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Jesperson and Lane #2
The Curious Affair of the Witch at Wayside Cross
The paranormal answer to Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, Jesperson and Lane are turning the Victorian era upside down in this bewitching series from John W. Campbell Award winner Lisa Tuttle.
“Witch!” cries the young man after stumbling unexpectedly into the London address of the consulting-detective partnership of Mr. Jasper Jesperson and Miss Lane. He makes the startling accusation while pointing toward Miss Lane . . . then he drops dead. Thus begins the strangest case yet to land—quite literally—on the doorstep of Jesperson and Lane.
According to the coroner, Charles Manning died of a heart attack—despite being in perfect health. Could he have been struck down by a witch’s spell? The late Mr. Manning’s address book leads Jesperson and Lane to the shrieking pits of Aylmerton, an ancient archaeological site reputed to be haunted by a vengeful ghost. There they sift through the local characters, each more suspicious than the last: Manning’s associate, Felix Ott, an English folklore enthusiast; Reverend Ringer, a fierce opponent of superstition; and the Bulstrode sisters, a trio of beauties with a reputation for witchcraft.
But when an innocent child goes missing, suddenly Jesperson and Lane aren’t merely trying to solve one murder—they’re racing to prevent another.
“Witch!” cries the young man after stumbling unexpectedly into the London address of the consulting-detective partnership of Mr. Jasper Jesperson and Miss Lane. He makes the startling accusation while pointing toward Miss Lane . . . then he drops dead. Thus begins the strangest case yet to land—quite literally—on the doorstep of Jesperson and Lane.
According to the coroner, Charles Manning died of a heart attack—despite being in perfect health. Could he have been struck down by a witch’s spell? The late Mr. Manning’s address book leads Jesperson and Lane to the shrieking pits of Aylmerton, an ancient archaeological site reputed to be haunted by a vengeful ghost. There they sift through the local characters, each more suspicious than the last: Manning’s associate, Felix Ott, an English folklore enthusiast; Reverend Ringer, a fierce opponent of superstition; and the Bulstrode sisters, a trio of beauties with a reputation for witchcraft.
But when an innocent child goes missing, suddenly Jesperson and Lane aren’t merely trying to solve one murder—they’re racing to prevent another.
261 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 10, 2017
67 people are currently reading
350 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Tuttle
273 books408 followers(Wife of Colin Murray) aka Maria Palmer (house pseudonym).
Lisa Tuttle taught a science fiction course at the City Lit College, part of London University, and has tutored on the Arvon courses. She was residential tutor at the Clarion West SF writing workshop in Seattle, USA. She has published six novels and two short story collections. Many of her books have been translated into French and German editions.
Lisa Tuttle taught a science fiction course at the City Lit College, part of London University, and has tutored on the Arvon courses. She was residential tutor at the Clarion West SF writing workshop in Seattle, USA. She has published six novels and two short story collections. Many of her books have been translated into French and German editions.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews
August 9, 2017
After the terrors of their first case, Jasper Jesperson and Di Lane return in this latest Victorian historical mystery, set in London and Norfolk. Their newest case literally lands on their doorstep in the earliest of hours. A strange man comes knocking on their door in a desperate hallucinating state seeking their help, and upon seeing Miss Lane, points at her, proclaiming her to be a witch and then proceeds to drop dead. He turns out to be Charles Manning, assumed to have suffered from heart failure, according to the police. Unconvinced that the death resulted from natural causes, the duo decide to investigate. Alexander Manning, the victim's brother, hires them to find out what happened to Charles, who had been residing in Aylmerton, close to Cromer, in Norfolk.
Travelling to Norfolk, they stay with the vicar, Dr Ringer, and his family, where Charles lodged, in the hope of finding as much as they possibly could about him. Dr Ringer informs them that there have been three other mysterious deaths in the parish. They find Charles was close to Felix Ott, who heads the British School of Wisdom, venerating the ancient beliefs in fairies, magic, witches etc.. Charles was engaged to Ann, one of the sisters living at Wayside Cross, rumoured locally to be witches. Bella is a highly skilled herbalist and more, responsible for her two younger half sisters, Alys and Ann. A much desired unfathomable grimoire is kept in Bella's library, with magical attributes ascribed to it, a number of people want it. With the strong possibility that Charles was poisoned, they have a host of possible suspects, including a male witch. Alarmingly, the baby of a maid goes missing. The local area is full of the folklore of the shriek pits associated with witches, the community attest to still hearing the shrieks, thereby going out of their way to avoid them. Can Jesperson and Lane get to the bottom of what happened to Charles and find the missing baby?
Lisa Tuttle captures the Victorian interest in the supernatural elements in this series. So we encounter fairies, poison rings (there is more than one type), magic, witchcraft and spells. People might remember Arthur Conan Doyle's obsession with fairies in this historical period. The shriek pits in Norfolk have associations with witches and fairies. Jesperson and Lane's investigation into Charles's death leads them into this strange and fantastical world, amidst which resides a killer. The opposite characters of Jasper and Di mesh well together, whilst demonstrating their differing strengths. This is a compelling and entertaining historical mystery which I thoroughly enjoyed reading. If the Victorian and the fantastical appeals to you, then this is the perfect novel for you. Many thanks to Quercus for an ARC.
Travelling to Norfolk, they stay with the vicar, Dr Ringer, and his family, where Charles lodged, in the hope of finding as much as they possibly could about him. Dr Ringer informs them that there have been three other mysterious deaths in the parish. They find Charles was close to Felix Ott, who heads the British School of Wisdom, venerating the ancient beliefs in fairies, magic, witches etc.. Charles was engaged to Ann, one of the sisters living at Wayside Cross, rumoured locally to be witches. Bella is a highly skilled herbalist and more, responsible for her two younger half sisters, Alys and Ann. A much desired unfathomable grimoire is kept in Bella's library, with magical attributes ascribed to it, a number of people want it. With the strong possibility that Charles was poisoned, they have a host of possible suspects, including a male witch. Alarmingly, the baby of a maid goes missing. The local area is full of the folklore of the shriek pits associated with witches, the community attest to still hearing the shrieks, thereby going out of their way to avoid them. Can Jesperson and Lane get to the bottom of what happened to Charles and find the missing baby?
Lisa Tuttle captures the Victorian interest in the supernatural elements in this series. So we encounter fairies, poison rings (there is more than one type), magic, witchcraft and spells. People might remember Arthur Conan Doyle's obsession with fairies in this historical period. The shriek pits in Norfolk have associations with witches and fairies. Jesperson and Lane's investigation into Charles's death leads them into this strange and fantastical world, amidst which resides a killer. The opposite characters of Jasper and Di mesh well together, whilst demonstrating their differing strengths. This is a compelling and entertaining historical mystery which I thoroughly enjoyed reading. If the Victorian and the fantastical appeals to you, then this is the perfect novel for you. Many thanks to Quercus for an ARC.
December 2, 2017
The best words I can come up with to describe this book are: charming and entertaining.
Jasper Jesperson and Miss Lane make up Jesperson & Lane, Private Investigators. A possible client, Charles Manning, arrives at their London home in the wee hours of the morning. He screams at Miss Lane, calling her a witch and then promptly drops dead. Jesperson suspects foul play, but after an autopsy Mr. Manning's cause of death is listed as heart failure. It turns out Manning was obsessed with the occult and witchcraft. The detective duo are hired by the deceased's brother to investigate what caused his death. Their investigation takes them to an area of Norfolk known for its haunted hollows called shrieking pits and a strange, weeping, female specter. The area has had three suspicious deaths in the past year. The case keeps expanding and increasing in scope -- unexplained deaths, a missing woman, a missing baby, and three strange women living at Wayside Cross. Are the three women witches? Where is the missing baby? And, what happened to Charles Manning?
