Murder as a Fine Art

A writer in Victorian London turns detective to clear his own name in this historical mystery series debut by a New York Times–bestselling author.

Winner of the Macavity and Nero Awards

ALA Reading List Award for Best Mystery

“A masterpiece . . .a fantastic historical thriller, beautifully written, intricately plotted, and populated with unforgettable characters… . . . If you liked The Alienist, you will absolutely love this book. I was spellbound from the first page to last.” —Douglas Preston”

“An absolute master of the thriller.” —Dean Koontz

Thomas De Quincey, infamous for his memoir Confessions of an English Opium-Eater, is the major suspect in a series of ferocious murders identical to ones that terrorized London forty-three years earlier.

The blueprint for the killings seems to be De Quincey’s essay On Murder Considered as One of the Fine Arts. Desperate to clear his name but crippled by opium addiction, De Quincey is aided by his devoted daughter Emily and a pair of determined Scotland Yard detectives.

In Murder as a Fine Art, David Morrell plucks De Quincey, Victorian London, and the Ratcliffe Highway murders from history. Fogbound streets become a battleground between a literary star and a brilliant murderer, whose lives are linked by secrets long buried but never forgotten.

“A highly entertaining thriller. . . . An inspired blend of innovation, history, and gore. Murder is rarely this much fun.” —Washington Post

“Morrell writes action scenes like nobody's business.” —New York Times Book Review

“A brilliantly plotted thriller that will take you to the cobble-stoned streets of Victorian London.” —Entertainment Weekly