Infidel Stain Audiobook By M. J. Carter cover art

Infidel Stain

A Blake and Avery Novel

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Infidel Stain

By: M. J. Carter
Narrated by: Alex Wyndham
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London, 1841. Returned from their adventures in India, Jeremiah Blake and William Avery have both had their difficulties adapting to life in Victorian England. Moreover, time and distance have weakened the close bond between them, forged in the jungles of India. Then a shocking series of murders in the world of London's gutter press forces them back together. The police seem mysteriously unwilling to investigate, then connections emerge between the murdered men and the growing and unpredictable movement demanding the right to vote for all. In the backstreets of Drury Lane, among criminals, whores, pornographers, and missionaries, Blake and Avery must race against time to find the culprit before he kills again. But what if the murderer is being protected by some of the highest powers in the land?

©2016 Original Material © 2016 by M.J. Carter. Recorded by arrangement with G.P. Putnam's Sons, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division (P)2016 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books Historical Mystery Private Investigators

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After returning from India to England in 1941, Jeremiah Blake and William Avery find it no easy job to settle in to life in London. Several murders that the coppers have no interest in solving, pair the two up again, in a mystery that seems curiouser and curiouser as time goes on. The hit one brick wall after another, getting worse the farther up the societal hierarchy they go. I learned a good deal about the politics and laws (or lack of) including “transporting” criminals, even very young ones, to Australia. A very interesting listen and an ending well worth the wait!

Back from India into the Streets of London

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Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend it if they have listened to the first one. The characters are both fleshed out more than in The Strangler VIne and the story is decent. As before, there is historical background, though to me not as interesting as what happened in India in the first book.

What other book might you compare Infidel Stain to and why?

This is my main gripe about this book. How many Victorian era London mysteries do we need? There are already thousands upon thousands. I think the author should have stayed in India.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Two sittings will suffice.

Any additional comments?

I loved the chemistry between Blake and Avery, which has developed since the first book. My main gripe is that the story was not as compelling as in the first book, and that it is situated in Victorian London. That was almost done to death decades ago.

Good, but not as good as the first book

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Two English gentlemen, both former East India Company men, prowl the seedy backstreets of early 1800s London for a serial killer. Great atmosphere! Great characters. A believable story and conclusion. Well worth your time.

Excellent historical mystery

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Have you listened to any of Alex Wyndham’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Remarkable, subtle range between characters.

Any additional comments?

Carter writers fantastic fiction that is also faithful to history...as well as instructive and entertaining.

MJ Carter has become my favorite history teacher

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The second entry in the Blake & Avery series is a decided letdown from the debut. As other reviewers have already observed, the story being relocated from the exotic jungles of India to the grimy streets of London lost much of the charm found in the first story. But even judging this story on its own, not in comparison to its predecessor, I found this one to be slow paced and unfocused.

As historical fiction it competently described the deplorable class disparities keeping the aristocracy rich and everyone else suppressed and poor, to the point of incarcerating homeless children in adult prisons. The conflicts within the Chartist Movement are likewise well described, placing the story at hand in context. But as a murder investigation, the plot is weighed down by the variety of characters with unclear roles in the mystery. We learn a bit more about Blake and Avery’s back stories, but it doesn’t really enhance true character development. They don’t work well together, as Blake keeps all his thoughts to himself and Avery is morally outraged at the realities of street life, and not trusting Blake’s instincts. I pretty much knew who the murderer probably was, but there was so much background noise going on with the cast of dozens that any sense of urgency or tension was never developed.

As the reader, Alex Wyndham did well with most of the characters, but two Irishmen sadly had voices that brought certain Muppet characters to mind. And as happens too often, finding a way to voice females and children apparently eluded Mr. Wyndham. Mild recommendation for those who enjoyed Blake and Avery and want more, but can’t offer more enthusiasm than that.

Let down

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"The Infidel Strain" is the second book in the series and set in England about 4 years after the first novel. It is evident a massive amount of research went into crafting this narrative. I found it more difficult to follow than the first book but so very good. Am looking forward to the third book and any others by this author.

Trilogy by MJ Carter

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It may be because I listened sporadically at first, but really I found it hard to keep up with all the characters and the ways in which they might be connected to Blake and Avery's investigation. I enjoyed The Strangler Vine much more than this one, as The Strangler Vine had a more unitary plot. The Infidel Stain felt like a series of unconnected episodes, and when the "Big Reveal" occurred, the perpetrator seemed (in retrospect) to have insufficient motive and means to have carried out the gruesome murders. Alex Wyndham does an ok job, but really, the narration voice is almost the same as Blake's voice. And the character O'Toole's Irish accent was just awful, bearing a remarkable resemblance to Curly of the Three Stooges. In the end I was glad to be over with this one. Kind of a mess.

Too Many Characters, Not Enough Voices

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Not as good as Strangler Vine, but fun continuation of Blake and Avery's friendship. Also, interesting history of early 1800 English politics.

Fun adventure with great characters

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Every page moves through my kind and I am transported to a foreign world that becomes my home

Terrific

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What was one of the most memorable moments of Infidel Stain?

The author M.J. Carter changes the setting from sunny exotic India to a cold, class oriented,muddy London losing half the charm of his first book The Strangler Vine. In London his hero character are a little too reminiscent of Holmes and Watson.

should of stayed in India

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