At Scotland Yard, DI Timothy Stoker is no better than a ghost. A master of arcane documents and niggling details who, unlike his celebrity-chasing colleagues, prefers hard work to headlines. But an invisible man is needed to unmask the city’s newest amateur detective, Hieronymus Bash. A bon vivant long on flash and style but short on personal history, Bash just may be a Cheapside rogue in Savile Row finery.
When the four fangs of the Demon Cats of Scavo—trophies that protect the hunters who killed the two vicious beasts—disappear one by one, Stoker’s forced to team with the very man he was sent to investigate to maintain his cover. He finds himself thrust into a world of wailing mediums, spiritualist societies, man-eating lions, and a consulting detective with more ambition than sense. Will this case be the end of his career, or the start of an unexpected liaison? Or will the mysterious forces at play be the death of them both?
And just who is Hieronymus Bash?
Heiro Bash is an investigator that “leads” a team that looks to debunk paranormal claims and solves mysteries. Tim “Kip” Stoker is a detective who partners with Heiro to solve the disappearance of the Fangs. They each have secrets.
Heiro is flamboyant and always “on”, a performer. And he’s so kind and witty. Kip is straight-laced, but not straight, and strives to blend in and be ordinary. He also loves to be behind the scenes, analyzing the data, conducting research. They are exact opposites, but have so much in common. So many layers! They are both hiding who they are and reveal themselves to each other over the course of the book. But, not completely…that leaves room for more books! The secondary characters, Callie and Han, pushed the story along but more from them would be awesome as well.
I enjoyed the mystery and suspense, and admit even though I am an avid reader and pride myself on figuring it all out, this book kept me guessing.
One small ding, sometimes the Victorian “slang” would trip me up, and I had to google like a manic. In all other aspects, although there was a tendency to be over-descriptive, the language fit. I am stealing the phrase “emotionally thievery” from this author, it is so perfect. It made sense for the characters, especially Heiro, and the ostentatious Victorian era.
And the romance, sigh. Heiro has the best lines. Despite all the smoke and mirrors, the sleight of hand, I “see” you Heiro. And I see Kip too.
June 12 – Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words
June 14 – MM Good Book Reviews, Bonkers About Books, BFD Book Blog, We Three Queens, Inglorious Bitches
June 16 – Gay Book Reviews
June 19 – Keysmash
June 21 – Bayou Book Junkie
June 23 – Dog-Eared Daydreams, Padme’s Library, Archaeolibrarian – I Dig Good Books
June 26 – Diverse Reader
Selina Kray is the nom de plume of an author and English editor. Professionally she has covered all the artsy-fartsy bases, having worked in a bookstore, at a cinema, in children’s television, and in television distribution, up to her latest incarnation as a subtitle editor and grammar nerd (though she may have always been a grammar nerd). A self-proclaimed geek and pop culture junkie who sometimes manages to pry herself away from the review sites and gossip blogs to write fiction of her own, she is a voracious consumer of art with both a capital and lowercase A.
Selina’s aim is to write genre-spanning romances with intricate plots, complex characters, and lots of heart. Whether she has achieved this goal is for you, gentle readers, to decide. At present she is hard at work on future novels at home in Montreal, Quebec, with her wee corgi serving as both foot warmer and in-house critic.
If you’re interested in receiving Selina’s newsletter and being the first to know when new books are released, plus getting sneak peeks at upcoming novels, please sign up at her website: www.selinakray.net
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