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Steampunk Sleuths
Steampunk Sleuths • Clockwork Crime • Mechanical Mystery
Five detective stories set in a steampunk world, brought to you by some of the most original voices in speculative fiction today. Each tale in this anthology offers a different variation on the theme, from Edo-era Japan to interplanetary war, and from a clockwork locked-room mystery to bloodpunk in Whitby... and we didn't forget to invite an airshipload of sky pirates.
If you love the sound of clever mystery puzzles with a steampunk spin of the cog, this latest anthology from Black Beacon Books is for you, by Jove!
Tears of the Dragon - S.B. Watson
Murder in Whitby - Karen Bayly
The Untimely Death of Clockmaster Tollsmead - Cameron Trost
The Copper Train - Diana Parrilla
The Strange Case of Private Ornshaw and the Martian Detective - David Turnbull
Five detective stories set in a steampunk world, brought to you by some of the most original voices in speculative fiction today. Each tale in this anthology offers a different variation on the theme, from Edo-era Japan to interplanetary war, and from a clockwork locked-room mystery to bloodpunk in Whitby... and we didn't forget to invite an airshipload of sky pirates.
If you love the sound of clever mystery puzzles with a steampunk spin of the cog, this latest anthology from Black Beacon Books is for you, by Jove!
Tears of the Dragon - S.B. Watson
Murder in Whitby - Karen Bayly
The Untimely Death of Clockmaster Tollsmead - Cameron Trost
The Copper Train - Diana Parrilla
The Strange Case of Private Ornshaw and the Martian Detective - David Turnbull
227 pages, Paperback
Published September 3, 2025
3 people are currently reading
6 people want to read
About the author
Cameron Trost
54 books685 followersCameron Trost is an author of mystery, suspense, post-apocalyptic, and horror fiction best known for his puzzles featuring Oscar Tremont, Investigator of the Strange and Inexplicable. He has written four novels, Dead on the Dolmen, Flicker, The Tunnel Runner, and Letterbox, and three collections, Oscar Tremont, Investigator of the Strange and Inexplicable, Hoffman's Creeper and Other Disturbing Tales, and The Animal Inside. He runs the independent press, Black Beacon Books, and is a member of the Australian Crime Writers Association and The Short Mystery Fiction Society. Originally from Brisbane, Australia, his home is now in southern Brittany, between the rugged coast and treacherous marshland.
I aim to rate every book I finish and I usually leave a short review. I rarely leave one-star or two-star ratings. If I don't like a book, I won't finish or rate it. I'm here to share good reads.
Reviewers: Send me a message if you'd like to receive ebook copies for review.
Authors: If you'd like to suggest I review your book, get in touch via my blog: https://trostlibrary.blogspot.com/p/b...
You can find me on Amazon, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, BookBub, TikTok, and other platforms. Complete links here: https://linktr.ee/camerontrost
I aim to rate every book I finish and I usually leave a short review. I rarely leave one-star or two-star ratings. If I don't like a book, I won't finish or rate it. I'm here to share good reads.
Reviewers: Send me a message if you'd like to receive ebook copies for review.
Authors: If you'd like to suggest I review your book, get in touch via my blog: https://trostlibrary.blogspot.com/p/b...
You can find me on Amazon, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, BookBub, TikTok, and other platforms. Complete links here: https://linktr.ee/camerontrost
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 1, 2026
In a world where steam engines rule: steam powered pirate ships, steam powered robots, steam powered weapons; you will still need detectives to solve problems. That is the theme of this anthology, and its five stories provide quite a variety. A locked room mystery. A James Bond like thriller. Pirates stealing precious jewels. A tradition PI with an interesting handicap. Even Martians are involved.
I enjoyed these stories, but if I had to choose my favorite, I’d have to go with “The Strange Case of Private Ornshaw and the Martian Detective,” by David Turbull, about refugees from a Martian civil war which led to an invasion of our world. The Martian detective takes an unlikely ally as they investigate a series of disappearances. This one held me from start to finish. I couldn’t put it down. I also enjoyed some of the more serious touches about veterans being mistreated and the possibilities of nuclear annihilation.
Other stories in this collection also had serious touches about the dangers of AI, racism, and other issues. These didn’t distract from the adventure stories but made you think.
Oh, and did I say “Dracula” creator Bram Stoker makes an appearance?
Fun anthology.
I enjoyed these stories, but if I had to choose my favorite, I’d have to go with “The Strange Case of Private Ornshaw and the Martian Detective,” by David Turbull, about refugees from a Martian civil war which led to an invasion of our world. The Martian detective takes an unlikely ally as they investigate a series of disappearances. This one held me from start to finish. I couldn’t put it down. I also enjoyed some of the more serious touches about veterans being mistreated and the possibilities of nuclear annihilation.
Other stories in this collection also had serious touches about the dangers of AI, racism, and other issues. These didn’t distract from the adventure stories but made you think.
Oh, and did I say “Dracula” creator Bram Stoker makes an appearance?
Fun anthology.
April 6, 2026
A great selection of steampunk inspired murder mysteries. I enjoyed all the stories but especially loved S.B. Watson’s “Tears of the Dragon”. Highly recommended reading if you like your steampunk imaginings outside the box.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews