The Cairndale Orphan

Magic & Mystery #7

by J.M. Miro

A world-weary detective and a mysterious young boy hunt an unspeakable terror in a haunting short story by the internationally bestselling author of Ordinary Monsters.

Horror is loose in the gaslit streets of London. David Pye, an urchin who barely escaped an orphanage fire, saw something terrible crawl out of the inferno. Heeding his warning is Thomas Bromley, a disillusioned detective from Scotland Yard who knows the recent murders on his docket weren’t the work of an ordinary killer. But when your guide has a strange affinity for the dead, where will the search for a monster lead?

J. M. Miro’s The Cairndale Orphan is part of the Magic & Mystery collection, puzzle-box mysteries from top fantasy authors. They can be read or listened to in one enchanting sitting.

Genres: Fantasy, Short Stories, Mystery, Audiobook, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Historical Fiction

50 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 28, 2026

About the author

J.M. Miro is a novelist and poet living in the Pacific Northwest who grew up reading fantasy and speculative fiction.
He also writes under the name Steven Price.

Reviews

[Sarah • ia for a while · Rating 4 out of 5]

⋆.˚ ☾⭒.˚ Wow. This was good! The writing, characters, and story were all super interesting. I wish this was a full-length novel because I really wanted to know more about the mystery of Cairndale, why a certain person wanted to know about the orphans, and if a certain someone was alive or not. But I'm happy with what I got. 😊 This one also did get a bit gory, so if that's not your thing, I'd proceed with caution. 😄

Overall, this was a great short story, and the series as a whole was really fun! I was hoping it'd help me get back into reading since I've been struggling lately, but I don't think it did. 😢 Either way, I had a blast and recommend this collection of mysterious and magical reads. 🧡

𐚁 Thank you to Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review! All opinions and statements are my own. 𐚁

──── ୨୧ ────

The Magic & Mystery Collection
#1 The Wednesday Witches Book Club
#2 Miss Gentle and The Case of the Very Flat Monk
#3 The Lion's Tusk
#4 A Labyrinth of Honeybees
#5 The Wizard Who Kept Himself Suspicious
#6 Battle of the Round House

[Melanie (meltotheany) · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley

✰ the collection on amazon
✰ the collection on goodreads

this is a gothic mystery, where we follow a detective in victorian london, during the 1882 winter. he is very much still hurting with his grief, when his friend who helped him immensely through said grief, is now missing after her place of work at a scotland institute for orphans burned down. and maybe the children who lived there have some magic within them, that’s being hidden from others. it’s been six weeks since the fire, and the reader follows alongside the detective while trying to locate a child and his missing friend!

imagine my surprise, when the one author that i had not read from ended up having my favorite story of the collection! This is was atmospheric and just so well written. it truly felt like a full length story, in such few pages. and i just felt so very much for our mc, again, in such few pages. i am so impressed and i now can’t wait to pick up more from this author. especially if their stories are set within this world.

trigger + content warnings: loss of love one in past (heart attack), talk of homophobic society, death / murder, grief, vomit mention, attempted suicide mention, blood, gore, kidnapping, talk of hurt kids, talk of loss of children, fire, possession, dead animal depictions (horses)

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♡ Magic & Mystery Amazon Collection Reviews:
➛ Miss Gentle and the Case of the Very Flat Monk by Travis Baldree
➛ The Wednesday Witches Book Club By Sarah Beth Durst
➛ The Lion’s Tusk By Robert Jackson Bennett
➛ A Labyrinth of Honeybees By Heather Fawcett
➛ The Wizard Who Kept Himself Suspicious By Scott Lynch
➛ Battle of the Round House By Tananarive Due
➛ The Cairndale Orphan By J. M. Miro

[Mike Finn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dark, Victorian Gothic horror monster story, set in the same universe as Miro’s ‘Ordinary Monsters’ and ‘Bringer of Dust’.

The gothic atmosphere of Victorian London was beautifully crafted; the monster was something from a nightmare and the action scenes were intense, but what I liked most was how clearly and delicately the character of the large, battle-scarred Detective Inspector Thomas Bromley was drawn. His loneliness and grief were surpassed only by his determination to do the right thing.

My favourite line from the story was:

“Arthur had been dead almost two years, and Bromley wore his aloneness like a pair of gloves he couldn’t take off, touching everything in the world with it."

[Esme · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit confusing but still rather enjoyable. Interested in the whole collection!

Audiobook was really good!

