The Montgomery Murder

‘It was a foggy evening in late November.’

A man lies dead in a Victorian London street. A young lad, Alfie, is apprehended stealing a loaf of bread. Who killed the man? What will happen to the lad?

The dead man is Mr Montgomery, a wealthy man. He’s been garrotted, and Inspector Denham of the Bow Street Police Station is keen to find out why and by whom as quickly as possible. He sees Alfie, as he’s taken to the Bow Street Police Station and thinks that (perhaps) Alfie can help. He quickly establishes that Alfie is both local and streetwise and knows the St Giles district where Mr Montgomery’s body was found. The police need someone who can easily (and not obviously) access the slums of St Giles and Alfie fits the bill perfectly.

And so begins an action-packed story which, while it is aimed at young readers, has plenty to offer to older readers as well.

Alfie is a survivor. He looks after his brother Sammy, their cousins Jack and Tom, and their faithful dog Mutsy, trying hard to keep a roof over their heads and food in their mouths. Ms Harrison depicts Victorian London vividly: the sights, sounds and smells as well as the hardships for the poor.

‘Usually, if you took a chance, something turned up.’

But there’s danger ahead for Alfie and his gang. There are several people who may have wanted to murder Mr Montgomery, and others who might be convenient scapegoats. And there are those who would murder anyone who gets in their way. Sarah (who works as a scullery maid in the Montgomery house) is another wonderful character.

Ms Harrison provides plenty of detail about the squalid conditions in which the poor lived and reminds us that the poor did not enjoy the luxury of childhood. There are a few twists in the tale, and quite a bit of suspense, as Alfie and his gang try to identify the murderer.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Sapere Books for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

The author wrote a thriller that started with a bang and just kept going! The twists kept coming, so I couldn't put it down. I cannot wait to read more from this author!