Elena Reviews: The Daemoniac {Dominion Mysteries #1} By Kat Ross

Title: The Daemoniac

{Dominion Mysteries #1}

Author: Kat Ross

Publication Date: October 12th, 2016

Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Mystery

It's August of 1888, just three weeks before Jack the Ripper will begin his grisly spree in the London slum of Whitechapel, and another serial murderer is stalking the gas-lit streets of New York. With taunting messages in backwards Latin left at the crime scenes and even more inexplicable clues like the fingerprints that appear to have been burned into one victim's throat, his handiwork bears all the hallmarks of a demonic possession.

But consulting detective Harrison Fearing Pell is convinced her quarry is a man of flesh and blood. Encouraged by her uncle, Arthur Conan Doyle, Harry hopes to make her reputation by solving the bizarre case before the man the press has dubbed Mr. Hyde strikes again.

From the squalor of the Five Points to the high-class gambling dens of the Tenderloin and the glittering mansions of Fifth Avenue, Harry and her best friend, John Weston, follow the trail of a remorseless killer, uncovering a few embarrassing secrets of New York's richest High Society families along the way. Are the murders a case of black magic—or simple blackmail? And will the trail lead them closer to home than they ever imagined?

*I received this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own!*

I want to start this review by saying that I did not expect to love this book so much! As soon as I started reading, it gave off major Sherlock Holmes vibes which made sense since Arthur Conan Doyle is actually part of the story! As a fictional character of course. And then everything kind of kicked of for me!

Harry, our main heroine, wants to make a reputation for herself and start being recognized for who she is, rather than being immediately compared to her sister and overshadowed by her accomplishments. Which is a very logical thing to do if you ask me, because the girl has both the mind and the wits to complete this task and create a name for herself. What is this task, you might be wondering. Well, I'm not going to elaborate on that because that would definitely spoil the fun for those of you who want to give this book a chance. I'm just going to say that, the case she has to solve is not as simple as it seems at the beginning of the book. Things get more complicated as the story progresses that, by the final chapter, you start questioning your judgement and quite possibly, your sanity. Yes, I'm serious. Reading this book was like venturing into the unknown and having no idea of what the darkness would bring with it.

John Weston - John Watson, anyone? - was also an amazing and well written secondary character! He's very loyal, resourceful an encourages Harry to follow her instincts and never give up! He was also an amazing friend and obviously had a crush on Harry, who was so oblivious it actually hurt! I was shaking my head in frustration in my desperate need for her to recognize his true feelings for her and realize how much they meant to each other. And let's not talk about the rest of the characters! Loved every single one of them and really appreciated the part they all played in the story itself!

The character development was pretty impressive and I couldn't have been happier about it! It always makes it easier to connect with the characters themselves and see them grow throughout their journeys. The plot was so original and interesting that I could not stop reading! It was also so unpredictable that, when the twist came, you didn't have the slightest idea about what would be waiting for you at its corner. Which, of course, fascinated me and made me crave more of the story and its characters. The story is not for the lighthearted since it does contain graphic scenes and gruesome events that might trigger some people. The descriptions are so vivid that they can actually become real in your head, if you let them. So, yeah, it is definitely a dark and poignant read that you have to be 100% focused on, in order to understand completely!

Overall, if you're a Sherlock Holmes fanatic, or a crime fan in general, you'll absolutely love The Daemoniac! It's authentic, extremely unique and can easily take your breath away! Definitely one of my favorite books of the year! And I cannot recommend it enough!

Until the next post,