Murder, madness, mayhem and mystery. The second in a series of books by Alex Grecian, The Black Country finds Inspectors Day and Hammersmith on a devilish case outside of London in an old mining town (thus the "black" country) that is slowly sinking in the pits of despair and Mother Earth. From eyeballs found in a birds next to disappearing adults and children to the dark fabled superstitions and stories of Rawhead and Bloody Bones, this story is captivating from the first chapter. As in Book #1, The Yard, the story is never quite what it seems with many pieces of the puzzle not showing their face until the end. Again Grecian has captured the feel of 1890 England, the bitter cold winters and the dark musty tunnels of coal mines. I look forward to future adventures and hope there that soon there is another game afoot.