A Gathering of Saints

Hyde's complex thriller is based on a true story of a serial killer during the early days of the Nazi blitz of London in 1940. According to the author, his characters are real people. The protagonist, Inspector Morris Black, is a melancholy Jewish widower. The killer's first victims are young, homosexual military pilots but it's the killer's choice of locale that make the case sensitive. The murderer kills at the site of Luftwaffe raids - hours before the raids happen. When it becomes clear that this is no accident, Black finds himself in the midst of frantic Intelligence services and privy to secrets that endanger his career. Meanwhile, "The Doctor," a highly placed English Nazi spy, is also on the track of the killer, intrigued as to how advance notice of the raids is being obtained. Hyde's detailed and atmospheric prose gives the reader a true sense of London at war. When Black, along with an attractive American spy trying to infiltrate his case, is caught in several devastating raids, Hyde vividly conveys the sense of panic, the devastating destruction and waste, the feel and smell and sound of exploding bombs, falling brick and timber, implacable fire - and the serendipity of who dies and who lives. He also gives us portraits of London's powerful intelligence people - chosen for their schools and connections rather than their skills - and a sense of British ambivalence which emerged in open slights of Jews and covert plots for a separate peace with Hitler. Hyde is a careful and powerful writer with an intriguing and shocking story.

Inspector Morris Black of Scotland Yard is approached by MI5 to help track down a serial killer known as Queer Jack, because his brutal murders seem to coincide with Luftwaffe attacks, indicating he knows in advance when the raids will happen. Concerned that the Nazis not learn they have cracked their secret codes, the British are hot on Jack's heels. But the British are not the only ones after him, a high level German spy is chasing him too, because he wants to find out where Queer Jack gets his information. Black finds himself in the elite circles of the British establishment as he races against time to track down the man whose killing spree is threatening the nation's survival.Set in London at the height of the Blitz, This five star thriller is a page turner that pits the violence of a serial killer against the background of the war-torn city. I highly recommend this book.Reviewed by Vesta Irene

I love historical thrillers, especially those that take place during World War II. There's something about spy novels that take place during this time period, as well as books that have to do with Special Forces missions.This book is about a serial killer who is doing his killings during the London Blitz of 1940. This has security as well as strategic implications when it's figured out that the killer is doing the killing in areas the night the murder location is bombed by the Germans. Because of this, both a German and an American spy get involved along with Morris Black, a Scotland Yard inspector who gets in over his head.I really liked this book, and found it very hard to put down. The descriptions of London during the Blitz are really well done, so much so that even if you've never been to Britain, you can still picture where the action is happening. Hyde really makes you understand the horror of living under this intense bombing.His descriptions of the more personal horrors sometimes go a little over the top, but it isn't that much of a problem. There were a couple of times that i skipped over a passage when he went on and on describing the condition of a dead body. That doesn't happen too often, however.The characters are well-portrayed as well. You really get a sense of the conflicting loyalties that some of them face. Black is an Inspector who doesn't want anything to do with politics and international intrigue, but he's drawn in anyway. It's very interesting to see how he reacts to it all. Katherine's dilemma is also intriguing. None of the characters are typical: they all have their own motivations that are well-portrayed. I did object a bit to the way one of the characters is written out rather arbitrarily. It seemed to me that the character was leading somewhere, and then *boom* the character is dead. Not quite what I was expecting, which can often be a good thing. However, in this case, it seemed to be a waste.All in all, though, it's a great book. If you like this sort of book (historical suspense novel, spies, etc), you will love this one. (...)

A stunning historical thriller filled with fascinating details, rich, vibrant characters, and a plot which defines "page-turner". As a professional writer, I can fully appreciate the tremendous amount of research Mr. Hyde undertook to bring the story to life. As a reader who is constantly disappointed by over-hyped novels this was a delightful discovery. Not once did the plotting disappoint (nor did I deduce certain elements ahead of time, one of my biggest frustrations with most thrillers these days), nor did I find the characters cliched. Scotland Yard Detective Morris Black is a great protagonist, as complex and dimensional as his disturbing antagonist, the sick, twisted "Queer Jack". As villains go, he's up there with Deaver's "The Bone Collector" and Hannibal Lecter. This is a terrific read which is unlikely to disappoint. However, as some of the other readers have mentioned, if you are disturbed by graphic depictions of the aftermath of violence or post mortem procedures there are passages in the book you may want to speed-read. But that warning aside, there's no reason to avoid this superb spellbinder. I couldn't have wished for a more entertaining Christmas present!

An incredibly well researched book liberally sprinkled with interesting historical characters. It reminded me of "Day of the Jackal" in the way it carried me along to a great conclusion. The detail of the characters and the historical surroundings was great. The stories of London during the Blitz were well done and a great back drop to a brutal murderer.