Amidst the backdrop of London's Great Exhibition of 1851, Kara Levett-an heiress and an inventor-is accused of murder. Partnering with Niall Kier, a charming Scottish blacksmith, Kara sets out to find who is really behind the murder and how the theft of her automaton plays into the nefarious schemes of an unknown foe.

Kara was introduced as a brilliant and beautiful woman who is in possession of a wealth of knowledge and a drive to achieve as much as she can in her career as a scientist. Kara is also quite adept at defending herself when coming up against dangerous adversaries; her skill-set comes from the multiple kidnapping attempts by those who hope to exploit her as a baron's daughter. Kara is also a very kind and giving person with a diverse group of friends from various walks of life-her best friend is her butler, and they have a lovely, albeit, unorthodox relationship.

With all of the above said, I do have one slight qualm with the heroine's characterization: she lacks an arc for personal growth. Multiple times we hear she is not like other girls, which is okay as long as Kara has a flaw or shortcoming that requires evolving. If a character is too perfect, they become less dynamic because we are all imperfect and that is what makes us interesting and allows for us to connect with other humans. I am hoping that future books show her to be a more well-rounded character whom I can connect with.

Niall was less fleshed out and I believe that is due to his mysterious motivation to keep others at an arms length. Why is that? Is he truly who he says he is? What are his secrets? I am hoping this is an overarching subplot, and aspect of Niall's story, that will expand in the next book in the series. But, overall, I found him to be a nice addition to what seems to be a subplot with a slow-burn romance that will play out over the course of the series.

The mystery was fun and I did not figure out the twist and the answer to who was behind the iniquitous deeds until they were revealed at the end. Yet, I have to admit that my favorite facet of this story was the cast of characters, all of whom were interesting and a fun group of people to spend a few hours with.

*Note on audiobook: The audiobook is narrated by Henriette Meire and she did a fantastic job! Her pacing, inflections, and subtle changes in voice made this an engaging read. I almost thought she was Anne Flosnik, who narrates Alice Coldbreath's audiobooks, and that is a high compliment in my estimation.

I read and reviewed an copy of this audiobook thanks to Tantor Audio via NetGalley. All honest opinions are my own.