The Infadel Stain

I selected The Infadel Stain for the Color Coded Reading Challenge as something that denotes a color. When I spill food on my clothes it definitely changes its color so I thought this would fit the category. The book is a part of a new series by Miranda Carter. In this installment of the series, Blake and Avery investigate a serial killer who is stalking the streets of London.

The publisher's summary:  

London, 1841. Returned from their adventures in India, Jeremiah Blake and William Avery have both had their difficulties adapting to life in Victorian England. Moreover, time and distance have weakened the close bond between them, forged in the jungles of India. Then a shocking series of murders in the world of London’s gutter press forces them back together.

The police seem mysteriously unwilling to investigate, then connections emerge between the murdered men and the growing and unpredictable movement demanding the right to vote for all. In the back streets of Drury Lane, among criminals, whores, pornographers, and missionaries, Blake and Avery must race against time to find the culprit before he kills again.

But what if the murderer is being protected by some of the highest powers in the land?

I preferred the India setting in the first book to the wet and gray London we have in this book. India is exotic but London is rather dull. The investigation into the whodunnit seemed less interesting because the India setting gave me more options for villains and red herrings.  Moving the characters out of India was a mistake in my mind.

The setting change also affected Blake and Avery's relationship and their ability to resolve clues.  While they were in India, Avery needed Blake’s fluency in multiple languages and his extensive knowledge of the cultures. In London, Blake seems to have fewer investigative tools. 

This installment of the series was a miss for me and I will not be reading the series any further. 2 out of 5 stars.