Peregrine Harker & the Black Death – Luke Holland

I received this book from Net Galley and I have to say, the main thing that drew me to it originally was this amazing cover. The red, black and white colour combination completely evokes an air of mystery and danger, whilst being striking and not telling you much about the story.

London 1908: A secret society stalks the murky streets, a deadly assassin lurks in the shadows and a series of unexplained deaths are linked by a mystery symbol…
When boy-detective Peregrine Harker stumbles across a gruesome murder he sparks a chain of events that drag him on a rip-roaring journey through a world of spluttering gas lamps, thick fog, deadly secrets and dastardly villains.
Every step of Peregrine’s white-knuckle adventure brings him closer to the vile heart of a terrifying mystery – the true story behind the Brotherhood of the Black Death.”

This book took me a while to read, not because of the book itself, but because of the ebook format. The story itself was completely gripping. Peregrine Harker is a fifteen year old boy in a job that he is close to losing, who ends up involved in a smuggling adventure!

Although this book is classed as YA, I found that it felt a little bit younger. That definitely isn’t a bad thing though! I found that because the story was told from Peregrine’s point of view, it seemed very real yet something that does not usually happen to people on an everyday basis. I felt that he was very likeable and you could empathise with him throughout, though some of his decisions seemed a bit rushed.

The plot develops quickly and is fast-paced. Although this is only 150 pages long (in ebook format), I found that there were many twists and turns, and though a few were expected, many of them were a complete surprise.

Overall, I would say that this was a gripping and intriguing mystery novel, with some violence, some slight romance and a lot of adventure, that just draws you into the story and keeps you reading about Peregrine Harker’s adventures.

This book is expected to be released on 3rd June 2013 by Sparkling Books Ltd so make sure you check it out!