What do you think?
Rate this book
Anthony Maxwell #1
A Case of Poisons
Anthony Maxwell is a private investigator, a consultant for the mostly incompetent inspectors at Scotland Yard, on occasion a writer, and always a lover of coffee. He has been working small cases for several years to pay the bills when he’s introduced to the first multiple murder case of his career early one morning, when a witness catches a man trying to unload a body to bury in a nearby graveyard. Soon the first body is joined by three more in the course of a single morning and Anthony knows this is no ordinary serial murder case. And why is the murderer targeting beggars and urchin children? If that wasn’t cause enough to worry, all the victims are covered with horrible wounds and show signs of exotic poisoning. Anthony, along with his partners Tobias—an ex-broadsman and well-know charmer—and Scamp—a street smart and talented young woman—work to find out who is murdering the helpless beggars and children in such horrifying ways. The first book in this new Victorian steampunk series takes the three companions to the limits of their abilities as they go up against canny murderers, bruisers who appear invincible, anarchist groups, and even ancient British royalty in the biggest case Anthony Maxwell has ever worked in his career.
324 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2013
2 people are currently reading
391 people want to read
About the author
Hazel B. West
24 books145 followersHazel B. West is the author of several novels including historical titles like On a Foreign Field, By Blood or By Bond; Wolfsblood, a book about werewolves in Roman Britain and the Modern Tales of Na Fianna series, which feature modern Irish warriors with swords and fast sports cars and lots of faeries.
Hailing from Purgatory (aka, Florida) Hazel is an indie author, book wyrm, and coffee connoisseur. She typically enjoys writing books with an unconventional flair, probably with a bit of folklore and mythology, most definitely with a lot of siblings or brothers-in-arms. When she’s not writing, she manages an Etsy shop, drinks a lot of coffee, listens to music, haunts conventions, or just holes up like an eldritch horror and binges her favorite shows—for inspiration. If you meet this rare creature on the street, she has been known to respond to the offer of coffee and old bookstores. But it’s probably best you try to contact her online first.
Hailing from Purgatory (aka, Florida) Hazel is an indie author, book wyrm, and coffee connoisseur. She typically enjoys writing books with an unconventional flair, probably with a bit of folklore and mythology, most definitely with a lot of siblings or brothers-in-arms. When she’s not writing, she manages an Etsy shop, drinks a lot of coffee, listens to music, haunts conventions, or just holes up like an eldritch horror and binges her favorite shows—for inspiration. If you meet this rare creature on the street, she has been known to respond to the offer of coffee and old bookstores. But it’s probably best you try to contact her online first.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 21, 2016
A detective who took a pickpocket to lunch, keeps weapons in his boots, and gets into a fight with a mummy versus a criminal who is experimentally poisoning children and others. Fortunately, Anthony Maxwell has brilliance, courage, and some marvelous friends —a former card trickster; the pickpocket he took out to lunch (a brave young woman); his housekeeper; and a street urchin who protects other street urchins, and is like a son to Anthony. And Anthony will drive steampunk contraptions, fight mummies, infiltrate, research, and drink coffee until the poisoner is stopped.
PG
PG
August 1, 2017
=================================
Review of my first venture in reading this:
=================================
Not long before reading this book, I finished reading a large amount of Sherlock Holmes stories (thinking that no mystery could be better), and I must conclude that none of them are quite as excellent as A Case of Poisons .
I have read, thus far, three other books and many assorted stories by this author (all very good) and was greatly pleased to get my hands on this one. I was expecting a good story, but whatever I was subconsciously thinking surely must have been exceeded.
The plot, characters, setting, CONTRAPTIONS (now I know what steampunk is), and references to coffee consumption are all brilliantly done. The usage of actual poisons is a very nice touch. Anthony Maxwell himself IS THE BEST DETECTIVE EVER!!! (I think. In this context, anyway.) And no investigator (even in reality) has ever had such wonderful assistants (probably). And even in the midst of poisonings and the rest, there is humor (one of my favorite varieties, too), professors, mummies, "shortsticks" in boots, street Arabs, pickpockets, portraits, and even cheating at cards! According to my limited knowledge, I understand that this is somewhat of a rare combination (for one book at least).
Also, unlike most mystery books I have read, I didn't get the feeling that the police were being depicted as complete idiots and thus it is one of the only ones I don't have anything against.
As for "how the book reads," my review is still positive. The writing flowed perfectly; even though I am easily distracted, it kept my highest concentration until the end (after which are author's notes, an excerpt, and other things that were also fun to read). The end happened upon me far past midnight (leaving me quite invigorated).
All that said, I believe that this is not only my favorite mystery story, but also one of my favorite books to the highest degree. I would like to read the next book in the series really soon (unfortunately, it is not yet released, so that does not seem possible). I would recommend it to any person who could read and wasn't overly sensitive (just because of poison and shooting and stuff like that).
