The Darwin Affair

A Novel

By: Tim Mason

Narrated by: Derek Perkins

London, June 1860: When an assassination attempt is made on Queen Victoria, and a petty thief is gruesomely murdered moments later - and only a block away - Chief Detective Inspector Charles Field quickly surmises that these crimes are connected to an even more sinister plot. Was Victoria really the assassin's target? Are those closest to the Crown hiding something? And who is this shadowy figure witnesses describe as having lifeless, coal-black eyes? Soon, Field's investigation exposes a shocking conspiracy in which the publication of Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species sets off a string of murders, arson, kidnapping, and the pursuit of a diabolical madman named the Chorister. As the investigation takes Field from the dangerous alleyways of London to the hallowed halls of Oxford, the list of possible conspirators grows as the body count escalates. And as he edges closer to the Chorister, he uncovers dark secrets that were meant to remain forever hidden.

With ingenuity, intelligence, and wit, debut novelist Tim Mason has created a powerfully entertaining thriller. For fans of Caleb Carr and Carlos Ruiz Zafon, The Darwin Affair is a rousing tale that both Charles Dickens and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle would relish and envy.

©2019 Tim Mason (P)2019 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Too Much Villain

I enjoyed this book, but the villain was over the top. For me, there was no mystery, and I prefer a mystery where I can't tell who did the deed until the end. It kept my interest because of the discussion of the political and sociological ramifications of Darwin's work.

Great Victorian style murder mystery

This is a slightly gruesome murder mystery that reads like a Dickens novel. The characters are wonderful. There is plenty of suspense and love the additional of the real people of the time. The narrator was superb.

Well written but gruesome

Just a heads up for sensitive readers: this book is a little more horror than mystery. Fairly gruesome.

Engaging and exciting

The Darwin Affair was written by a playwright, and his ability to set a scene together with the narrator's wonderful work (and accent) makes the book alive with a sense of place and time. A thrilling if a bit harrowing story with elements of the grotesque. Historical figures are cleverly woven into the story set in Victorian England. The subject matter - Darwin's Origin of Species, people willing (and plotting) to do violence to obstruct scientific progress - and setting made this a notch better for me than just a thriller with a properly formidable villain, but it is that.

I'd say fans of Oliver Twist, Luther, Sherlock Holmes and the Mutter Museum in Philadelphia will enjoy.

A bloody Brilliant book!!

loved the novel. Was a bit confused in the beginning with all the characters storied. But then, beautifully bleended the stories. Loved it to the end.