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Reeves & Worcester Steampunk Mysteries #3
The Aunt Paradox
HG Wells has a problem. His Aunt Charlotte has borrowed his time machine and won’t give it back. Now she’s rewriting history!
Reggie Worcester, gentleman’s consulting detective, and his automaton valet, Reeves, are hired to retrieve the time machine and put the timeline back together. But things get complicated. Dead bodies start piling up behind Reggie’s sofa, as he finds himself embroiled in an ever-changing murder mystery. A murder mystery where facts can be rewritten, and the dead don’t always stay dead.
This 100 page novella is the third instalment in the Reeves and Worcester Steampunk Mysteries.
"A fun blend of P.G. Wodehouse, steampunk and a touch of Sherlock Holmes. Dolley is a master at capturing and blending all these elements. More than fascinating, this work is also rip-roaring fun!" - SF Revu
Reggie Worcester, gentleman’s consulting detective, and his automaton valet, Reeves, are hired to retrieve the time machine and put the timeline back together. But things get complicated. Dead bodies start piling up behind Reggie’s sofa, as he finds himself embroiled in an ever-changing murder mystery. A murder mystery where facts can be rewritten, and the dead don’t always stay dead.
This 100 page novella is the third instalment in the Reeves and Worcester Steampunk Mysteries.
"A fun blend of P.G. Wodehouse, steampunk and a touch of Sherlock Holmes. Dolley is a master at capturing and blending all these elements. More than fascinating, this work is also rip-roaring fun!" - SF Revu
104 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 24, 2014
17 people are currently reading
95 people want to read
About the author
Chris Dolley
21 books91 followersNew York Times bestselling author, pioneer computer game designer and teenage freedom fighter. That was back in 1974 when Chris was tasked with publicising Plymouth’s Student Rag Week. Some people might have arranged an interview with the local newspaper. Chris invaded the country next door, created the Free Cornish Army and persuaded the UK media that Cornwall had risen up and declared independence. This was later written up in Punch. As he told journalists at the time, ‘it was only a small country and I did give it back.’
In 1981, he created Randomberry Games and wrote Necromancer, one of the first 3D first person perspective D&D computer games. Not to mention writing the most aggressive chess program ever seen and inventing the most dangerous game ever played — the Giant Wrigley’s Spearmint Gum Cliff Top Relay.
He writes SF, fantasy, mystery and humour. His novel, Resonance, was the first book to be chosen from Baen’s electronic slush pile.
Now he lives a self-sufficient lifestyle in deepest France with his wife and a frightening number of animals. They grow their own food and solve their own crimes. The latter out of necessity when Chris’s identity was stolen along with their life savings. Abandoned by the police forces of four countries who all insisted the crime originated in someone else's jurisdiction, he had to solve the crime himself. Which he did, driving back and forth across the Pyrenees, tracking down bank accounts and faxes and interviewing bar staff. It was a mystery writer’s dream.
The resulting book, French Fried: one man's move to France with too many animals and an identity thief, is now an international bestseller.
In 1981, he created Randomberry Games and wrote Necromancer, one of the first 3D first person perspective D&D computer games. Not to mention writing the most aggressive chess program ever seen and inventing the most dangerous game ever played — the Giant Wrigley’s Spearmint Gum Cliff Top Relay.
He writes SF, fantasy, mystery and humour. His novel, Resonance, was the first book to be chosen from Baen’s electronic slush pile.
Now he lives a self-sufficient lifestyle in deepest France with his wife and a frightening number of animals. They grow their own food and solve their own crimes. The latter out of necessity when Chris’s identity was stolen along with their life savings. Abandoned by the police forces of four countries who all insisted the crime originated in someone else's jurisdiction, he had to solve the crime himself. Which he did, driving back and forth across the Pyrenees, tracking down bank accounts and faxes and interviewing bar staff. It was a mystery writer’s dream.
The resulting book, French Fried: one man's move to France with too many animals and an identity thief, is now an international bestseller.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
March 7, 2018
I won a copy of this. It’s cute, the narrator is quite good. The story is very tongue-in-cheek. I would check out the rest of the series.
Read
July 14, 2014Dolley really has the Wodehousian touch. Add in H.G. Wells and some time travel, and you get a delightful tale full of twists and turns, with a great many laughs.
June 21, 2017
I don't have high expectations of books I just expect them to entertain me and take me to a different world. I don't check for grammar I do check for characters to make sense and to be believable. This book wasI quite funny I really enjoyed it and it made me laugh a lot. It wasn't deep, it wasn't thought-provoking it just was a fun read and so I'm going to give it a 4.5.
