After arriving in England to claim her inheritance, Hester Jekyll, niece of Dr. Henry Jekyll, discovers she gets nothing, and suddenly her friends are untrustworthy and aloof. Hester becomes entangled in her uncle's mysterious past, and a series of brutal deaths cause her to wonder if London's seen the last of Dr. Jekyll--or Mr. Hyde. HC: Tor.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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From Publishers Weekly
Giving Dr. Jekyll a niece to inherit his estate and dread secret, veteran storytellers Bloch ( Lori ) and Norton ( Dare to Go A-Hunting ) build a tale about the horrors inflicted on Victorian London's poor and helpless. Orphaned and nearly penniless, Hester Lane comes from Canada to London and applies for a job on the British Lady , a mildly radical publication that combines society chitchat with social commentary. Over the objections of the editor's nephew, rising young politician Albert Prothore, Hester is assigned to cover the despised Salvation Army but writes instead about Gertrude Kirby, who takes in abused and abandoned children from the noisome city streets. Her article rejected, on the verge of despair, she is summoned to an attorney's office, where long-lost documents disclose her relationship to the infamous doctor. She goes to live in Jekyll's house, taking with her two of Mrs. Kirby's waifs. But strange and unpleasant events follow, including murder, and Hester and Albert join forces to solve the crimes. While lacking the power of the Robert Louis Stevenson work, this lively historical romance cum mystery provides a realistic view into the dichotomies of Victorian England.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Robert Louis Stevenson's Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is one of the great masterpieces of psychological horror--and a hard act to follow. Though interesting, this odd hybrid isn't quite up to the challenge. Hester Lane is the "missing" Jekyll's niece and heir to his fortune. Hyde's body is missing from his grave--is it possible the awful creature is still alive? While Stevenson's story still holds suspense even though readers know the ending, this "sequel" doesn't build up any tension or sense of dread until the final quarter. Much of the book focuses on Hester's introduction to the now-familiar street life of 19th-century London. By the time the mayhem starts, it's almost too late. Suffice it to say that the conclusion is typical Bloch: contrived, a little silly, but undeniably amusing and clever. The best thing the publication of this and other Jekyll-inspired books might do is to get people to read the fascinating original.
- William Schoell, New York
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.
- William Schoell, New York
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Amazon.com:
3.5 out of 5 stars
2 reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not a literary classic, but two pros tell the tale well
May 10 2000
By Chadwick H. Saxelid
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
This books suffers in comparison with the literary giant it spawns from, but Norton and Bloch manage to create an entertaining murder mystery that also happens to examine how little times have really changed since Victorian England and Mr. Hyde's unfortunate appearence.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Too little Jekyll, too much social work
Jan 7 2001
By "jekyll_noir"
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
I had high expectations of this book, as I've read a lot of Robert Bloch's work and enjoyed it. The book is very well-written, but a bit slow. Jekyll's niece, Hester, doesn't recieve her inheritance until after more than half of the book has passed. It is interesting to see what happens to the original book's surviving characters, such as Poole and Utterson. But simply too much time is taken up by Hester getting upset over slum conditions and (after getting rich) buying herself new dresses. And the ending was a big disappointment, too simple and totally unbelievable.
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3.5 out of 5 stars
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