Reading Gallows Court takes one into poorly lit streets and deep London fog where mysterious deeds of dark crime and passion lurk. Three main characters immediately grabbed my attention. Rachel Savernake is the femme fatale with an uncanny sense of both who are the victims and perpetrators. Jacob Flint is the Clarion’s young reporter seeking to make the scoop of a lifetime that will propel him to the top of his field. Lastly there is Inspector Oakes of Scotland Yard who has his suspicions about everything. Add to this mix are a large supporting cast that makes the mystery murkier and more puzzling. So this would seem a perfect book for those who enjoy elaborate, descriptive stories sent in 1930s London noire. Alas, I am not one of those people …..but I would hope others would enjoy it.

This novel had such an atmospheric setting that it really made me feel like I was part of the story. I also really enjoyed the mystery of this book. Overall this is an engaging historical mystery.

Gallows Court is a new standalone mystery by Martin Edwards. Due out 17th Sept 2018 from Poison Pen Press, it's 368 pages and will be available in paperback format. Other editions are available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Mr. Edwards will be known to most classic mystery fans as a consultant for the British Library Crime Classics series as well as for his authorship of the modern Lake District series published by Poisoned Pen Press.

Despite being set in the interwar London period of classic mysteries, this book had a lot more of a noir thriller vibe for me than a classic golden age 'Christie' feel. The bad guys are archetypal, the plot devices rather devious. It was unclear for much of the book whether the female lead character, Rachel, is evil, manipulative, devious, crazy or a combination of the above. The male protagonist, and indeed the supporting characters are well written and follow their internal motivations. The dialogue is very well written and never clunky or distracting.

This is an intricate and very well plotted mystery which follows the rules of detective fiction for readers who enjoy racing against the fictional detective. The pacing is incredibly finely tuned and there are twists and turns aplenty. This is a solidly well written entertaining book from a gifted author. It's not a classic golden age country house mystery, but it's a perfect satisfying (and edgy) read nonetheless.


It's definitely good enough for a reread, which is my benchmark for buying my own copy (and I intend to do so).

Five stars

From the way this book started, with Rachel Savernake solving a crime the police could not, I initially excited to encounter a female-Sherlock-Holmes type character who was going to solve crimes using logic. Instead, Rachel becomes an object of suspicion as journalist Jacob Flint tries to understand her motives and connection to some suspicious deaths. I prefer my fictional detectives not to be possible psychopaths (or is it sociopaths? anyway, not someone you want on your dinner guest list), so this somewhat dampened my enthusiasm for the book. The various twists and turns are predictable, but they are still disturbing, and I wanted to feel like I could root for somebody, which was hard to do here. The author does create a great sense of place. The 1930's London atmosphere is vivid and appealing.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a digital advance review copy.

I have read some of Martin Edward’s short stories. I was excited to read his first full-length novel. However, this novel did not engage me. There was very little action in this novel. Most of the action happens off the page with the characters telling the reader about the events.

Another thing I did not like about the book was that in the introduction, the author admits he started writing the novel without a plot in mind. Sadly, this seems to show. The beginning and middle seemed to continue without a plot with random cases sprinkled in instead of one coherent case. It was hard for me to
Tell where the story was going.

As for the characters, Rachael seems like an average amateur sleuth with no distinct characteristics. Jacob was more likable. However, his admiration for her was very distracting and it made me lost track the novel.

Overall, this is not a bad for a first novel. The Gallows Court has many flaws, but there were a few strengths. The historical details of the 1930s were very intriguing. There were some light hearted moments and captivating side characters. The ending made me a little interested in the sequel. Thus, if you are a fan of Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes, The Gallows Court will be a delightful read! Full review to come.

While the setting is 1930s, the mood and plot events owe more to contemporary thrillers with lots of twists, cruelty and darkness including abuse. That said, there's a sort of OTT gleefulness about the whole thing that's at odds with some of the horrific happenings but which makes it a fun read. Rachel is a fascinating Machiavellian character - suspend your disbelief with this one and enjoy the melodrama!

Thank you to the publisher and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read "Gallows Court" by #MartinEdwards in return for a fair and honest review.

I have to admit, I don't read many books that are set in the early 20th Century; this is an exception. Martin Edwards has set an absolutely riveting mystery in 1930s Britain, and it works; he successfully recreates the sights and sounds and even smells of London between the wars. The dialog feels real.

Rachel Savernake is the heir to "The Hanging Judge" whose legacy includes The Gambit Club. Jacob Flint is a crime reporter who is intrigued by the amateur detective who recently solved "The Chorus Girl Murder" and is now involved in solving another - although both perpetrators are deceased. Jacob embarks on a dangerous journey to get to the bottom of Miss Savernake's secrets - and boy are there a lot of them!

There are myriad twists and turns to the storyline(s) and the reader is never quite sure where things are going to end up.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable segue into a 'historical' mystery and recommended,

Gallows Court offers a nesting-doll of an enigma with events within events and identities within identities. Aside from the central character, the reader doesn't know who to trust or what is coming next. The setting in 1930s London works wonderfully. Post-WWI the city has far to many superfluous females, some of whom make unusual choices about how to use their independence. This is a great read for anyone who enjoys the ground of a narrative slipping about under their feet.

A very tight mystery, nothing is what it seems and the ending is very surprising. A good entertaining read.

Review: Gallows Court by Martin Edwards

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press (via NetGalley) for this advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review.

Mr. Edwards has won many awards for his mystery writing. Surprisingly, I have never read anything other than Gallows Court. Shame on me! I will certainly look for his mysteries going forward. In one way, I am glad to have never read any of Mr. Edwards’s previous works. He claims that Gallows Court is a departure from his usual writings. Since I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I am glad that I had no preconceived notions of what to expect. Now I am curious about how this novel compares to his others. I plan to check out other offerings and see which I prefer.

Rachel Savernake is a wonderfully exciting and mysterious protagonist. Along with Rachel, there are many other strong female characters but mainly Juliet Brentano and Sara Delamere. These three women are intertwined (both kin and not) in such a way that I was a little confused about who was who from time to time. This all works out in the end in a very satisfying way. I was thrilled to read about strong, powerful, but hideous men who meet there respective ends in marvelously deserving ways. I like my murder mysteries filled with lots of murders. Gallows Court did not disappoint.

Gallows Court is set in 1930’s London, so it is filled with lots of local color with interesting tidbits about journalism and Scotland Yard politics during this time period. Jacob Flint is the all-important journalist. Although I got the impression that the newspaper for which Flint works is a bit of a tabloid, Flint comes across as honest and hard-working but still a guy intent on getting the story first. He takes risks but no more than anyone would expect. I liked him more and more as the book progressed.

I would not mind seeing Jacob Flint and Rachel Savernake in future mystery novels by Martin Edwards.

Gallows Court is a great mystery with good suspense that takes place in London 1930. Great characters and well written.

Superbly Written, Atmospheric Crime.....

Superbly written, atmospheric crime in the tradition of the Golden Age. Twisting and turning with clues aplenty, a credible cast and a wonderful setting. An excellent read from a great authority on the Golden Age of Crime. Hopefully the sequel will not be too long in coming. Highly recommended.