The Welfare of the Dead

Lee Jackson's second Inspector Webb novel once again guides readers through the dark alleys and gaslit parlours of nineteenth century London.

“Her arms were bare and milk-white, her hands dainty and graceful; her smileas sweet as any I have ever seen. An awful shame . . .”

In the disreputable dance-halls and ‘houses of accommodation’ of 1870s London, a boastful killer selects his prey. His crimes seem like random acts of malevolence, but Inspector Decimus Webb, promoted to the Detective Branch at Scotland Yard, is not convinced.

Webb begins to suspect a connection between the terrible murders, a mysterious theft at the Abney Park Cemetery, and a long-forgotten suicide. His investigations lead him, in turn, to the Holborn General Mourning Warehouse, devoted to the sale of ‘Mourning for Families, In Correct Taste,’ and its proprietor, one Jasper Woodrow, a seemingly respectable business man.

As Webb delves into Woodrow’s life, he uncovers layer upon layer of deceit. But can he unearth Jasper Woodrow’s darkest secret, in time to prevent another tragedy?

The Welfare of the Dead is a suspense-filled gothic mystery with the Victorian celebration of death at its morbid heart.