3.5 stars, rounded up. This is the fifth book in the Scotland Yard's Murder Squad series - I recommend starting from the beginning of the series with The Yard.

I enjoyed being back with these characters; I didn't think the plot on this outing was as good as the earlier books in the series, the first three are the strongest.

Inspector Walter Day has been missing for over a year. Most have given him up for dead but his wife Claire and his best friend, former Sergeant Nevil Hammersmith, don't believe that. They firmly believe that Walter is out there somewhere still alive. They are right.

Walter was kidnapped by Jack the Ripper and has been held by him in an underground chamber and tortured. Then one day Walter awakes and finds his prison cell open. Unbelieving, he finally clambers out to find himself in a part of London that is unfamiliar. But location is the least of Walter's problems. Outside of his first name, he doesn't remember anything about the time before he was captured, not his name, his family, his friends or his job.

The Ripper has a plan. He was also captured and tortured; his captors a group of vigilantes made up of some of the most prominent men in society. Once he escaped, he captured Walter and started his plan of wrecking revenge. He slowly picks off his captors one by one. His master plan is to use Walter to get close to the man he holds most responsible and to have Walter carry out the assassination. Will he win?

This is the fifth novel in the Scotland Yard's Murder Squad series. The police characters are quite likeable and the reader finds themselves caught up in their lives. I really like this series and have read all the preceding novels. This fifth one ties up lots of loose ends while leaving enough cliffhangers to make a further novel in the series possible. This book is recommended for mystery readers.

A good addition to the series! Poor Walter Day, will he ever be free from Saucy Jack? Looking forward to the next installment.