Jekyll & Hyde: Consulting Detectives by Tim Major was a fun read. I had read his Sherlock Holmes novels previously. Hope it becomes a series.

Enjoyed this mystery though I'm still trying to wrap my head around how Jekyll and Hyde can be detectives plural when technically they are the same person. That aside the mystery kept me on my toes from beginning to end.

This book was a case of awesome premise (just see the title), so-so execution for me. I really wanted to love it and there were times I liked it a lot. It just never pulled me in completely. There's definitely a lot of promise here though and I would be curious to see what a sequel would be like.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

Years after the death of her father and the disappearance of her fiance, Muriel Carew has taken up seeking justice when she can. She's on the trail of a bad man when she comes across... her former fiance, Henry Jekyll? The two must team up if there's hope to solving a slew of missing persons. A fun and quirky mystery story based on a classic, it was immensely entertaining to me as a light "popcorn" book.
The characters were fun, and I enjoyed the dynamic between Jekyll and Muriel. I think it blends various adaptations of the original Jekyll and Hyde, along with the original story, into this book quite well. There's definitely elements of the 1930s movie in there, and I like how they explain the difference between the common representation of Hyde vs how he was originally described. I also liked how they shaded in Hyde's characterization. It expands the role of a throw away victim in the original, which I liked. You can tell the author enjoyed and wanted to be respectful of the original story, while telling his own new story. The mystery is satisfying even if a tad predictable. I did find Muriel to be a bit annoying as a lead but not to a serious detriment.
Overall I really had fun with this and hope the author makes more, perhaps a series! I'd definitely recommend this and plan on purchasing a copy!

I had high hopes for this book when I saw that it would involve Jekyll and Hyde, one of the best horror genre books written. It has a good premise, missing people, Jekyll joining up with his former fiance to investigate, and good villains.
I found that it was not as gripping as I hoped. The characters were not engaging. The villian in the first few chapters doesn't appear again until near the end. And the storyline wasn't compelling.
For myself, a mystery should be captivating. You should hate to put down the book, needing to know what will happen next. I could have stopped reading this novel at any time and not ever thought twice about it. I wasn't invested in the characters and was indifferent to their stories.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me an e-arc copy in exchange for an honest review. I love the story of Jekyll and Hyde so when I saw this I had to request it. I feel like this book would be perfect for those who love Agatha Christie style of mystery writing although this is less of a whodunnit. My issues with this book were strictly personal. I didn't love the progression of the book and felt like the pacing was quite slow at times. This is completely my opinion though as I understand others will love books like this. I would say to give this book a go if you like Victorian era mysteries.

Eh...I had higher hopes than it delivered on. I found Jekyll absolutely annoying. Out of no where the time between Hyde, which had been a specific time period, suddenly dissolves into him almost appearing because of something thats happening? Felt off.

The Strange case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde is one of my favourite Victorian novels so I was excited to read this reimagining. I will confess I wasn’t aware there is another book before this but I had no issues starting with this one. The first thing I noticed was the writing which is equally brilliant and ease to get into.

The characterisation was also brilliant, I loved how Major portrays Jekyll and Hyde and more importantly their relationship with each other. Muriel Carew was also another fantastic character and I liked how strong she was for the time period. The mystery and crime element was also engaging and keeps you guessing but no spoilers here.

As a fan of Victorian fiction, historical fiction and crime fiction this was a hit all round for me. I loved everything about it. I will definitely be looking into the other novel and Major’s other works.

As always thank you to Netgalley and Titan Books for the copy to review. My review is always honest and truthful.

Jekyll & Hyde: Consulting Detectives is a thrilling sequel to The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in which the titular characters are....detectives. Yep. It starts by introducing spinster Muriel Carew, a woman with no desire to marry and plenty of money to live on her own and follow her unusual habit: exposing hypocrisy and crimes of her social class. She is also Henry Jekyll's former fiancee, and hasn't seen him in a decade, which is why it's so shocking when she sees him at a party hosted by a man "collecting donations" for "a school for orphans." Henry also seems to be investigating the possibility of corruption here, and it only gets weirder when Muriel then finds a murder victim in the host's barn. Meeting up with Henry the next day, who's now working as a PI under the name Hyll, Muriel helps him connect a few missing persons cases and they set off down the trail of something much bigger together, with the help of the third associate, Hyde, who does the dirty work.
It was really enjoyable. Despite being historical fiction, it read much more as a detective thriller than historical fiction, and while it stayed grounded in the time, it wasn't too much. Muriel was a very good character, and Jekyll and Hyde were written in a fairly interesting way. The plot was quick moving and well-written. It definitely seems like the kind of book that will call for a sequel, so if you're looking for a quick standalone that wraps up all its threads, maybe don't pick up this one. Otherwise, dive in. This was a very fun mystery.

I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and publisher.

