If I could write a review entirely of quotes, I would for this.
Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder is a post-war, steampunk detective story with enough intrigue and character to carry itself like a familiar friend. And this is what hit me from the beginning – how comfortable it is to read, as if you’ve been to Willberg’s fictional land before.
The post-war period is captured brilliantly and with texture. You can imagine yourself walking the underground corridors of Miss Brickett’s with ease. This workplace will never fail to keep you drawn in close; throughout the entire book I wished to be able to work in a setting like that – the Gadgetry Department, the trapdoor hidden under floorboards and the vaulted ceilings of the vast rooms all beneath the streets of London.
“How could she leave this intricate, mysterious world and pretend it never existed?
The story is full of trinkets and inventions that appear so natural and un-clunky in this universe. Clockwork sunbirds that fly about, mysterious maps and a lurking mechanical creature. Speaking of world-building, Willberg’s steampunk London is executed with charm and ease and is reminiscent of Cassandra Clare’s Infernal Devices. It sits happily on the threshold of “adult” reading, never feeling childish or falling into the trap of being convoluted. It’s a follow-along murder investigation with a likeable lead and a long tick-list of warming details.
An enjoyable, well-paced read for anyone who enjoys a period-based mystery.
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