A long way back

There are cases that are cold and then there are cases that are so cold they might as well be frozen. But those cases are, for a super-secret unit of London police, very hot—in fact, they might be occurring in front of their eyes, in real time. In Elly Griffiths’ latest, The Frozen People, historical crimes that have long gone unsolved now have a chance of resolution, thanks to secret and experimental technology that allows detectives to travel back in time to observe crimes, gather evidence, and provide some closure to victims, even generations later. It’s a tricky prospect, one that requires a special sort of police officer, and one that suits Ali Dawson to perfection. Brought to police work by an unorthodox route, Ali’s proud of the work she does, and even prouder of Finn, the son she brought up mostly on her own as a single mum. She’s a bit surprised when Finn’s boss, powerful Tory MP Isaac Templeton, specifically requests her assistance in clearing the name of an ancestor, rumored to have unsavory habits that extended to murder. She’ll have to travel farther back in time than any team member before—to 1850—but it’s her job, and if it will help Finn’s career… But stepping back to 1850 lands her directly into a murder scene. And if that isn’t bad enough, when Ali she finds someone has taken her spot in the gate back to 2023—and that person was armed with a pistol. Stranded in Victorian East London, Ali has no way of knowing that Isaac Templeton has been murdered in present times, and that Finn is the prime suspect. It’s obvious to the cold case crew that the two cases are related, but explaining time travel and murderous Victorian villains to skeptical police detectives is a non-starter. Can Ali and her crew find out how to return one detective back to the future, while figuring out not just who the real killer is, and where in time they might be found?

The Frozen People is an intriguing premise, a great mashup of historical and modern police mystery. Griffiths’ strengths—memorable characterizations, a wry sense of humor and a detailed, you-are-there sense of place—that mark her other series are present here. But perhaps because of the world-building, the story takes a bit to get going, and the mystery suffers a bit as a result. The ending feels rushed, and a little unsatisfying—I was hoping for a more nuanced solution that Griffiths usually delivers. The Frozen People is the first in series, so the fact that some threads that are left hanging isn’t unusual. But it still feels like there are more unanswered questions at the end of the book. As such, The Frozen People has the feel of a pilot episode that has to bear all the weight of exposition before one gets to all the good stuff later in the series—or in this case, wait another year for the next book in the series to appear. The characters and historical details are promising here, so here’s hoping that future installments will tie up more of the loose ends. The Frozen People is a great read-alike to Kelley Armstrong’s A Rip Through Time series, also featuring a time-jumping detective, or to fans of other London-set Victorian mysteries such as those by Sherry Thomas or Charles Finch.   

Large print book