Literature, Mystery/Thriller -- 5 stars
Sir Berwick's extraordinary child is missing, and Victorian London's female detective Bridie Devine is called to find her. But is the child really his? And is she really special? Or is she a myth that curiosity collectors want for their own? ---- I had trouble finding a single category for this novel. That's because it nearly defies description. A mystery, yes; but also bit of gothic folklore, something of a ghost story, certainly a bit of period history and, oh yes, it's all wrapped in literary language so colorful it makes the book breathe. Describing the purveyor of a maritime store: "A clawed knuckle of a man, as one preserved by curses and salt water, much like an ancient mariner himself. He wears a waxed sou'wester pulled down hard on his ears and rope to keep his trousers pulled high. He has a pursed corrugated mussel of a mouth and glancy black eyes that would not be unfitting on a crab." With much the same aura as The Midnight Circus, this is a totally original creation populated with characters both fun and frightening.
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