THE FIEND IN HUMAN: A Victorian Thriller

Canadian writer Gray portrays the mean streets and byways of 1852 London with a skill worthy of Dickens, but handles the mystery elements of this uneven debut with less success. A cloud of fear over the city has been lifted by the arrest of William Ryan (aka Chokee Bill), a Jack-the-Ripper precursor who has strangled and mutilated five prostitutes. Edmund Whitty, a dissolute and struggling freelance journalist, attempts to improve his fortunes and stave off his debtors by using the upcoming execution of the monster as the basis for a series of articles. He decides to credit the accused's protestations of innocence to justify his own inquiry into the killings and his printed attacks on the hypocrisy that tolerates the desperate poverty and squalor of London's slums. Evidence that the murders have continued despite Ryan's incarceration bolsters Whitty's crusade. Gray masterfully conveys mid-Victorian society, from the haughty upper classes to the oppressed poor. Even minor characters, such as the bartender at one of the reporter's favorite haunts, come to vivid life. Unfortunately, the entrance of the real Chokee Bill into the action rather spoils the suspense, while a plot twist toward the end will surprise few readers. The author may not be the next Caleb Carr, but his considerable gifts bode well for future forays into crime fiction. (Sept. 15)

FYI:A performer and composer, Gray is best known for his stage musical, Billy Bishop Goes to War.