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm just not that into this author. My mind wanders. The plot always feels so flimsy, and I can't really catch onto his characters emotionally. There's a reason I DNFed his first book, and I didn't know going in this story is set in that world! I mean, it was fine! But it was about twice as long as it needed to be.

[aria ✧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

── 4.0✦

I had no idea this was part of the Talents trilogy (it’s been on my tbr for so long now) but what I read here has me so excited to get to it.

Also the narrator? Will M. Watt. Heavenly voice

[Me, My Shelf, & I · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't know why this collection included two stories that are part of ongoing series. Not only that, but this was also the least "mystery" out of all the stories in this anthology.

I didn't much care for Ordinary Monsters and had no intention to carry on in that world, so I found that I was mostly very bored and struggling to stay awake for this one. But if you like his series, then I'm sure this short story will suit you just fine.

But for me? This only reaffirmed that I made the right choice not to read the sequels in that trilogy.

[Amanda F · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic!! I really loved this. The atmosphere was done really well and I felt like I was in those different areas as the characters were there. I want to see more in this world and follow some of the orphans where they live now, as well as Alice. I just have so many questions and so many things I want to continue to read about. This was just great!

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up expecting more of a historical mystery, so I was surprised when it quickly became a fantasy horror. This isn’t usually the type of book I would choose, but I do enjoy things like X-Men and Fantastic Beasts, so once I adjusted my expectations, I found myself intrigued by the ideas and the world the author had created.

The writing is strong, with excellent descriptions that create a vivid and atmospheric Victorian setting. The flesh giant was particularly memorable, and Thomas Bromley was the highlight for me as a character, especially the emotional side of his story and the closure he receives with Arthur.

However, while I enjoyed the way the book was written, I felt the plot itself was almost an afterthought. The story felt very rushed, with events jumping quickly from one thing to another and some developments feeling a little too convenient.

[sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite not being familiar with J.M. Miro's writing, I found myself super drawn into this story! I have seen that it is a 2.5 in The Talents Trilogy (which includes Ordinary Monsters) so I was a bit nervous going into this without any knowledge of the world. But I'm happy to say that I was not lost or confused at all while reading this! While I'm not familiar with the magic system in this world, I didn't feel like I needed to be in order to understand "oh that's a monster". The atmosphere was really well done for such a short story and I'm slightly more interested in checking out this author's full length novels!






Thank you to Brilliance Publishing and Amazon Original Stories for providing me with an Audiobook copy to review on NetGalley.

[Kim Catanzarite · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short story reminded me how much I enjoyed Ordinary Monsters. I’ll be reading Bringer of Dust soon!

[Inge · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great short story, set in the world of The Talents trilogy. Even though I hadn't read anything by this J. M. Miro yet, I could follow the story just fine. I enjoyed this story a lot, it might even be my favorite of this short story collection. The audiobook narrator did a great job. His voice fit the atmosphere of the book. I would recommend this short story!

*Many thanks the NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for an ALC. This review shows my honest opinion.

[Roelia (Roelia Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I requested to listen to The Cairndale Orphan partly because I’d enjoyed Ordinary Monsters a couple of years ago and still need to read the sequel and partly because I can never resist a ghostly mystery set in gaslit London. This short story follows detective Thomas Bromley, a man carrying more grief than he lets on, who finds himself helping David Pye, a young orphan who escaped the fire at Cairndale. It quickly becomes clear that David didn’t escape alone. Something came out of the flames with him, and Bromley is the only person willing to listen.

What struck me most was how quickly J. M. Miro establishes atmosphere. London feels cold and close, the kind of place where shadows linger a little too long. Bromley is immediately sympathetic, and I found myself rooting for him, especially as the story reveals the quiet heartbreak he has been living with. The supernatural element is unsettling and memorable, but for me, the emotional thread is the real centre of the story. The grief running through Bromley’s past is handled with subtlety and care, and it adds a depth I didn’t expect from a 60-something-minute audiobook.  The narrator, Will M. Watt, brilliantly added to the gothic mood and sense of mystery.

There are open questions by the end, and knowing this story sits within the world of Ordinary Monsters makes me wonder how much more there is to uncover. I would happily have read a full novel set around Cairndale.

Readers who enjoy atmospheric mysteries, gaslamp fantasy and character-driven stories will find a lot to love here. It is a compact, moody and surprisingly moving tale that left me wanting more of this world.

This book is part of Amazon Original Stories Magic & Mystery collection, releasing on 27 July 2026.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Brilliance Publishing, Amazon Original Stories

[Nettle Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read, full of noir tropes, and surprisingly tender

Received as an ARC from NetGalley.