I loved this book! The mystery is engaging and fun. I like the characters as well. Jesperson is more than a little eccentric. Diane is level-headed and keeps Jesperson grounded so that he doesn't just go off on tangents. The two of them together make an awesome detective agency. The supernatural aspects of the plot were not over-done, but just made the story interesting, engaging and creepy. Just a fun read!
This book is the second in The Curious Affair Of.... series. I have not read the first book, but that didn't matter. It isn't necessary to read the first book to enjoy this tale of witches and murder. I'm definitely going to read the first book though! I hope it is as enjoyable as the second one!
**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Random House - Hydra via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
Jasper Jesperson and Miss Lane make up Jesperson & Lane, Private Investigators. A possible client, Charles Manning, arrives at their London home in the wee hours of the morning. He screams at Miss Lane, calling her a witch and then promptly drops dead. Jesperson suspects foul play, but after an autopsy Mr. Manning's cause of death is listed as heart failure. It turns out Manning was obsessed with the occult and witchcraft. The detective duo are hired by the deceased's brother to investigate what caused his death. Their investigation takes them to an area of Norfolk known for its haunted hollows called shrieking pits and a strange, weeping, female specter. The area has had three suspicious deaths in the past year. The case keeps expanding and increasing in scope -- unexplained deaths, a missing woman, a missing baby, and three strange women living at Wayside Cross. Are the three women witches? Where is the missing baby? And, what happened to Charles Manning?
I loved this book! The mystery is engaging and fun. I like the characters as well. Jesperson is more than a little eccentric. Diane is level-headed and keeps Jesperson grounded so that he doesn't just go off on tangents. The two of them together make an awesome detective agency. The supernatural aspects of the plot were not over-done, but just made the story interesting, engaging and creepy. Just a fun read!
This book is the second in The Curious Affair Of.... series. I have not read the first book, but that didn't matter. It isn't necessary to read the first book to enjoy this tale of witches and murder. I'm definitely going to read the first book though! I hope it is as enjoyable as the second one!
**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Random House - Hydra via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
August 26, 2017
I received a copy of this book from a Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
A fun Victorian suspense.
I'll admit, I downloaded this not realising it was the second in a series - however, it stood up well as a standalone book, which is always a tricky thing to pull off.
The story follows Miss Lane and Mr Jesperson - two detectives on the case to solve the puzzle of a mysterious death that happened on their doorstep. There are plenty of intriguing characters along the way, not least the Buslstrode sisters, the maid with her missing baby and the peculiar Mr Ott.
Overall, it worked nicely and kept me reading on, though there were a few sections where I found my attention wandering slightly. The author sticks to the Victorian way of speaking very successfully, and for the most part, captures the societal views of the era.
A fun read.
A fun Victorian suspense.
I'll admit, I downloaded this not realising it was the second in a series - however, it stood up well as a standalone book, which is always a tricky thing to pull off.
The story follows Miss Lane and Mr Jesperson - two detectives on the case to solve the puzzle of a mysterious death that happened on their doorstep. There are plenty of intriguing characters along the way, not least the Buslstrode sisters, the maid with her missing baby and the peculiar Mr Ott.
Overall, it worked nicely and kept me reading on, though there were a few sections where I found my attention wandering slightly. The author sticks to the Victorian way of speaking very successfully, and for the most part, captures the societal views of the era.
A fun read.
September 28, 2017
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House - Hydra for a digital galley of this novel.
3.5 - 4 stars
As I was reading this book I kept wanting the paranormal aspect to show itself. I've read many a spooky historical mystery that had nothing to do with anything paranormal but which felt much more otherworldly than this book. Of course there was that odd situation with the maid who left her job so I suppose that could be considered strange. Hardly seems like enough to hang the paranormal notice board up for, though.
Okay, this is book two in the Jesperson & Lane series. I had not read the first book, you don't really need to. This one is well written from the standpoint of making me want to continue reading and the author definitely didn't style this after any cookie cutter template for a mystery story. The main characters are partners in a private detecting enterprise and are called Mr. Jasper Jesperson and Miss Lane. It took me absolutely forever to find out what Miss Lane's first name is so I will leave that little nugget for you to discover. Scandal on top of scandals, Miss Lane resides in the Jesperson home with mother and son. This is where the office of their firm is located. No conventional Miss is our Miss Lane since not only does she live in a home with a single man she's not related to, but she is also employed and... as a private detective which means she hears and sees all kinds of things no lady should ever be exposed to. Doesn't bother her one bit. A man dies in the front hallway of the Jesperson home and the police rule it a natural death. Well, that won't do, what will our team of detectives do for the next several hundred pages? So that death turns out not to be the first and certainly not the last - all from natural causes. I'm thinking something is going on here. Stir in some witches, some elves, some fairies, a canny man and folk who believe there is more than one religion you can believe in and there you have your paranormal aspect.
I already have the first book in this series on my e-reader so I will certainly read that one some day soon. I will just know not to expect any goosebumps to be traveling up and down my spine as I'm reading it.
3.5 - 4 stars
As I was reading this book I kept wanting the paranormal aspect to show itself. I've read many a spooky historical mystery that had nothing to do with anything paranormal but which felt much more otherworldly than this book. Of course there was that odd situation with the maid who left her job so I suppose that could be considered strange. Hardly seems like enough to hang the paranormal notice board up for, though.
Okay, this is book two in the Jesperson & Lane series. I had not read the first book, you don't really need to. This one is well written from the standpoint of making me want to continue reading and the author definitely didn't style this after any cookie cutter template for a mystery story. The main characters are partners in a private detecting enterprise and are called Mr. Jasper Jesperson and Miss Lane. It took me absolutely forever to find out what Miss Lane's first name is so I will leave that little nugget for you to discover. Scandal on top of scandals, Miss Lane resides in the Jesperson home with mother and son. This is where the office of their firm is located. No conventional Miss is our Miss Lane since not only does she live in a home with a single man she's not related to, but she is also employed and... as a private detective which means she hears and sees all kinds of things no lady should ever be exposed to. Doesn't bother her one bit. A man dies in the front hallway of the Jesperson home and the police rule it a natural death. Well, that won't do, what will our team of detectives do for the next several hundred pages? So that death turns out not to be the first and certainly not the last - all from natural causes. I'm thinking something is going on here. Stir in some witches, some elves, some fairies, a canny man and folk who believe there is more than one religion you can believe in and there you have your paranormal aspect.
I already have the first book in this series on my e-reader so I will certainly read that one some day soon. I will just know not to expect any goosebumps to be traveling up and down my spine as I'm reading it.
December 30, 2018
I already did a partial review when I had thought I lost this Netgalley novel to the netherworld of my computer.. Hurray! I found it again.
This is my first Netgalley book. I am familiar with Lisa Tuttle and her literary reputation. What a wonderful novel! The author portrays her protagonists and side characters with in depth color and intelligence. The plot was easy going and intriguing enough for this reader to read it within 2 days. It reads like a Cozy - no real or graphic violence but not at all fluffy or light. It has forensics, thoughtful detection and even some suspense. I liked the way the plot developed with its smooth twists and turns. Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.
This is my first Netgalley book. I am familiar with Lisa Tuttle and her literary reputation. What a wonderful novel! The author portrays her protagonists and side characters with in depth color and intelligence. The plot was easy going and intriguing enough for this reader to read it within 2 days. It reads like a Cozy - no real or graphic violence but not at all fluffy or light. It has forensics, thoughtful detection and even some suspense. I liked the way the plot developed with its smooth twists and turns. Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.
