A year after serial killer John Whittaker’s reign of terror was brought to a swift and righteous conclusion, London finds her streets darkened with the blood of innocents once again. Disfigured bodies with vile, ritualistic markings are turning up at an alarming rate, and the police are at a loss to apprehend the killer, who always seems to be one step ahead of them.
Detective Inspector Phillip Devlin of Scotland Yard is having problems of his own. Having fallen for his younger constable, Freddie Collins, Devlin finds that leading his double life is often more complicated than he’d originally thought. But for now he must set aside his worries, as he is called on once more to catch a killer and expose the perpetrator of this latest threat to his beloved city. He must use every resource at his disposal, both inside the law and out, to halt a string of murders the likes of which London hasn’t seen since the days of Saucy Jack. But what Inspector Devlin will soon learn is that murder is not necessarily the greatest of sins . . . and some truths are better left undiscovered.
span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The Paragon of Animals span lang="EN-US" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">pulsates with the sights and sounds of late-1800s London, England. Macabre yet humorous, with a familiar cast of caustic yet lovable characters, this latest in the series of Inspector Devlin’s adventures takes the reader on another unforgettable journey to the dark places where men fear to tread.

JoAnne Soper-Cook was born in outport Newfoundland, received both a B.A. and M.A. from Memorial University, and now lives in St. John’s. Her stories, poetry, and journalism have appeared in Geist, The Review, TickleAce, Waxing and Waning, Rant, The Muse, Atmospherics, and Essays on Canadian Writing and in several Newfoundland newspapers, including The Compass, The Southern Gazette, and The Packet. Her stories and commentary have been broadcast on CBC Radio and her plays have been performed at the Arts and Culture Centre in St. John’s. Soper-Cook has also worked as an editor and has taught English Literature at Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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