The Daemoniac by Kat Ross Pages: 334
Published by Acorn on October 12, 2016
Series: Dominion Mysteries #0.5
Genres: Young Adult, mystery, Mystery & Detective, Fantasy & Magic
Source: eARC from Publisher
It's August of 1888, just three weeks before Jack the Ripper will begin his grisly spree in the London slum of Whitechapel, and another serial murderer is stalking the gas-lit streets of New York. With taunting messages in backwards Latin left at the crime scenes and even more inexplicable clues like the fingerprints that appear to have been burned into one victim's throat, his handiwork bears all the hallmarks of a demonic possession.
But consulting detective Harrison Fearing Pell is convinced her quarry is a man of flesh and blood. Encouraged by her uncle, Arthur Conan Doyle, Harry hopes to make her reputation by solving the bizarre case before the man the press has dubbed Mr. Hyde strikes again.From the squalor of the Five Points to the high-class gambling dens of the Tenderloin and the glittering mansions of Fifth Avenue, Harry and her best friend, John Weston, follow the trail of a remorseless killer, uncovering a few embarrassing secrets of New York's richest High Society families along the way. Are the murders a case of black magic—or simple blackmail? And will the trail lead them closer to home than they ever imagined?
The Daemoniac is the first book in the Dominion Mystery series by Kat Ross. Earlier this year I read The Midnight Sea by Kat and I really enjoyed it. It was more of a high fantasy action adventure. This book felt completely different and I really liked this one too. Kat Ross is a very talented author. I am very happy that both of the books I have read by her have been so diverse and so excellent in their own regard.
The Daemoniac is a young adult detective mystery story with a flair of the paranormal. It felt like the anime Ghost Hunt (which I am super upset is no longer on Netflix! Why does Netflix keep taking all the good shows off? But I digress, that is a rant for another day.) mixed with the Jackaby series by William Ritter, and a touch of Penny Dreadful. I loved the atmospheric setting paired with all of the paranormal elements. I can’t wait to read more in the Dominion Mystery series. I think it might be my favorite series yet by Kat Ross. It takes place in the late 1800s and 19 year old Harry is Author Conan Doyle’s neice, and she paired with her friend John, are a detective duo I loved reading about. I am really on a sherlock type story kick and The Daemoniac really hit the spot.
I never know what is toot little or too much to divulge in reviews of mystery books, so I will leave the plot out of it and stick to some general highlights of the story. I loved how the story unfolded. I thought Kat Ross did an excellent job laying clues out, but at the same time making this one feel like a dark adventure. But my favorite of all is the setting. I felt like we were on the dreary streets of London in 1888, with the fear of Jack the Ripper looming and the people didn’t even know about it. It was very well done. I was instantly transported to that time. There are a lot of characters to keep up with. Maybe a tad too many, however I feel like they will mostly be reoccurring characters, which will make it easier to keep track the more we see them. At times, I did wish we could strip out some of the superfluous secondary characters and focus more on just Harry and John.
Bottom line: The Daemoniac is a great read. Perfect for fans of the Jackaby series and of the Netflix tv show Penny Dreadful. I really enjoyed the ride this mystery took me on. Read it in the fall for a great atmospheric mystery.
The Daemoniac by @katrossauthor is great for fans of Sherlock Holmes and Jackaby. @BookBriefs #Review #YA #Mystery Click To Tweet
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Giselle
This sounds like such a creepy and awesome read! I love books like these especially this time of year! Great review, Michelle! 🙂
Kara
I love Penny Dreadful! I added this to my TBR 🙂
Cynthia Powers
Love the sound of this series! New to me author, and it sounds just perfect for this time of year.