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Mrs. McGillicuddy #1
A Clockwork Vampire
A most unsuitable couple!
Edwin McGillicuddy is a former vampire Enforcer, once the right-hand man to the most powerful vampire Lord on earth. Eliza McGillicuddy is a strong-willed human woman who spends her days fixing watches, and creating weapons, in her downtown Brooklyn watch shop. Their marriage is not only unlikely, but entirely unsuitable! And it’s about to be tested.
In an alternate New York City run entirely on steam power and high technology, “nonhumans” like vampires and shapeshifters are struggling for civil rights, and the McGillicuddys are about to find themselves in the middle of a firestorm.
Enter Lord Foxley, Edwin’s ex-master and maker. Fearful there is a murderer on the loose killing high-ranking vampire Lords and wiping out whole vampire Courts, he manipulates the couple into following the trail of a brilliant assassin. But it isn’t long before the assassin discovers a new target—in Edwin and Eliza!
Even blood, sweat and gears won’t get them out of this fix.
“Guaranteed to be a great Halloween mood-setter! Steampunk? Well, emphasis on ‘steamy’ in some of the many nice places! Very fast paced and great characterization.”
—Ron Dee, author of Shade and Dusk
Edwin McGillicuddy is a former vampire Enforcer, once the right-hand man to the most powerful vampire Lord on earth. Eliza McGillicuddy is a strong-willed human woman who spends her days fixing watches, and creating weapons, in her downtown Brooklyn watch shop. Their marriage is not only unlikely, but entirely unsuitable! And it’s about to be tested.
In an alternate New York City run entirely on steam power and high technology, “nonhumans” like vampires and shapeshifters are struggling for civil rights, and the McGillicuddys are about to find themselves in the middle of a firestorm.
Enter Lord Foxley, Edwin’s ex-master and maker. Fearful there is a murderer on the loose killing high-ranking vampire Lords and wiping out whole vampire Courts, he manipulates the couple into following the trail of a brilliant assassin. But it isn’t long before the assassin discovers a new target—in Edwin and Eliza!
Even blood, sweat and gears won’t get them out of this fix.
“Guaranteed to be a great Halloween mood-setter! Steampunk? Well, emphasis on ‘steamy’ in some of the many nice places! Very fast paced and great characterization.”
—Ron Dee, author of Shade and Dusk
- GenresVampires
254 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2011
5 people are currently reading
60 people want to read
About the author
K.H. Koehler
81 books55 followersK.H. Koehler is the author of various novels and novellas in the genres of horror, SF, dark fantasy, steampunk and young and new adult. She is the owner of KH Koehler Books and KH Koehler Design, which specializes in graphic design and professional copyediting. Her books are widely available at all major online distributors and her covers have appeared on numerous books in many different genres. Her short work has appeared in various anthologies, and her novel series include The Kaiju Hunter, The Mrs. McGillicuddy Mysteries, Anti-Heroes, Planet of Dinosaurs, The Nick Englebrecht Mysteries, and The Archaeologists. She is the author of multiple Amazon bestsellers, and was also one of the founders and chief editors of KHP Publishers, which published genre fiction from 2001 to 2015. She has over fifteen years experience in the publishing industry as a writer, ghostwriter, copyeditor, commercial book cover designer, formatter and marketer. Visit her website at https://khkoehler.net
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 21, 2021
There are reviews of this book dating back to 2011. Considering I stumbled across it via Amazon's "New Releases" filter, I'm going to assume it's been recently re-published. The good news is it's also been re-edited. I did not mind the quality of writing, nor did I find an egregious amount of typos or grammatical errors.
A Clockwork Vampire is not steampunk, exactly. Computers, the Internet, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer all exist in this ostensibly steam-powered world. But the women also wear bustled gowns and say things like "How uncouth!" I don't really get it, and I can't tell whether 1) Koehler has put together some kind of logical world system and lacks the ability to bring it to life; or 2) it's a mess that has somehow jumbled together to imply a degree of competency.
Lots of info dumping and telling instead of showing throughout the book. The irreverent and referential treatment of history is enjoyable, though the author has trouble keeping the timelines straight. For example, the MMC was born in 1806, but apparently learned how to wield a whip from the Marquis de Sade.
For the most part, however, the action is compelling and the plot is well-paced.
Where this book suffers is in the interpersonal relationships. Nothing really happens or changes. We start off six months into the main characters knowing each other, and they already quite suppose they love each other. I don't understand the basis for this supposition, as they seem to be platonic domestic partners with a teasing fondness for each other's idiosyncrasies. As the plot forces them to interact outside of their defined employer/employee roles, they realize that yes, they do definitely suppose they love each other.
It's all very anti-climactic and there is no emotional payoff whatsoever.
