SYNOPSIS
Edward Hyde has a strange gift-or a curse-he keeps secret from all but his physician. He experiences two realities, one real, the other a dreamworld state brought on by a neurological condition.
When murders in Victorian Edinburgh echo the ancient Celtic threefold death ritual, Captain Edward Hyde hunts for those responsible. In the process he becomes entangled in a web of Celticist occultism and dark scheming by powerful figures. The answers are there to be found, not just in the real world but in the sinister symbolism of Edward Hyde's otherworld.
He must find the killer, or lose his mind.
A dark tale. One that inspires Hyde's friend...Robert Louis Stevenson.
Title: Hyde
Author: Craig Russell
Publisher: Constable
Publication date: March 4, 2021
REVIEW
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐💫
I've been a long time fan of Craig Russell. His Jan Fabel Series is one of my favorite police procedural series ever. A couple of years back I was nicely surprised by "The Devil's Aspect", a gothic horror tale set in 1935, during the rising of nazism in Czechoslovakia.
In "Hyde" Russell brings back some of the issues previously explored in his earlier novel, introducing a new twist to the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde story and the duality of human nature and his capacity for evil.
The story is set in Victorian Edinburgh, which contributes to the deeply atmospheric feel of the novel. It's littered with Celtic folklore and Scottish myths that, although showed tremendous research, managed to pull me out of the story due to an overdescriptive prose and some heavy language, especially trying for non english readers like myself (I've never been more grateful of my Kindle's built in dictionary!).
Captain Hyde's character and his split personality condition were very well portrayed and added another layer to the unsettling atmosphere that permeates the novel. The prologue and epilogue featuring Robert Louis Stevenson were quite a nice touch.
The Scottish setting, its myths and legends, some ritualistic killings and a main character suffering from a terrifying condition manage to create a creepy gothic story with elements of the supernatural that will keep you on the edge of your seat and will delight fans of gothic horror stories.
Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for providing and eARC in exchange for an honest review.
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