The Yard

By: Alex Grecian

Narrated by: Toby Leonard Moore

Length: 14 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

Victorian London is a cesspool of crime, and Scotland Yard has only 12 detectives - known as “The Murder Squad” - to investigate thousands of murders every month. Created after the Metropolitan Police’s spectacular failure to capture Jack the Ripper, The Murder Squad suffers rampant public contempt. They have failed their citizens. But no one can anticipate the brutal murder of one of their own... one of the 12....

When Walter Day, the squad’s newest hire, is assigned the case of the murdered detective, he finds a strange ally in the Yard’s first forensic pathologist, Dr. Bernard Kingsley. Together they track the killer, who clearly is not finished with The Murder Squad.... but why?

Filled with fascinating period detail, and real historical figures, this spectacular debut in a new series showcases the depravity of late Victorian London, the advent of criminology, and introduces a stunning new cast of characters sure to appeal to fans of The Sherlockian and The Alienist.

©2012 Alex Grecian (P)2012 Penguin Audio

Good, but not much suspense

Would you try another book from Alex Grecian and/or Toby Leonard Moore?

This was good deal, but the authors didn't get me hooked enough to search them out for future purchases.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

The plot was too obvious, it felt like the clues found left nothing to figure out and the attempt to have color the story with other, vulnerable characters just added more complexity at the cost of providing a great mystery

Would you listen to another book narrated by Toby Leonard Moore?

Not my "cup of tea" (pardon the pun) in voice talent, but not sure if it was the material he had to go with or just him. I would be more apt to chose this narrator again than these authors.

Was The Yard worth the listening time?

Overall, I listened to the whole thing, and though all the mystery was gone early on, it met its purpose and filled the time in an enjoyable enough way

GREAT story!

I got this on the "first in a series" sale and boy was it a GREAT find! I will definitely be getting to rest of the books! I love the characters and care about them. Great writing!

Slow Start, Great Finish, Excellent Overall!

If you could sum up The Yard in three words, what would they be?

crafty, disturbing, exciting

What did you like best about this story?

The best thing I like about "The Yard" is how utterly unpredictable it is. I gave up trying to figure things out pretty early on, because nothing I thought would happen happened.

What does Toby Leonard Moore bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Toby Leonard Moore does great accents, giving each character a little something different.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Not in the beginning, but as the story began to unfold there were moments where I would stay in my car long after I had arrived at work to finish listening to the more exciting parts of the story.

Super intense and addictive

I finished this book in a mere two days! I enjoyed the story and there were only a two times that the descriptions got a little too gruesome and I would have to pause the book to gather my bearings. That being said, the narration was perfect for the book and the writing was very good at keeping me going.

Good plot, but a bit dark for my taste

Would you try another book from Alex Grecian and/or Toby Leonard Moore?

I enjoyed the overall theme and plot of this book very much; I am intrigued to go find out if any of the main Yard characters were based on any actual historical figures. The only problem I had with it was that main characters being attacked too much - I know it's wimpy, but I can't stand the suspense. If you, on the other hand, enjoy it - then this book could be just the thing for you! I listened to the 1st section, but fast forwarded through most of the 2nd, to the final hour of the book. I did want to find out how it ended ;)

Very good read

Where does The Yard rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

For this type of book it rates above a average! Would enjoy another like it.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Fin. Very brave little boy.

Which scene was your favorite?

?

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Neither! Some of it very sickening & to think it could have actually happened in those days.

Any additional comments?

No

Quite thrilling

The reader is excellent and it was easy to know which character was speaking. The story is a bit to long and convoluted for my taste. I got confused with the subplots, but I suspect that is because I sometimes had to stop and start too often and in short sequences.

Loved the story!

I really did love this story and the characters. As other listeners have noted the narrator is outstanding! The naturalistic dialogue was spot on. The only weakness in the story for me was the main character, Walter Day and his wife, Claire. They were bland, too naive, too polite, and just not as well developed as all the other characters in the story. I will be downloading the other books in this series by Alex Grecian. They are perfect listening for the long, solitary hours I spend in the studio late at night.

Great step back in time

Wonderful performance with a good story. Easy to visualize London in the 1800's. Very much enjoyed the characters and the plot

Boring....

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Because I was able to purchase the book for $4.95 it wasn't a total waste as I was able to listen to a new author and narrator. It could have been the beginning of a series that I might have enjoyed, BUT I continually became distracted until the last third of the book. It is a book I will NEVER listen to again.

If you’ve listened to books by Alex Grecian before, how does this one compare?

Never heard of him before. He was okay, but I doubt I'll ever pick one of his books again.

Did Toby Leonard Moore do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

He was okay but I will not search out books narrated by him.

Could you see The Yard being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Can't imagine it.

Any additional comments?

If you love to read and the books are still on sell then go for it, otherwise there are many more books that might be more worthy of your time.