October 29, 2017
Charming British mystery featuring Jasper Jesperson and Miss Jane, private detectives. A man comes into their residence, calls Miss Jane a witch, and drops dead. The investigation is on and leads them to a small community known for its "shrieking pits" an unexplained phenomenon, a missing baby, a missing girl, and another unexplained death. What is going on? Three single women live at Wayside Cross - a "wisewoman" and her two sisters. Are they witches?
This was a fun mystery and had some interesting twists. I liked the playoff of the characters Jesperson and Jane. They are an intriguing pair - both living with Jesperson's mother, both single; but no romantic relationship. I wonder if something my bloom there in a later book. They are partners and very good friends.
I look forward to more in this series. Thanks to Lisa Tuttle and Random House Publishing Group - Hydra through Netgalley for an advance copy of this book.
This was a fun mystery and had some interesting twists. I liked the playoff of the characters Jesperson and Jane. They are an intriguing pair - both living with Jesperson's mother, both single; but no romantic relationship. I wonder if something my bloom there in a later book. They are partners and very good friends.
I look forward to more in this series. Thanks to Lisa Tuttle and Random House Publishing Group - Hydra through Netgalley for an advance copy of this book.
December 22, 2017
Special thanks to Hydra, Lisa Tuttle, and Netgalley for the free copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.
I read The Somnambulist (book one in the series) and enjoyed it, so I jumped at the chance to read this one. And this was another delightful selection.
This time we watch our investigators learn why a man embroiled in the natural religion of England was found dead on their doorstep. Their clues lead them to Norfolk and the home of a local “ witch” Bella, and her sisters, as well as a local leader of the legend studies the man was following and trying to fund. His death leads to another unsolved murder, a medicine man, a poisoning, a missing baby. Name it it’s there along with a kitchen sink.
I️ am so entertained by this series. One fault I️ find is with the female detective. She seems to constantly ask questions until she’s on everyone’s nerves and never gets a break. I’d like to see that change.
Congratulations, Tuttle on another great book!
I read The Somnambulist (book one in the series) and enjoyed it, so I jumped at the chance to read this one. And this was another delightful selection.
This time we watch our investigators learn why a man embroiled in the natural religion of England was found dead on their doorstep. Their clues lead them to Norfolk and the home of a local “ witch” Bella, and her sisters, as well as a local leader of the legend studies the man was following and trying to fund. His death leads to another unsolved murder, a medicine man, a poisoning, a missing baby. Name it it’s there along with a kitchen sink.
I️ am so entertained by this series. One fault I️ find is with the female detective. She seems to constantly ask questions until she’s on everyone’s nerves and never gets a break. I’d like to see that change.
Congratulations, Tuttle on another great book!
June 12, 2025
Este libro iba muy bien, todo lo de los agujeros que gritan(shrieking pits) y los buenos vecinos estaba interesante
Lo de la brujería y la School of Brittish Wisdom tambien sonaba interesante
Los casos de las muertes y como conectaban, y luego lo del bebe robado.
Pero luego el ultimo capitulo se siente tan desconectado, tan apresurado, tan plot convenient, que me arruino el libro que iba para mínimo 4 estrellas
2.48 stars
Lo de la brujería y la School of Brittish Wisdom tambien sonaba interesante
Los casos de las muertes y como conectaban, y luego lo del bebe robado.
Pero luego el ultimo capitulo se siente tan desconectado, tan apresurado, tan plot convenient, que me arruino el libro que iba para mínimo 4 estrellas
2.48 stars
September 10, 2023
Rating: 3.5 stars
"The man was dead, [...] He lay as he had fallen, on his back, head toward the front door, soles of his boots pointing up toward me where I stood upon the stairs. His face was frozen in an expression of terror, mouth gaping and dark eyes wide, their gaze forever fixed upon the last sight he had seen—me."
Don't you just hate when that happens?
Jasperson & Lane is Tuttle's response to Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. This is a charming and entertaining, mildly-paranormal excursion to Victorian London and Aylmerton to investigate the deaths of two men and, then a stolen baby. There may be witches involved, and a Cunning Man, also the "shrieking pits" and the "Poison Ring". Nicely written, with interesting characters.
"The man was dead, [...] He lay as he had fallen, on his back, head toward the front door, soles of his boots pointing up toward me where I stood upon the stairs. His face was frozen in an expression of terror, mouth gaping and dark eyes wide, their gaze forever fixed upon the last sight he had seen—me."
Don't you just hate when that happens?
Jasperson & Lane is Tuttle's response to Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. This is a charming and entertaining, mildly-paranormal excursion to Victorian London and Aylmerton to investigate the deaths of two men and, then a stolen baby. There may be witches involved, and a Cunning Man, also the "shrieking pits" and the "Poison Ring". Nicely written, with interesting characters.
August 29, 2017
3.5 of 5 stars
https://lynns-books.com/2017/08/26/th...
I only fairly recently read and enjoyed the first Curious Affair book in the series and so I was more than happy to discover that the second was available to request. The Witch at Wayside Cross was a really enjoyable, gothic feeling story that for me established this series as one that I definitely want to continue reading.
The Somnambulist and the Psychic Thief was a great start to series, I had a few niggles but overall I enjoyed it, I had fun, and it was great to get back to Victorian era detecting. The second in series builds on the original premise, it takes the mystery outside of the streets of London and carries our main characters into the depths of the countryside where they are beset on all sides by folklore, shrieking pits, ghosts and witches not to mention a good bit of good old fashioned murder.
We start the story with a man arriving at a late hour at the door of Jesperson and Lane. The man is quite obviously in the grips of terror and after pointing an accusing finger at Lane and calling her a witch promptly drops dead. Charles Manning, although a relatively young man in good health appears to all intents to have had a massive heart attack. Jesperson suspects poisoning may be involved and following a trail of crumbs locates Charles brother who ends up giving the pair of would-be detectives their next case. They swiftly travel to the village of Aylmerton and begin to track down Manning’s friends and acquaintances which turn into a most unlikely bunch.
There are plenty of characters in this episode. Revered Ringer and his puritanical wife are where our duo take up rooms when they arrive in the village. Charles also stayed at the Vicarage and his belongings await his return. It seems that the Reverend liked Charles and tried to dissuade him from associating with Felix Ott. Ott is a folklore advocate who wants to establish a school to teach ancient beliefs before they’re lost to time. Of course the Reverend is strongly opposed to anything relating to superstition that opposes the Christian belief. On top of this we make the acquaintance of the Bulstrode Sisters, a coven no less – the elder sister being familiar with remedies and being befriended by a Crow make it easy to see where the whispers of witchcraft spring from. Could it be that Charles become romantically entangled with one of them. As you can see lots of potential leads to follow.
I have to say that I loved the set up for this story, it takes its time a little but was a delicious build up, creepy settings, whisperings, talk of evil doings, country lanes, dark nights, foreboding forests and hints at the supernatural – not to mention fairy rings with red and white spotted mushrooms. Come on. I loved every minute of it and couldn’t get enough. Plus, there’s this whole Holmes/Watson vibe going on here – the detecting isn’t the same, don’t get me wrong, but there’s something about the era that makes me think of Conan Doyle not to mention that this story has the Baskerville Vibe going on with the move out of the City and into the country and Lane has become our very own Watson – at least that’s the way I’m reading things. She’s the one who narrates and she’s also the one who ends up in situations, dealing with issues, maybe even stumbling upon things by accident whilst Jesperson is off somewhere doing his thing.
