The Dance of the Serpents
""...a book that would be appreciated on a dark night next to a flickering fire, and possibly a wee dram of Scotland’s finest.""
Synopsis:
It is 1889, Queen Victoria is aging, missing her long dead husband and acting in a very autocratic and overbearing way. She is angry that the witches she employed to converse with her beloved Albert have been killed by the two members of 'The Commission for the Elucidation of Unsolved Cases Presumably Related to the Odd and Ghostly', Inspector Nine Nails McGray and Inspector Ian Frey. She wants them dead. The Prime Minister of the day, Lord Salisbury, enlists the two inspectors to search out a witch who can replace the deceased and continue Victoria's communication with her husband. Their compliance will save their lives and prevent the Prime Minister revealing secrets of his own life that could lead to his downfall.
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Review:
This is a very gripping atmospheric ghost story with flashes of extreme ludicrous behaviour that is very funny. Not to be taken too seriously, it is a rollicking story that takes you along with it, suspending disbelief as you go. Queen Victoria is (hopefully) an extreme caricature but she does make you consider the morality of the times. Luckily, Lord Salisbury is also not around to take out any injunctions. There is, however, a carefully considered plot that is based on limited facts and speculation that was rife at the time as to Victoria's parentage. Interesting. The malign influence of the Pendle Witches, the sad history of McGray's own sister, wild chases across England and Scotland, seriously spooky ravens and ghostly green fire all combine to provide a Gothic and chilly tale of excitement and suspense. I think this is a book that would be appreciated on a dark night next to a flickering fire, and possibly a wee dram of Scotland's finest.