Another Review at MyShelf.Com

Tomb of the Serpent
Superintendent Henry Jarrett Series, No 5
Guy Fraser

Robert Hale
29 July 2011/ ISBN 07090924696
Historical Mystery / 1863 / Glasgow, Scotland
Amazon US || UK

Reviewed by Rachel A Hyde

When a box of strange, foreign treasure is dredged out of the river it sets in motion a series of extraordinary occurrences. What does the murder of a sideshow owner at a travelling fair have to do with what appear to be human sacrifices? Henry Jarrett comes up against the Chief Constable in his eagerness to find out both the perpetrator of the crimes and the owner of the treasure. Maybe an old legend could throw some light on where the box came from and why somebody wants to harvest human hearts…

I’ve liked this series from the first, and continue to do so as it develops. There is more local color and sense of time and place with each new book, and a good plot that I didn’t unravel. It is hard not to want to read on and on until the end in any book dealing with human sacrifice, treasure chests and a funfair and I found it hard to put down. With an entertaining side plot about Jarrett’s landlady and fellow boarders this is one novel stuffed to bursting with incident, written in a lively and readable style. Conan Doyle’s audience would have enjoyed this and so will you if your tastes run to historical mystery.

 
Reviewer's Note:
Reviewed 2011
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