of these things could happen is too much. There were times that I was reminded of some of Kim Newman’s excesses … which are usually so much fun that my critical mind is on “Pause.” I found that happening while reading GALLOWS COURT.

As such, although I liked a number of characters, I only felt engaged with two of them, a young crime reporter and a private detective. Part of this was because there are a fair number of caricatures in the story. In addition, there is a great deal of explanatory exposition throughout. A valid argument could be made that this is needed to provide some clarity for all of the twists and turns. Most of this was handled through interviews on the behalf of the journalist or the police, so those scenes weren’t tedious.

Even though I equated GALLOWS COURT to certain films of Vincent Price (that I’ve seen many times), there was a double murder about halfway through that I didn’t see coming at all, and that literally caused me to gasp. Again, though not graphically described as it would be by Stephen King, it was far beyond “cozy” sensibilities.

Since finishing the book, I discovered that there is a follow-up title. I’ll admit to being curious, yet I have quite a few other titles at the head of the line. Still, if you like your crime stories with plenty of dark humor amidst the nasty violence served up in a frequently foreboding atmosphere, you may just want to pay a visit to GALLOWS COURT.

Kathy

Martin Edwards is as close to the King of Golden Age Mysteries as one can get. His work with the British Library Crime Classics series has resulted in the most thrilling anthologies and introductions to the collections. Martin's non-fiction The Golden Age of Murder, which is a comprehensive study of detective stories between WWI and WWII, won the Edgar, the Agatha, the H.R.F. Keating, and the Macavity awards, in addition to being shortlisted for an Anthony and the CWA Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction. Becoming the eighth president of the Detection Club in 2015 put Martin Edwards in an elite small group of crime writers and experts, the likes of which include Agatha Christie and G.K. Chesterton and Dorothy Sayers. He is also the Archivist of the CWA and the Detection Club. Because apparently time is no obstacle for this prolific author, Martin has two contemporary mystery series he's written, too. So, who better to write this atmospheric, Golden Age style story of 1930s London than Martin Edwards. There have been some comments referring to the number of bodies exceeding the number in Golden Age stories, but that certainly isn't a detriment to the story of Gallows Court, in which the tale calls for multiple murders. The deliciously twisted turns through these murders are spun by a master storyteller.

Jacob Flint is a young journalist who is currently lead crime reporter for The Clarion. The manner in which he became the head of the paper's crime writing is one of the mysteries surrounding a rash of horrific murders in London. The former lead reporter was tragically hit by a car while pursuing the stories behind the murders. Jacob is sure that the scoop he's awaited lies with interviewing and gaining access to Rachel Savernake, the wealthy daughter of the deceased Judge Savernake, a judge known for his harsh reputation and his madness that lead him to live out his final years on an isolated island named Gaunt. Rachel has only recently left the island after her father's death there and returned to London where she has taken an interest in amateur detective work. Rachel herself has some questionable involvement and motivation behind this interest in the current murders and subsequent confessions of her father's former colleagues. She was given credit with untangling the connection of one colleague to the first murder, that of a young actress, and Jacob suspects she is the sender of a note sending him to the suicide scene of the next murderer, who beheaded his young victim.

While the suspense builds and the mystery deepens, there are brief glimpses into a period ten to eleven years earlier, a time when Rachel Savernake lived on the lonely island of Gaunt with her father and few others. The author interjects theses glimpses into the book through the chilling journal entries of one Juliet Brentano, a cousin of Rachel's who is the same age and is residing with Rachel and the Judge. Juliet's journal entries provide a scathing indictment of the dark side of Rachel Savernake and her cruel father, and the reader will think back on these descriptions when wondering what motivates Rachel in her current undertakings. It's the same sort of wondering that affects Jacob Flint in his dealings with Rachel. She is an enigma to him, but their paths continue to cross as Jacob digs deeper into a circle of evil that brings more and more danger to his door, quite literally. Gallows Court, where Judge Savernake and his associates occupied office spaces becomes another enigma to Jacob, one that must have its code cracked to ensure evil doesn't triumph. The villains are many and the good are few, so intelligence and craft are of the essence.

