I picked up this book because I felt like reading some steampunk, however, apart from the mention of steam carriages and other machines, this murder mystery could have taken place in any carnival in any time, so I was disappointed on that score. Though the central character is the usual kind of endearing and plucky heroine we expect in steampunk, and the story has a solid plot, the book doesn’t have anything to set it apart from a million other murder mysteries. It’s not a long book, which is to its benefit—I read it in one evening—and I would probably put it in the cosy mystery category because of its light style. My main issue with the book is its lack of descriptive elements. A carnival gives plenty of opportunity to set the mood with sensitive description, but there is very little to spike our imagination. I don’t even have any idea what the Inspector looks like. Other than that though, the book is well enough written, and if you’re looking for a short, pleasant and … [Read more...]