Now, niggles. Well, not much to mention to be honest. I think I would have preferred this if the mystery hadn’t doubled up to become two mysteries – I liked the focus of the first and in a way I think I would have enjoyed it if the supernatural possibilities therein had played out in that plot arc to become something more. As it is we have a second mystery which feels a little bit latched on at this point although it could be that all these elements are building into something more – at the moment it feels a little bit like there’s a struggle going on to blend the supernatural elements into the tale although, as I say, it could all be part of a bigger plan.
I think this series is developing really well, I like the characters, although there’s clearly something mysterious with Jesperson that hasn’t yet been revealed (or at least I suspect there is) and I very much look forward to seeing what comes next.
Finally – do me a favour and just look at those two covers – I love em!
I received a copy courtesy of the publisher through Netgalley for which my thanks. The above is my on opinion.
https://lynns-books.com/2017/08/26/th...
I only fairly recently read and enjoyed the first Curious Affair book in the series and so I was more than happy to discover that the second was available to request. The Witch at Wayside Cross was a really enjoyable, gothic feeling story that for me established this series as one that I definitely want to continue reading.
The Somnambulist and the Psychic Thief was a great start to series, I had a few niggles but overall I enjoyed it, I had fun, and it was great to get back to Victorian era detecting. The second in series builds on the original premise, it takes the mystery outside of the streets of London and carries our main characters into the depths of the countryside where they are beset on all sides by folklore, shrieking pits, ghosts and witches not to mention a good bit of good old fashioned murder.
We start the story with a man arriving at a late hour at the door of Jesperson and Lane. The man is quite obviously in the grips of terror and after pointing an accusing finger at Lane and calling her a witch promptly drops dead. Charles Manning, although a relatively young man in good health appears to all intents to have had a massive heart attack. Jesperson suspects poisoning may be involved and following a trail of crumbs locates Charles brother who ends up giving the pair of would-be detectives their next case. They swiftly travel to the village of Aylmerton and begin to track down Manning’s friends and acquaintances which turn into a most unlikely bunch.
There are plenty of characters in this episode. Revered Ringer and his puritanical wife are where our duo take up rooms when they arrive in the village. Charles also stayed at the Vicarage and his belongings await his return. It seems that the Reverend liked Charles and tried to dissuade him from associating with Felix Ott. Ott is a folklore advocate who wants to establish a school to teach ancient beliefs before they’re lost to time. Of course the Reverend is strongly opposed to anything relating to superstition that opposes the Christian belief. On top of this we make the acquaintance of the Bulstrode Sisters, a coven no less – the elder sister being familiar with remedies and being befriended by a Crow make it easy to see where the whispers of witchcraft spring from. Could it be that Charles become romantically entangled with one of them. As you can see lots of potential leads to follow.
I have to say that I loved the set up for this story, it takes its time a little but was a delicious build up, creepy settings, whisperings, talk of evil doings, country lanes, dark nights, foreboding forests and hints at the supernatural – not to mention fairy rings with red and white spotted mushrooms. Come on. I loved every minute of it and couldn’t get enough. Plus, there’s this whole Holmes/Watson vibe going on here – the detecting isn’t the same, don’t get me wrong, but there’s something about the era that makes me think of Conan Doyle not to mention that this story has the Baskerville Vibe going on with the move out of the City and into the country and Lane has become our very own Watson – at least that’s the way I’m reading things. She’s the one who narrates and she’s also the one who ends up in situations, dealing with issues, maybe even stumbling upon things by accident whilst Jesperson is off somewhere doing his thing.
Now, niggles. Well, not much to mention to be honest. I think I would have preferred this if the mystery hadn’t doubled up to become two mysteries – I liked the focus of the first and in a way I think I would have enjoyed it if the supernatural possibilities therein had played out in that plot arc to become something more. As it is we have a second mystery which feels a little bit latched on at this point although it could be that all these elements are building into something more – at the moment it feels a little bit like there’s a struggle going on to blend the supernatural elements into the tale although, as I say, it could all be part of a bigger plan.
I think this series is developing really well, I like the characters, although there’s clearly something mysterious with Jesperson that hasn’t yet been revealed (or at least I suspect there is) and I very much look forward to seeing what comes next.
Finally – do me a favour and just look at those two covers – I love em!
I received a copy courtesy of the publisher through Netgalley for which my thanks. The above is my on opinion.
December 10, 2017
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
THE CURIOUS AFFAIR OF THE WITCH AT WAYSIDE CROSS captures the Victorian interest in the supernatural elements really well with the plot revolving around a mysterious society and talk of otherworldly characters. The plot felt very much like a Sherlock Holmes story with Lane and Jesperson playing the Holmes and Watson parts respectively. I didn't really connect with Lane and Jesperson though as they felt a bit flat. In spite of that flatness, I was still able to enjoy the mystery plot as our two main characters trek around England solving their murder case.
The story has a fantastical element to it that was kind of incidental and I kept trying to feel the otherworldly-ness of the book that I think I was supposed to feel. I loved the primary mystery as it felt very Holmes-like with twists and turns and the classic "get all of the suspects in a room and reveal their motivations one by one" moment. There's a hint of a supernatural element but it's resolved and has a real world and somewhat complex resolution. When we finally get something hinting at being really supernatural in the secondary mystery, I was waiting for a logical explanation from one of the detectives. What we were presented with was underwhelming to the point that I thought there had to be a real world explanation to it. I would have liked them to focus on one of the mysteries (the first one!) as the second mystery felt tacked on with a too abrupt conclusion.
While I had my issues with some elements of THE CURIOUS AFFAIR OF THE WITCH AT WAYSIDE CROSS, I enjoyed the solid mystery plot and the Sherlock Holmes-like feel to the book as a whole.
THE CURIOUS AFFAIR OF THE WITCH AT WAYSIDE CROSS captures the Victorian interest in the supernatural elements really well with the plot revolving around a mysterious society and talk of otherworldly characters. The plot felt very much like a Sherlock Holmes story with Lane and Jesperson playing the Holmes and Watson parts respectively. I didn't really connect with Lane and Jesperson though as they felt a bit flat. In spite of that flatness, I was still able to enjoy the mystery plot as our two main characters trek around England solving their murder case.
The story has a fantastical element to it that was kind of incidental and I kept trying to feel the otherworldly-ness of the book that I think I was supposed to feel. I loved the primary mystery as it felt very Holmes-like with twists and turns and the classic "get all of the suspects in a room and reveal their motivations one by one" moment. There's a hint of a supernatural element but it's resolved and has a real world and somewhat complex resolution. When we finally get something hinting at being really supernatural in the secondary mystery, I was waiting for a logical explanation from one of the detectives. What we were presented with was underwhelming to the point that I thought there had to be a real world explanation to it. I would have liked them to focus on one of the mysteries (the first one!) as the second mystery felt tacked on with a too abrupt conclusion.
While I had my issues with some elements of THE CURIOUS AFFAIR OF THE WITCH AT WAYSIDE CROSS, I enjoyed the solid mystery plot and the Sherlock Holmes-like feel to the book as a whole.
November 29, 2017
Events had just been drawn to a close in the first book in this series, The Somnambulist and the Psychic Thief, when Jesperson and Lane get their second case literally fall dead at their door step…all with accusations of witchcraft ringing in the ears of our two detectives. After being hired by the victim’s brother Mr Jesperson and Miss Lane start to investigate the very mysterious death that fell at their feet.I finished the first book in this series with mixed feelings. I liked some aspects of it, whilst I didn’t like others. However, the ending, a man literally dying in their hall way and accusing Miss Lane of being a witch, had me quickly reaching for the next book. I left The Curious Affair of the Witch at Wayside Cross with no mixed feelings. I really liked it. It was a lot of fun, Tuttle mixes detective work with a bit of the occult and mixes it all up to give you an interesting mystery to delve into.
