One thing that particularly irritated me was the susceptibility of both Miss Holmes and Miss Stoker - both of whom are supposed to be strong-minded, intelligent, competent young women - to handsome young men, eligible or not.

Sadly, most of the characters here are more stereotypes than real people. While I love a good, complex, action-filled plot, I also want well-drawn, well-rounded characters. All that complexity makes the book fun to read, but places more emphasis on the plot than on character development, which was disappointing. Gleason throws in everything except the kitchen sink… Steampunk, time travel, vampire hunters, Egyptian magic, ton balls, a handsome Scotland Yard inspector, an equally handsome Cockney sneak thief (who, inevitably, may be more than he appears to be), references to Sherlock Holmes and Bram Stoker, the aforementioned Irene Adler, a potential love triangle, various people in disguise, kidnapping, lab experiments, couture… you get the picture. Sherlock Holmes’s “The Woman” from “A Scandal in Bohemia.) The plot rapidly thickens, though, and Ms. Miss Stoker and Miss Holmes are asked by Irene Adler to investigate the mysterious deaths and disappearances of several young ladies of high society. The premise is relatively straightforward. Unfortunately, although entertaining, the book never quite lived up to my expectations. Review:Īt first glance, The Clockwork Scarab has everything going for it: a interesting premise, mystery and mayhem, and not one but two potentially fantastic heroines.

If Stoker and Holmes don’t unravel why the belles of London society are in such danger, they’ll become the next victims. Now fierce Evaline and logical Mina must resolve their rivalry, navigate the advances of not just one but three mysterious gentlemen, and solve murder with only one clue: a strange Egyptian scarab. And when two society girls go missing, there’s no one more qualified to investigate. But when you’re the sister of Bram and the niece of Sherlock, vampire hunting and mystery solving are in your blood. Evaline Stoker and Mina Holmes never meant to get into the family business.

The clockwork scarab