GALLOWS COURT is a thriller of the first order. As the bodies pile up, readers are taken on a cyclonic ride full of red herrings and finely honed characters, and nothing is as it appears. The suspense builds to enormous heights as Jacob Flint, who manages the crime desk of The Clarion, tries desperately to comb through the clues that will help solve a series of murders that besiege the “sooty, sulphurous, and malign streets of [1930s] London.”

Sharing the stage with Jacob is Rachel Savernake, who solved a murder to which Scotland Yard was unable to find the answers. The daughter of a famous judge who left her a fortune, Rachel is a cold and calculating lady who answers to no one. She is strong and has a mind of her own, which she uses to play out her machinations.

"GALLOWS COURT is a thriller of the first order. As the bodies pile up, readers are taken on a cyclonic ride full of red herrings and finely honed characters, and nothing is as it appears."

On the flip side, Jacob is a smart, hard-working journalist with a strong sense of responsibility who takes his assignments seriously and writes a well-respected column. He is always seeking a big scoop and follows the rising death count in London, believing that his future as a reporter will rest on his burrowing to the bottom of the murders of these young women.

As events unfolds, we learn all about Rachel’s influence over the police, who would not give her the time of day if not for her father’s prestige. We also find some disquieting personality flaws in her makeup, though her role in the novel is unchallenged.

Suicide also is a means of getting rid of certain individuals. A group of impressive and cultured men become the focus of the killer as the book races to its conclusion. Jacob stays on the case hoping to solve it.

Part of the novel is punctuated by the diary of Juliet Brentano, who writes on the deserted island of Gaunt and pushes the story forward with each entry. The journal begins in January 1919 and wraps up in February 1921. England, especially London, seems more than a world away.

GALLOWS COURT is populated by quite a few people. Each fit well into the plot, and their roles are important to the understanding of the entire story. The Damnation Society is the umbrella group comprised of powerful men. Another character, Sara, says that “nothing compares to the ultimate pleasure… the thrill of taking power over another human being’s life.” Readers will be enthralled by this first installment of what promises to be a fascinating series from Edgar Award-winning author Martin Edwards.