Edinburgh Dusk (Ian Hamilton Mysteries Book 2)

Not really, though the echoes are striking. Just like Rebus, DI Hamilton has a brother, and just like Rebus there's a drink problem (though here it's the brother, not the DI), and just like Rebus, Hamilton gets up the nose of his superiors. There's no Siobhan, but Aunt Lilian fills the role, and there are other resonances too - hypnotism crops up, the Jekyll and Hyde theme appears, and Edinburgh is as much a character as it is a setting.But that's as far as it goes - the plots are simpler, the characters are less nuanced; on the other hand, this, like Edinburgh Twilight, is still a good read and I had the real dilemma that the sooner I tracked down the guilty party, the sooner the book would end. Unlike some other reviewers, I have no problem with the appearance of Arthur Conan Doyle or Sophia Jex-Blake: if neither of them existed, they would have had to be invented.i do have a couple of niggles - which others have mentioned - the dialect, which owes little to Edinburgh and more to different regions of England: and the geography. Even though my knowledge of the Old Town cames from a distant childhood, there were more than one occasions when I found myself muttering, "no, it's downhill, not up" or even that the DI was taking a needless detour to reach the High Street from Victoria Terrace. But those are trivia: treat the books as the page-turners they're designed to be and you'll enjoy them !

I enjoyed the story, the characters are mostly believable and the references to Arthur Conan Doyle are interesting. I like the fact that there is no technology due to the time the story is set in. I will continue to read the remainder of the series.

Excellent read. Wonderful follow up to Edinburgh Twilight. Great building of characters ( old ) and introduction of new characters in Arthur Conrad Doyle and DR Bell

Read the first book and enjoyed it despite the American references e.g “bangs” instead of fringe; “sidewalk” instead of pavement etc. The way the conversations were written did not read true (as a Scot myself) I found it difficult and at times slightly annoying. The inconsistencies contained in the book detracted from the plot.Too many “Americanisms” for a historical story set in Edinburgh in the 1800’s. I will probably read the third book in any case.

Not the most common words in use in 19th Century Edinburgh. To be fair, these Anglo-American references didn't really spoil the story too much but they did become a distraction when I came across one. The author obviously knows her Edinburgh (to an extent) but her command of the Scottish dialect is limited and should probably not have been attempted. Trying to distinguish and even be at pains to point out the differences between Edinburgh and Glasgow speech is probably best left to those who actually speak it. I have no information on the author - none is given on the author page - so I have no idea of her background. But it almost certainly isn't Scottish.But to the story itself. A serial poisoner is at loose whose motivation is her sexual abuse as a child. So we have contemporary psychology at work within a 19th century setting. Had it been set today, it would have made a less interesting narrative. Sexually abused serial killers are ten a penny these days in murderous fiction.Ian Hamilton (and his trusty sidekick, Sgt Dickerson and, perhaps predictably, Arthur Conan Doyle) sets about trying to catch the poisonous little minx trawling the dark streets of Auld Reekie while dealing with his own demons. Policemen always have to have demons. It's in the murder fiction handbook of tips. But I'm being facetious. I actually quite enjoyed the book. In a switch off, don't try too hard sort of way. I didn't pick up on the language issues in the first book (Edinburgh Twilight) or I may not have downloaded this one. But I'm glad I did despite any shortcomings in it. And I'll no doubt grab the 3rd.Incidentally, the sun does not set behind Edinburgh Castle. Not from the Royal Mile side. But that's a minor observation. Artistic licence, eh?

Another brilliant story which I could not put down. Being an 'edinburgher' I am always fascinated by stories linked to the city's past. Very well done.

This was the second book in the series and I enjoyed this one as well as the first. Ian Hamilton is a charismatic character who grows on you as you read through the series. In this book the perpetrator is female and you get the feeling that he is at first reluctant to think that women could be doing these things, however a chapter here and there of her 'musings' as the book progresses very much shows why she is. Conan Doyle is also on the sidelines again and making his presence felt.On to the third book .........

I enjoyed this book as I love Edinburgh and could recognise many of the places described in the book. Good entertainment but I thought it ended a bit suddenly. I gave it 4 stars because I was very irritated with some of the dialogue which included the word "in it" several times - this in Scotland not cockney London, I have never heard any Scot use this term. Also, I wouldn't have thought a tramps hair could be described as "bangs" in the 19th century. Other than that I will read books from this author again.