In 2007 Guy Fraser made his debut with Blade of the Assassin (also reviewed on this site).  That was an entertaining novel, but with this second entry in the series he seems to be really getting into his stride.  Mr Fraser delivers a pacy tale that not only makes for exciting reading but also conjures up a picture of mid-Victorian Glasgow at a time when everything was changing.  Railways replace coaches, bridges replace ferries and the pace quickens, distances between places becoming smaller and the groundwork of the world we know today is being laid.  This makes for a convincing backdrop to what seems to be a modern crime in many ways, and here is an author who can pack a lot of everything into a modest length of novel.  He even manages some humor, as well as a lively portrait of a commercial boarding house.  If this series continues in this vein, it will be one of the best new histmyst series dealing with the 19th century.