Book Review: Memento Mori

Memento Mori by Katy O’Dowd

Blurb:
Take tea with the Victorian Mafia – organized crime has never been so civilized

Revenge is a dish best served cold. At the Lamb residence, it is also served on fine bone china.

The untimely demise of Thaddeus Lamb leaves his son Riley in charge of the vast Lamb empire, which imports tea, picks pockets, extorts, and keeps men warm on cold winter’s nights. And so the Lambs grieve for their father in the best way they know how… Retribution.

Hired by the new head of the Fox Family, a position recently vacated by another untimely demise, the assassin O’Murtagh is tasked with the utter destruction of all the Lamb Family’s business associates. They learn the hard way that there is no better hit man than a beautiful woman with tricks and weapons up her finely coiffed sleeves.

Treachery and deceit abound in the streets of London, and no one is safe. Honestly, it’s enough to make anyone drink. Would you care for one lump or two?

Review:
What an entertaining story about a Victorian Assassin. O’Murtagh is hired for revenge against a powerful Mafia-like family because she is one of the best, her services are in high demand. Her first target is a pirate, and from there she turns her skills against jewelers, clothiers, funeral home directors, and others. While on the surface these targets may seem innocent, corruption runs deep. On the other side, you follow the Lamb family while they try to root out corruption amongst the corrupt. Murder conducted, but, of course, after a proper cup of tea. And then there’s the very interesting twist at the end.

This book is full of colorful detail and characters, well written with entertaining prose and dialog. The world is vivid and you find yourself rooting for both the “goodguys” and the “badguys.” Though, those lines are blurred somewhat. This was a quick and enjoyable read. I highly recommend it.

Author Bio:
Katy is an arts and entertainment journalist and has worked for Time Out, Associated Newspapers and Comic Relief and her articles have appeared in The Times (London), Metro (London) and many other arts and entertainment publications, paper and online.
Alongside writing with her Dad under the pen-name Derry O’Dowd, whose first book ‘The Scarlet Ribbon’ was chosen to launch the History Press Ireland’s fiction line, she writes under her own name.
Katy reviews for the Historical Novels Review and the British Fantasy Society.