Review of my first venture in reading this:
=================================
Not long before reading this book, I finished reading a large amount of Sherlock Holmes stories (thinking that no mystery could be better), and I must conclude that none of them are quite as excellent as A Case of Poisons .
I have read, thus far, three other books and many assorted stories by this author (all very good) and was greatly pleased to get my hands on this one. I was expecting a good story, but whatever I was subconsciously thinking surely must have been exceeded.
The plot, characters, setting, CONTRAPTIONS (now I know what steampunk is), and references to coffee consumption are all brilliantly done. The usage of actual poisons is a very nice touch. Anthony Maxwell himself IS THE BEST DETECTIVE EVER!!! (I think. In this context, anyway.) And no investigator (even in reality) has ever had such wonderful assistants (probably). And even in the midst of poisonings and the rest, there is humor (one of my favorite varieties, too), professors, mummies, "shortsticks" in boots, street Arabs, pickpockets, portraits, and even cheating at cards! According to my limited knowledge, I understand that this is somewhat of a rare combination (for one book at least).
Also, unlike most mystery books I have read, I didn't get the feeling that the police were being depicted as complete idiots and thus it is one of the only ones I don't have anything against.
As for "how the book reads," my review is still positive. The writing flowed perfectly; even though I am easily distracted, it kept my highest concentration until the end (after which are author's notes, an excerpt, and other things that were also fun to read). The end happened upon me far past midnight (leaving me quite invigorated).
All that said, I believe that this is not only my favorite mystery story, but also one of my favorite books to the highest degree. I would like to read the next book in the series really soon (unfortunately, it is not yet released, so that does not seem possible). I would recommend it to any person who could read and wasn't overly sensitive (just because of poison and shooting and stuff like that).
June 28, 2013
My copy of A Case of Poisons was given to me by the Author. I was not obligated to write a positive review. This is my full and honest opinion.
Cover Blurb: Yes or No? True, there is a character impersonator, but you can't see his face clearly, so I'm perfectly okay with it. I love the gray background and Big Ben; it creates a very effective ambiance and coupled with the obscured figure, it's also very indicative of the story's era.
Characters: Anthony Maxwell is a detective that not only loves his work, but also has a very strong moral sense. As a consequence, he sometimes struggles with distancing his emotions from his cases - especially this one in particular, which takes a personal turn that he can't ignore. I liked Anthony; he was kind, had a quick sense of humor, and I connected easily with his emotional struggles. But the things I liked about him - namely, his overwhelming conscience - also grew to frustrate me just a tiny bit. While I totally sympathized with Anthony's frustration over the case, there came a point in time when I wanted to plead with Anthony to completely lock away his emotions and just concentrate on the puzzle, that way he would solve things quicker. Anthony's constant emoting on the ill treatment of children also got a little tiring after the third or fifth time; in some ways, I think the Author was trying too hard to make it clear to the Reader that Anthony was a compassionate person, when his actions alone made that quite evident. That said, I also believe that the Author made the right decision in giving Anthony such strong and obvious emotions. I'll admit it: when authors nowadays write a story about a private detective who happens to be far more brilliant than anyone at Scotland Yard, I tend to groan and mark it as a poor attempt at creating another Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock, while certainly a man of great emotion, always distanced himself from his cases; he never let his emotions get the better of him. By doing the opposite with Anthony Maxwell, the Author of A Case of Poisons has effectively set Anthony apart from literature's greatest detective, and that's a good thing. As soon as you begin to compare other mystery stories to Sherlock Holmes, there is absolutely no way they can live up to that, and you'll feel nothing but disappointment. So, to recap, I did like Anthony a lot, but the things I liked in him also bothered me, and as contradictory as that sounds, it is the truth, and I would not ask the Author to change him. Where Anthony was very emotional, his friends helped balance him out a bit. Scamp was a practical and spunky young woman, quite capable of taking care of herself without having an Attitude, and Tobias was the charming, loyal friend who also offered some surprising comic relief. He's the sort of character who seems to always get the short end of things, and the Reader always ends up laughing over his misfortune while simultaneously wishing they could get him a cup of cocoa. Archie, the leader of a gang of street boys, was probably my favorite, though, with his quick intelligence, fierce protection of the boys under his care, and his pride in refusing charity. And then there's the villain: Richard (revealing his surname would be a spoiler). When I first met the villain, I quite honestly wasn't sure what to think. At first, he didn't really come across as especially alarming, as he began to monologue about how much he enjoyed his evil work. Okay, villains are well within their rights to enjoy torturing and killing people; I'm not complaining about that. It's when he they start boasting about it that they go from frightening to cliche. However, Richard quickly improved as time went on. He began to display that calmness which betrays the fact that he will never make a mistake, and I began to really like him as a villain at that point.
The Romance: There isn't any! Which is a plus.
