The Reaper's Touch

By: Robert Southworth

Narrated by: Paul Deacon

Length: 7 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's Summary

London, 1890. William Harkness is summoned to the scene of a grisly murder. The victim is not a woman of the night, nor a member of the underclass. Nonetheless, Harkness is certain the Ripper has resumed his slaughter. He and his men resume the hunt for the infamous killer, but all is not as it seems. William Harkness soon realizes that hunters can also be prey....

©2017 Robert Southworth (P)2017 Robert Southworth

Shows what a difference the narration makes

The style of the story is similar to part 1, with a similar semi pastiche of Victorian thriller. The author curbs some of his previous enthusiasm for echoes of the past blundering into modernity. The narrative draws you along though it’s complexity and like any good pot boiler, keeps up the pace.
I gave the story 3 stars as I found it lacking credibility at times. Without giving away the plot I do not think the Metropolitan Police would ever turn a blind eye to someone threatening violence towards a policeman, let alone standing by as people fight.
The narrator adopts voices for each character which helps enormously (especially compared to the narration of first volume in the series). The voices are instantly recognisable as “gutter snipe” or “posh lady”