Bromley is a forty-something disillusioned detective in 1880's London, who encounters a veritable stable of magical orphans as he hunts a monster which escaped from a fire where the detective's best friend, Alice Quicke, went missing - all the while mourning his illicit gay lover who died several years prior.

Bromley's grief and love for Arthur is the star of the book, while the magical orphans and Alice's disappearance provide urgency to the story. Some questions remain unanswered, which is expected for a short story: Who killed the sailor and woman in the river? What is the deal with Dr. Pain, the granddaughter of the orphanage's founder? And what happened to Alice? Only when writing this review, I realized the former is actually answered, it's the Flesh Giant , even though it's not made explicit. The latter two meanwhile probably are answered in the writer's other works, as I just found out this story is set in the setting of Ordinary Monsters .

Another strong point is the narrative voice for Bromley. Come to think of it - a depressed, morally dubious detective, very foulmouthed street urchins, a gruesome murder in a filthy city and a homosexual underground? This is Victorian Disco Elysium, isn't it?

[Weronika · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was BEAUTIFUL. The protagonist is well-characterized from the very first page: a dedicated detective in gaslit London, a middle-aged lonely man, in deep grief after his secret lover. It was an amazing ghost/mystery story, but its strongest element was a beautiful and heartbreaking m/m romance: Bromley's romance with Arthur was shining through the narrative and his grief after his lover's sudden death had real stakes. Despite the fantasy setting, it was also historically accurate and the protagonist struggled with the inherently homophobic reality of the 19th century London, torn between a desire for secret and peaceful life with his beloved and the fear of sodomy trials that would jeopardize their lives and careers. This all, however, is a backdrop and excellent character work for an actual mystery related to a serial killer and a boy who can see ghosts. This is set in a pre-existing universe and I discovered that one of the characters appears in Miro's "Ordinary Monsters" novels (that now I'm encouraged to read!) but it did not prevent me from enjoying the story and while some nuances/Easter Eggs were probably lost on me, I feel that I got sufficient explanation and characterization of everything and everyone.
I read 2 mysteries of the anthology so far and they were both excellent: so excited for this initiative! Oh, and the cover is top-notch.

[Ace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was provided a promotional copy of this short story by NetGalley and the publisher, and even though it wasn't perfect (I personally found some aspects of the writing to be somewhat stilted) I still absolutely *loved* the actual experience of reading it enough to give it 5 stars.

What I liked about this story was the way the entire thing was just a VIBE: very gaslamp paranormal dark and gritty nighttime mystery. The world descriptions were perfect and gave me very clear mental images of the world/settings I was in, and the main character was flawed yet earnestly trying his very best. Every character interaction between him and the people he encountered was meaningful and interesting, without any wasted "fluff" but without being TOO brief. All in all the story is about 50 pages, and every page is used to the fullest.

The mystery itself was very interesting, and even though nothing about the story was particularly clear (it lacked both a definite beginning and conclusion) I still really enjoyed it, which is rare for me because I looove to have any and all loose ends tied up neatly in little bows. There is no romance in this, just a past relationship referenced several times. However, the story didn't feel like it needed romance beyond that.

Great short story!

[ezra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for this ARC!

Rating: 4.5 Stars rounded up.

“The Cairndale Orphan” is book seven in the upcoming “Magic & Mystery” collection, and is part of the same universe as Miro’s “The Talents Trilogy”, set after book one. In my opinion you have to have read book one, Ordinary Monsters, to understand this story, and you definitely need to read it first if you don’t want any spoilers.

In this story, we join detective Thomas Bromley as he attempts to help David Pye, one of the orphans who escaped the fire at Cairndale. David wasn’t the only one to escape the fire – a strange creature has followed him to London, and its intentions aren’t good.

I really like the other two books in this universe, so I was super excited when I read Cairndale in the title of this story. Just like The Talents Trilogy, this book is dark and gloomy, but with a cast of intriguing, complex characters (who you may or may not recognise from the other two books). Bromley especially is a character that is now very near and dear to my heart, I absolutely loved what we learned of his history in this book.

Again, I wouldn’t recommend reading this if you haven’t read at least book one of the trilogy, but if you have, this is an absolute must-read.

