The Death Collector

by Justin Richards

When Eddie 'Dipper' Hopkins steals George Archer's wallet he has no idea that he is about to enter a dark world of grave-robbing, assassins and zombies.

For George Archer is no ordinary citizen. He has just been offered a job in the top secret Department of Unclassified Artefacts at the British Museum - a department that investigates the bizarre and the unexplained. And in George's wallet is a clue to one of the biggest mysteries of all. A secret that has remained hidden for millions of years. A secret that people would kill to discover.

On the run for their lives, Eddie and George must join forces to escape the clutches of a depraved genius - a man who needs the secret for a terrifying plan. Helped by the redoubtable Sir William Protheroe and actress Elizabeth Oldfield, they find themselves in a heart-stopping race against time. A race to unravel the secret before London is overrun by creatures from the dead . . .

• ISBN10: 0571229417
• ISBN13: 9780571229413
• Publish Date: 2 March 2006
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 7 July 2021
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Faber & Faber
• Edition: Main
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 336
• Language: English

Reviews

"Something is happening that may challenge our understanding of the scientific world. And, with your help, I mean to discover what." (Sir William Protheroe)

I last read The Death Collector about eight years ago. When I recently, saw it while I was organising my bookshelf this year, I couldn't remember what The Death Collector was about and how I felt towards it.

After a re-read, I now know that The Death Collector is a Steampunk novel set in the Victorian Era. There's museums, mysteries, danger, dinosaurs and zombies. While, I love Steampunk, history and mystery, I'm not a fan of zombies. There's something about the undead that's predictable, gross and gory. In The Death Collector there's also the Department of Unclassified Artefacts, a department in the museum, that deals with unexplained events that have no place in modern history. The department is an extremely interesting aspect of The Death Collector and it's not given much page time to shine.

The one thing that The Death Collector has going for it, is its atmosphere. I was transported to a Victorian London that was experiencing the Industrial Revolution. There's soot, mist, fog and gloom. There's also an eerie tone that suits the gore and horrors that take place in The Death Collector.

I didn't care much for the characters. The two main characters, George and Eddie are bland. I expected Eddie, a 15 year old pickpocket to be more interesting. I do, however, appreciate Liz's character. She's a strong and independent woman, but she still behaves in a way that typical of women in the Victorian Era. I also have to admit that the wannabe Victor Frankenstein villain in The Death Collector is extremely diabolical. My favourite character in The Death Collector is Sir William Protheroe. He's an old man who is calm in the face of the most panic inducing moments.

The mystery aspect in The Death Collector is lacking. I don't know if the villain in The Death Collector is supposed to be a surprise, but the villain's identity is revealed quite early in The Death Collector However, I guessed who the villain was and what their motives were, long before it was revealed. It was extremely frustrating to figure things out way before the main characters did and watch them fumble in search of answers.

The Death Collector has such amazing concepts such as history, museums, mystery and dinosaurs, but the execution falls flat. I expected more from The Death Collector.

"The best way to break the spell, he knew, was not to think about it but just do it."