The Album of Dr. Moreau

 The Album of Dr. Moreau by Daryl Gregory (2021) 176 pages

Kara previously reviewed this book here. I listened to the audiobook on Hoopla narrated by Luis Moreno. It is quite short, which was great for my short commutes. The weird concept of Dr. Moreau hybrids and boy band culture is what hooked me. The murder mystery plot followed the regular procedure. All the witnesses are gradually interviewed: the ocelot boy, the bonobo boy, the elephant boy, the pangolin boy, the bat boy, the victim's wife, the stage manager, and the leaders of the fan club. The detectives examine the area surrounding the hotel penthouse. The assisting detective, Banks, makes lots of corny jokes. The lead detective, Luce Delgado, used to perform a magic act with her dad here is Las Vegas. Now she is a mother to a pre-teen, who is the biggest fan of the WildBoyz. Luce has special skills and knowledge that make her the perfect detective for this case. On top of the murder mystery there is the mystery of the boys' background. Who created them? How? I'm not sure I totally buy the twist at the end. Luce gives us a simple and a complicated explanation for the murder. That is fine. But the bigger mystery of these genetic experiments remain largely a mystery.

A Master of Djinn

 A Master of Djinn by P. Djeli Clark (2021) 396 pages

I listened to the audiobook through Hoopla and it was narrated by Suehyla El-Attar Young. Three years ago I read Clark's novella The Haunting of Tram Car 015, which was my introduction to this world and the detective character Fatma. I really looked forward to revisiting this alternate steampunk Cairo of 1912 in a full-length novel. Djinn and magic were released into the world several years before. Clockwork automatons, self-driving vehicles, and other tech are boosted by magic to allow futuristic wonders in the past. The novella introduced a major women's suffrage movement in Cairo in these years before WWI might happen. It also introduced the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments, and Supernatural Entities of which Fatma is one of the only women agents. Now Fatma has to work to solve the murder of all the members of a secret brotherhood with a rookie partner, Hadia, another woman agent. Fatma often receives surprise help from her girlfriend Siti as well. All three are kick-ass characters! Colonialism and racism are important themes that connect this magical world to history. Cairo is a cosmopolitan place with Pagans, Muslims, and Christians living side by side. Drawing on the real-life 1919 Egyptian Revolution against British occupation, revolution is stirred up in the streets. The murderer comes forward claiming to be the master of djinn, the being who opened the door between the magical and mundane worlds. Fatma's agency and the police cannot get the murderer in custody because they surround themselves with many magical henchmen and stir up chaos. Fatma is also convinced the murderer is an imposter, not the revered figure they claim to be. Bonus points for some cool librarian, archivist, and bookseller characters providing key clues to unravelling the illusions at play. I enjoyed the mixture of mystery, adventure, and fantasy.

Goldie Vance Vol 1

Goldie Vance Vol 1 / Hope Larson ; illustrated by Brittney Williams ; colors by Sarah Stern ; letters by Jim Campbell, 114 pgs.  

Goldie lives and works at a Florida resort where she "volunteers" with the in-house detective.  Turns out her natural curiosity is helpful and she is pretty good at solving "crimes."  When a precious necklace is stolen from a guest, Goldie goes on duty to find the jewelry and uncovers a bigger deal.  Fun reading.

Fortune Favors the Dead

Fortune Favors the Dead by Stephen Spotswood, 336 pages

Willowjean Parker is a circus roadie when she meets esteemed detective Lillian Pentecost in a New York junkyard. Soon, Will, as she prefers to be called, is Ms. Pentecost's right-hand woman, solving crimes and helping out other women on a regular basis. In 1945, three years into their partnership, Will and Lillian get a cracker of a case: a rich widow is murdered at her own Halloween party, and friends in her social circle are convinced it was the ghost of her late husband that killed her. Will and Lillian are sure that's not the case, but their investigation does include a surprisingly convincing medium who happened to be at the party, so who knows?

There's something of a gender-swapped Sherlock situation going on with this tale, a feeling that didn't leave me despite all the obvious differences (circuses, Ms. Pentecost's battle with MS, her queer sidekick). I enjoyed the two protagonists, as well as their fortune-telling nemesis, and the mystery was certainly a good one. If nothing else, read it for Will's distinctive storytelling style.

*This book will be published Oct. 27, 2020.

Maisie Dobbs

Maisie Dobbs: a Novel / Jacqueline Winspear, 304p.

The first in an extremely popular mystery series.  The title character started out as a housemaid for a wealthy family in early 20th century London.  Her sharp wits come to the attention of her employer, who (a tad implausibly) sees to her education and helps her to be admitted to Cambridge.  At which point WWI breaks out.  Maisie, who is as good as she is wise, abandons her studies to train as a nurse at the front.  Upon her return from the war, she makes her living as a private investigator; her first case involves a mysterious retreat where vets with disfiguring injuries can hide from the world. 

This first installment is far more historical romance than mystery.  Perhaps the balance shifts in the later volumes.  I can easily see the appeal of the series: the historical detail is well-integrated and pleasing, and the characters are likable if a bit thin.