The Soul Thief by S L Howe

Book Review

Sarah Deeming

Manchester 1888. Photography is a new leisure activity and a mark of wealth. However, people who have attended Toby’s photography shop undergo personality changes. They become less inhibited and more violent. Mitchell Bishop is a young private investigator reeling from his engagement to Laura being abruptly cut off without a reason. When Warren, Laura’s brother, reaches out, asking for help after a bizarre encounter with a woman, Mitchell realises there may be a connection between Warren’s issue and the photography shop. But when the people displaying the complete personality change start dying, Mitchell realises something supernatural might be involved, something from his past, and he may be unable to save everyone.

The Soul Thief is an enjoyable gothic tale set around Manchester in 1888. It is told mainly from Mitchell’s point of view, and Toby, a photographer who makes most of his money from selling nudes of prostitutes. Sexual tension runs heavily through this book with some spicy scenes tinged with Victorian prudishness.

Mitchell’s past plays an important role in the narrative. Born in India, he returns to England after the death of his mother with a guardian, who was also a close friend of Mitchell’s parents. The guardian also brought a servant from India who watched Mitchell grow up and fulfilled the role as a source of guidance. This blend of past and present is skilfully done without the past events feeling like info dumps. Each flashback or childhood story takes us closer to the heart of the mystery without revealing too much. Every flashback is relevant, which I appreciated.

The pacing was spot on, with a gradual build-up of events and peril until it isn’t certain who is going to live or die. Just as the publishing imprint’s name suggests, I kept reading one more chapter until I had devoured the whole thing because I was fascinated by the blending of Indian mythology and Western beliefs at the end of the nineteenth century as well as genuinely fearful for the characters’ survival. The introduction of the supernatural element is subtle at first, but it grows as the story continues, so the reader is aware there is something out of the ordinary occurring without Mitchell or the other characters knowing. I like stories which use that technique due to the extra dimension it brings to the book.

This is the first thing I’ve read by Howe, but it won’t be the last. The Soul Thief is a dark story, cleverly written with plenty of twists and turns, and will definitely be a reread for me to see what I’d missed the first time around. Highly recommended.