The English Monster: or, The Melancholy Transactions of William Ablass
"Intelligently explores the tendency of man to be invigorated, even transported by death… TheEnglish Monsteris an original, imaginative investigation into some of the most disturbing episodes of the nation’s history."--Times Literary Supplement“A brilliantly imagined historical crime novel"--The Sun(UK)"A story as rich in ideas as it is in intrigue…If all this sounds ambitious to the point of audacious for a debut novel, then suffice to say that Shepherd pulls it off… The English Monster becomes as vivid an education as it is an entertainment. None of which is to mention that devilish twist in this tale."--Independent on Sunday(UK)"Masterful storytelling... If you like your historical fiction with a mighty twist, want to know more about London in the early 19th Century, or simply enjoy pacey but thoughtful fiction, the English Monster is up there with the best."-- The Londonist"A feat of perfectly maintained tone and tension... A sinister, fine-grained novel."--Booklist(Starred Review)“The English Monsteris a riveting police procedural, a thrilling tale of life at sea, and an evocative piece of historical re-creation—all with an intriguing element of the fantastic that makes it irresistible. This is a novel that surprised and astounded me time and again.”–Felix Palma, New York Times bestselling author ofThe Map of Time"A book of remarkable scope and imagination."-- Essie Fox, author ofThe Somnambulist"An unusual, vivid and well-written story." --The Free-Lance Star