The sex scenes are rote. I appreciate the straightforward writing style, but it does not lend itself towards sensuality. Edwin "loves" Eliza, they experience pleasure, then they climax. That's about as descriptive as it gets.
A Clockwork Vampire is a fast read with a satisfying amount of content and somewhat interesting worldbuilding. Just don't expect any character-driven romantic tension.
TL;DR: I didn't hate it, but I doubt I'll read the sequel.
A Clockwork Vampire is not steampunk, exactly. Computers, the Internet, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer all exist in this ostensibly steam-powered world. But the women also wear bustled gowns and say things like "How uncouth!" I don't really get it, and I can't tell whether 1) Koehler has put together some kind of logical world system and lacks the ability to bring it to life; or 2) it's a mess that has somehow jumbled together to imply a degree of competency.
Lots of info dumping and telling instead of showing throughout the book. The irreverent and referential treatment of history is enjoyable, though the author has trouble keeping the timelines straight. For example, the MMC was born in 1806, but apparently learned how to wield a whip from the Marquis de Sade.
For the most part, however, the action is compelling and the plot is well-paced.
Where this book suffers is in the interpersonal relationships. Nothing really happens or changes. We start off six months into the main characters knowing each other, and they already quite suppose they love each other. I don't understand the basis for this supposition, as they seem to be platonic domestic partners with a teasing fondness for each other's idiosyncrasies. As the plot forces them to interact outside of their defined employer/employee roles, they realize that yes, they do definitely suppose they love each other.
It's all very anti-climactic and there is no emotional payoff whatsoever.
The sex scenes are rote. I appreciate the straightforward writing style, but it does not lend itself towards sensuality. Edwin "loves" Eliza, they experience pleasure, then they climax. That's about as descriptive as it gets.
A Clockwork Vampire is a fast read with a satisfying amount of content and somewhat interesting worldbuilding. Just don't expect any character-driven romantic tension.
TL;DR: I didn't hate it, but I doubt I'll read the sequel.
November 13, 2022
The blending of genres captured my attention.
The pacing of the story works and is paired with a decent amount of on the edge action while seeing the development of the characters.
Outside the interesting concepts behind the main vampire, there are some additional interesting twists and turns until you reach the final page.
If you enjoyed vampires, steampunk, or mysteries, this should be right up your alley.
The pacing of the story works and is paired with a decent amount of on the edge action while seeing the development of the characters.
Outside the interesting concepts behind the main vampire, there are some additional interesting twists and turns until you reach the final page.
If you enjoyed vampires, steampunk, or mysteries, this should be right up your alley.
April 21, 2018
Wonderful plot!
A little smutty but a great read! The plot is excellent, the characters are fun and the world is well thought out. I could read this again and again.
A little smutty but a great read! The plot is excellent, the characters are fun and the world is well thought out. I could read this again and again.
November 30, 2015
Koehler's A Clockwork Vampire is part steampunk, part modern urban fantasy and part classic Agatha Christie-style mystery. This delicious blend of different is pure fun.
Eliza McGillicuddy is an inventor by trade and a wife by choice. Her husband is a vampire with a clockwork heart and a dark secret that's about to knock on their door. He's the Heir and Enforcer to one of the most reclusive and dangerous vampires in the world, a master who wants him to come back and solve a series of vampire murders. Eliza has a few secrets herself, none of which makes facing a centuries old vampire lord any easier.
Koehler's world building is stellar, her characters charming and complicated and her story outrageous fun. A Clockwork Vampire has a lot to offer readers who both love, but are tired of genre tropes, or those looking to expand their interests. I highly recommend it to paranormal fans and can't wait for the next book in the series.
Eliza McGillicuddy is an inventor by trade and a wife by choice. Her husband is a vampire with a clockwork heart and a dark secret that's about to knock on their door. He's the Heir and Enforcer to one of the most reclusive and dangerous vampires in the world, a master who wants him to come back and solve a series of vampire murders. Eliza has a few secrets herself, none of which makes facing a centuries old vampire lord any easier.
Koehler's world building is stellar, her characters charming and complicated and her story outrageous fun. A Clockwork Vampire has a lot to offer readers who both love, but are tired of genre tropes, or those looking to expand their interests. I highly recommend it to paranormal fans and can't wait for the next book in the series.
May 29, 2012
What do you get when you take a badly written, poorly edited (unedited?) vampire story with completely unlikable protagonists and slap some gears and steam on it? A complete waste of time. I'd like to think this was unedited, because, aside from the riduclous number of typos, what editor would allow a character to be named "I", leading to such awkwardly written sentences as:
“I don’t know why I killed him. There’s nothing in his notes about I..."
"We’ll find out when we talk to I.”
“I is going to fucking kill you, Alisa."
“I don’t know why I killed him. There’s nothing in his notes about I..."
"We’ll find out when we talk to I.”
“I is going to fucking kill you, Alisa."
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews