author's purpose
The story didn't particularly have a moral, it was more of the entertainment. Though, it does tell you that you can rely on the authorities, as many people I see online don't trust. Even so, you most likely wouldn't be on the case, and would have to wait for them to solve it.
main character
The main character, Carver Young, was a very interesting character. Having grown up on reading detective stories, he learned to bend the law into his own hands to solve the case, and has had much practice with lock picking and exposing "criminals" in the orphanage he was brought up in. He is very intelligent, and in ways very much like his father. He is good at solving cases and getting to the bottom of things.
setting
The story takes place in the 19th century England. He is mostly going around following the clues his father leaves through his murders, so it's hard to pinpoint a certain spot that many things happen in, besides the beginning in the orphanage, where he has many flashbacks of the life he lived there.
conflict
The main conflict is the clash between the authorities, Carver, and his father. There is a fight, I would say battle but it wasn't quite that extreme, between them and his father's followers and both sides suffer injuries. Carver gets out alive, thankfully, and learns the truth about his parents, and what really happened to his mother that made his father snap.
tone/mood
The main mood of the story was something around suspenseful and dramatic. It's short chapters added to the mood as they were short and choppy, almost forcing you to turn the page to find out what happens next. The tone felt like you were finding out something new, making discoveries alongside the character.
publisher
They are published by Phimomel Books in 2010.