Lee Jackson- The Welfare of the Dead

I've started to make my way through the bumper haul of books I picked up at the library the other week. As I've said previously I  picked up The  Welfare of the Dead as I was inspired by my recent trip to Highgate Cemetery.

The plot:- Set in Victorian London, Inspector Webb is called upon to solve the murder of two women found dead in house of ill repute. His investigation leads him to believe that is a connection between the deceased prostitutes, the theft of a body form a nearby cemetery and Jasper Woodrow, purveyor of funeral attire and mourning paraphernalia.

I was a bit disappointed with Lee Jackson's novel, some of the ideas are good, but the execution is poor. It doesn't quite satisfy as a crime/detective novel, as the murder and plot twists are pretty obvious. Also the book fails to deliver on character development. I think with any crime novel, regardless of the era the book is set, the detective needs to be a strong character. Inspector Webb, was very bland, he didn't have any personality quirks or amazing powers of deduction.The other cast of characters were formulaic; 'spirited-but-vulnerable-heiress', 'neurotic wife', 'slimy-chubby-man-with-dubious-intentions' etc.    

London Book Review Bookshop

I nipped in to the cutest bookshop today, The London Book Review, no picture's I'm afraid as I didn't have my camera and my phone doesn't has the capabilities (it's a knackered old Nokia). I'll make sure I snap one at the earliest opportunity.

It has a vast range of titles and has the really pleasant hushed feeling of a library. The staff were quite happy for me to wander around without any pushy sales pitch, but I'm sure if I had any questions they would be knowledgeable. There is also a small cafe attached to the store selling cake and sandwiches. It was a real pleasure to peruse the shelf with the smell of fresh coffee floating over.

There were so many books I wanted but I managed to restrain myself. As it's round the corner from my new work, I'm sure I'll be a frequent visitor and soon succumb to temptation.

You should check it out if you're in the area, it's located 14 Bury Place WC1A 2JL, near to British Museum.