I have mixed feelings about the first book due to the head scratching jumps of logic and happy coincidences, this book had much less of this and I thought it worked a lot better for that reason. Instead we are introduced to a village load of suspects, the priest, the witch, the occult leader… and left to untangle the web that holds them all together. One thing that didn’t change was that it was written from Miss Lane’s POV, which, I really liked, through her language and attitudes it gives a very clear picture of the time period in which this book is set.
Although I wasn’t sure about the first book, I definitely enjoyed this one, it wasn’t perfect, but it was engaging and I did enjoy the story. If you are after a good historical mystery series which has a hint of magic about it, then you definitely need to give this book a try.
*ARC provided by publisher
Reviewed by Suzanne❤ ♡ Don't want to miss any of our posts? Subscribe to our blog by email! ♡ ❤
November 30, 2017
I haven’t read the first book in this series, but while I have clearly missed a slice of the adventure, that didn’t hamper my understanding or enjoyment of this story. Tuttle doesn’t hang about – she tips us straight into the case which I appreciated. While this series has been compared with the Sherlock Holmes adventures, I don’t think that Miss Lane, the narrator of this case, is all that much like John Watson. She isn’t overly gushing about Jasper Jesperson’s detecting skills, for starters – indeed, there are times when she is quite sharp about him, which I enjoyed.
The other aspect that I hadn’t expected and very much liked – while both Jesperson and Lane are middle-class and reasonably comfortably off, that doesn’t prevent Tuttle from lifting the façade on apparent Victorian respectability by depicting a young serving girl’s plight after suffering a rape. The detective duo also uncover a shocking lack of respect towards women who have the temerity to refuse or thwart a couple of apparently eligible men, who portray themselves as perfectly reasonable, educated gentlemen. Miss Lane isn’t particularly happy about the state of affairs, but isn’t overly surprised. What it reinforced for me is how much women were simply not regarded as on a par with men. Not only did they not have the same protection in law, they were not felt to be capable of the same understanding or intellect as a man – so when a woman demonstrated any independence of spirit, she frequently incurred anger at her temerity – how dare she defy him!
That said, I don’t want you to go away thinking this entertaining, engrossing whodunit is focusing on the gender inequality of the time – it is a mere side issue in this adventure. An adventure full of twists and turns as Lane and Jesperson then find themselves desperately looking for a baby. And the resolution to that puzzle had my jaw dropping…
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this one and will definitely be tracking down the first instalment in this series. Recommended for anyone who enjoys their historical crime series with a twist of fantasy.
9/10
The other aspect that I hadn’t expected and very much liked – while both Jesperson and Lane are middle-class and reasonably comfortably off, that doesn’t prevent Tuttle from lifting the façade on apparent Victorian respectability by depicting a young serving girl’s plight after suffering a rape. The detective duo also uncover a shocking lack of respect towards women who have the temerity to refuse or thwart a couple of apparently eligible men, who portray themselves as perfectly reasonable, educated gentlemen. Miss Lane isn’t particularly happy about the state of affairs, but isn’t overly surprised. What it reinforced for me is how much women were simply not regarded as on a par with men. Not only did they not have the same protection in law, they were not felt to be capable of the same understanding or intellect as a man – so when a woman demonstrated any independence of spirit, she frequently incurred anger at her temerity – how dare she defy him!
That said, I don’t want you to go away thinking this entertaining, engrossing whodunit is focusing on the gender inequality of the time – it is a mere side issue in this adventure. An adventure full of twists and turns as Lane and Jesperson then find themselves desperately looking for a baby. And the resolution to that puzzle had my jaw dropping…
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this one and will definitely be tracking down the first instalment in this series. Recommended for anyone who enjoys their historical crime series with a twist of fantasy.
9/10
October 25, 2017
This book is different than I originally thought. I was thinking it would be a scary horror story. Instead, it is a mystery novel in the same vain as Sherlock Holmes. Except for Holmes and Watson, it is the duo of Jesperson and Lane. The odd twist with this pairing is that Lane is a spinster who has no romantic connection to Jesperson, nor he her. They work together and see themselves as partners who respect what the other contributes. This relationship causes others around them to react in sometimes detrimental ways.
The story was a fast moving affair with twists and turns that could not always be seen coming. It kept me guessing until the very end when I thought I figured out the mystery, only to have one more major unexpected twist.
This is a fun read, especially now that Halloween is on the horizon. While it is not a horror story, it is a mystery that will keep you guessing until the end.
And I like the duo of Jesperson and Lane so much that I look forward to more of their exploits!
The story was a fast moving affair with twists and turns that could not always be seen coming. It kept me guessing until the very end when I thought I figured out the mystery, only to have one more major unexpected twist.
This is a fun read, especially now that Halloween is on the horizon. While it is not a horror story, it is a mystery that will keep you guessing until the end.
And I like the duo of Jesperson and Lane so much that I look forward to more of their exploits!
September 12, 2019
The second entry in Jesperson and Lane series began like an unusually dramatic entry in the Holmesian canon. Then it morphed into a darker, more twisted, and somewhat disquieting story than we might have expected. Amidst a lot of sinister machinations all around, our dynamic duo persisted with their quest for truth until...
Until, whatever remains, however improbable that might be, emerges as the truth!
Except the.ambivalent ending, it was rather taut and thrilling. If you are looking for a pastiche with seriously weird undertone, this might be just your cup of tea.
Recommended.
Until, whatever remains, however improbable that might be, emerges as the truth!
Except the.ambivalent ending, it was rather taut and thrilling. If you are looking for a pastiche with seriously weird undertone, this might be just your cup of tea.
Recommended.
November 5, 2017
Sometimes I get to review a book and series that stays with me long after I finish it for me it is the series of Jesperson & Lane, by Lisa Tuttle. In book two The Curious Affair of The Witch At Wayside Cross I found I was even more engrossed and enchanted by this Victorian times mystery. With amazing main characters who are an unlikely pair of private investigators reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, but with hints of the paranormal and mysteries that you can not wait to have solved.
The first book in the series I could not put down and it was very much the same with book two. It was entertaining, enlightening and eclectic. Wonderfully woven mysteries, characters that make you think and a time period that lends itself so well to mystery and discovery this is a series that I can say is now one of my most favorites and I am so looking forward to reading about their next adventures.
The first book in the series I could not put down and it was very much the same with book two. It was entertaining, enlightening and eclectic. Wonderfully woven mysteries, characters that make you think and a time period that lends itself so well to mystery and discovery this is a series that I can say is now one of my most favorites and I am so looking forward to reading about their next adventures.
August 31, 2017
The Curious Affair of the Witch at Wayside Cross is the second in the Jesperson & Lane series. The first in the series (The Curious Case of the Somnambulist & the Psychic Thief reviewed here) had a great set-up, and I remember being pleased and expectant as I read the first few pages, but ended up being terribly disappointed. "Maybe," I thought, "the next one will be better. The author will have a sense of direction and the characters will emerge as more than pawns."
Alas, not so. Once again, an interesting beginning full of all kinds of possibilities and intriguing characters. Once again, a failure to take advantage of what worked and instead taking a ridiculous direction that seemed almost a spur-of-the-moment inclusion.
Jesperson (who has a positive nimbus of red hair--?) is controlling, holding back information and failing to keep Lane fully apprised of his theories or knowledge. In spite of Lane being named as a partner in this psychic detective agency, the truth is that her purpose is largely to give a first person account of the cases they encounter. Rather than a partner as indicated on the calling card--Lane is a sort of attendant, in spite of her role while staying at Wayside Cross.
