The House On Vesper Sands

Paraic O’donnell, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, £14.99

In this Victorian-era mystery, detectives both professional and amateur embark on a murder-hunt with sinister supernatural overtones.

At times the plot relies a little on coincidence but that’s a minor quibble with a book that creates a deeply satisfying world, where tone, language and character provide a rich, credible texture.

OUR VERDICT 8/10