The dark, smoggy atmosphere of London and the isolated, bleak setting of the Island of Gaunt create the perfect storm for evil to creep about and inflict its devastation. Martin Edwards uses this perfect atmosphere to drop in the cleverly created characters who will battle to the death for their desired version of the world. Jacob Flint is the purveyor of truth in the story, although he has ulterior motives, in the beginning, of landing the big scoop to further his career. Jacob is intelligent, but gullible, too, so his manipulation by others is easily achieved. Rachel Savernake is a question mark. Is she good or is she an element from the dark side, too? She is the most interesting to me due to the unknown which is slowly unraveled about her. There are characters who are clearly on one side or the other, but there are characters who will suprise the reader. In short, it is a fascinating cast on a turning stage of events. The twists in the story are gasp worthy, exceeding any Golden Age mystery, but essential to this powerful story. Edwards weaves his knowledge of the Golden Age tropes throughout the tale to satisfy any reader who expects desires those. It is a brilliant example of writing within a period but somehow updating it to appeal to all readers. Gallows Court should be on the reading list of every reader who loves the best of crime/mystery fiction. I count it as one of my favorite all-time books, hitting all the right notes for me.

Blaine DeSantis

Talk about a book that picks up steam! Thanks NetGalley for the free advance copy of this book for an honest review. Tremendous mystery with lots of murders, and yet a purpose behind the murders. About half way through the book this book is like a locomotive, and it is runaway excitement and entertainment, to the point where I could not put it down until I had finished it! Well written, with so many twists and turns it is hard to keep up. But it all comes together under a masterful job by the author, Martin Edwards. Now why not a 5*****. By the end everything got so quickly resolved in such a convoluted manner that I am not sure that all the readers will enjoy this. The book is well plotted with interesting characters, from Rachael Savernake, to Jacob Flint and Sara Delamere. Just good stuff, and it appears that there could be a sequel possible and knowing all the twists and turns the author uses, I can see him writing another book featuring Savernake and Flint. 4.5**** on my scale.

Julie

A dark historical mystery with overtones of horror, this first entry in the series involves Rachel Savernake, a young London heiress and amateur detective, and Jacob Flint, an intrepid, hungry journalist in search of his next big scoop. As the lives of the two become intertwined, we see much of the story from Flint's perspective, and he questions the mysterious Ms. Savernake and the unusual number of muggings and murders that seem to be occurring to people in her orbit - and, gradually, his orbit as well.
Full of twists and turns, this was alternately amusing and frightening. I liked the 1930s London setting; my only quibble might be that at times the characters, dialogue, and events lacked modernity and seemed more like a throwback to a slightly earlier era, Edwardian or even Victorian. But this was a minor distraction; I read the book in two days and was gripped by the pacing and the characters, who apparently will reappear in the second book,
Mortmain Hall.

Ivonne Rovira

Martin Edwards has proved himself a great editor of Golden Age detective fiction. In addition, Edwards has been writing his own detective series since the 1990s. With Gallows Court, he has a wonderful stand-alone novel.

Let’s cut to the chase: Who is Rachel Savernake? Daughter of a hanging judge? Yes. A woman who keeps a very low profile, rarely even leaving her house? Yes. But is she a villainess? Or is she an avenging angel? It’s up to newly minted crime reporter Jacob Flint to find out. And find out if he can live to report his findings.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press in exchange for an honest review.

Daniel Myatt

Danger lurks all around in this well-written tale of murder most foul (and some of it is foul indeed) it his book is a wonderful mix of detective and mystery and whilst some of the "big reveals" weren't that surprising they still made for a great read.

I'm glad I've read the first in this series now I'll head back and reread part 2.

Avid Series Reader

Gallows Court by Martin Edwards is the first book of the Rachel Savernake mystery series set in 1930 London, with flashbacks to 1919 on Gaunt Island in the Irish Sea.

Daughter of Judge Lionel Savernake ("Savernake of the Scaffold"), Rachel grew up on isolated Gaunt Island with cousin Juliet Brentano. Juliet's diary reveals "Everyone knew that, if Rachel was in a temper, someone or something must suffer." After Rachel was scolded by a governess, the woman's beloved pet dog disappeared; a few days later, Rachel "found" its bloodstained collar on the rocks below the cliff. When the governess fled, Rachel smirked to Juliet "that's how to kill two birds with one stone". When Juliet's parents disappear, she's convinced Rachel murdered them.