I enjoyed it so much that I bought the other three books and that's how they hook you in. They give you the free book which You love and then you buy the others. Ah well that's OK authors have to make a living too.
I enjoyed it so much that I bought the other three books and that's how they hook you in. They give you the free book which You love and then you buy the others. Ah well that's OK authors have to make a living too.
November 19, 2019
I loved this funny and fun steampunk mystery story based perfectly off P. G. Wodehouse’s Jeeves and Wooster characters. My only problem with it is that when I finished it I had also finished all four books in the series. That being said, you can read them out of order and still enjoy them, I read number 4 first. And you should read them, they’re wild nonsense and dry goofy humor and everything I love about Wodehouse with Robots and time machines as an added bonus.
December 9, 2021
This was another light, entertaining story but it ended rather abruptly. I thought there was more story to be told, but it wrapped up everything too easily. I had more questions I wanted answered, but I have always asked too many questions.
November 21, 2018
"As the poet says, ‘In the spring a young automaton’s fancy turns to thoughts of electrical appliances with shapely legs.’"
July 25, 2019
Quite entertaining. Time travelling in Wodehouse style.
March 29, 2024
Amusing but most time travel stories are kind of annoying.
June 16, 2019
Back to the narrator from the first book and much more enjoyable. Clever and funny
April 11, 2023
Picking the series back up after a many year break.
August 15, 2020
In this installment of the Reeves & Worcester Steampunk Mysteries, things go all wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey when H. G. Wells’s (call him Bertie) aunt steals his time machine. The story pulls in classic time travel tropes from Back to the Future, Doctor Who, and more. The plot is well-written as far as “messing up and then trying to fix the timeline” stories go. I might have to read or listen to it again to see how well it all hangs together, but it was as lighthearted and enjoyable as the first two books in the series.
The narration of the audiobook was much better than in Reggiecide. Paul J. Rose does an excellent job, reminding me of my favorite narrator for the Jeeves & Wooster books (Jonathan Cecil). I highly recommend these books for lighthearted fun; especially if you are a fan of P. G. Wodehouse.
The narration of the audiobook was much better than in Reggiecide. Paul J. Rose does an excellent job, reminding me of my favorite narrator for the Jeeves & Wooster books (Jonathan Cecil). I highly recommend these books for lighthearted fun; especially if you are a fan of P. G. Wodehouse.
July 5, 2014
HG Wells has a problem. His Aunt Charlotte has borrowed his time machine and won’t give it back. Now she’s rewriting history!
Reggie Worcester, gentleman’s consulting detective, and his automaton valet, Reeves, are hired to retrieve the time machine and put the timeline back together. But things get complicated. Dead bodies start piling up behind Reggie’s sofa, as he finds himself embroiled in an ever-changing murder mystery. A murder mystery where facts can be rewritten, and the dead don’t always stay dead.
This 100 page novella is the third instalment in the Reeves and Worcester Steampunk Mysteries.
Received as part of the Librarything May 2014 Early Reviewers batch. Published by BookViewCafe and can be brought from them here
Have never read these stories before, but it was soon evident that this is an homage to PG Wodehouse, with a little Sherlock Holmes, Steampunk (in the form of the mechanical Reeves) and Science Fiction (HG Wells as the requisite Bertie) thrown in.
It's fast paced, silly, and you may be able to find some holes in the forever changing timestream if you wanted to try hard enough (but you dont really, because that would spoil all the fun). Discounting the multiple versions of Aunt Charlotte, there is a limited cast, most of whom in the second half are great-great-great relations of other people, most of whom have turned up dead in Worcester's flat at some point - resulting in a rather unflattering book and new nickname. As a Wodehouse style novella, the story is short, and characterisation, especially of the secondary characters is not exactly in depth, but this is not a failing of the book by any means. Worcester's character is easily evidenced by the need of the "emergency gin" bottles hiding around the place and Reeves' continued attempts to recover the situation, much to Reggie's dismay.
So if you are in the mood for a short story designed to give you amusement and even some laughs, this is the book for you!
Reggie Worcester, gentleman’s consulting detective, and his automaton valet, Reeves, are hired to retrieve the time machine and put the timeline back together. But things get complicated. Dead bodies start piling up behind Reggie’s sofa, as he finds himself embroiled in an ever-changing murder mystery. A murder mystery where facts can be rewritten, and the dead don’t always stay dead.
