Second in The Walter Day series, The Black Country finds Scotland Yard’s Murder Squad called to a small mining town to investigate the disappearance of a child and his parents. Secrets, superstition, and massive amounts of snow are only a few of the challenges Day and his colleagues face once they arrive in The British Midlands. The town is in the grips of a plague, calling on Dr. Kingsley to not only treat the ill but also re-educate the town doctor as well. As the city slowly sinks into the elaborate network of mines beneath, The Murder Squad races for clues, never knowing who is friend and who is foe.
Multiple plot lines, combined with intense weather and sinking buildings, make The Black Country an intense, fast-paced read. I would have preferred one fewer thread, but the story would have slowed considerably. And as much as I liked the characters, I didn’t always understand why they behaved the way they did. And yet, I read on and enjoyed. Grecian skillfully weaves details of time and place with the story, making this a great read, even for readers who claim a dislike for historical fiction.