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The first in the McLevy series, this is wonderfully evocative detective fiction, based in dark, violent, Victorian Edinburgh. It's 1880 and the city is gripped by election fever. But while the rich and educated argue about politics, in the dank wynds of the city it's a struggle just to stay alive, especially when a murderous madman seems to have resurfaced after 30 years. McLevy is lured into a world of politics, perversion, deception and mystery and into the shadow of the serpent.

Good read with good characters and giving a fab insight to life in Edinburgh in the 1870's.

Geht nun auf die Reise nach Deutschland

Savely arrived in Ratingen. Sounds very interesting!
P.S.: Thank you so much for inhancing my minuscule TBR-pile... *grindteeth* ;o)

A very gripping story that keeps the reader guessing till the end. At times it was not easy to read and understand as I am not a native speaker. But I liked it nevertheless.
Sometimes when walking through Edinburgh I think: 'I wish I could experience how it looked, sounded and smelled in the past.' This book gives you an idea and I think I'm quite greatful that I am able to enjoy this wonderful city today and not 133 years ago.

The book goes back to Scotland with me as I don't think that I will find a reader here who can appreciates it enough.

Back in Edinburgh, will take to the next Meet Up

May Meet Up

Picked up at the last meetup, thank you

Really enjoyed the start of this. McLevy is a great character and the plot was well set up. The fact that it's set in my home city helps with the fun of it as well! Personally I felt that things started to falter later on as some of the later twists became a bit too obvious in my opinion. But I still enjoyed this read. I'd like to read more from this series.

Picked up at 'Old Gang' meetup - I read the actual McLevy book (non-fiction) a while ago and, unsurprisingly, it was a little dry. Looking forward to reading the fictionalised version :-)

Shadow of the Serpent by David Ashton - disappointing, but very readable

I had such high hopes for this book. I read McLevy: The Edinburgh Detective by James McLevy back in 2013. Whilst it was quite 'dry' to read, it gave you a feel for the detective, his style and the sort of crimes he came up against. This is a fictionalised James McLevy and was just too sensationalist. The story, also, was well beyond the realms of credability. Having said all that, if you were to read it without knowledge of the real man, I think it would stand as an enjoyable read no more far fetched than any of the detective stories written. Unfortunate really.

James McLevy is a Dectective Inspector in Leith. A prostitute is brutaly murdered on his patch and has a similar MO to an unsolved murder in McLevy's past. This runs alongside the 1880 election when Gladstone was trying to topple Disraeli and was campaigning in Edinburgh (his constituency was in Midlothian).

Nicely evocative of Victorian Edinburgh and, in particular, Leith. If you're not familiar with the real man's history, it's not a bad read at all.

Released to OBCZ

The 2016 UK Bookcrossing Unconvention will be held in Birmingham, 23-25 September 2016. Visit http://2016.bcukunconvention.co.uk/ for details!

Retrieved from obcz

The 2016 UK Bookcrossing Unconvention will be held in Birmingham, 23-25 September 2016. Visit http://2016.bcukunconvention.co.uk/ for details!

This book will be released around Sunset on Friday 10th June 2016 as part of Abi-Gibby's animal themed SSM

http://www.bookcrossing.com/forum/21/531213

I doubt I'll get the release journalled on Friday night, but expect to release this somewhere in the Grassmarket, Edinburgh



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The 2016 UK Bookcrossing Unconvention will be held in Birmingham, 23-25 September 2016. Visit http://2016.bcukunconvention.co.uk/ for details!

Left on a bench at the Castle end of the Grassmarket as part of Abi-Gibby's animal themed SSM.

Happy travels little book.