This 100 page novella is the third instalment in the Reeves and Worcester Steampunk Mysteries.
Received as part of the Librarything May 2014 Early Reviewers batch. Published by BookViewCafe and can be brought from them here
Have never read these stories before, but it was soon evident that this is an homage to PG Wodehouse, with a little Sherlock Holmes, Steampunk (in the form of the mechanical Reeves) and Science Fiction (HG Wells as the requisite Bertie) thrown in.
It's fast paced, silly, and you may be able to find some holes in the forever changing timestream if you wanted to try hard enough (but you dont really, because that would spoil all the fun). Discounting the multiple versions of Aunt Charlotte, there is a limited cast, most of whom in the second half are great-great-great relations of other people, most of whom have turned up dead in Worcester's flat at some point - resulting in a rather unflattering book and new nickname. As a Wodehouse style novella, the story is short, and characterisation, especially of the secondary characters is not exactly in depth, but this is not a failing of the book by any means. Worcester's character is easily evidenced by the need of the "emergency gin" bottles hiding around the place and Reeves' continued attempts to recover the situation, much to Reggie's dismay.
So if you are in the mood for a short story designed to give you amusement and even some laughs, this is the book for you!
July 15, 2015
I went into this having read the two previous books, and expecting something light and amusing. I got that, but it was perhaps a bit too light, and not as amusing as I'd hoped. It's very short, and even then the last 10% consists of advertisements for the author's other books and the small press that put it out, so the $2.99 price comes out looking a little high. (I know that's the lowest price that gives 70% royalty. However, I'd normally expect more content, and more substance, for $2.99.)
I mentioned in my review for the previous book that there's an inherent problem with protagonism in these stories. Worcester, the narrator, is completely incompetent, while Reeves is competent. This is inherited, of course, from the model, but Wodehouse managed to make it not matter - I think by putting his hero through suffering and humiliation, mainly. Here, especially where the plots require the heroes to actually do things that matter (unlike Wodehouse), the fact that the problem is resolved by Reeves being competent off-screen doesn't work quite as well. It feels like a letdown.
I was distracted, also, by a few typos, despite two editors being credited. There were half a dozen or so in this very short book, which to me is too many. Mostly missing words, but sometimes missing apostrophes, too.
Is this an enjoyable book, though? Yes, in exactly the same way as the previous two, no more and no less. It's written to the same formula, in other words. I'd advise waiting for a collected edition of all three, unless you're already a big fan of that formula.
I mentioned in my review for the previous book that there's an inherent problem with protagonism in these stories. Worcester, the narrator, is completely incompetent, while Reeves is competent. This is inherited, of course, from the model, but Wodehouse managed to make it not matter - I think by putting his hero through suffering and humiliation, mainly. Here, especially where the plots require the heroes to actually do things that matter (unlike Wodehouse), the fact that the problem is resolved by Reeves being competent off-screen doesn't work quite as well. It feels like a letdown.
I was distracted, also, by a few typos, despite two editors being credited. There were half a dozen or so in this very short book, which to me is too many. Mostly missing words, but sometimes missing apostrophes, too.
Is this an enjoyable book, though? Yes, in exactly the same way as the previous two, no more and no less. It's written to the same formula, in other words. I'd advise waiting for a collected edition of all three, unless you're already a big fan of that formula.
May 16, 2017
Ah, this book. I had no idea what to expect, wasn't familiar with author Chris Dolley, and honestly didn't look into this book much beyond "HG Wells has a problem. His Aunt Charlotte has borrowed his time machine and won't give it back. Now she's rewriting history!" which intrigued me.
The book was a pleasant surprise! A little steampunk, a little Sherlock Holmes. Clever and full of action at the same time, and funny.
I also loved the characters. Once I figured out this wasn't the first book with Worcester and Reeves I was a little worried I was missing crucial information, but it didn't matter for this story (although I'm all the more curious about other stories now, like What Ho, Automaton!).
(I won this book in a giveaway on LibraryThing.)
(Also, first review for a book? yay me)
The book was a pleasant surprise! A little steampunk, a little Sherlock Holmes. Clever and full of action at the same time, and funny.
I also loved the characters. Once I figured out this wasn't the first book with Worcester and Reeves I was a little worried I was missing crucial information, but it didn't matter for this story (although I'm all the more curious about other stories now, like What Ho, Automaton!).
(I won this book in a giveaway on LibraryThing.)
