The paranormal answer to Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, Jesperson and Lane are turning the Victorian era upside down in this bewitching series from John W. Campbell Award winner Lisa Tuttle.
“Witch!” cries the young man after stumbling unexpectedly into the London address of the consulting-detective partnership of Mr. Jasper Jesperson and Miss Lane. He makes the startling accusation while pointing toward Miss Lane . . . then he drops dead. Thus begins the strangest case yet to land—quite literally—on the doorstep of Jesperson and Lane.
According to the coroner, Charles Manning died of a heart attack—despite being in perfect health. Could he have been struck down by a witch’s spell? The late Mr. Manning’s address book leads Jesperson and Lane to the shrieking pits of Aylmerton, an ancient archaeological site reputed to be haunted by a vengeful ghost. There they sift through the local characters, each more suspicious than the last: Manning’s associate, Felix Ott, an English folklore enthusiast; Reverend Ringer, a fierce opponent of superstition; and the Bulstrode sisters, a trio of beauties with a reputation for witchcraft.
But when an innocent child goes missing, suddenly Jesperson and Lane aren’t merely trying to solve one murder—they’re racing to prevent another.
A Victorian Historical Mystery! Jesperson and Ms. Lane have just solved their first case as investigators and the second case literally falls in their doorway!
Off to find the truth about their mysterious visitor, they find themselves embroiled in not just one death but two. It seems another man has also died mysteriously and they set out to see if the two are connected.
This second book in the series had a little bit of everything. History, Religions, Superstitions, Fairies and Witches!
I quite enjoyed this second book as well as the first and hope the duo continues!
Ms. Tuttle has written many books and short stories within the fantasy field. Her first novel, Windhaven, was written in collaboration with George R.R. Martin.
Netgalley/Hydra/Random House Release November 28, 2017
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