Loved this book! As I have enjoyed all of this author's work. She writes well, and tells amazing stories. Her characters are nuanced and interesting, with a mix of virtues and flaws that are very believable,

(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

London, 1882: Queen Victoria appoints Harold Spire of the Metropolitan Police to Special Branch Division Omega. Omega is to secretly investigate paranormal and supernatural events and persons. Spire, a skeptic driven to protect the helpless and see justice done, is the perfect man to lead the department, which employs scholars and scientists, assassins and con men, and a traveling circus. Spire's chief researcher is Rose Everhart, who believes fervently that there is more to the world than can be seen by mortal eyes.
Their first mission: find the Eterna Compound, which grants immortality. Catastrophe destroyed the hidden laboratory in New York City where Eterna was developed, but the Queen is convinced someone escaped—and has a sample of Eterna.
Also searching for Eterna is an American, Clara Templeton, who helped start the project after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln nearly destroyed her nation. Haunted by the ghost of her beloved, she is determined that the Eterna Compound—and the immortality it will convey—will be controlled by the United States, not Great Britain.

Sooooooooo disappointed with this one.

A lot of exciting elements were present: historical London, paranormal, immortality, alternate history/steampunk. Seemed like a match made in heaven.

Until it wasn't. And that did not take long at all.

I won't bother to list all the things wrong with this book - mostly because I have better things to do with my time but also cos there is a character count that I may exceed...

Don't bother. I won't again.


Paul
ARH