The best characters in the book, the ones with such potential, are the three sisters at Wayside Cross, but rather than take advantage of all of interesting possibilities the sisters presented, by the end of the book, the sisters have been reduced to a pedestrian role.
P.S. It seems that the reviews on Goodreads are quite positive. Well, we all have different opinions about the books we read.
Read in August; blog review scheduled for Nov. 4.
NetGalley/Random House
Mystery/Supernatural. Nov. 28, 2017.
March 7, 2018
Lisa Tuttle is a highly respected name in SFF, and her prose is very capable. Apart from a few instances of unnecessary coordinate commas, the copy editing was flawless, and (unlike a lot of books with a Victorian setting) both the language and the background details here felt period-authentic to me.
Perhaps a little too much so; the Victorians were terrible for overwriting (by modern standards), and there are a couple of parts of the book that move slowly, threaten to choke on their own detail, and don't progress the plot. The pacing, in fact, I found somewhat uneven, with a very rapid, almost rushed, solution coming right at the end.
The other big problem I had with the book was that the viewpoint character is not the protagonist, and does not solve the mystery (though she does contribute by finding things out; she's not completely useless as a detective, and is a better one than, for example, Watson). Her male partner, who is like - very like - a younger, less eccentric Sherlock Holmes, figures it all out and informs her at the same time as the other interested parties in a couple of traditional parlour scenes; since the partners are in different places a lot of the time, a great deal of the mystery-solving goes on offstage. I found this less than satisfying in terms of a detective novel.
It's an occult detective novel, and the occult part becomes unequivocally occult relatively late; struck me as unlikely; and is a massive red herring which doesn't have any real bearing on the central mystery. It could have been removed without loss to the plot, and in fact I feel that removing it might have made for a slightly better book - certainly a more cohesive one. On the other hand, I found it more interesting in many ways than the actual mystery itself, and felt the detectives were also more interested in it than they were in the case they'd been hired to solve.
Overall, these issues combined to drop my rating to three stars. Though I enjoyed the book while I was reading it, my enjoyment was mild, and it never really caught fire for me.
Perhaps a little too much so; the Victorians were terrible for overwriting (by modern standards), and there are a couple of parts of the book that move slowly, threaten to choke on their own detail, and don't progress the plot. The pacing, in fact, I found somewhat uneven, with a very rapid, almost rushed, solution coming right at the end.
The other big problem I had with the book was that the viewpoint character is not the protagonist, and does not solve the mystery (though she does contribute by finding things out; she's not completely useless as a detective, and is a better one than, for example, Watson). Her male partner, who is like - very like - a younger, less eccentric Sherlock Holmes, figures it all out and informs her at the same time as the other interested parties in a couple of traditional parlour scenes; since the partners are in different places a lot of the time, a great deal of the mystery-solving goes on offstage. I found this less than satisfying in terms of a detective novel.
It's an occult detective novel, and the occult part becomes unequivocally occult relatively late; struck me as unlikely; and is a massive red herring which doesn't have any real bearing on the central mystery. It could have been removed without loss to the plot, and in fact I feel that removing it might have made for a slightly better book - certainly a more cohesive one. On the other hand, I found it more interesting in many ways than the actual mystery itself, and felt the detectives were also more interested in it than they were in the case they'd been hired to solve.
Overall, these issues combined to drop my rating to three stars. Though I enjoyed the book while I was reading it, my enjoyment was mild, and it never really caught fire for me.
November 30, 2017
The Curious Affair of the Witch at Wayside Cross starts with an early hours summons to the door of the residence, and business premises of Jesperson and Lane Investigations. The young man is plainly distressed and babbling about being pursued by witches. He then points at Miss Aphrodite Lane, calls her a witch, collapses and dies in the hallway. The coroner pronounces it a heart attack, despite the young man, Charles Manning, being in perfect health. Jasper Jesperson is of course intrigued and visits Manning's brother. The brother tells him that the two were estranged over a property dispute and Charles was living in Aylmerton. Charles had become involved with Felix Ott, who is a folklorist who wants to bring back the pagan wisdom of ancient Britain. Jesperson and Lane set off for Norfolk to investigate. When they arrive they find a community immersed in superstition with three sisters rumored to be witches and tales of the "little folk".
I waffled quite a bit over the rating of The Witch at Wayside Cross. While I enjoyed the primary mystery of Charles Manning's murder, the secondary story of a missing baby was a distraction for me. This series is centered around paranormal events, but the resolution of the missing baby puzzle severely strained my credulity. Jesperson and Lane are still a bit two-dimensional with little more revealed in this second book. I also missed Mrs. Jesperson, Jasper's mother. Now she is an interesting character! Hopefully, she will return for a third outing and there will be more background provided for the main characters.
Thanks to NetGalley and Hydra Books for an advance digital copy. The opinions are my own.
I waffled quite a bit over the rating of The Witch at Wayside Cross. While I enjoyed the primary mystery of Charles Manning's murder, the secondary story of a missing baby was a distraction for me. This series is centered around paranormal events, but the resolution of the missing baby puzzle severely strained my credulity. Jesperson and Lane are still a bit two-dimensional with little more revealed in this second book. I also missed Mrs. Jesperson, Jasper's mother. Now she is an interesting character! Hopefully, she will return for a third outing and there will be more background provided for the main characters.
Thanks to NetGalley and Hydra Books for an advance digital copy. The opinions are my own.
December 9, 2017
The Curious Affair of the Witch at Wayside Cross is the second book in author Lisa Tuttle’s Curious Affairs series. The detective team of Jesperson and Lane have just successfully completed their most challenging case when a young, dishevelled and clearly terrified man arrives on their doorsteps. He takes one look at Aphrodite (call me Di) Lane, screams ‘witch’ and drops down dead. The police are convinced that, despite his age, he has died of a heart attack. Jesperson is just as convinced that it is murder probably by some rare poison so, after consulting the man’s brother, he and Di set out to investigate.
The book itself is told in the first person by Di and is divided between two plotlines, one a regular murder mystery and the second, which concerns the kidnapping of a baby, has paranormal elements. The series is listed as ‘paranormal answer to Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson’ so I wasn’t surprised by the supernatural elements. However, this second subplot seemed more a distraction from the main story. Beyond the fact that its solution stretched my willing suspension of disbelief almost to breaking, it also felt, at least to me, like it was there as an excuse for the paranormal element and added little to the main story.
Still, Tuttle is a good writer and, despite these criticisms, I quite enjoyed this book. Perhaps that because the story doesn’t seem to take itself to seriously making for a fun read.
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review
The book itself is told in the first person by Di and is divided between two plotlines, one a regular murder mystery and the second, which concerns the kidnapping of a baby, has paranormal elements. The series is listed as ‘paranormal answer to Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson’ so I wasn’t surprised by the supernatural elements. However, this second subplot seemed more a distraction from the main story. Beyond the fact that its solution stretched my willing suspension of disbelief almost to breaking, it also felt, at least to me, like it was there as an excuse for the paranormal element and added little to the main story.
Still, Tuttle is a good writer and, despite these criticisms, I quite enjoyed this book. Perhaps that because the story doesn’t seem to take itself to seriously making for a fun read.
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review
September 18, 2017
https://koeur.wordpress.com/2017/09/1...
Publisher: Random House
Publishing Date: November 2017
ISBN: 9780399182204
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 3.2/5
Publishers Description: Witch!” cries the young man after stumbling unexpectedly into the London address of the consulting-detective partnership of Mr. Jasper Jesperson and Miss Lane. He makes the startling accusation while pointing toward Miss Lane . . . then he drops dead. Thus begins the strangest case yet to land—quite literally—on the doorstep of Jesperson and Lane.
