Finally I found the first in a series! While I originally picked this up for the female-male detective partnership, west coast setting (not New York for once!), and interest in whether the book would be complete historical fiction or actually feature Sherlock Holmes, I ended up reading it in part for research in my ongoing project.

In that respect, I was glad I did--electricity and technology was a bit more advanced than I expected! I'd completely forgotten to think about telephones, and I hadn't expected the cable cars to be in operation already in the 1890s. And the fact that Sherlock Holmes is part of the world--Carpenter and Quincannon discuss Doctor Watson's stories in the first chapter--also gave me some ideas about my Frankenstein tie-in.

This was a fun and fluffy book, a good one to read to relax after Paradise Lost. I loved that Carpenter and Quincannon both had their own mysteries to solve--it allowed them both to be equally competent, which would have been an immense challenge if they'd been on the same case. It was fun to see both characters through the others' eyes, and they both had a great balance of silly and serious personal traits and backstories. They both feel very real and fleshed-out after one slim book.

Sherlock Holmes was a fun inclusion, especially when Carpenter and Quincannon are horrified by his methods--you can't housebreak to collect evidence! I wasn't particularly wrapped up in the case itself. The drive came from watching the characters interact and work, not wondering who dunnit or how. That might be a strength or a weakness, depending on how you like your mysteries.

The historical detail was superb, and I was especially appreciative of the descriptions of food--yum! I also liked the way Carpenter's character was handled. She was aware of the casual misogyny in her world, but she knew how to work around it. Most people were very respectful of her as a detective, just the kind of fantasy I need in my life. At the same time, this was not a Disney-style rewriting of history. There were places that Carpenter could not go, men and women who dismissed her. It was a well-handled balance.

I could have done without the romantic "tension", and was glad that it dropped off as the book went along and the plot thickened. Seemed too rote and boringly predictable compared to the rest of the book.

I was also incredibly disappointed by the fact that the male main character went by his last name while the female main character went by her first name--on the chapter headings, no less! This is a basic pervasive inequality: men in professional positions are more likely to be called "Mr" or "Dr" while women in the same positions are more likely to be called by their first names, effectively stripping them of their earned titles. I see and experience this at work all the time.

In sum, a fun quick read. A good escape, nothing too dark, nothing too ludicrously modern. Highly enjoyable, if not substantial. ( )

I did enjoy this book, although strangely, I think I might have liked it better in print than I did in audio. I felt an odd disconnect between the characters and the voice narrators--they didn't seem to fit, somehow. Of course, this is a personal preference and YMMV.

I liked the setting and the characters, though--Carpenter more than Quincannon--and the introduction of a reputed Sherlock Holmes. The time period was well-done and the plot moved along at a good pace. The ending left me a bit let down as there seemed to be a lot of explanation needed. However, I would read another book in the series--but I'd stick to print this time.

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Not Muller's best. Interesting historical trivia. ( )

Not Muller's best. Interesting historical trivia. ( )

I don't typically search out mysteries to read, but I had decided to join my local library's mystery book club, and this was one of three options for the month of August. It was pretty fun--not terribly suspenseful, yet, I didn't have the total thing figured out until just as it was being revealed. It's the first in a trilogy, and I may pick up the second and third.... ( )