From Publishers Weekly
Set mainly in late 19th-century England, Gallagher's ingenious horror thriller revolves around the extraordinary life—and death—of Tom Sayers, a real-life bare-knuckle fighter who, after retiring, briefly traveled the country staging reenactments of his most memorable bouts. While working as a manager for a touring theatrical company, Sayers falls in love with the troupe's leading lady, 22-year-old Louise Porter, who unfortunately doesn't share his feelings. Sayers also becomes the prime suspect in a series of mutilation murders and, while barely evading arrest, embarks on a quest to save Porter, who's become hopelessly entangled in an all-too-real occult legend. Bram Stoker and Aleister Crowley play minor roles. Combining the meticulous historical detail of Caleb Carr's
The Alienist with gothic mysticism and Christian mythology, Gallagher (
The Painted Bride) delivers a nicely macabre blend of fact and fiction.
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--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
Review
“Grafting supernatural elements onto straightforward detective stories, Stephen Gallagher shows the occult mystery in its best light.... Stylish.”
—
New York Times Book Review“Highly addictive . . . Gallagher pulls it off with genuine skill. The chance of immortality and the occult are compelling and deftly handled....No reader will be let down by the ending.”
—
Richmond Times-Dispatch“[A] swift-moving supernatural thriller.”
—
Los Angeles Times
“If thriller-reading were a sin, Stephen Gallagher would be responsible
for my ultimate damnation.”
—Dean R. Koontz
