The Dolocher cover art

The Dolocher

The Alderman James Mystery Thriller Series, Book 1

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The Dolocher

By: European P. Douglas
Narrated by: Jack McArthur
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About this listen

A string of grisly murders... A scared and superstitious populace... An investigator desperate for redemption...

When murders in the poverty-stricken Liberties begin to be credited to a savage dark beast with the soul of a recently deceased serial killer, Alderman James knows he must take on the case. He sees an all too human hand at work and is determined to win over the people he once let down so badly.

With only the duplicitous and deceitful Hellfire Club member, Mr. Edwards, for assistance, James ventures out in the cold, snowy streets in search of the true killer. Can he solve the case and redeem himself once and for all? Or will the fear and anger in the streets finally boil over into chaos?

If you like serial killer and detective stories in a historical setting, you'll love this book.

Buy Now to enter the thrilling world of Alderman James"

©2014 Rory McNeill (P)2020 Rory McNeill Historical Mystery Supernatural Thriller & Suspense Fiction Paranormal Exciting Thriller Ireland

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Listener received this title free

I haven’t had to do this for a while. I always make my bias’ known at the start of my reviews. I requested this as a review copy based entirely on the author and not the series. I’ve read and reviewed 4 of his stories before and they’re all great. I’m also a fan of mystery novels and it’s been too long since I read a good mystery.

I’m not really sure why this story has the Supernatural genre tag on Audible. It is a European P. Douglas story, so I was expecting it. Aside from a small moment that’s never explained, (as far as I can recall anyway), everything is grounded in reality. It’s a straightforward mystery novel that’s likely going to leave you guessing. If you like to try to figure out the mystery as you read, this one likely isn’t for you. I’m not one to try, but the ending took me by surprise either way.

I feel like this is the one time I didn’t read a book’s summary that actually came back to bite me. I kept expecting supernatural elements and for a good chunk of the novel, I wondered if it was a Jack the Ripper retelling. I just hit play on the audiobook and was quickly engrossed in the world and the lives of the characters. This is one of those rare stories where I actually found myself caring about the characters. They all have wants and desires and feelings that extend past the current plot point.

The audible narration overall was excellent. There wasn’t a single hiccup and I never had an issue telling characters apart. It’s one of those narrations I find hard to remember because it was just great and I didn’t have to stop to take notes constantly. He did say “onvelope”, which isn’t a word. Other than that though, the audio was perfect.

NOTE: This copy was provided to me free of charge as a digital review copy. The opinions stated in this review are mine and mine alone, I was not paid or requested to give this book a certain rating, suggestion, or approval.

Baskerville Book Reviews

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Listener received this title free

Following the death by his own hand of sadistic serial killer Thomas Olocher in the 'Black Dog' prison, Dublin, in 1786, a new and terrifying creature stalks the streets, slashing victims both male and female so badly that they are, sometimes, unrecognisable. The city is in terror, superstition rife: is it the returned soul of the dead serial killer come to take revenge? As Alderman James, with the assistance of the heinous and aristocratic Edwards, tries desperately to save his city by finding the monster, named the Dolocher, a prostitute and a scarred blacksmith feel the first touches of love for each other in the shadows of terror and anger.

The story charts the growth of a myth, the fear engendered where poverty is rampant and people are without hope, desperate to simply survive. The atmosphere of poverty and degradation seeps out from most of the pages, holding the reader in it's grip, and a vivid contrast to the luxurious home of Edwards. Narration by Jack McArthur does full justice to the text, not over emphasising darker scenes but giving them just the right level of emotion, and each character is individually voiced. A good performance.

More than a simple serial killer search, this is a book of historic fear and horror, and very well written. The ending is surprising, too. I was very fortunate in being freely gifted with a complimentary copy of The Dolocher, at my request, by the rights holder via Audiobook Boom. Thank you. As an historical novel or an unusual who-dun-it, or even as a hope-in-the-face-of-almost-nothing, this is a book well worth reading.

"A hungry dog that was willing to wait."

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Listener received this title free

This is a well written book with a great plot and a lot of historical details about Dublin. The characters are well thought out and strong. The choice of narrator is excellent I enjoyed this story and look forward to listening or reading the next in this series.

Great mystery

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Listener received this title free

Set in the days of olde Ireland, this story revolves around horrific murders taking lives in the most violent way. As the townsfolk struggle to survive the terror of the Dolocher, the dark monster committing these crimes, heroes are made and cowards are bourne. A riveting novel that keeps the reader, as well as the listener, fully engrossed to the bitter end! Excellent narration and story telling!

A gripping story of terror from beginning to end!

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Listener received this title free

Loved this story. A murder mystery set in Dublin at the end of the 18th Century, a series of vicious murders committed by what appears to be a preternatural creature instil fear and paranoia among the poor and rich alike. Alderman James, Edwards a enigmatic member of the Hellfire club, a local blacksmith and a prostitute all involve themselves in the case. The lives of the characters a well described and contrasted, the story flows well and really draws you into the period. I did not work out the murderer, and there were some great twists and turns along the way. I will definitely be reading more of these. The narration is wonderful with an excellent grasp of accents, a fine performance and easy to listen to.. Sone of the language seems a bit modern but that is just me nit-picking. Highly recommended. I received a complimentary copy from Storyorigin and am leaving a honest voluntary review

Impressive story loved it

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