Review: Not really sure why I looked forward to reading this novel in the evenings. There is just something about a Sherlockian team of investigators that draws me in. Although the characters lacked depth and Watson (Miss. Lane) was relegated to an uninformed position while narrating the novel, I still enjoyed the sudden shifts in the story line while ferreting out the mystery.
So what is inside? Two murders, one kidnapping, three sisters who may be involved, a vanishing maid and a wealthy priest. Their story lines flow together quite well even with a bit of the fantastical thrown in. An interesting investigative duo within the bounds of Victorian propriety.
Publisher: Random House
Publishing Date: November 2017
ISBN: 9780399182204
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 3.2/5
Publishers Description: Witch!” cries the young man after stumbling unexpectedly into the London address of the consulting-detective partnership of Mr. Jasper Jesperson and Miss Lane. He makes the startling accusation while pointing toward Miss Lane . . . then he drops dead. Thus begins the strangest case yet to land—quite literally—on the doorstep of Jesperson and Lane.
Review: Not really sure why I looked forward to reading this novel in the evenings. There is just something about a Sherlockian team of investigators that draws me in. Although the characters lacked depth and Watson (Miss. Lane) was relegated to an uninformed position while narrating the novel, I still enjoyed the sudden shifts in the story line while ferreting out the mystery.
So what is inside? Two murders, one kidnapping, three sisters who may be involved, a vanishing maid and a wealthy priest. Their story lines flow together quite well even with a bit of the fantastical thrown in. An interesting investigative duo within the bounds of Victorian propriety.
October 19, 2017
The adventure starts when someone bangs relentlessly on the front door at the combined office and living quarters of detectives Jesperson and Lane in the small hours of the morning. When admitted, he is sweating and disheveled. He points to Lane and says “Witch!” and drops dead.
Neither of them know the man, so a quick search of his pockets is made. An address book is found and Lane hastily copies it before the police can arrive. This enables them to locate his brother, who hires them to find out how Charles Manning died. The coroner says it was a heart attack, but Manning was in perfect health. So off they go to Aylmerton, where he had spent much time, to check things out. There they find quite a set of characters: the Reverend Ringer, a foe of superstition, and his wife, who wants the world to adhere to her wishes. A trio of sister living alone who have the reputation for being witches. Felix Ott, a fan of historic English folklore, was an associate of Mannings in their studies of the supernatural. There is a cunning man, who supplies men with Victorian Viagra. Even the landscape has a personality- the Shrieking Pits, prehistoric holes in the ground, are alleged to be haunted. Then a baby disappears.
Numerous plot strands and false leads make for entertaining reading, and an atmosphere of menace pervades the story. But Jesperson (male) uses Lane (female) as someone to glean information for him but doesn’t bother to tell her what he’s learned in return. He treats her somewhat as a useful servant. He also seems a bit full of himself. The use of a mixed gender team works well in the setting, though- while Lane cannot participate in certain goings on because of her sex, her femaleness allows her entrée into situations that Jesperson cannot enter: befriending the women who live in the Vicarage and spending time with the three possible witch sisters. The author has a good grasp of life in the Victorian era. Four stars out of five.
Neither of them know the man, so a quick search of his pockets is made. An address book is found and Lane hastily copies it before the police can arrive. This enables them to locate his brother, who hires them to find out how Charles Manning died. The coroner says it was a heart attack, but Manning was in perfect health. So off they go to Aylmerton, where he had spent much time, to check things out. There they find quite a set of characters: the Reverend Ringer, a foe of superstition, and his wife, who wants the world to adhere to her wishes. A trio of sister living alone who have the reputation for being witches. Felix Ott, a fan of historic English folklore, was an associate of Mannings in their studies of the supernatural. There is a cunning man, who supplies men with Victorian Viagra. Even the landscape has a personality- the Shrieking Pits, prehistoric holes in the ground, are alleged to be haunted. Then a baby disappears.
Numerous plot strands and false leads make for entertaining reading, and an atmosphere of menace pervades the story. But Jesperson (male) uses Lane (female) as someone to glean information for him but doesn’t bother to tell her what he’s learned in return. He treats her somewhat as a useful servant. He also seems a bit full of himself. The use of a mixed gender team works well in the setting, though- while Lane cannot participate in certain goings on because of her sex, her femaleness allows her entrée into situations that Jesperson cannot enter: befriending the women who live in the Vicarage and spending time with the three possible witch sisters. The author has a good grasp of life in the Victorian era. Four stars out of five.
October 17, 2017
This is the second in The Curious Affair Of series, self-touted as "The paranormal answer to Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson..." It can be read without having read the first, or at least I did so with no issues. I am still not sure whether it fully qualifies as 'paranormal,'
I found it to be similar to Sherlock Holmes in that the setting is Victorian London, and there are two main characters who are detectives. Jasper Jesperson has some power of deduction, I would assign him the roll of Sherlock. And Diana Lane is Dr. Watson, although she is not a doctor, she does have Dr. Watson's fierce loyalty. However, I found them both a bit boring and a tad unlikable. To be sure, Sherlock Holmes has many admirable and also many unlikable traits, but Watson has always been consistently sympathetic.
Perhaps because of her loyalty and willingness to do what Jesperson asks, she repeatedly did things that I thought were very rude. For example, after being invited to stay as a guest, she searches all the bedrooms in the house immediately.
The book started in high gear, with the appearance of a man late at night, who promptly dies. That gets your attention. After that, the story meandered around London and Norfolk, not really inciting any emotion. The mystery aspect was interesting, and the Victorian flavor was done well. Overall, it was a satisfactory read, but I am not sure that I would read another in the series.
*eARC Netgalley*
March 19, 2021
This was different! And fun!
After so many problems with the text-to-speech and a miraculous fixing, I got to hear the whole book. Here let me share the blurb that brought me to diving in.
"The paranormal answer to Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, Jesperson, and Lane are turning the Victorian era upside down in this bewitching series from John W. Campbell Award winner Lisa Tuttle."
As much fun as this adventure was, I did get angry with how the women were treated. And how they accepted the treatment. But it was that era, so I guess it wouldn't be right to have a down-right rebel, though Bridgerton is doing a good job of bending the historical rules.
I was lucky to find this on NetGalley.
After so many problems with the text-to-speech and a miraculous fixing, I got to hear the whole book. Here let me share the blurb that brought me to diving in.
"The paranormal answer to Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, Jesperson, and Lane are turning the Victorian era upside down in this bewitching series from John W. Campbell Award winner Lisa Tuttle."
As much fun as this adventure was, I did get angry with how the women were treated. And how they accepted the treatment. But it was that era, so I guess it wouldn't be right to have a down-right rebel, though Bridgerton is doing a good job of bending the historical rules.
I was lucky to find this on NetGalley.
December 4, 2017
The Curious Affair of the Witch at Wayside Cross is a decent, but entirely unremarkable paranormal mystery. I expected more based on the description.
What would you do if a man enters your home, cries witch and dies at your feet? In the case of Jesperson and Lane, you investigate, particularly when the unknown man has your card in his pocket. Charles Manning died of no known poison, but the peculiar circumstances surrounding his death imply foul play. The man, previously employed in the city had recently abandoned all practical concerns to write poetry and research the occult in Aylmerton. At his brother’s request, the two travel to Aylmerton to uncover the mystery of his last days. Amongst the suspects number Felix Ott an occult researcher and lecturer, Miss Bulstrode a practicioner of natural medicine and her two sisters and Aylmerton’s vicar and his uncompromising wife. Charles Manning isn’t the first to mysteriously die, but is his death and that of his friend murder?
