DOWN A DARK RIVER Inspector Corravan, Book 1

Victorian London comes alive as narrator Joshua Manning introduces the city, showing aristocratic privilege and prejudice against women and the poor. Listeners meet Chief Inspector Michael Corravan, a child of poverty and a former bare-knuckled boxer. Corravan has a baffling case: Young women are being murdered, placed in boats, and set afloat on the River Thames. Manning's Corravan is cocky yet vulnerable, and his young, loyal assistant Gordon Stiles would do anything for him. As they move among victims and suspects, upper-class and servants' accents add authenticity. Most memorably portrayed are Dr. James Everett, who dispenses wisdom and advice, and novelist Belinda Gale, who boldly and lovingly criticizes Corravan. Audio enhances this realistic look at revenge, justice, and violence, with a bittersweet conclusion. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2022]