Category: Historical Mystery

The Apothecary’s Poison by C.J. Archer

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Historical Mystery, Historical Paranormal/Fantasy, Part of a Series, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

The Apothecary's Poison (Glass and Steele, #3)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.

The Watchmaker’s Daughter by C.J. Archer

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Historical Mystery, Paranormal / Fantasy, Part of a Series, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

The Watchmaker's Daughter (Glass and Steele, #1)

Barbara’s rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Series: Glass and Steele #1
Publication Date: 6/28/16
Period: Victorian London
Number of Pages: 302

I recently discovered this author and cannot seem to get enough of her books. I first found her Glass Library series (a spinoff of this series) and devoured all of them and I’m now anxiously awaiting the release of the next adventure in that series. To satisfy my craving, I came to this series and, if this book is any indication, I’m going to love it as well. The only drawback to having read the second series first is that I was already familiar with the characters and knew which characters would make alliances and which would still be around in 30 years. Frankly, I saw that as a good thing and it didn’t deter my enjoyment in the least.

This is the first book in the Glass and Steele series, and it introduces us to India Steele, who finds herself destitute after the death of her watchmaker father and betrayal by her fiancé. She has no money and no place to live when she meets the mysterious Matthew Glass – an American who immediately hires her as his assistant.

This is a delightful tale of magic, mystery, and romance – and perhaps a tad of steampunk. The author skillfully creates a world where science and magic coexist – but are at war. India is strong, resilient, talented, intelligent – and has absolutely no idea of her true power. Matthew is also strong, resilient, talented and intelligent – and is in desperate need of help – of the magical variety. The attraction and dynamic between India and Matt creates a tension where the chemistry is strong – probably stronger than they are.

The secondary characters added much to the story – I loved the pistol-toting, hard-wearing Willie Johnson and hated the duplicitous, vile fiancé, Eddie Hardcastle, as well as the entire Watchmakers Guild. The story does an excellent job of setting the stage and characters for the remainder of the books in the series – but it is a great standalone book if you never read another in the series. Though, I would wager you’ll quickly become hooked on the stories.

If you love historical romance, mystery, fantasy, adventure, and intrigue, you can’t go wrong with this book. I can hardly wait to start the next one