""Devoured" steeps us in the danger of Victorian London and the discovery of modern forensics, combining classic storytelling with a finely-executed historical moment. Meredith packs her debut with charm and wit enough to carry us into any adventures to come with these sparkling characters." -Matthew Pearl, "New York"" Times" bestselling author of "The Last Dickens""Devoured is an absorbing mystery, with an atmosphere that captures wonderfully the contrasts of science and superstition, of domesticity and imperial exoticism, that made the Victorian era so richly interesting. Hopefully a sequel is already on the way!" --Charles Finch, author of "The Fleet Street Murders""Lovers of Victorian mystery will delight in Denise Meredith's terrific debut, where murder, the science of specimen collecting, and early forensic medicine combine into a riveting adventure." -Stefanie Pintoff, Edgar Award-winning author of "In the Shadow of Gotham" "Meredith's debut novel delves into the ugly secrets of that straight-laced time and believably renders life among the different social strata.... Think Michael Cox ("The Meaning of Night") meets Jonathan Barnes ("The Somnambulist"). Strongly recommended for fans of historicals. --"Library Journal," starred review"Meredith's research is superb. The smallest details show the interior life of the characters and the conditions they lived in. This is a dark story, but fascinating and brilliantly executed." --"RT BookReviews," 4 and a half stars"Something special. And then some.... Meredith, an Englishwoman with a degree from Cambridge University, has a fertile mind, from which springs a shocking conclusion that, in retrospect, is perfectly apparent. She fills this story of unbridled evil and immense sorrow with memorable characters and graceful prose, and her portrait of a world at an intellectual crossroads is powerful and evocative." --"Richmond Times Dispatch""Cleverly plotted... charming and convincing--very well done,
