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Member Reviews

Well, that was good! How to describe "Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder"? The blurb compares this to an Agatha Christie, a Stuart Turton and any number of locked-room mysteries. I'd say, rather, Genevieve Cogman with a touch of Alison Goodman and Rachel Caine. Maybe even Ben Aaronvitch.

It's London in 1958, and a filing clerk is murdered after receiving a letter, delivered through a wonderful series of underground pneumatic tubes. Switch to Marion Lane, a quiet young woman living with a grandmother who desperately wants to see her married, and who works in an old bookshop.

Only she doesn't. Courtesy of a nice summary, we learn she is an apprentice "enquirer", a member of an underground (literally) detective agency. When her colleague is framed for the murder, she takes it upon herself to clear his name.

What follows is a delightful tale of tunnels, gadgets, clues and red herrings. Nothing too deep, dark or complex, but a wonderful adventure. The main characters are well enough developed, but with plenty left to explore in future books.

There a touch of steampunk in here, with a whiff of Harry Potter and I'm sure it will appeal to a wide variety of readers. The story moves along at a nice pace, and satisfies in all the right places. Ms Willberg is South African, so probably hasn't spent much time in London, but it doesn't stop her from drawing a nice picture of a (possibly) alternate city.

Oh, and even for a Netgalley ARC, my copy included a map! Extra points.

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