(Also, first review for a book? yay me)
August 10, 2016
What ho!! This quick read was so good I read almost the entire thing aloud to everyone in the room! Witty, charming, urbane and clever, the more-than-slightly clueless Reginald Worcester and his automaton Reeves are the best thing to happen to steam punk. Borrowing heavily and quite well from P.G. Wodehouse, this little gem offers Aunts galore in the first part as a missing time machine mystery is solved. The second half of the book deals with mysterious murders, more time travel, changed timelines and more H.G. Wells as Worcester & Reeves do their thing and solve the whole convoluted mess with panache and quite a bit of gin. An excellent addition to the series. 5 stars. I received a copy of the book-the review is my own.
February 23, 2016
I enjoyed this a lot more than the first two Reeves & Worcester books. It seemed (to me) to have moved from the original clumsy yet dogged attempt to replicate other styles, and assumed more of its own tone. Also, there were only a couple mentions of orangutans, and no troth-plighting at all to my recollection, which alone puts it head and shoulders above What Ho, Automaton!
Despite the chaotic and occasionally baffling action, I found this book waaay more focused and fun than the others. I actually really like the short format for this series; I think it suits the lighthearted nature of the content, and I'm all for a collection of short stories rather than full-length novels.
Despite the chaotic and occasionally baffling action, I found this book waaay more focused and fun than the others. I actually really like the short format for this series; I think it suits the lighthearted nature of the content, and I'm all for a collection of short stories rather than full-length novels.
June 7, 2014
What a delightful surprise this book turned out to be! I received an Early Reviewers copy via LibraryThing. I don't usually go for novellas - I like a BIG book that I can get really involved with but this was a great read. Steampunk Victorian detective with a robot valet searching for a time machine stolen from H.G. Wells (just call me Bertie) :) Even though it is a short book (just 96 pages) I still fell in love with the main characters especially Reeves LOL. Highly recommended entertainment!
June 6, 2014
Delightful from first word to last. A glorious romp with tongue firmly in cheek, we find a steampunk version of Jeeves chasing HG Wells' time machine, appropriated first by his hapless employer's aunt, and then by a more sinister baddie. The language is spot on, and the author gives nods to Sherlock Holmes and various others (often skewed). Easily read in one sitting... and I'm glad it's on my shelf: I'll be dancing through it again...
I received this book for free through LibraryThing.
I received this book for free through LibraryThing.
June 9, 2014
It was a fast-paced reading. I like the idea with the time travel machine. Unfortunately, I have the feeling there is a major interruption between the part where they solve the problem with the multiple Aunt Paradox and the second part where Reeves and Worcester's life is involved. I have to admit that this disruption isn't taken to a great length and soon everything makes sense again but nevertheless I'm bothered with it.
(3 1/2 stars)
(3 1/2 stars)
December 24, 2014
I'm not usually a huge fan of time travel, but the humour and murder mystery along with the likeable banter between Worcester and Reeves made this book not only a wonderful and unique story, but parts had me laughing out loud and sharing with my husband (who is now primed to read it next). Clever and quirky and definitely a series that I'm interested in reading more of! Highly recommended!!
January 10, 2016
Quite a romp! PG Wodehouse goes Steampunk. I think that Chris Dolley did a great job of capturing the flavor of Jeeves and Wooster while dashing off on a wild time travelling adventure. Good mystery, well sleuthed. I really enjoyed this and am grateful to LibraryThing for the copy I won. I'd love to get my hands on a copy of French Fried. It sounds great too.
March 13, 2016
H.G. Wells' time machine has been stolen by a devilish, nearly unstoppable force: his aunt. Can our hero Reggie Worcester and his (automaton) man Reeves retrieve the machine before all of history is rewritten?
June 8, 2014
HG Wells, steampunk, time travel and Reggie Worcester, a gentleman’s consulting detective,with his automaton valet, Reeves, are hired to find a missing time travel machine
October 8, 2014
Not my favorite of the Reggie mystery series, but still a fun read.
November 3, 2024
Very enjoyable. Hopefully more books are coming.
reread may 2017
Reread Dec 2019
Nov 2024 reread. Reggie is less of an idiot this time
reread may 2017
Reread Dec 2019
Nov 2024 reread. Reggie is less of an idiot this time
April 8, 2016
Another wonderful Worchester & Reeves story. Enter H.G. Wells and his working time machine plus an aunt or two ...
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
July 18, 2016
Awesome and just as funny and engrossing as all the rest. I sincerely hope he will pen many more Reeves and Worcester stories in the future.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews