The tick of death - Peter Lovesey

"Lovesey goes from strength to strength. A really entertaining extravaganza, judged to a nicety." -The Times

London, 1884: A series of bomb blasts in public places is causing mayhem throughout the city. Even Scotland Yard's CID office becomes a target, throwing suspicion on Constable Thackeray. The primary suspects are Irish terrorists seeking independence, but could the villain be someone else? A beautiful Irish woman? An American athlete? Sergeant Cribb reluctantly enrolls in a bomb-making course and infiltrates the Dynamite Party.

Based on the real events in London between 1884 - 1885, the story had its own resonance ninety years on.