Barbara’s rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Series: Glass and Steele #3
Publication Date: 4/4/14
Period: Fantasy Victorian London
Number of Pages: 352

This third book in the Glass and Steele series has Matthew’s plight becoming more dire. The magic in his watch is failing more quickly and he has to use it more and more often to stay alive – but, even then it doesn’t fully rejuvenate him. They are desperate to find Chronos, the watchmaker who saved Matthew’s life and imbued the watch with the magic properties that keep him alive. Finding a magical physician will help as well, but those are the rarest of magicians. So, imagine their elation when they read a newspaper article talking about a medical miracle – a doctor who has brought a patient back from the dead.

When India and Matthew rush to the hospital to speak with the doctor, they find the story isn’t exactly as it was presented in the article and the doctor can be of no help to them at all. When that doctor is murdered, Matthew is Detective Inspector Brockwell’s chief suspect – and Brockwell doesn’t seem to be inclined to look any further. It is, therefore, up to India, Matthew, and the crew to uncover the actual murderer. That won’t be easy because they’ll be fighting on two fronts. One front is the number of suspects, magic, and the Guilds, and the second front is the detective who has been swayed by American Sheriff Payne, whose sole purpose in life is to end Matthew – without coming under blame himself.

I switched between reading this book and listening to the audio version. The narrator does an excellent job of bringing the characters to life with a separate and distinct voice for each character. The pacing was excellent and the presentation was so deep, rich, and immersive that I could hear the narrator’s voice even when I was reading rather than listening.

I have enjoyed the mysteries presented in each of the books, and I have enjoyed seeing India discover her magical abilities and begin to try them out. However, I fear I am going to lose patience and give up on the series long before it is finished. The romance between India and Matthew seems to be an excruciatingly slow burn. I’m already tired of it and I believe there are several more books before we see any movement. I’m also tiring of one – possibly two – of the main supporting characters. I thought Matthew’s Aunt Letitia added a nice bit of humor to the books at first, but her interfering, snobbish ways have already begun to wear thin. The second character which may or may not become tiresome is Matthew’s American cousin Wilhelmina (Willy) Johnson. Her character is just too over-the-top and outrageous. While she’s tolerable so far, I can see her becoming a detriment to my reading pleasure.

I enjoyed reading the book and can recommend it as a quick, fun read that mixes fantasy, romance, and mystery in Victorian London.