Inspector of the Dead

"Inspector of the Dead blends historical fact and 1855 London ambience with thriller-laced fiction in a feat of brilliant storytelling." —Mark Rubinstein, Huffington Post
Finalist for the International Thriller Writers' Award for Best Hardcover Novel
A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year

Legendary thriller writer David Morrell transports readers to the fogbound streets of London, where a killer plots to assassinate Queen Victoria.


The year is 1855. The Crimean War is raging. The incompetence of British commanders causes the fall of the English government. The Empire teeters. Amid this crisis comes opium-eater Thomas De Quincey, one of the most notorious and brilliant personalities of Victorian England. Along with his irrepressible daughter, Emily, and their Scotland Yard companions, Ryan and Becker, De Quincey finds himself confronted by an adversary who threatens the heart of the nation.


This killer targets members of the upper echelons of British society, leaving with each corpse the name of someone who previously attempted to kill Queen Victoria. The evidence indicates that the ultimate victim will be Victoria herself.

"Riveting! David Morrell doesn't just delve into the world of Victorian England—he delves into the heart of evil, pitting one man's opium-skewed brilliance against a society where appearances are everything . . . and the most vicious killers lurk closer than anyone thinks." —Lisa Gardner, #1 New York Times–bestselling author

"Superb . . . Edgar Allan Poe may have invented the modern detective story, but now David Morrell has reinvented it." —Jon Land, Providence Journal
"A masterful work." —Waka Tsunoda, Associated Press