Book 4, Arrowood and the Meeting House Murders, is out now!

Chosen as audiobook of the week in The Times (with Malk Williams, voice actor)

‘This is Victorian London in all its grit and grime and Finlay clearly knows his history but applies it with a light touch. He revels in the muck and mayhem of the city … the story is full of life and flashes of black humour’ Evening Standard full review here

Buy it in the UK here: Hive Blackwells Bookshop.org Waterstones Amazon or in N America here: Barnes & Noble Amazon

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August 2021 – NEWS – I’ve just discovered that Arrowood and the Thames Corpses has been longlisted for the Historical Writers Association Gold Crown Award, 2021, alongside some terrific authors. Combined with the CWA Gold Dagger Crime Novel of the Year longlisting, this has been a wonderful year for the third Arrowood book.

April 2021 – NEWS – I was delighted to hear that Arrowood and the Thames Corpses (the 3rd Arrowood book) has been longlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger for crime novel of the year. There are some terrific names on the list, so I feel incredibly honoured.

Coronovirus – if you’re having problems buying in your country due to the crisis, you could try Book Depository – they ship anywhere in the world for free.

Watch a recording of the ‘Murder and Witches‘ event in the Cambridge Festival here, featuring myself, Cathi Unsworth and Syd Moore. We talk about the strange and frightening history behind some of our stories.

Lockdown special: I had a great chat with crime writers William Shaw and Lesley Thomson, and crime editor Laura Palmer (Head of Zeus) on Thursday 16th April. You can see it here. Check out William’s other lockdown crime fiction chats here.

On Arrowood and the Thames Corpses buy it here.:

‘In Finlay’s outstanding third Victorian whodunit featuring private inquiry agents William Arrowood and Norman Barnett (after 2018’s The Murder Pit), the detectives, unlike Sherlock Holmes, whom Arrowood both envies and despises, continue to get prosaic clients with prosaic problems. One such problem, however, becomes much more complex… Finlay’s grim depictions of the inhabitants of the more impoverished parts of London evoke Dickens. Fans of gritty historicals will be richly rewarded.’ Publishers Weekly. Starred review.

“Meet William Arrowood, the hero of Mick Finlay’s series of absorbing novels … Finlay depicts a seedy, desperate London and vivid characters with considerable skill.” The Times (of London)

“Finlay has created one of modern historical fiction’s most memorable detectives ..Brimming with dark humour, fast-paced action, intriguing twists and turns, and a cast of characters that could well have been conjured up by the late, great Mr Dickens, this is a top-class series that grows in stature with every new book.” Lancashire Evening Post

“A stonking personal read .. book clubs will love it especially if fans of C J Sansom. I look forward to dipping into further cases by this pair.” NB Magazine

Editor’s Choice – Historical Novel Society

5 Rosettes – The Tablet

Praise for The Murder Pit and Arrowood:

“Gangsters, pornographers, drunks and Fenian terrorists abound in this Victorian noir detective novel, which crackles with energy and wit.” The Times (of London) – Top 100 Summer Books

“gripping” Daily Telegraph

“Set in 1896, Finlay’s enthralling sequel to 2017’s Arrowood draws the investigative duo of William Arrowood and Norman Barnett into an emotionally wrenching inquiry.” Publishers Weekly

“Arrowood is a fantastic creation, sweating, beetroot red of face, his stomach bulging, but he works with subtlety — decoding emotions, reading expressions and gestures, seeking evidence in the things that are said, or unsaid, understanding human psychology ..” The Spectator

“Arrowood is the Victorian workingman’s answer to the higher-class Sherlock Holmes — a foul-mouthed, hard-drinking, shabby detective with a seriously bad attitude toward his more famous counterpart.” Seattle Times – 10 of the Summer’s Hottest Crime Fiction Titles

‘a dark but compelling take on the Victorian mystery.’ Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award. AudioFile Magazine

Chosen as one of the best crime/mystery novels of 2017 – The Seattle Times; The Strand Magazine; AudioFile Magazine; Pick of the Week (Daily Telegraph); Debut of the Month (lovereading.co.uk)