The Judge died; Rachel is now extremely wealthy. She moves to luxurious Gaunt House in London, with a few trusted loyal servants from Gaunt Island. Trueman is her bodyguard and the chauffeur of her Rolls Royce Phantom, Henrietta her housekeeper, Martha her maid.

From the start, a delicious atmosphere of menace pervades: "Long years spent on a small island had accustomed her to sea frets...the winter mists drifting in from the water, rippling like gauze curtains, draping the damp landscape. A London particular was a different beast - sooty, sulphurous, and malign, as capable of choking you as a Limehouse ruffian."

Rachel has scores to settle. She begins a series of intricately planned, perfect murders. She uncovers who really killed Dolly Benson (The Chorus Girl Murder); he "commits suicide". She visits the murderer of Mary-Jane Hayes; his corpse is discovered in a locked room. She's not done yet...

Jacob Flint, reporter for the Clarion newspaper, receives anonymous tips to find the victims, scoops the stories. Jacob is convinced Rachel is involved, but she rebuffs him...at first. He persistently, carefully follows up evidence, researches history, looks for connections in the past. He learns of the Gambit Club, a group of wealthy influential men, formed/led by the Judge in Gallows Court, ostensibly to play chess.

Jacob does not accept the easy, obvious crime solutions. Scotland Yard is under pressure to close cases; he's after the truth. When he interviews a victim's sister, she accuses that reporters just print sensational stories, not truth. He counters: "I happen to believe that the truth is a good story". Unlike other reporters, he empathizes with victims' family and friends: "You imagined you had all the time in the world to see each other in the future."

Clarion's chief reporter Thomas Betts was following up clues when he "met with an accident". Clarion editor Gomersall obliquely warns Jacob that pursuing Rachel and her past is dangerous. "The editor measured his words with the care of a pharmacist dispensing henbane to a discontented spouse."

Rachel seeks out powerful, dangerous men in the Gambit Club, fearlessly taking risks: "The danger is what makes life worth living". When she meets William Keary (famous/wealthy/smooth-talking Irish actor) she reflects "his smile showed a lot of teeth. They resembled small, sharp tombstones." Rachel drinks vintage Burgundy, "the color of blood". Her motto: "When I play, I play to win".

Clarion editor Plenderleith told Jacob "Levi Shoemaker is the smartest enquiry agent in London, by far the most expensive." Rumor has it Levi was hired by Rachel. Levi eludes contact, but Jacob finally confronts him. Levi warns "Rachel Savernake is the most dangerous woman in England".

Jacob exchanges information with contacts at Scotland Yard, usually over drinks or meals at a pub. Summoned to a remote cabin to meet a contact, Jacob witnesses several murders. This time, he can't write the story. Rachel begins inviting Jacob to events...where he witnesses dramatic perfect murders.

The plot twists as secrets are revealed by Juliet's diary entries and from Jacob's diligent research. Suspense builds to a surprise confrontation, a final settling of scores. A Golden Age style mystery with a twist: a fearless, invincible killer protagonist, committing perfect crimes, getting away with it.

I enjoyed reading the Lake District mystery series; I enjoy the Harry Devlin mystery series too, but to me, Gallows Court is the most gripping and intriguing yet. I look forward to the sequel, Mortmain Hall.

Jane

There was a touch of pastiche in this thriller--far more of a thriller than a mystery--with its cast of cynical journalists, corrupt officialdom, beautiful and mysterious women, and devoted henchmen (and women). As other readers have noted, it was also more noir than Golden Age; it lacked the lightness of touch that I was expecting.

It was also a hard novel to get into for about the first half; new characters seemed to be constantly coming on stage. Fortunately the second half involves most of those characters being bumped off or committing suicide, thus thinning the field nicely. There's a recurring thread of diary entries that gives us the background to a central character; but that being done, the diary remains known only to the reader where I was expecting it to be used in some way in the plot. Setting up for a sequel, perhaps, but it made for an irritating let-down.

Jacob, the young journalist through whom much of the story is seen, is somewhat two-dimensional; the only thing that impressed me about him is that he's obviously a red-blooded man as he fancies any woman below thirty who drifts into the plot. Women, in this book, are either seductive/slinky, or tarts, or middle-aged caricatures, or walk-on parts. There were lots of allusions to male homosexuality, but they didn't seem to go anywhere as far as the plot was concerned.

