Nicodemus Dunne is a running patterer in 1828 in New South
Wales, giving the news orally to the community of
soldiers, convicts, free people, and aborigines; many of
whom can't read for themselves. He also helps those who
can't write to fill out advertisement forms, and in this
story, he is tasked with helping solve multiple
murders. A former Bow Street runner in Britain, Dunne was
transported to Australia as punishment for a trumped-up
assault charge. Knowing his past and his ability to
penetrate all areas of the community as a patterer, the
governor turns to him for help as the bodies pile up.
First, they found the body of a soldier behind a pub in an
alley, then a printer was killed, then someone else was
poisoned... Dunne starts to piece the whole matter together,
but he might have done it too well as he soon finds himself
the murderer's prime target.
Robin Adair has crafted a terrific murder mystery,
redolent with period detail, interesting characters and
terrific writing that brings the whole drama to life. He
gives insight to issues of the period such as racism
between locals, soldiers, and transported criminals,
prostitution, and dueling (among other things). He has
clearly done his research and gives a clear picture of time
and place. It's easy to feel as if you're traveling
alongside Nic rather than being just an observer to the
action.
Adair's
writing has an old-fashioned flair, but the chapters are
short enough, that it doesn't bog down the story. He
introduces each chapter with a well-researched quote that
gives a hint as to what will happen next. Adair has a
large and colorful cast but provides a dramatis personae
at the beginning, and I had to flip back a few times to
figure out who was who. Overall, DEATH AND THE RUNNING
PATTERER is a wonderful historical mystery that will
appeal to fans of mysteries and historical fiction alike.
1828: Sydney is a city built on the backs of exiled
convicts. But in a colony of criminals, how do you narrow
down the list of suspects when a murderer is on the
rampage?
Nicodemus Dunne was a London policeman. After being
deported on trumped up charges of assault, he now makes
his living in New South Wales as a running patterer,
spreading the news of the day by word of mouth. Confronted
with a series of gruesome and horribly inventive murders,
the governor seeks out Dunne for his investigative skills
and his ability to infiltrate all levels of society. With
each mutilated body, the murderer has left clues for Dunne
to decipher. Can he put the pieces of the puzzle together
and catch his elusive quarry without becoming prey himself?
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