Blue Moon Mystery Saloon

The Clockwork Scarab

A Stoker and Holmes Novel  (Book One) by Colleen Gleason, Chronicle Books, September 2013

*  An ARC was provided by Chronicle Books and Edelweiss for an honest review.

THE CLOCKWORK SCARAB: A STOKER AND HOLMES NOVEL by Colleen Gleason is a terrific start to a new and unique mystery series set in 1889 London. It's an amalgamation of several popular subgenres, including steampunk, time travel, romance and young adult mystery, and stars Evaline Stoker (Bram's half-sister) and Mina Holmes (Sherlock's niece and Mycroft's daughter) as courageous, self-reliant, 17-year-old sleuths under the tutelage of Irene Adler (Sherlock's admired female opponent).

Told in alternating points of views, the story follows Mina and Evaline as they use their unique skills to identify the person(s) responsible for kidnapping and murdering upper class teenage girls and dumping their bodies around London. The palm-sized mechanical scarabs found beside each body link the murders and are crucial to the investigation. These and other clues lead to a secret Egyptian society to which all the dead girls belonged.

As in all good mysteries, the two young sleuths face a number of obstacles to their investigation. The main one here, though, is the girls mistrust of each other. The ever observant and analytical Mina Holmes thinks Evaline is flighty, weak, not terribly bright, and uncooperative. The incredibly fast and strong Evaline Stoker believes Mina is a haughty know-it-all who is dull and has no sense of adventure. But as the story evolves and they save each other with their set of special skills, they grudgingly begin to admire one another as worthy partners.

Though Mina and Evaline are the main sleuths in the story, they have plenty of help in solving the murders. The girls are glad to have Irene Adler as their mentor and supervisor, but their other assistants aren't as welcomed. Mina has to share her quest with the maddening but intriguing Inspector Ambrose Grayling of Scotland Yard and the handsome time traveler Dylan Eckhart, while Evaline needs help from Pix, a young man of questionable character who knows more about the case than he lets on. The men are just a bit older than the girls and provide the light romantic elements in the story.

Steampunk is a large part of THE CLOCKWORK SCARAB . The variety of steam-powered mechanical devices, such as Night-Illuminators, Steam-Stream guns, and the Deluxe Tome-Selector, adds a bit of humor to the story, and a few are even used to help solve the murders.

Overall, THE CLOCKWORK SCARAB is an intriguing and well-plotted murder mystery that readers from 12 years of age and up will enjoy. If you like adventurous stories with unique characters and strong, confident heroines, then this book is for you. I only hate that I have to wait a whole year for the release of the next book in the series.

If You Like This, You Might Like – THE GARDELLA VAMPIRE CHRONICLES by Colleen Gleason, F.R.E.A.K. SQUAD INVESTIGATION MYSTERIES by Jennifer Harlow, THE STEAMPUNK CHRONICLES by Kady Cross, THE INFERNAL DEVICES SERIES and THE MORTAL INSTRUMENT SERIES by Cassandra Clare

Esprit de Corpse

A Reluctant Reaper story (Book Three) by Gina X. Grant, Simon & Schuster/Pocket Star Books, August 2013. 

 * An ARC was provided by Simon & Schuster/Pocket Star Books and Edelweiss for an honest review.

ESPRIT DE CORPSE , the third book in the RELUCTANT REAPER SERIES by Gina X. Grant continues where SCYTHE DOES MATTER leaves off. It's the next day in the Underworld, and Dante's mad (again) at Kirsty for using his scythe to reap Conrad Iver, Kirsty's evil former boss. Upon awakening, Kirsty and Dante are faced with a huge problem in Hell's Cells. It seems there's finally an answer to what happens when one reaper uses another reaper's scythe to zap someone to the Underworld.

The two reapers rush to Conrad's jail cell just in time to see him turn into a demon and escape from jail. Of course, the first place they need to look is back on the Mortal Coil. Dante wants Kirsty to follow him to the hospital where they reaped Conrad, but Kirsty goes to her former boss's office instead, figuring Conrad will want to show up there sooner or later. There she discovers that her best friend, Shannon Iver (Conrad's daughter), is the prime suspect in Conrad's and Kirsty's deaths. Kirsty wants to make a true difference in someone's life, and she and Dante do all they can to help Shannon prove her innocence. Conrad's evil attempt to use his own daughter's blood to extend his life another 25 years is jeopardized when a female convicted killer tries to murder Shannon.

ESPRIT DE CORPSE is a wonderful, fun-filled, and action-packed addition to the RELUCTANT REAPER SERIES . I like the new, strong, and confident Kirsty and how she jumps in to save Shannon. Kirsty wants to exonerate Shannon even as she struggles with Dante's and Shannon's burgeoning friendship.

The RELUCTANT REAPER SERIES is such a unique and funny interpretation of the Underworld, and I can't wait for the next book's release. You can probably read each book in the series as a stand-alone, but I believe it would enhance your reading enjoyment to read the three stories in order. Whatever order you choose, be sure to read them all if you're looking for a lighthearted, funny, paranormal story with a plethora of quirky characters!

If You Like This, You May Also Like: --- THE RELUCTANT REAPER and SCYTHE DOES MATTER by Gina X. Grant, HOW TO DISCIPLINE YOUR VAMPIRE by Mina Vaughn, CHARLEY DAVIDSON SERIES by Darynda Jones, DARKLIGHT SERIES by Darynda Jones, UNDERWORLD DETECTION AGENCY SERIES by Hannah Jayne, F.R.E.A.K.S. SQUAD INVESTIGATION SERIES by Jennifer Harlow

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