A Werewolf of the Moor
5/5
REVIEW OF FREE COPY
My latest read has taken me to dark and dangerous places, both physically and psychologically…but what a treat!
Synopsis:
Cassandra Ayers, a private detective specialising in paranormal occurrences, has been commissioned to help solve the gruesome murder of five passengers and the coachman on the Saddleworth Moor. The wounds suggest a brutality no human would be capable off. Soon rumours start among the locals… could there be a werewolf on the moor? Hard-faced Chief Inspector Shettigar from the Manchester Metropolitan Police does not believe in old fairy tales used to scare children. Cassandra, and her business partner and photographer, Valentine, on the other hand, had their fair share of supernatural experiences and though sceptical, Cassandra comes face to face with ghosts of her own past. The story takes the reader from the dark and harsh northern moors, to the dark underbelly of Victorian Manchester, and all against the backdrop of the Suffragette movement for women’s rights.
Review:
This book captured me from start to finish. Though this is the second book in the series ‘Cassandra’s Shadows’ and references are made to the first one, it works as a standalone story, though I will probably go back to the first book ‘The Highgate Ghost’ to fill in some gaps to satisfy my own curiosity. I was pleasantly reminded of the Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, in particular ‘The Hound of the Baskerville’, and the film ‘From Hell’ came to my mind as well. The story is really captivating. I felt really tense while reading it, in a good way. It’s dark, but not gory. It’s a great detective story investigating the supernatural against historical facts, unfolding Cassandra’s own dark past against a potentially brighter future with Valentine.
If you like gothic detective stories with a supernatural touch set in Victorian England…somehow Peaky Blinders comes to mind ;-)…then this one is for you!
About M. M. Gaidar:
Maryna Gaidar is a Canadian writer of Ukrainian origin and the author of the mystery series Cassandra’s Shadows. In 2017, she won her first publication in the Twisted 50 competition. She has also been published in a compilation of short Christmas stories in Ukraine.
Maryna gravitates toward period mystery novels, fantasy and sci-fi genres. Her most favoured authors are Remarque, Austen and Nesbo. She enjoys coffee and loves cats.
The best way to acquire new experiences and inspiration, in her opinion, is travelling. In fact, her series of mystery novels Cassandra’s Shadows was inspired by her visit to Highgate Cemetery in London, UK.
One of her dreams is to go on a trip around the world.
Further information about Maryna and her books is available on her website.
If you’re interested in reading ‘A Werewolf of the Moor’ for yourself, it’s available on Amazon.
A Werewolf of the Moor (Amazon UK link)
Here are also the links to the other books in the series:
The Highgate Ghost (Book 1)
The Voices Behind the Walls (Book 3)
Would you like to have your own book reviewed? Get in touch.