Watchmaker of Filigree Street

Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley
318 Pages

"Thaniel Steepleton returns home to his tiny London apartment to find a gold pocket watch on his pillow. Six months later, the mysterious timepiece saves his life, drawing him away from a blast that destroys Scotland Yard. At last, he goes in search of its maker, Keita Mori, a kind, lonely immigrant from Japan. Although Mori seems harmless, a chain of unexplainable events soon suggests he must be hiding something. When Grace Carrow, an Oxford physicist, unwittingly interferes, Thaniel is torn between opposing loyalties. The Watchmaker of Filigree Street is a sweeping, atmospheric narrative that takes the reader on an unexpected journey through Victorian London, Japan as its civil war crumbles long-standing traditions, and beyond. Blending historical events with dazzling flights of fancy, it opens doors to a strange and magical past."

An enchanting novel with memorable characters, I would recommend.  

Unmasking of Oscar Wilde

The Unmasking of Oscar Wilde by Joseph Pearce, 398 pages

Oscar Wilde was, undoubtedly, one of the most elusive literary figures in history.  Few writers have so reveled in artifice, in being serious about frivolity, in the wearing and discarding of masks.  Yet, to believe Joseph Pearce, this artificiality was a feature of Wilde's public persona, and although his private life was full of sordid deception, it was earnestly so, while in his art he was consistent, honest, and above all moral.

Pearce's book functions mainly as a corrective to Richard Ellmann's magisterial biography of Wilde, and more generally to what he describes as over a century of misinterpretations by "the prurient and the puritan", both of whom reduce the man to his vices, whether celebrated or deplored.  Pearce situates Wilde in the context of the wider Decadent movement, illuminating his path by the lights of Huysmans and Verlaine, Thompson and Dowson and Beardsley.  Like them, his life would end either "at the point of a gun or at the foot of the Cross."  Only by grasping this can the man behind the masks be uncovered.

Constable & Toop

Constable & Toop by Gareth P. Jones                     391 pages

Sam Toop is a Talker, which means he can see and communicate with ghosts.  He mostly hates this ability because it sets him apart from other people and most ghosts want to talk to him because they want him to perform some sort of service for them.  Ironically, Sam’s father is an undertaker and a partner with Mr. Constable.  Sam’s uncle, Jack, who he meets for the first time in the beginning of the story, is also a Talker but he is a murderer and thief as well.  In the ghostly world, Lapsewood has been reassigned to a new department in the Bureau.  In his new post he has discovered that someone has been exorcising the ghosts that are attached to specific buildings.  When this happens, it causes a condition called the Black Rot.  If the Black Rot spreads it could mean the ruin of London for both the living and the ghosts.  Indirectly, Lapsewood and Sam become connected in trying to stop the spread of the Black Rot.  I really liked this story and would recommend to any late elementary or middle school reader interested in supernatural stories.

The Quick

The Quick by Lauren Owen
523 Pages

James and Charlotte Norbury are brother and sister from a previously well off family that finds themselves financially strapped with the death of their father.  Forced to shut up the house, the two go to live with their aunt and eventually James continues his education while Charlotte stays at home.  After graduation James moves to London where he finds himself overwhelmed by the enormity of the city.  When the aunt dies, Charlotte sends a telegram and gets no reply.  Worried about what happened to James, Charlotte goes to London and uncovers a horrendous secret.

The novel starts out strongly but devolves about a third of the way into a mishmash of genres.  The biggest failing is that none of the characters become fully developed and the reader has little sympathy for the fates of any of them.  The novel touts itself as a natural choice for readers of Anne Rice, the Night Circus, etc.  It isn't and if you directed a patron to this book as a choice, you would probably lose their faith.

The Devil's Workshop

The Devil's Workshop by Alex Grecian
386 Pages

This mystery is a sort of mismash of police procedural/horror/historical fiction.  A group that has decided to punish prisoners on their own crashes a train into the prison in order to sneak out four murderers soon to die in order to torture these men themselves.  However, plans go awry and soon all have escaped to wreak havoc on London, including a fifth person, Jack the Ripper.  It is up to Inspector Day and his allies to track down these men before they hurt others. 

Parts of the book were good and parts were slow going.  I think Grecian may have reached too far to include Jack the Ripper and the plot becomes convoluted. 

Heartless

Heartless by Gail Carriger 
374 pages

Lady Alexia Maccon is back, eight months pregnant, but that’s not slowing her down.  She has become irritated with the vampires trying to kill her because of her pregnancy, but a solution has presented itself; Lord Akeldama will officially adopt the child.  If it is raised by a vampire, the vampire hives won’t have a reason to worry about it being born.  Alexia agrees to this, because she and her husband take the house next door and plan to actually live in Lord Akeldama’s house secretly until the child is of age.  Besides all of her regular duties, Alexia is visited by a ghost who warns of a plot to kill the Queen, so Alexia is kept busy running around London trying to uncover the plot in order to prevent the deed from taking place.  Some background information regarding Alexia’s father is revealed in this book also.  Fans of the supernatural, vampires and werewolves will probably enjoy this series, although starting with the first book would be recommended.

The Case Of The Gypsy Good-bye

The Case Of The Gypsy Good-bye by Nancy Springer 166 Pages

Enola Holmes is back in what appears to be a conclusion to the series.  This time Enola is hunting for Lady Blanchefleur del Campo, who disappeared in a London Underground station.  Her ladies-in-waiting were devastated and confused and her husband is upset and angry.  Of course, Enola’s brother, Sherlock, has also been called so Enola must try to elude him during her investigation, as usual.  Complicating the matter, Sherlock has received a communication that he believes is for Enola from their mother, who left a year ago and hasn’t been seen since.  This was a satisfactory ending to this series, and a fun, enjoyable read.  Young mystery fans will like this series.  Each book stands alone, but sometimes events from earlier books are mentioned, so kids will probably want to read all of them.

Constable & Toop

Constable & Toop by Gareth P Jones.  391 Pages


Sam Toop's father works as an undertaker which is appropriate since Sam himself is able to see and talk to ghosts.  Known as a "talker"  Sam often finds himself trying to help ghosts complete last requests so they can hear "the knock" and move on. 

At the same time, a ghost known as Lapsewood, a underling in the ghost Bureau, which regulates ghost-related matters.  He is tasked with finding a missing haunted house officer in London but finds a much larger problem.  Someone is exorcising the ghosts from these haunted houses allowing the Rot to set in, opening the door for a demonic force that's hungry for ghosts.  It will be up to Sam and Lapsewood as well as a whole bunch of interesting characters to save London. 

Cataloged as juvenile fiction, this book is very well written and is somewhat similar to Neil Gaiman's work.  If there is a fault, it is that Jones attempts to cover a lot of elements and that slows down the plot slightly.