This was quite a cool addition to the spate of 19th century gothic literature retellings and expansions that we’ve been seeing lately! There’s been a lot of Dracula, Frankenstein and Sherlock Holmes but this is only the second Jekyll and Hyde I’ve found. The other was a remix whereas this was a sequel. Here we have a tale a decade after the events of Jekyll and Hyde. You don’t need to have read the original book to read this, but familiarity with the original story will make reading this more satisfying and rich.

While Jekyll and Hyde feature heavily in this book, our main character is actually Muriel Carew, the daughter of Danvers Carew from the original book. Muriel was a great choice for the main character for this book, she adds a new perspective and is bold and brave. She defies social convention and seeks to follow her own path that’s rooted in her personal beliefs, uncovering and exposing corruption. A particular party has her running into an old flame and they become embroiled in a series of mysterious disappearances.

This started and ended well, it did fall a bit flat in the middle. However overall it was a thoughtful and interesting follow up to Jekyll and Hyde.

A thrilling fast paced read that will keep you hooked!

Muriel unexpectedly bumps into her ex-fiancee Henry Jekyll at a society party she learns he is investigating a series of mysterious dissapereances in London. Muriel joins Henry and his monstrous partner Mr Hyde in their quest to solve what has happened to the victims.

I hope this isn't that we see of the Consulting Detectives!

Titan Books provided an early galley for review.

The concept, the setting and the cover of this novel really caught my attention. It sounded like it would a fun read.

Major has dabbled with mysteries featuring other literary figures before (he has a trio of Sherlock Holmes novels to date). So, this one seems to fall right into his lane. As it turns out, all of the main lead characters here come from past Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde stories with Muriel coming from the 1931 film adaptation (which the author fully acknowledges in his end-notes). Major's writing style and tone fits well with the Victorian era setting, coming across as elevated and proper. It reads in a very classic way.

At the heart of it all is the interplay and relationship between Henry/Edward and Muriel. There is a tension as well as a contrast in methods that provides a conflict to go along with the ongoing mystery itself. The differences in personalities provide the real uniqueness and intrigue of the story.

I appreciate the ending with its potential for a sequel. There is definitely more that Major can mine from the trio.

Neo-Victoriana crime romp

Flavoured by Stevenson's original, Major offers a continuation of the story that is light on the science fantasy and heavy on the gore, with a fascinating crime mystery in a gaslit London. Reminding me of Mark Frost and G. W. Dahlquist, with a mystery that hides beneath the more ordinary one of embezzlement and stolen fortunes, the novel places at front and centre Muriel Carew, a 1931 filmic companion to Henry Jekyll, and in Major's hands a capable and curious society woman with her own reasons to bate the beasts of the upper classes. As she gets closer and closer to solving the mystery, she also gets close and closer to Jekyll's own secret, and even the secret behind that secret.

What a web we weave: four well-earned stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and Titan for this ARC that is so enjoyable! Told from the aspect of Muriel Carew, Henry Jekylls ex fiancee. They meet an find common ground in their detective pursuits, trying to solve the missing person cases that Henry is already investigating.
These characters are intelligent, tenacious and immensely likeable, written into a well structured story that keeps the reader wanting more.
Then we have to talk about Edward Hyde. This character surprised me the most. Taking the original character from the novel and fleshing him out making for quite the trio.
I really hope this will be a series!

As a fan of both historical fiction, murder mysteries, and science fiction, I loved this ‘sequel’ to the original story.

Putting Muriel front and centre works brilliantly, although I’m glad of the changes in POV, particularly those of Hyde.

The central mystery and social divides are perfect for the setting and the plot doesn’t drag at any point.

This has the makings of an excellent series if the author chooses so.

"Dr Jekyll and his monstrous alter-ego join forces with his ex-fiancée to solve a series of disappearances across Victorian London in this thrilling mystery, perfect for readers of Stuart Turton and James Lovegrove.

When Muriel Carew attends a lavish society party, the last person she expects to bump into is her ex-fiancée Henry Jekyll, a man she's not seen for many years. When Jekyll turns out to be investigating a series of missing persons in London, Muriel is intrigued. But Jekyll is not working alone, and if Muriel wants to aid in the investigation, she must work with both Henry and his partner, the monstrous and uncouth Mr Hyde.

As their search takes a dark turn and a missing persons case becomes a murder investigation, Muriel finds herself deep in a mystery involving a nefarious group exploring their own hidden alter-egos within the beating heart of London's high society.

To solve the case and bring those responsible to justice, Muriel must find a way to place her trust in Mr Hyde, which might mean uncovering secrets about her own life she never dreamed of discovering."

I think Jekyll and Hyde would make a surprising effective duo solving crimes.

I received this book as an ARC from Titan Books and NetGalley. The story is told from the point of view of Muriel Carew, Henry Jekyll’s ex-fiancée. Muriel reconnects with Henry and embarks on an adventure, investigating a series of missing persons cases. Edward Hyde is present and is an extremely interesting figure in the tale. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and I hope it is the first in a series. Highly recommend!!!