[Dee Hancocks · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Cairndale Orphan is a captivating audiobook, which delivers an incredible, spine chilling listening experience from beginning to end. The story follows a disillusioned Scotland Yard detective and a young orphan who escaped a devastating fire as they navigate the gaslit streets of London to hunt a monstrous terror.
The production immediately establishes a beautifully dark and deeply immersive atmosphere. The narration is exceptionally well-delivered, offering a smooth and engaging performance that perfectly complements the grim tone of the narrative. What makes this release stand out is how much impact is packed into such a brief runtime, despite being a short story, it manages to present incredibly vivid, memorable characters and a series of genuinely gruesome scenes that leave a lasting impression. The world and the central mystery are so compellingly crafted that it leaves you desperately wishing this would be expanded into a full length novel.
Overall an atmospheric, expertly narrated short story that delivers high stakes horror and sharp character writing in one unforgettable sitting.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

[MadReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the seventh and final novella in Amazon’s Magic & Mystery collection. The set up of the mystery was interesting. A small child who survived a destructive fire at a special orphanage appears at Scotland Yard detective Thomas Bromley’s lodgings needing help tracking down the monster that caused the fire. I have not read this author before, and didn’t realize this novella is set in the world of one of his popular series. I think it would have helped if I had read those book. This is definitely the grimmest and most gruesome of the bunch; it had a noir feel and leaned heavily into horror which is not my typical genre. It was very well written. There is a lot included about the history of the main character, Thomas, but otherwise this leaves a lot of story untold. I was left with a lot of questions about the characters, setting and magic system that left me feeling unsatisfied. I think this had potential as a longer story where more of the details were filled in or as an addendum to series but didn’t work great as a standalone. If I ever get to reading Ordinary Monsters from my TBR, I’m sure I’ll appreciate this more.

Thank you to Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley for the arc. All opinions are my own.

[Rebecca Jamison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this short story!

Set in 1882, Scotland Yard detective Thomas Bromley is investing a series of murders. When he learns that Cairndale orphanage, where his friend Alice works, has been destroyed by a fire, he fears the worst for her safety. A young boy named David Pye arrives in London on Alice's instructions, claiming he saw a "flesh giant" crawling from the blaze.

Bromley is going through the motions following the death of Arthur, his one and only love. The two had shared a secret relationship for seventeen years, leaving Bromley struggling to move on.

When the monster appears and snatches David, Bromley realises that the recent murders may not be the work of humans after all as he learns that the orphaned children are Talents. Each of the possess a magical ability from invisibility to communicating with ghosts.

This story is gory and gruesome at parts and just utterly brilliant. I had never heard of this author before but I will be checking out more of their work for sure. It definitely proves that you don't need 400+ pages to tell a fantastic story.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC. In exchange, I am providing an honest review.

Usually, these short story collections from Amazon fall flat for me. I appreciate the bite-sized introduction to different authors and the idea of playing with a theme, but I often find them lacking, with few stand-outs.

However, this series had me intrigued, and it came with a lot of authors I was already familiar with, whom I enjoy. J.M. Miro is new to me, but he did not disappoint.

This short story is solid. In a short number of pages, Miro creates a whole world with well-rounded characters, which is not easy. I felt for Bromley in various moments of the story, touched by how tender he was, by his vulnerabilities despite his size and apparent gruffness. It was so darn good, and I am really looking forward to more stories in this collection.

Also, I hope this world gets revisited. It's so interesting, and I want more of it.

[D Dyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short story is connected to the author’s talents trilogy, which has been sitting on my TBR for quite some time now and which I will definitely be picking up soon. it packs quite a lot into a very small package, but does so without feeling overstuffed. Bromley is a Queer man and morning, mostly disconnected from the supernatural world who gets drawn in in a quite spectacular way, body horror most definitely included but does his best to offer what help he can to a kid in need and by extension to Alice, his missing friend. In the course of that brief adventure, we are introduced not only to contemplations of grief and addiction, but also to the good and bad of secret societies and an exploration of found families. There is a lot there, but with a plot that keeps moving and characters who are drawn quickly, but with clear distinction.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in the universe of the author’s ‘Talents’ trilogy, ‘The Cairndale Orphan’ follows a detective, Bromley, and a street urchin as they deal with a monstrous entity loose on the streets of 1800s London. I’m not familiar with this author’s work and I felt like I was thrown in at the deep end when it came to the supernatural elements. I was instantly enamoured with Bromley though as his relationship with Arthur was explored. I thought many of these moments were both tender and beautiful, albeit tragic. The descriptions of 1800s London were also spectacular, evoking images of dark, squalid backstreets.