Plot: Anthony Maxwell is a private investigator who also sometimes helps out Scotland Yard when they need a pair of extra hands - especially when those hands are so much more adept than they. Up until now, Anthony hasn't had all that many big cases. But when Inspector Garrott summons Anthony to examine a mysterious body, Anthony's career is about to launch into an investigation that he isn't prepared for. The strange bruises and abrasions covering the body leave Anthony completely stumped - what's caused it? And what do the bizarre letters and numbers tattooed to the man's wrist mean? As he investigates further, the bodies begin to pile up, all with the same strange markings, and Anthony soon realizes that he's dealing with more than just a mere murderer. The mystery is a clever one, very engaging, and fast-paced. It's true that there's a lot of back and forthing between Anthony's lodgings, the Yard, and the crew's favorite coffeehouse, as well as a lot of looking things up in books, falling into bed completely exhausted, and LOTS of coffee drinking. And with so much of that sort of thing, A Case of Poisons could have been very boring indeed. But practically every chapter reveals something new to the case - a few steps closer to exposing the man behind the curtain, as it were - and this keeps the plot from lagging. Every new murder gives Anthony a new clue, however minute it may seem, and every studying session eventually turns something up, so we're not left wondering, "Okay, why do we have to read about Anthony poring over yet more dusty tomes?" The need to know how everything connects will keep Readers engaged and hardly noticing that yes, we're going back to the Yard again. As soon as the story begins to feel like it's dragging its feet, something unexpected happens, like another murder, the protagonist is attacked by some thugs, someone goes missing, et cetera - thus completely obliterating any slowness. It even has a secret society, which is just beyond awesome.
Believability: In a steampunk world, there are of course machines that didn't exist in 1887. Like electric automobiles, latte machines, or suicide pistols (although the Author has some very fascinating facts about true inventions that inspired her steampunk machines in the Historical Note). But the reason Readers read steampunk is for the gadgets, however impossible they may be, and the Author actually has quite a few plausible inventions! While the fabricated poisons may not be entirely possible (my microbiology class didn't really go that far into this sort of thing, unfortunately), they made the story interesting and added to the steampunk/Victorian science-fiction feel. We'll accept that in this alternate, steampunk 1887, microbiology was much more advanced.
Writing Style: First person, past tense. The first person narration probably also contributed a great deal to Anthony's overwhelming emotions, as well as his tendency to ramble on about his moralistic views. Anthony has opinions, after all, and he is the narrator. His tangents did get a little old after a while, but they weren't too bad, and I enjoyed his flair for the dramatic. What I would have liked to have seen more of was a fleshing out of Anthony's world. Part of creating a novel that feels Victorian is description. We get plenty of detail when it comes to the mystery itself, but hardly any when it comes to the setting. Where's the heart of London? The bustle, the noise, the millions of personal stories in just one glance? The narration becomes so wrapped up in the plot itself that it forgets to tell the Reader about the world it's set in, and I missed it. Part of my love for Victorian mysteries is the ambiance; the details; the window into Victorian English life - especially in London, which is so iconic for that era. The plot is so wonderfully engaging that I actually didn't really notice what was missing from the story until the end. There was a constant nagging feeling in the back of my head, but I was so caught up in discovering the clues with Anthony that I didn't pay any heed until I reached the final page. Then I was like, "There was something missing . . ." Hopefully in future installments, there will be a further exploration in the heart and soul of Anthony Maxwell's 1887 London. One thing, however, that the Author totally nailed was the street boys' slang, and that did go a long way in adding to the Victorian ambiance.
Content: None.
Conclusion: When the case turns too personal for Anthony, he knows he has to finish this case immediately, and he sets out to infiltrate the heart of the viper's lair. This, of course, leads to a showdown between Anthony and Richard, and while there is some monologuing, it somehow manages to not be cliche or turn Richard into a ridiculous villain who makes the one mistake no villain ought to. In other words, it just somehow worked. I don't know how or why, but it did. A Case of Poisons was a very hard book to review - probably the hardest one, actually. Because I acted as editor for this book, I already knew where the story was going, so it was difficult to once again put my mind back in the state of as if this were my first time reading the book. It was also difficult because I caught many things that bothered me the second time through than I did the first time - like Anthony's excessive emotions and the lack of world description. When I edited it, I read the beginning and then went months before seeing the rest of it, so I had a long break from Anthony's emotions, therefore they didn't affect me the first time like they did this time. And with the plot, the same thing happened to me last time as it did this time: I got so caught up in the mystery that I forgot about the ambiance. I desperately wish I could give half ratings, because A Case of Poisons is a solid 3.5, rather than just 3 little daisies. As a mystery, it was terrific - a real rollercoaster with every little clue connected in clever ways, kidnappings, and secret societies. The characters were great and there was a good balance of humor and drama. But Anthony's world wasn't fleshed out enough and I did get rather frustrated with him after a while. The Author tried too hard to convince the Reader that he was a good man by having him emote on the abuse of children, when in fact she could have just let his actions proclaim what sort of man he was. She did it with the villain, after all. But I don't want to end this on a negative note, because A Case of Poisons truly is a great mystery, and I look forward to future adventures with Anthony and his crew.
Recommended Audience: Girl and guy read, any age, great for Victorian mystery and steampunk fans!
