The Yard

De: Alex Grecian

Narrado por: Toby Leonard Moore

Victorian London is a cesspool of crime, and Scotland Yard has only twelve 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 twelve . . .

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.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Lusciously rich with detail, atmosphere, and history, and yet as fast paced as a locomotive, The Yard will keep you riveted from page one. It's truly a one- or two-sitting read."

—Jeffery Deaver, author of Carte Blanche and The Bone Collector

"Alex Grecian’s The Yard is a brilliantly crafted debut novel with unforgettable characters. An utterly gripping tale perfectly evokes Victorian London and brings you right back to the depraved and traumatic days of Jack the Ripper. And I mean that in the best possible way."

—Lisa Lutz, author of The Spellman Files

“Outstanding. If Charles Dickens isn’t somewhere clapping his hands for this, Wilkie Collins surely is.” – Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review

“Grecian’s debut is the promising start of a new series and should be one of the most acclaimed and popular mysteries of the year. Caleb Carr’s The Alienist> is the obvious comparison, thanks to The Yard’s attention to detail and mix of historical facts and vivid fictional creations.” – Huffington Post

“A winner, filled with Victorian arcane and eccentric characters and more humor than one expects from such a work.” – The Rap Sheet


“Grecian powerfully evokes both the physical, smog-ridden atmosphere of London in 1889 and its emotional analogs of anxiety and depression. His infusion of actual history adds to this thriller’s credibility and punch. A deeply satisfying reconstruction of post-Ripper London.” – Booklist


“This excellent murder mystery debut introduces a fascinating cast of characters. Grecian displays a flair for language as well as creating vivid (and occasionally gruesome) depictions of places and events.” – Library Journal

Loved it! Set in the time of Sherlock Holmes.

Would you consider the audio edition of The Yard to be better than the print version?

No idea.

What other book might you compare The Yard to and why?

The Alienist, the Anatomy of Murder, White City

Have you listened to any of Toby Leonard Moore???s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No.

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

Yes, but also a book to savor at leisure since a book like this does not come around very often.

Any additional comments?

More Victorian Era mysteries that are not romantic fantasies and are not formula based. More like this! I get annoyed with the female hero that seems to be always ahead of her time and always outsmarts the stupid men. Too formula and predictable and too numerous. I want a plausible but exciting and intellectually stimulating book like this. Very interesting and transported the reader to my favorite time period. Great story.

Great listen!

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

Engaging, authentic, compelling

What other book might you compare The Yard to and why?

To some degree, the Anne Perry series set in a similar (maybe a bit later) era. This one was deeper, though, and really made you feel you were in at the start of a great series, and at the start of modern forensics.

Which character – as performed by Toby Leonard Moore – was your favorite?

The main guy, of course! Walter!

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

Ahhhh....nothing! Very enjoyable listen. I like strong voices that handle different characters and accents well - male or female.

Any additional comments?

Hope to see more from this author!

5

The characters develop in such a pleasing fashion I was not over
whelmed by all the (interesting) history. First use of finger prints, after the French? Really?
I loved the novels that sketched the beginnings of the London police. This mystery is just plain fun. is this fellow the 2nd serial killer after Jack the Ripper?

Liked the book but could be better

I believe if you listen to this book you will not rank it in your all time best but most won't feel it was a waste. I like some of the characters but others I felt deserved more attention. I felt the narrator did a good job and would listen to other books by him. My general feeling was that the author was kind of exploring the space and that his books will only improve from here. If you like this period in time I am not sure all of it is 100% accurate but you did feel some of the limitations of criminology in the time as well as the burgeoning of scientific method in the craft. That part was fun as the author worked through how discussions and methodology might have worked in the time. I just felt there was more creative license then research in some of the choices made by the author than I usually like in this type of book.

I would read this author again.

Birth of forensics

Scotland Yard is known world wide and this story is an entertaining glimpse into the past and the introduction of new concepts like latent fingerprints and serial killers.

Picking up the Pieces

An interesting look at the London Police Force attempting to rebuild itself and regain a city's trust in the wake of its failure to capture Jack the Ripper.

It also depicts the rise of forensic science and the first movement toward modern policing and murder investigations.

It's gory and gritty and shows, in depressing detail, the miseries of the poor in London, but I found it fascinating and thought provoking. I enjoyed the noir flavor, and found the characters well, and deeply, drawn.

I thought the narrator, Toby Leonard Moore, did an excellent job.

The Whole Package

What made the experience of listening to The Yard the most enjoyable?

Story, narration, characters all fantastic. Totally absorbing.

What did you like best about this story?

A realistic look inside Scotland Yard in the Victorian era.

Have you listened to any of Toby Leonard Moore’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

no

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The flashbacks to when Hammersmith was a boy working in the mines.

Any additional comments?

Can't wait for the next book in this series.

Love this series!

This book really held my interest and I love the narrator, I went straight from this book to the second in the series. If you like "Sherlock Holmes type" books, you will love these! Enjoy!

I loved this book!

A great beginning to one of my favorite series of books. Grecian has a way of getting you betwixt into the story. I found I could not press pause on this Audible and had to keep it going throughout my day....just had to learn what happened next in the story. The series gets better and better with each book.

Well played, engrossing

Multiple plots, twists and unexpected turns; memorable, valuable, and true historical insights into the developing science of forensics and the abyss of late-19th century London's underbelly. But satisfying ending. Grabs and holds attention. Great reader, excellent grasp of each character.