Evaline Stoker and Mina Holmes return to solve a mystery that
appears far from menacing in Evaline's opinion. Princess Alix
has asked Mina and Evaline to investigate Willa Aston, the
daughter of a closer personal friend who'd died recently. Willa
is convinced she's speaking to her dead mother. Is someone
playing a cruel trick on Willa in an effort to take her money
and make her appear "lunatic"?
Evaline has much more important events to investigate, like the
return of vampires to London. But as Evaline and Mina follow
the clues, they come to realize that these events could be
connected and there is a much greater mystery waiting to be
solved.
The Stoker and Holmes series by Colleen Gleason is
absolutely one of my favorite new reading pleasures. The idea
is so obviously brilliant that I can't believe it's taken so
long for someone to combine the mythos of Sherlock Holmes and
Bram Stoker, steampunk, and vampires into an absolutely
original series.
With any new series that draws from a wealth of pre-existing
material, there is a risk the new material will fall flat.
Colleen Gleason avoids this by limiting the role of Sherlock
Holmes and Bram Stoker into secondary characters who make quick
cameo appearances. The focus is on Mina, Evaline, and a
supporting cast (including Irene Adler!) whose focus lies
outside of Sherlock Holmes and Bram Stoker's focus. Mina and
Evaline provide the perfect contrast to each other and their
awkward alliance is turning into a friendship neither would
have expected. Mina's intelligence and composure often mask how
lonely she feels. Evaline's brash and act-first, think-later
personality covers her fear of failure. They don't always work
well together and they don't always know how to speak to each
other, but they're always ready to take on the case and prove
that they're more than people give them credit for.
THE SPIRITGLASS CHARADE is fast-paced and filled with
intriguing secondary characters from the first book. Mina and
Evaline both have a romantic interest (or two) and their
unconventional personalities and skills for this time period
adds to the tension. Character growth for both Mina and Evaline
is slow and isn't the main focus of this series. I appreciate
this slow change and hope that I'll see how these two evolve
over time (I really hope there is a lot more to come for
Stoker and Holmes!).
THE SPIRITGLASS CHARADE is fabulous fun. I can't recommend THE
SPIRITGLASS CHARADE enough. I love this series and can't wait
to see what Mina and Evaline will get into next. If you haven't
read the first in the Stoker and Holmes series, The
Clockwork Scarab, I do suggest reading it first. The Clockwork
Scarab sets up Mina's and Evaline's unusual alliance and it
also sets up this amazingly complex world. There are events in
The Clockwork Scarab that while not part of the main plot in
THE SPIRITGLASS CHARADE will probably play a big role in the
story arc for the entire series.
After the Affair of the Clockwork Scarab, Evaline Stoker and
Mina Holmes are eager to help Princess Alix with a new case.
Seventeen-year-old Willa Aston is obsessed with spiritual
mediums, convinced she is speaking with her mother from
beyond the grave.
What seems like a case of spiritualist fraud quickly
devolves into something far more menacing: someone is trying
to make Willa "appear lunatic," using an innocent-looking
spiritglass to control her. The list of clues piles up: an
unexpected murder, a gang of pickpockets, and the return of
vampires to London.
But are these events connected? As Uncle Sherlock would say,
"there are no coincidences."
It will take all of Mina's wit and Evaline's muscle to keep
London's sinister underground at bay.
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