Karen Memory by Elizabeth Bear, 350 pagesKaren Memery is a "seamstress" at Madame Damnable's Hotel Mon Cherie in the gold-rush era Pacific Northwest. When a fellow prostitute turns up dead behind the hotel, Karen finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation, and in a fight against a devious bordello owner who may be using less-than-legal means to influence the constables. This is Jack the Ripper meets the Wild West, and full of steampunk creations. It's that last part that I'm not so excited about. I loved the character of Karen, as well as her friends Priya and Miss Frederica, and the bad guy is suitably horrid. But I think I would have liked them all just as much without steam-powered machines and dirigibles in the background. A good story though, and I'm looking forward to discussing it with the Orcs & Aliens tonight.
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