Cover Blurb: Yes or No? True, there is a character impersonator, but you can't see his face clearly, so I'm perfectly okay with it. I love the gray background and Big Ben; it creates a very effective ambiance and coupled with the obscured figure, it's also very indicative of the story's era.
Characters: Anthony Maxwell is a detective that not only loves his work, but also has a very strong moral sense. As a consequence, he sometimes struggles with distancing his emotions from his cases - especially this one in particular, which takes a personal turn that he can't ignore. I liked Anthony; he was kind, had a quick sense of humor, and I connected easily with his emotional struggles. But the things I liked about him - namely, his overwhelming conscience - also grew to frustrate me just a tiny bit. While I totally sympathized with Anthony's frustration over the case, there came a point in time when I wanted to plead with Anthony to completely lock away his emotions and just concentrate on the puzzle, that way he would solve things quicker. Anthony's constant emoting on the ill treatment of children also got a little tiring after the third or fifth time; in some ways, I think the Author was trying too hard to make it clear to the Reader that Anthony was a compassionate person, when his actions alone made that quite evident. That said, I also believe that the Author made the right decision in giving Anthony such strong and obvious emotions. I'll admit it: when authors nowadays write a story about a private detective who happens to be far more brilliant than anyone at Scotland Yard, I tend to groan and mark it as a poor attempt at creating another Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock, while certainly a man of great emotion, always distanced himself from his cases; he never let his emotions get the better of him. By doing the opposite with Anthony Maxwell, the Author of A Case of Poisons has effectively set Anthony apart from literature's greatest detective, and that's a good thing. As soon as you begin to compare other mystery stories to Sherlock Holmes, there is absolutely no way they can live up to that, and you'll feel nothing but disappointment. So, to recap, I did like Anthony a lot, but the things I liked in him also bothered me, and as contradictory as that sounds, it is the truth, and I would not ask the Author to change him. Where Anthony was very emotional, his friends helped balance him out a bit. Scamp was a practical and spunky young woman, quite capable of taking care of herself without having an Attitude, and Tobias was the charming, loyal friend who also offered some surprising comic relief. He's the sort of character who seems to always get the short end of things, and the Reader always ends up laughing over his misfortune while simultaneously wishing they could get him a cup of cocoa. Archie, the leader of a gang of street boys, was probably my favorite, though, with his quick intelligence, fierce protection of the boys under his care, and his pride in refusing charity. And then there's the villain: Richard (revealing his surname would be a spoiler). When I first met the villain, I quite honestly wasn't sure what to think. At first, he didn't really come across as especially alarming, as he began to monologue about how much he enjoyed his evil work. Okay, villains are well within their rights to enjoy torturing and killing people; I'm not complaining about that. It's when he they start boasting about it that they go from frightening to cliche. However, Richard quickly improved as time went on. He began to display that calmness which betrays the fact that he will never make a mistake, and I began to really like him as a villain at that point.
The Romance: There isn't any! Which is a plus.
Plot: Anthony Maxwell is a private investigator who also sometimes helps out Scotland Yard when they need a pair of extra hands - especially when those hands are so much more adept than they. Up until now, Anthony hasn't had all that many big cases. But when Inspector Garrott summons Anthony to examine a mysterious body, Anthony's career is about to launch into an investigation that he isn't prepared for. The strange bruises and abrasions covering the body leave Anthony completely stumped - what's caused it? And what do the bizarre letters and numbers tattooed to the man's wrist mean? As he investigates further, the bodies begin to pile up, all with the same strange markings, and Anthony soon realizes that he's dealing with more than just a mere murderer. The mystery is a clever one, very engaging, and fast-paced. It's true that there's a lot of back and forthing between Anthony's lodgings, the Yard, and the crew's favorite coffeehouse, as well as a lot of looking things up in books, falling into bed completely exhausted, and LOTS of coffee drinking. And with so much of that sort of thing, A Case of Poisons could have been very boring indeed. But practically every chapter reveals something new to the case - a few steps closer to exposing the man behind the curtain, as it were - and this keeps the plot from lagging. Every new murder gives Anthony a new clue, however minute it may seem, and every studying session eventually turns something up, so we're not left wondering, "Okay, why do we have to read about Anthony poring over yet more dusty tomes?" The need to know how everything connects will keep Readers engaged and hardly noticing that yes, we're going back to the Yard again. As soon as the story begins to feel like it's dragging its feet, something unexpected happens, like another murder, the protagonist is attacked by some thugs, someone goes missing, et cetera - thus completely obliterating any slowness. It even has a secret society, which is just beyond awesome.
Believability: In a steampunk world, there are of course machines that didn't exist in 1887. Like electric automobiles, latte machines, or suicide pistols (although the Author has some very fascinating facts about true inventions that inspired her steampunk machines in the Historical Note). But the reason Readers read steampunk is for the gadgets, however impossible they may be, and the Author actually has quite a few plausible inventions! While the fabricated poisons may not be entirely possible (my microbiology class didn't really go that far into this sort of thing, unfortunately), they made the story interesting and added to the steampunk/Victorian science-fiction feel. We'll accept that in this alternate, steampunk 1887, microbiology was much more advanced.
