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Alex Grecian's latest book, The Devil's Workshop,
has a thrilling plot with notorious characters. This is the
third book in the series out of six. The plot takes place
in London during the 1890s with a theme comparing law and
justice. It is more of a "who done it" than an actual
mystery since the readers know the villains and their deeds.
The plot begins with a prisoner horribly tortured by persons
unknown to him. A few chapters later the reader is able to
learn who the prisoner is and why he is being tortured. A
secret organization of zealots, after capturing certain criminals,
attempts to dispense their own brand of justice. They have
planned for some of the murderers to escape from prison, but
the plan goes incredibly wrong. As the killers elude the secret
society, Scotland Yard's Murder Squad detectives, Walter Day
and Nevil Hammersmith, are asked to find the criminals. Unfortunately,
the criminals are able to resume their sadistic killing as
they try to avoid the chase by the detectives.
Grecian used the secret organization to illustrate the theme
of law versus justice. He explained, "I wanted to make
the society have lofty moral ideals. That is why I included
in the book the quote, 'Law does not concern itself with justice.'
The law is set up to serve the people but it cannot serve
every specific person. Sometimes justice is not served since
a guilty person can be found innocent and vice-versa. I guess
I would summarize it best that the law is concrete and justice
is slippery. For example think of a murdered child. Even if
the perpetrator was found guilty that does not bring back
the child."
Early on the reader finds that one of the escaped killers
is none other than Jack the Ripper. Grecian is able to solicit
different emotions from the readers regarding this character,
ranging from hatred to sympathizing with him. They are exposed
to his past and present exploits, as well as to his philosophical
thoughts about law and justice.
The author stated, "Anybody writing about Jack The Ripper
is essentially working with a made-up character since no one
knows who he actually was. I went to great lengths to put
my own interpretation to him including giving him certain
quirks. I hope I succeeded in having you feel sorry for Jack
the Ripper. I wanted to make him unpredictable, which is why
I wrote those scenes where some of his actions can be considered
good. Yet, I also had him do some really evil things. I did
this to keep the reader guessing as to what he might do."
He gave a heads up about his next projects. The next book
in the series will concentrate on the killer "Harvestman"
who looks for his parents by carving up people and looking
inside them. One of the detectives, actually his wife's favorite,
will be back but in a different profession. The next book,
just as with this one, will end in a cliffhanger. He is also
writing a graphic novel, a comic book, with artist Riley Rossmo
who he wrote with years ago. This new series, due out in November,
is about Rasputin, taking place during and just after WWI.
It will be a fictional version of his life and times that
will include the conspiracy theories. He explores the possibility
that MI6 killed him to keep Russia in the war, something Rasputin
advocated against.
The Devil's Workshop is not a book for the squeamish.
It will keep the reader on the edge of their seat with its
psychotic characters and intense plot. The action is non-stop
and the reader will not want to put the book down.
Reviews
of other titles in this series
The
Devil's Workshop #3
The
Harvest Man #4
Lost
And Gone Forever #5
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