Those were the annoyances; but I have to admit, by about the last 20 percent or so I began to enjoy myself. The action romps to a rollicking, if slightly preposterous, end that kept me guessing; the body count rises and the deaths become ever more gruesome. That's fun, and it's possibly why I'm giving this book four stars (probably about 3.5 in truth). The other reason is that we're so obviously in the hands of an experienced writer; Gallows Court is nothing if not well written. I know this type of novel is a new departure for Edwards, and perhaps he just put too much in there.

I read the UK edition; the American edition has a cover that completely misses the mark, in my opinion. Repositioning this one to target noir readers might be a good idea.

Benjamin Thomas

Ever since I read Martin Edward’s multiple award-winning nonfiction book
The Golden Age of Murder, I’ve been wanting to sample his fiction. Even though he has a couple of other series, I chose this one since it is the beginning of a whole new series. Set in 1930 London, it features a crime desk journalist named Jacob Flint and a whole series of deaths that could be accidents, suicides, or murders. A common denominator is an amateur sleuth named Rachel Savernake who has recently solved a case that had stumped even Scotland Yard detectives.

The novel starts out like many traditional Golden Age mysteries do. Something you might read by Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, or John Dickson Carr. It was interesting, but outside the character of Rachel Savernake, it wasn’t blowing my mind. But as the story unfolds, the complexity increases and a more modern style of story telling emerges. A bit more thriller-like, if you will. And the last 100 pages or so really did blow my mind. This is one of the least predictable novels I’ve read in quite some time, with more than one surprise in store. And what a wonderfully intriguing character Rachel Savernake turns out to be.

When I finished reading and closed the book I just sat back for a while and wallowed in that always hoped for feeling of satisfaction for a well-done story. I really feel like starting over right now and see how it reads after I already know how it develops. There's a reason Martin Edwards has won so many awards for writing and contributions to the crime genre and is currently the president of the legendary Detection Club. I’ll be thinking about this one for quite some time to come and looking forward to the next book in the series.

Alistair

Overly complicated and much of it reads as if each twist and turn was made up on by the writer as he went along . Being a modern take on a 1930's setting it had to include a bit of paedophelia , care homes , and some utterly ridiculous murders of all and sundry .

By the end when all the various strands were tied up I really could not care less who was left alive and how .

Puzzle Doctor

A truly outstanding original piece of crime fiction. Full review at classicmystery.wordpress.com

Denise Link

I was so-so on this book until I finished it and realized I'm supposed to admire the mass-murdering vigilante because she's a woman.

Kathy

I try to finish the books that our Mystery Book Club reads, but I just couldn't do it with this one. I know it has gotten rave reviews, but the I just couldn't get beyond how much I disliked the two main characters - the vigilante hero, Rachel Savernake, and the obnoxious journalist, Jacob Flint. In fact, every time I looked at Rachel's name, it became Rachel Snake in my head!

Cleopatra Pullen

Martin Edwards is an expert in classic crime springing from the Golden Age so I was thrilled to be asked to be part of the blog tour to celebrate the publication of Gallows Court, a book written in the model of all the greats. His study of the sub-genre combine with the fact that I have experienced nothing but pure joy when reading his modern crime series set in the Lake District set my expectations high; they were met.

The main setting is London in the smog but we are also drawn back to the past to an island off the coast of Ireland by way of some letters. Two more atmospheric places would be hard to find and Martin Edwards sets his pen about making sure we know it.

On the Island of Gaunt a young girl, Juliet Bretano pens her thoughts on Rachel Severnake, the woman she believes murdered her father. Ooh I love a female killer, particularly from this age as you know that there has to be some ingenuity involved.

But then in London the headless corpse of a woman is found and Scotland Yard are determined to find the killer. Meanwhile Jacob Flint has been trying to make his name at the crime desk for The Clarion and he has his eye on Rachel Severnake who recently solved a high profile case to Scotland Yard’s embarrassment. Rachel Severnake is the daughter of the man who was known as the ‘hanging judge’ but as he aged his behaviour became something of a concern and he took himself off to the island of Gaunt with his young daughter. But Rachel is in London, a London where no respectable lady would dream of walking in the particular darkness of the smog where visibility is so poor you don’t know who is lurking around the next corner.