Writing Style: First person, past tense. The first person narration probably also contributed a great deal to Anthony's overwhelming emotions, as well as his tendency to ramble on about his moralistic views. Anthony has opinions, after all, and he is the narrator. His tangents did get a little old after a while, but they weren't too bad, and I enjoyed his flair for the dramatic. What I would have liked to have seen more of was a fleshing out of Anthony's world. Part of creating a novel that feels Victorian is description. We get plenty of detail when it comes to the mystery itself, but hardly any when it comes to the setting. Where's the heart of London? The bustle, the noise, the millions of personal stories in just one glance? The narration becomes so wrapped up in the plot itself that it forgets to tell the Reader about the world it's set in, and I missed it. Part of my love for Victorian mysteries is the ambiance; the details; the window into Victorian English life - especially in London, which is so iconic for that era. The plot is so wonderfully engaging that I actually didn't really notice what was missing from the story until the end. There was a constant nagging feeling in the back of my head, but I was so caught up in discovering the clues with Anthony that I didn't pay any heed until I reached the final page. Then I was like, "There was something missing . . ." Hopefully in future installments, there will be a further exploration in the heart and soul of Anthony Maxwell's 1887 London. One thing, however, that the Author totally nailed was the street boys' slang, and that did go a long way in adding to the Victorian ambiance.
Content: None.
Conclusion: When the case turns too personal for Anthony, he knows he has to finish this case immediately, and he sets out to infiltrate the heart of the viper's lair. This, of course, leads to a showdown between Anthony and Richard, and while there is some monologuing, it somehow manages to not be cliche or turn Richard into a ridiculous villain who makes the one mistake no villain ought to. In other words, it just somehow worked. I don't know how or why, but it did. A Case of Poisons was a very hard book to review - probably the hardest one, actually. Because I acted as editor for this book, I already knew where the story was going, so it was difficult to once again put my mind back in the state of as if this were my first time reading the book. It was also difficult because I caught many things that bothered me the second time through than I did the first time - like Anthony's excessive emotions and the lack of world description. When I edited it, I read the beginning and then went months before seeing the rest of it, so I had a long break from Anthony's emotions, therefore they didn't affect me the first time like they did this time. And with the plot, the same thing happened to me last time as it did this time: I got so caught up in the mystery that I forgot about the ambiance. I desperately wish I could give half ratings, because A Case of Poisons is a solid 3.5, rather than just 3 little daisies. As a mystery, it was terrific - a real rollercoaster with every little clue connected in clever ways, kidnappings, and secret societies. The characters were great and there was a good balance of humor and drama. But Anthony's world wasn't fleshed out enough and I did get rather frustrated with him after a while. The Author tried too hard to convince the Reader that he was a good man by having him emote on the abuse of children, when in fact she could have just let his actions proclaim what sort of man he was. She did it with the villain, after all. But I don't want to end this on a negative note, because A Case of Poisons truly is a great mystery, and I look forward to future adventures with Anthony and his crew.
Recommended Audience: Girl and guy read, any age, great for Victorian mystery and steampunk fans!
September 4, 2013
OVERALL: 4 STARS
A highly enjoyable read for fans of historical mysteries, steampunk & Sherlock Holmes.
COVER:
Here is the skinny: If I were looking for books in Barnes and Noble, and saw
as either a face out or in a NR bay, I would pick it up and see what it is about. I enjoy historical mysteries, the cover is sepia (which I have a weakness for) & lastly, I am an anglophile. On the other hand though, A Case of Poisons is also listed as steampunk, which is usually placed in the Science Fiction/Fantasy section of the book store & this cover does not scream "steampunk" like other novels of the genre do.
STORY/PLOT:
Basically, a simple formula for
, would be
+
- the paranormal elements.
ENJOYMENT:
A Case of Poisons was a fast paced & interesting read. I read it in about a day, but I must admit I do read a little faster than others, so I would estimate 2-3 days. I think it should also be noted Ms. West must have done extensive research for the story, because the information regarding the poisons was informative and interesting. I was also happy to note the use of "repeat murders" being used, rather than "serial murders," as that term was not coined until the 1970s. My only issue with the story was a specific scene & I must beg you not to click on this spoiler if you do not wish to see what it is about.
RE-READ VALUE:
High. I also cannot wait for the next book in the series.
Personal Note:
I did receive a copy of this novel from the author. About a year ago, Hazel West posted a request for people to read and provide feedback regarding a chapter from the novel which became A Case of Poisons in a thread of a Steampunk group I follow. I was interested and so read it. I enjoyed it and im'd her. She allowed me to become her friend and follow her. I couldn't wait until the book became available so I might find out more of what happened to Maxwell. When it did become available, I purchased a copy from Ms. West & promised to break my rule of not doing lengthy reviews. (So you can blame her if you find my review boring.) My only transgression, was in not immediately reading the book when I received my copy. My only excuse is I had a huge stack of books to read and went to those first.
