Review: The Clockwork Scarab

This was another book I picked up in my library haul.

I was pretty sure I'd like this book. I heard about it from a Booktuber, though I can't remember which one it was now, and the concept really intrigued me.

Basically, this book tells about the adventures of the fictitious female relatives of Sherlock Holmes and Bram Stoker. Alvermina Holmes (Mina for short) and Evaline Stoker, from vastly different backgrounds and family situations, form an uneasy alliance when  Princess Alix asks them to search out why so many young women of London society are turning up dead.

Having inherited her famous uncle's skills of deduction, Mina is cautious and analytical, detail-oriented and logical, believing there is always a reasonable explanation for anything that appears to be supernatural. Whereas fiery and impetuous Evaline, descended from a famous line of vampire hunters, knows the stuff of her brother's book is more than just merely fiction.

The girls must learn to work together if they are going to figure out what's happening to these young ladies and bring the villain to justice, all while trying to figure out what the scarab has to do with both the murders and the strange appearance of Dylan Eckhert, a young man who claims to be from the future. But all this might prove difficult if the one responsible is a certain member of society...

I really enjoyed this book. In fact, the only negative thing I have to say about it was that there was some swearing in it, which as I've mentioned before I don't like. I didn't expect it to be a steampunk type book, but it worked well with the storyline.

I loved the characters of Mina and Evaline. The novel switches between each of the girls' point of views, and Ms. Gleason did a wonderful job keeping the plot moving while keeping the suspense up the whole time. And the addition of Inspector Grayling and Pix as both antagonists and allies for Mina and Evaline kept things interesting. 

If you like fantasy/history/mystery type books and have some time over the Christmas holidays for reading, I recommend either finding it in your library or book store and giving it a go. I already read the second book, and I'll get the review up for it soon.

You can get The Clockwork Scarab* on Amazon in print, audiobook, or Kindle format.


 *This is an associate link, meaning if you purchase through it I get a referral fee but it costs the same as if you had just gone and ordered it through Amazon.