That’s all I am going to say about the plot itself. The writing as you might expect is brilliant. The plot is complex and depends on those false clues not least what part does Gallows Court play? The fantastic scene setting mentioned earlier has a big part to play, the author using both the dangerous darkness of London and the remoteness of Gaunt to their full advantage. The characters are for the most part wily and definitely not those you should put your trust in and also for the most part are of the higher reaches of society. So far so Golden Age but I felt that the bodies piled higher and the murders more ‘on stage’ with some more modern themes as motives than perhaps you’d expect to see from that time. It is a clever author indeed who can play such obvious flattery to a style and yet gently update it for the more modern taste in crime writing. This book did have the feel of a more modern day thriller with the tension perhaps higher than those solved by our favourite crime detectives from the age. Make no mistake the stakes are high for our characters and no-one is safe until the culprit is found!

I absolutely modestly raise my cloche hat to the ingenuity of Gallows Court. I was totally immersed in trying to solve the puzzle and would like to say I was ‘on it,’ but I wasn’t really until fairly near the end.

Annette

Rachel is the daughter of a former “hanging judge”. Toward the end of his life, he had lost all sense of reality. He was a figure to be feared.

Rachel is a young woman of mystery. Is she responsible for unspeakable crimes? Has she driven men to their deaths? Or is she simply a young woman who believes in justice and is disappointed when the police do not believe what she reports to them?

Jacob is a young reporter on a tabloid paper. He inherits the job of lead crime reporter, when the previous lead crime reporter is killed in a hit and run accident. Jacob is a man who sees good in people, even though he is rapidly finding more and more people who are the opposite of good. Unfortunately, Jacob begins to see that good people are very difficult to find. Jacob has a nose for news Each question which is answered, leads him to a new question about a completely new situation.

Jacob happens to be on the scene when a man takes his own life and confesses to a crime. He is being drawn in directions which take him closer and closer to crimes and immediate danger. His curiosity leads him. The people in his life are not always as they appear.

At the same time Jacob is being manipulated from one event to another, Rachel seems to be aware of all that is happening around her.

These two people are very interesting characters. And they are two of the few people in the story who are not extremely frightening people. The reader gets to know Jacob and how he sees the world. Rachel is much more of an unknown quantity.

Character development is well done. Once revelations are made, it is easy to say “of course.”

There is villainy. Dark figures in the background of life seem to be creating havoc as well as harm. At times it is not easy to tell exactly who the dark figures are. The evidence of their existence is easy to see. The results of evil actions are everywhere. The lives which have been damaged are presented one after another.

Mr Edwards has created an amazing story.

The plot is neither simple nor straightforward. It kept me reading.

Just when I believed I knew exactly where things were going, I found out I was wrong. There were a few things I could figure out, but there were other things which absolutely surprised me.

If you are a reader who enjoys British mysteries, this is a book you will like. The era is the period between the Wars. The attitudes are definitely from an era of long ago. The mystery is immediate and wonderful. The solution is satisfying.

In short, this is a very good book.

I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I am voluntarily writing this review and all opinions are completely my own.

Christine

Not quite a four, but more than a three.

This was the first book that Page1 sent me. (It is a subscription service and a Christmas present).

Because of the book cover, I most likely would have passed this by in a bookstore. It is more a thriller than a mystery, and an attentive reader can pretty much figure out one of the big reveals early in the book.

It is also a little strange that for a series named for a woman, we spend more time with the male reporter investigating her. And Rachel Savernake reminds as mysterious as Sherlock Holmes, not there is anything wrong with that, it's just strange.

The last 50 pages or so are basically "I do not want to put this book . GO away people!" and that is a good feeling.

Title	:	Gallows Court (Rachel Savernake #1)
Author	:	Martin Edwards
Rating	:
ISBN	:	-
Language	:	English
Format Type	:	Kindle Edition
Number of Pages	:	368
Publication	:	First published September 6, 2018

Gallows Court (Rachel Savernake #1) by Martin Edwards

Gallows Court (Rachel Savernake #1) Reviews

Gallows Court (Rachel Savernake #1) Reviews

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