A highly enjoyable read for fans of historical mysteries, steampunk & Sherlock Holmes.
COVER:
Here is the skinny: If I were looking for books in Barnes and Noble, and saw
as either a face out or in a NR bay, I would pick it up and see what it is about. I enjoy historical mysteries, the cover is sepia (which I have a weakness for) & lastly, I am an anglophile. On the other hand though, A Case of Poisons is also listed as steampunk, which is usually placed in the Science Fiction/Fantasy section of the book store & this cover does not scream "steampunk" like other novels of the genre do.STORY/PLOT:
Basically, a simple formula for
, would be
+
- the paranormal elements.ENJOYMENT:
A Case of Poisons was a fast paced & interesting read. I read it in about a day, but I must admit I do read a little faster than others, so I would estimate 2-3 days. I think it should also be noted Ms. West must have done extensive research for the story, because the information regarding the poisons was informative and interesting. I was also happy to note the use of "repeat murders" being used, rather than "serial murders," as that term was not coined until the 1970s. My only issue with the story was a specific scene & I must beg you not to click on this spoiler if you do not wish to see what it is about.
RE-READ VALUE:
High. I also cannot wait for the next book in the series.
Personal Note:
I did receive a copy of this novel from the author. About a year ago, Hazel West posted a request for people to read and provide feedback regarding a chapter from the novel which became A Case of Poisons in a thread of a Steampunk group I follow. I was interested and so read it. I enjoyed it and im'd her. She allowed me to become her friend and follow her. I couldn't wait until the book became available so I might find out more of what happened to Maxwell. When it did become available, I purchased a copy from Ms. West & promised to break my rule of not doing lengthy reviews. (So you can blame her if you find my review boring.) My only transgression, was in not immediately reading the book when I received my copy. My only excuse is I had a huge stack of books to read and went to those first.
August 3, 2013
*I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*
A Case of Poisons is a classic Sherlock Holmes-ian whodunnit set in London in the late 1800s. I don't often read detective novels, so it was kind of fun to read outside of my comfort zone for a change.
The main character is absolutely perfect. He is an intelligent chap with a huge heart, a very witty sense of humor (made me chuckle more than once), and a love of coffee to rival my own. He is a part time private detective/consultant with the Scotland Yard. He, his trusty card sharp friend Tobias Farley, and his loyal lady pick pocket friend Scamp come together to help solve this case and stop a madman from killing men and children from the not so well to do side of town.
This book is beautifully written. The author uses great skill to pull you into the story. I felt as if I were right there hunting down clues and investigating mysterious bad guys right along with our heroes and their friends at the Yard. The terminology is as colorful as the cast of characters. You learn phrases like peelers, coffs, bloody boffins, and strutnoddy. Don't ask me what they mean. You'll have to read the book to figure that out! This book will leave you on the edge of your seat in anticipation until the very end with action packed scenes full of grave digging and secret meetings in secret rooms with real mummies.
I'm positive I will meet Sir Anthony Maxwell and his mates again sometime, perhaps in Street Arab's Runes, the next book in this series. Until then I think I will treat myself to a cup of coffee because I'm sure that's what Sir Anthony would do after a case like this one.
If you love detective novels, please read this book. You will not be disappointed!
A Case of Poisons is a classic Sherlock Holmes-ian whodunnit set in London in the late 1800s. I don't often read detective novels, so it was kind of fun to read outside of my comfort zone for a change.
The main character is absolutely perfect. He is an intelligent chap with a huge heart, a very witty sense of humor (made me chuckle more than once), and a love of coffee to rival my own. He is a part time private detective/consultant with the Scotland Yard. He, his trusty card sharp friend Tobias Farley, and his loyal lady pick pocket friend Scamp come together to help solve this case and stop a madman from killing men and children from the not so well to do side of town.
This book is beautifully written. The author uses great skill to pull you into the story. I felt as if I were right there hunting down clues and investigating mysterious bad guys right along with our heroes and their friends at the Yard. The terminology is as colorful as the cast of characters. You learn phrases like peelers, coffs, bloody boffins, and strutnoddy. Don't ask me what they mean. You'll have to read the book to figure that out! This book will leave you on the edge of your seat in anticipation until the very end with action packed scenes full of grave digging and secret meetings in secret rooms with real mummies.
I'm positive I will meet Sir Anthony Maxwell and his mates again sometime, perhaps in Street Arab's Runes, the next book in this series. Until then I think I will treat myself to a cup of coffee because I'm sure that's what Sir Anthony would do after a case like this one.
If you love detective novels, please read this book. You will not be disappointed!
July 27, 2013
A Case of Poisons sucked me in and just wouldn't let go! I loved every minute of it!
I received a signed copy of the book from the author. After the 4th chapter I purchased the Kindle Edition.
