The Architect of Murder

"Rafe McGregor is the architect of murderously good historical fiction" - Gyles Brandreth As the twentieth century begins and a new monarch is crowned, the life of a young veterinary surgeon, Ellen Marshall, ends. Her brother Alec, decorated soldier and ex-policeman, returns from Africa, in part to sort out his late sister's affairs, and begins to suspect that Ellen's death is not entirely as it seems. In time, Alec becomes embroiled in an investigation that takes in the great and the good, as well as the lowest reaches of the criminal underworld, and all corners of the Empire. As the bullets fly and knives are wielded, can the war hero really overcome all odds and find out how -- and why -- his sister died? He can, but the answer is more shocking than anybody could have predicted. The Architect of Murder is a compelling, fast-paced and engaging historical crime novel, with a heart-stopping twist. It will appeal to fans of crime novels, those interested in late nineteenth/early twentieth century history and anyone who simply enjoys a great story, with well-drawn characters and a clever plot. It was listed in Euro Crime's Top Five Reads of 2009, and sits on Suspense Magazine's Recommended Reading List 2009. "Arthur Conan Doyle is alive and well, and writing under the name Rafe McGregor. The Architect of Murder captures all the exquisite period details that fans of Sherlock Holmes will savour. Curl up and read it, hopefully by the fire, with a nice glass of claret in hand" - Tess Gerritsen "There's some dandy police procedure (McGregor is a Sherlockian), and plenty of interesting characters to carry the story along. Not to mention action...The plot has plenty of twists, and I suspect that hardly anyone will figure out all of them. I know I didn't" - Bill Crider "McGregor's ambitious plot entwines some of the giant real-life figures of late-Victorian imperialism...a fascinating marriage of investigative mayhem with keen attention to historical detail" - Graham Hurley "An exciting read, giving a very authentic flavour of the period, complete with top hats, cigars, twirling moustaches and gentleman's clubs" - Bernard Knight "So well plotted and written that you forget you're in London in the early 20th century and just get swept away with the story" - New Mystery Reader "Reminded me a little of John Buchan - hugely enjoyable." - Books Monthly "Well-written and always interesting, this is a book I can recommend" - Crime and Detective Stories Rafe McGregor is the author of nine books, including Bloody Reckoning, and two hundred articles, essays, and reviews.