In the harsh winter of December 1889, the sailing vessel Irex leaves Scotland bound for Rio de Janeiro. She carries three thousand tons of pig iron and just three passengers for what should be a routine voyage. But Captain Will Hutton discovers that one of his passengers hides a horrifying secret.
When the Irex is wrecked off the Isle of Wight six weeks later, it falls to the county coroner, Frederick Blake, to begin to unravel the events that overtook the doomed ship — but he soon finds that powerful forces within the British Establishment are working to thwart him. Locked in a race against time and the sinister agents sent to impede him, he gradually discovers that nothing aboard the Irex is what it first seemed...
Irex is an atmospheric mystery, set in a rich Victorian world, packed with intrigue, twists and colourful characters — the spellbinding first novel by Carl Rackman.
Book source ~ TWR Tour
25 September 2016
Historical Fiction
394 Pages
My Rating ~ 4 bites and a nibble
In December 1889 the Irex sets sail from Greenock Scotland bound for Rio de Janeiro. Except it never makes it there. It doesn’t even come close. It wrecks off the Isle of Wight after six long weeks of storms and mishaps. But there’s more. Something super creepy, horrifying, and sinister is on board and only the Captain knows about it. After the wreck of the ship and rescue of the survivors, the county coroner, Frederick Blake, is assigned to investigate. However, he’s about to be embroiled in the biggest conspiracy ever and he doesn’t even know it. But he soon will.
Holy shit. Talk about twisting history on its ear. I looked up the Irex. It’s true that it wrecked under mysterious circumstances so it makes a great background for the story that unfolds here. Yikes. I love just about everything about this tall tale. The characters are multi-layered, the story telling smooth, and the plot is great. I am not as taken with the character of Elizabeth Barstow. Her backstory seems extremely far fetched and stretches the realm of believability beyond what seems reasonable. She also seems a bit of a caricature and her actions regarding a certain other character are stupid. Maybe that’s the point. I’m unsure. Anyway, everything about the story (except her stupidity) kept me on the edge of my seat. The events on the ship and the inquiry after are all well-done. I think I like Frederick Blake the best. If you like a mystery wrapped in another mystery followed by a conspiracy then this is the book for you. An excellent read!
Hi! I'm Carl Rackman, a British former airline pilot turned author. I spent my working life travelling the world and this has given me a keen interest in other people and cultures. I've drawn on my many experiences for my writing.
I write suspense thrillers with a grounded science-fiction theme. I like reading novels that feature atmospheric locales and I enjoy complex, absorbing storylines combined with rich, believable characters, so that's the sort of fiction I write. I try to create immersive worlds for the reader to explore, and characters who are more than just vehicles for the story.
I come from a naval military background and have held a lifelong interest in military history and seafaring - all my books usually contain some of these elements!
I hope you'll enjoy my books and leave reviews. I try to personally thank reviewers if they've particularly enjoyed my books.
Great review, Carol.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Gina!
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