Every once in a while you come across a good mystery that just grabs your full attention! A Case of Poisons had me emotionally invested in the first few chapters. The plot was exciting and the characters were well developed. Hazel did a wonderful job building tension and great sense of danger. I really enjoyed the adventures of the protagonist, Anthony Maxwell - Archie, the young fellow, stole my heart.
The fact that there was no sappy love story was a big plus for me. I loved the family like bond between the characters.
I highly recommend this book.
I received a signed copy of the book from the author. After the 4th chapter I purchased the Kindle Edition.
Every once in a while you come across a good mystery that just grabs your full attention! A Case of Poisons had me emotionally invested in the first few chapters. The plot was exciting and the characters were well developed. Hazel did a wonderful job building tension and great sense of danger. I really enjoyed the adventures of the protagonist, Anthony Maxwell - Archie, the young fellow, stole my heart.
The fact that there was no sappy love story was a big plus for me. I loved the family like bond between the characters.
I highly recommend this book.
August 5, 2013
*I received a free Kindle version of this book from the author through the Read and Review program in exchange for an honest review.*
This is the first mystery/steampunk novel that I've read, so I admit I don't know much about the Steampunk genre. I do, however, know the mystery genre inside and out. A Case of Poisons ranks right up there with the novels of Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle.
The characters were very believable, and I especially loved the fact that Anthony has an affinity for coffee! (A man after my own heart!) This book was very well written, and it hooked me from the very first page! As an aspiring writer, I hope my first mystery is half as successful as A Case of Poisons!
This is the first mystery/steampunk novel that I've read, so I admit I don't know much about the Steampunk genre. I do, however, know the mystery genre inside and out. A Case of Poisons ranks right up there with the novels of Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle.
The characters were very believable, and I especially loved the fact that Anthony has an affinity for coffee! (A man after my own heart!) This book was very well written, and it hooked me from the very first page! As an aspiring writer, I hope my first mystery is half as successful as A Case of Poisons!
August 29, 2013
A wonderful first installment to an interesting new mystery series. Thoroughly enjoyable characters, intriguing plot, Victorian London and steampunk overtones - what's not to like? I'm very much looking forward to the next book.
August 18, 2013
I thought the premise of this book was very interesting - I enjoy mysteries, stories that take place in the Victorian era, and steampunk, all of which this story has. Somehow I didn't enjoy this as much as I thought I would.
A Case of Poisons is the story of Anthony Maxwell, a detective in an alternate Victorian era who is faced with a mystery involving seemingly random victims of poisoning. The effects of the poisons are terrible and gruesome, and Maxwell must discover the motive and the killer soon - or even more innocents will die horrific deaths.
This story rubbed me the wrong way starting with the prologue -
it framed the novel as the main character, Maxwell, relating (with embellishments) his adventures. Some of the sentences just really annoyed me - "I will warn you now, this story is not for the faint of heart: it is dark, it holds unknown horrors, and villains you would never wish to find in your dreams in the night - but, if you're like me, then I suppose this warning might just make you wish to read this book all the more." The whole "unknown horrors" and "faint of heart" business made me put on my skeptical face before the story had even begun, and the not-so-subtle way the author used Maxwell as a projection of herself was really annoying. I decided to clear my head of this very contrived prologue so I could give the rest of it a fair shot.
There were a couple of errors and typos that took away from the novel because it seemed like whoever had done the editing hadn't done a good job at all. One such error was: "I liked her metal" instead of "mettle" (ch 2). I was also annoyed by the chapter subtitles, which read something like, "in which we do this, this, and this." While this is a charming addition to some novels, the subtitles added nothing to the story and didn't make me want to read the chapter to see how everything would play out. The subtitle was so ordinary that I in fact was tempted to skip the chapter because it seemed like everything was already explained.
I was also confused about the world, since Maxwell speaks in a very proper Victorian dialect but terms like "microbiology" and "up the ante" are thrown in. It's also barely steampunk except for a bunch of mentions of a "contraption", presumably an automobile. In the acknowledgments the author mentions that it's steampunk because of the weapons and the engineering of poisons, but I didn't find these elements prominently modern enough to count as such.
I think my main problem with this novel is that I didn't connect with the characters enough to care about their story. Generally there are so many events that happen within a very small span of time, so you barely register them. It seemed like the majority of the "horror" of this novel involved that pathos one is supposed to feel for murdered children, but since "THINK OF THE CHILDREN" was brought up so many times, I stopped caring for them as well (heartless, I know).
Overall, this novel had a lot of potential, but didn't stand out as a particularly compelling piece of historical fiction, mystery, or steampunk.
* A free copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review*
A Case of Poisons is the story of Anthony Maxwell, a detective in an alternate Victorian era who is faced with a mystery involving seemingly random victims of poisoning. The effects of the poisons are terrible and gruesome, and Maxwell must discover the motive and the killer soon - or even more innocents will die horrific deaths.
