Arrowood and The Meeting House Murders

An Arrowood Mystery, Book 4

By: Mick Finlay

Narrated by: Malk Williams

London Society takes their problems to Sherlock Holmes. Everyone else goes to Arrowood.

‘Finlay depicts a seedy, desperate London and vivid characters with considerable skill’ The Times

Nowhere to hide.
London, 1879. As winter grips the city, a group of African travellers seek sanctuary inside the walls of the Quaker Meeting House. They are being hunted by a ruthless showman, who is forcing them to perform in his ethnic exhibition in the London Aquarium.

Nowhere to turn.
Private investigator William Arrowood and his assistant Barnett agree to help the travellers avoid capture. But when they arrive at the Meeting House, they find a scene of devastation. Two people have been murdered and the others have fled into the night.

Nowhere to run.
The hunt for the real killer leads Arrowood into the dark heart of Victorian London. A shadowy world of freak shows, violence and betrayal, where there are no good choices and only the slimmest chance of survival…

©2021 Mick Finlay (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic reviews

‘This is Victorian London in all its grit and grime and Finlay clearly knows his history but applies it with a light touch. He revels in the muck and mayhem of the city … the story is full of life and flashes of black humour’ Evening Standard

‘There are many insights on the iniquities of empire, and Arrowood’s wife’s struggle to become a doctor is an illuminating subplot. The narrator Malk Williams bullishly renders the frank and foul-mouthed Barnett, from whose point of view the story unfolds … enjoy an excellent final gallop to giving everyone their just deserts’ The Times, Audiobook of the Week

‘Gripping … the series has gone from strength to strength’ Sunday Post

‘A rollicking case … I love the sardonic wit and the down-at-the-heel sleuth … oozes with grim colour’ Peterborough Telegraph

‘A riveting tale of intrigue, exploitation and danger. I felt as though I was right there in the foggy, soot-stained alleyways of Victorian London, looking anxiously over my shoulder’ S. W. Perry

‘A bracing joy, plunging us into a Victorian London which is vibrant and alive. I loved being with his extraordinary characters once again’ Alex Reeve

‘It really evokes the era, and Arrowood is a very interesting, flawed, sleuth’ Faith Martin

‘A compelling mystery which brilliantly evokes the grime and gaudiness of late Victorian London. The crimes of a far-flung Empire come home to roost in this story of exploitation, loyalty, hidden identities and revenge. A fantastic addition to the series’ Katherine Stansfield

Praise for Mick Finlay:

‘A crime novel of thrilling intricacy … Arrowood is a terrific creation, and this book wins five rosettes’ The Tablet

‘Think Sherlock Holmes is the only detective working in Victorian London? Meet William Arrowood, the hero of Mick Finlay’s series of absorbing novels … Finlay depicts a seedy, desperate London and vivid characters with considerable skill’ The Times

I LOVE THIS SERIES!

Excellent detail of characters and time period. Great plot and was difficult to stop listening. Love the narrator. He’s perfect!!! I can’t wait for more.

Lackluster

This was not my favorite story by any means. I think it was lacking the overt action the previous books had, this one has more internal conflict.
Malk was off his game here too. His voices between characters were less consistent. Arrowood lost his unique sound several times.

tired of feigning interest

I started reading these novels because quite honestly, I've read pretty much every Sherlock Holmes book and story out there by almost every author.. and these novels are advertised as being someone who is as good as Sherlock Holmes but comes about solving cases in a different manner.. so I gave it a shot, I think this is novel three or four maybe even five of the series and I just can't fight it any longer.. these books are not as good as Sherlock holmes, and to put it plainly, the main character is a bumbling idiot who is an extremely fat disgusting slob and quite honestly deserves everything that has ever gone wrong in his life! I feel absolutely no pity for this man, and I know I'm supposed to, if anything the people that I feel sorry for all the ones that are in his universe, this man is nothing but a complete lazy slob and I can't believe, but even his holier than thou sister, stays in his life! I'm literally becoming sick to my stomach listening to these novels, nobody could have ever made it as long as this man has without dying of diabetes or just plain laziness.. and we're supposed to believe this guy is as good as Sherlock Holmes? I tried, I just can't do it anymore, I'm going to move on to something else!

BTW... I didn't make it all the way through this novel, I have no idea how it ends, right now I'm about halfway through it and I literally cannot listen to anymore.. I'm having to twist my own arm to try to get through this novel, and I won't do it anymore