Although there were parts that didn’t work for me, the atmosphere and the way the relationship between Bromley and Arthur was written have piqued my interest and I’ll be checking out the ‘Talents’ trilogy now.

I received an eARC from NetGalley and I am voluntarily leaving this review.

[Adam Forster-Nnachi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Huge thanks to J.M. Miro, Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley for this advanced copy of The Cairndale Orphan (part of the Magic & Mystery Collection). This review is being left voluntarily and all opinions expressed are my own.


This was a very atmospheric short story. It gave White Chapel/Jack the Ripper vibes, but with a supernatural edge.


Detective Thomas Bromley has had his own fair share of heartache and comes across as a melancholic and tragic figure. His chance for some sort of peace or redemption arrives in the form of a gifted orphan boy who needs his help.


This was a genuinely scary read at times and the author did a fantastic job of vividly describing the monster that the detective comes up against.


I hadn't previously read anything by J.M. Miro, but this has definitely made me want to read one of his full length offerings.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t enjoy the “institute for children with supernatural powers” trope quite enough to have picked up Ordinary Monsters, which is pushing a whopping 700 pages, but that book has been on my radar long enough that I was excited about this short-story-sized introduction to the world.

And I liked this a lot! The fantasy/horror blend worked really well, largely due to the perfectly bleak, dark, frigid atmosphere of the grimy London streets at midwinter. The flesh monster also marries perfectly with the disgusting abattoir setting. The plot asks more questions than it answers, but I wouldn’t say I feel unsatisfied with it after finishing.

Am I intrigued enough to finally read Ordinary Monsters? … Possibly.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Izzy⁷♡•° · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC copy of this book in exchange fron an honest review

Another installement in this collection that also manages to really unpack so much in such a short amount of pages. The atmosphere was so vivid, and I could really imagine the cold and sinister setting. I'm not 100% sure but this story seams to be related to the authors main series which I have had on my tbr since forever so I probably should pick it up.

I quickly caught myself feeling a lot for Bromley, his grief, sense of duty and honour but also his fears were really well fleshed out. I will just say that the final part of action/plot was rather silly, I had quite a few questions about those **** lol (trying not to spoil anything)

Would totally reccomend this one

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I should preface this by saying that I haven't read any of Miro's other books and wasn't even aware that this story existed in a larger universe until I finished it. That said, I feel as though this novella stands on its own well enough that it's either not necessary to read the rest of the trilogy or details went over my head enough where I didn't feel like I was missing anything in not having read Ordinary Monsters.

Now that that's out of the way, this story has everything: a missing person (murder?) investigation, a monster, and some spooky kids. It's very much an "institution for gifted kids" kind of story like X-Men or The Umbrella Academy, and it's definitely a fun read. The flesh monster is gross, the setting is moody, and the main character is well-fleshed out despite the story being so short.

[Nellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed J.M. Miro’s writing in The Cairndale Orphan. He does a great job setting a noir-like atmosphere in 1800 London as we follow main character Bromley. You also very quickly and easily get a sense of the type of man Bromley is, and I found myself sympathizing with his character, hoping for the story to end favorably for him.

There is a lot left open-ended by the end of the last page. As the author was new to me, I didn’t know about his in-progress Ordinary Monsters series. Based on a quick look at the synopsis of book 1, this story appears to take place in that world. Knowing that, and based on how The Cairndale Orphan ends, it makes me wonder if the characters we meet here are in that series. Either way, that series has been added to my TBR.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of the eARC

[Fantasyhoard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story 7 of the Magic & Mystery anthology, The Cairndale Orphan, turned out to be one of my favorites so far. What a spooky twist in a gaslight fantasy mystery case. The setting was perfect and put me right in the middle of a gloomy snowy London evening. The author did a fantastic job of evoking exactly the image of what was happening and the world it was taking place in. The few characters we met were well written and I honestly want to read more about these characters and the world they occupy. It was all quite unsettling and I felt a tad squeamish while reading about the creature as well as some of the areas we saw. Overall this was a great additional to the anthology and may have just convinced me to read more by this author.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Cairndale Orphan is a fantasy short story set in Victorian London. A young boy escaped an orphanage fire that unleashed an evil creature into the world. He asks for the help of Scotland Yard detective Thomas Bromley. There are some observations on love and grief, and the narrative develops well. From the way the characters were introduced, I could tell that this short story was part of a series. This was my first time reading this author, but I did some research and learned that the story belongs to the Talents Trilogy. While I was not the right audience for it, I believe fans of the trilogy and of YA fantasy in general would enjoy it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the review copy.