This story rubbed me the wrong way starting with the prologue -
it framed the novel as the main character, Maxwell, relating (with embellishments) his adventures. Some of the sentences just really annoyed me - "I will warn you now, this story is not for the faint of heart: it is dark, it holds unknown horrors, and villains you would never wish to find in your dreams in the night - but, if you're like me, then I suppose this warning might just make you wish to read this book all the more." The whole "unknown horrors" and "faint of heart" business made me put on my skeptical face before the story had even begun, and the not-so-subtle way the author used Maxwell as a projection of herself was really annoying. I decided to clear my head of this very contrived prologue so I could give the rest of it a fair shot.
There were a couple of errors and typos that took away from the novel because it seemed like whoever had done the editing hadn't done a good job at all. One such error was: "I liked her metal" instead of "mettle" (ch 2). I was also annoyed by the chapter subtitles, which read something like, "in which we do this, this, and this." While this is a charming addition to some novels, the subtitles added nothing to the story and didn't make me want to read the chapter to see how everything would play out. The subtitle was so ordinary that I in fact was tempted to skip the chapter because it seemed like everything was already explained.
I was also confused about the world, since Maxwell speaks in a very proper Victorian dialect but terms like "microbiology" and "up the ante" are thrown in. It's also barely steampunk except for a bunch of mentions of a "contraption", presumably an automobile. In the acknowledgments the author mentions that it's steampunk because of the weapons and the engineering of poisons, but I didn't find these elements prominently modern enough to count as such.
I think my main problem with this novel is that I didn't connect with the characters enough to care about their story. Generally there are so many events that happen within a very small span of time, so you barely register them. It seemed like the majority of the "horror" of this novel involved that pathos one is supposed to feel for murdered children, but since "THINK OF THE CHILDREN" was brought up so many times, I stopped caring for them as well (heartless, I know).
Overall, this novel had a lot of potential, but didn't stand out as a particularly compelling piece of historical fiction, mystery, or steampunk.
* A free copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review*
August 5, 2013
I received a copy of this book from the author for free in exchange for an honest review.
Let me say first off that I do NOT typically read detective novels, but thought I would go out of my comfort zone and try something new. That being said....I really forced myself to read this book, there were quite a few times I wanted to put it down but I owed it to the author to see it through to the end. It was NOT because the book was horribly written, the writing flowed nicely, it just seemed a little slow for my tastes. I didn't feel it really picked up until about the last 70 pages or so. I enjoyed the banter between Inspector Garrett & Anthony Maxwell, it elicited a few grins at times. I also liked Archie and his relationship with the other orphans & Maxwell, himself. I also didn't guess who the bad guy was at all...which was surprising, because usually I can. A few things I DIDN'T like: I felt there was an overuse of the word "contraption," maybe it's just me, but I felt the author could have thrown in a few different words besides that one. I've read a few other "steampunk" novels and can usually picture the devices used within those books but had a hard time picturing the ones on this novel. I'm not sure that I would read the next book in the series but if someone were to ask for recommendations for this type of novel, I would probably suggest this to them.
Again, I didn't feel the author did a bad job on the novel and wish I could give it more stars but I'm basing my review on how I felt reading the book. (I wanted to rate 2 1/2 stars but felt that a bit cruel being it's just not my cup of tea).
Let me say first off that I do NOT typically read detective novels, but thought I would go out of my comfort zone and try something new. That being said....I really forced myself to read this book, there were quite a few times I wanted to put it down but I owed it to the author to see it through to the end. It was NOT because the book was horribly written, the writing flowed nicely, it just seemed a little slow for my tastes. I didn't feel it really picked up until about the last 70 pages or so. I enjoyed the banter between Inspector Garrett & Anthony Maxwell, it elicited a few grins at times. I also liked Archie and his relationship with the other orphans & Maxwell, himself. I also didn't guess who the bad guy was at all...which was surprising, because usually I can. A few things I DIDN'T like: I felt there was an overuse of the word "contraption," maybe it's just me, but I felt the author could have thrown in a few different words besides that one. I've read a few other "steampunk" novels and can usually picture the devices used within those books but had a hard time picturing the ones on this novel. I'm not sure that I would read the next book in the series but if someone were to ask for recommendations for this type of novel, I would probably suggest this to them.
Again, I didn't feel the author did a bad job on the novel and wish I could give it more stars but I'm basing my review on how I felt reading the book. (I wanted to rate 2 1/2 stars but felt that a bit cruel being it's just not my cup of tea).
January 24, 2017
An excellent mystery, with an entertaining main character.
This may seem strange, but I liked the way he occasionally got distracted in his narrative.
I think my only problems would be the rare jump to a conclusion, and the rather gruesome subject
Highly enjoyable
This may seem strange, but I liked the way he occasionally got distracted in his narrative.
I think my only problems would be the rare jump to a conclusion, and the rather gruesome subject
Highly enjoyable
December 10, 2013
I didn't care for this book I felt that it was slow. In my opinion the beginning was slow and dry. I normally like murder mysteries but this one I just didn't care for.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews