Book two in The Chronicles of St. Mary's gives us a chance to catch up with Max, promoted to Chief Operations Officer but just as hot headed. We find her in Victorian London on the hunt for Jack the Ripper. It’s Kalinda Black’s final jump (for those rare few who make it, they’re able to pick where they’d like to go), but it soon becomes clear that going looking for one of history’s most notorious killers might not have been the best idea, and they’re getting more than they bargained for.
Fast-paced as ever, Taylor whizzes us off on a dodo hunt, to the Hanging Gardens of Nineveh, and sixteenth century Scotland to try and get history back on track. Amid all the adventure is the usual camaraderie between colleagues and the explosive relationship between Max and Leon. Our heroes are not the only returning players though, with some familiar villains hiding in time and causing chaos and destruction at every opportunity.
Taylor continues the series with flair and good humour, and although at times this doesn’t feel quite as strong as book one, it’s still hugely enjoyable. The locations and times that they visit are varied and interesting, and Max gets herself in some sticky situations you’re not sure how she’ll escape from. A few new aspects are added to the mix - a jump forward in time, and a mission to the past where they actually want to interfere with the outcome. This provides some new conundrums and also offers Max the opportunity to really step up. Seeing events from her perspective with added comments from the benefit of hindsight, we see when she realises she’s made an error. The team prove themselves strong, loyal and brave time and again, and repeatedly do everything they can to ensure nobody is left behind.
Whether you’ve always wondered at the true identity of Jack the Ripper, or questioned how alluring Bothwell really was, this book has some fun takes on our historic household names. The drawing of the different eras and geographies is rich and evocative, and the little details about, for example, how difficult the dress of the day made it to get around, make it feel believable. It is the history that takes centre stage and once more Taylor presents it to us in an engaging, humorous style. I’m looking forward to finding out where they all end up next.
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