The Curious Affair of the Witch at Wayside Cross is entertaining enough, but it is shallow in story and character. It’s laced up tighter than a Victorian corset. Lisa Tuttle is a good writer, but The Curious Affair of the Witch at Wayside Cross seemed to be going through the motions with very little emotion.
3 / 5
I received a copy of The Curious Affair of the Witch at Wayside Cross from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
--Crittermom
What would you do if a man enters your home, cries witch and dies at your feet? In the case of Jesperson and Lane, you investigate, particularly when the unknown man has your card in his pocket. Charles Manning died of no known poison, but the peculiar circumstances surrounding his death imply foul play. The man, previously employed in the city had recently abandoned all practical concerns to write poetry and research the occult in Aylmerton. At his brother’s request, the two travel to Aylmerton to uncover the mystery of his last days. Amongst the suspects number Felix Ott an occult researcher and lecturer, Miss Bulstrode a practicioner of natural medicine and her two sisters and Aylmerton’s vicar and his uncompromising wife. Charles Manning isn’t the first to mysteriously die, but is his death and that of his friend murder?
The Curious Affair of the Witch at Wayside Cross is entertaining enough, but it is shallow in story and character. It’s laced up tighter than a Victorian corset. Lisa Tuttle is a good writer, but The Curious Affair of the Witch at Wayside Cross seemed to be going through the motions with very little emotion.
3 / 5
I received a copy of The Curious Affair of the Witch at Wayside Cross from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
--Crittermom
October 22, 2017
What a lovely read! Author Tuttle serves up a very Victorian-feeling novel. I loved the interplay between Miss Lane and Mr. Jesperson as they sort out the mystery behind the demise of their deceased visitor! A nice twist on the Holmes/Watson partnership. I had not come across the first in this series, but will certainly seek it out.
Thank you to Ms. Tuttle, her publisher and Netgalley.com for the opportunity to read and review.
Thank you to Ms. Tuttle, her publisher and Netgalley.com for the opportunity to read and review.
January 14, 2018
I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
If I had to describe this book in one word, I'd have to say quaint. It is a charming mystery with a Victorian setting.
A private investigation agency run by Mr. Jesperson and Miss Lane. The two are thrown into a case when a man, Charles Manning, shows up on their doorstep asking for help, collapses and dies. Although, his death was ruled a natural cause, Jesperson is suspicious. The dead man's brother enlists Jesperson and Lane's help.
As Jesperson and Lane retrace Mannings footsteps, they learn of other strange deaths. They are told about the shrieking pits where rumors abound about fairies and ghosts. Then one evening, a baby goes missing, and Jesperson and Lane have another mystery on their hands to solve.
This is compared to Sherlock and Watson, but with a paranormal aspect, that I enjoyed.
If I had to describe this book in one word, I'd have to say quaint. It is a charming mystery with a Victorian setting.
A private investigation agency run by Mr. Jesperson and Miss Lane. The two are thrown into a case when a man, Charles Manning, shows up on their doorstep asking for help, collapses and dies. Although, his death was ruled a natural cause, Jesperson is suspicious. The dead man's brother enlists Jesperson and Lane's help.
As Jesperson and Lane retrace Mannings footsteps, they learn of other strange deaths. They are told about the shrieking pits where rumors abound about fairies and ghosts. Then one evening, a baby goes missing, and Jesperson and Lane have another mystery on their hands to solve.
This is compared to Sherlock and Watson, but with a paranormal aspect, that I enjoyed.
August 18, 2017
I'm grateful to the publisher for an advance copy of this book.
If you loved the first Jesperson and Lane book, The Somnambulist and the Psychic Thief, you'll enjoy this - though Tuttle has written a rather different story, it's every bit as good.
While The Somnambulist and the Psychic Thief was very much an action story with lashings of penny dreadful menace, this is a slower, more reflective book. It particularly showcases the abilities of Miss Lane: indeed, while Jesperson comes and goes on a rather erratic schedule, much of the discovery is driven by Lane and her ability to get alongside the inhabitants of the various dwellings - whether vicarage or wise woman's abode - where the clues to Mr Manning's death may be found. (My wife being a vicar, I was rather alarmed at the idea - which I think is accurate for Victorian days - that strangers could just turn up at a remote vicarage and expect to be put up!)
The story that Lane draws out is fascinating, much of the book gradually exposing the range of views that Victorians might hold on witchcraft, cunning-men, fairies and the like. The Norfolk that Jesperson and Lane visit is a mesh of rivalrous arcane practitioners with Manning himself having been involved in something called the "School of British Wisdom" whose purpose is to revive the learning of the "druids". They, and pretty much everyone else our duo meet, have all sorts of views on the so-called "screaming pits" to be found in local fields and woods, as well as different attitudes to witchcraft, whether historical or modern. The book is a reminder - like The Somnambulist and the Psychic Thief - of the spread of opinion about the supernatural, and the blurred distinction between that and science, that obtained then. Like the Victorians, we're in real doubt whether or the events have a "natural" explanation (or even what that means).
The key to Manning's death is apparently located somewhere in this complex web, which also draws in a missing baby, poisonings and the "good neighbours" (nothing to do with Ramsay St). But there are many false turns, misleading theories and a startling lack of hard evidence, so it's a tough case to crack with surprises right to the end.
As I said earlier, there is less action in this story than in the previous book, and I felt at times that the conversations over tea in drawing rooms used, especially in the first half, to establish the facts of the case teeter on the edge of becoming long-winded. Teeter, but don't fall over - Tuttle avoids that, not least because alongside the investigation, there are darker veins running through the book.
First, she maps the attitude of men towards women, seeing them as means to ends, whether those are commercial, such as obtaining property, or more "spiritual". This attitude comes out quite nakedly on a couple of occasions but is always simmering away. It's something Lane is alert to, and even the presence of her friend Jesperson makes her uneasy at one point:
"His eyes glinted in the moonlight and I suddenly felt unaccountably nervous, and looked away at the empty, tree-lined road ahead".
Apart from a sense of menace, the books shows women not being listened to. Often, men whom Lane is asking question of respond to Jesperson instead, and at one point we're told, "...the men were not so ready to believe she knew what she was talking about..." These moments give the story a real bite, counterpointed, of course, by the recurring debate about witchcraft and the treatment of women regarded as witches.
As well as the treatment of gender, there are also some carefully observed class attitudes. One may draw a comparison between the treatment by the Rev and Mrs Ringer of their servant, Maria, and the superstitious attitude to the fairies (those "good neighbours"). You mustn't, you see, acknowledge or thank the fairies of they do you a good turn. Similarly, Maria's toil in the kitchen goes unremarked: when she's ill one evening and Jesperson and Lane do the work instead, nobody remarks on it. I'm reminded of George Orwell's observation of old women carrying firewood in North Africa: that it was just wood going by.
So, within this apparently charming and engaging fantasy crime novel, there is a good deal of shrewd social commentary.
Overall, a solid follow-up to The Somnambulist and the Psychic Thief, showing that Tuttle isn't simply planning to repeat a successful formula - popular though I'm sure that would be - but is letting this series evolve. I wonder what she'll do with it next?
If you loved the first Jesperson and Lane book, The Somnambulist and the Psychic Thief, you'll enjoy this - though Tuttle has written a rather different story, it's every bit as good.
While The Somnambulist and the Psychic Thief was very much an action story with lashings of penny dreadful menace, this is a slower, more reflective book. It particularly showcases the abilities of Miss Lane: indeed, while Jesperson comes and goes on a rather erratic schedule, much of the discovery is driven by Lane and her ability to get alongside the inhabitants of the various dwellings - whether vicarage or wise woman's abode - where the clues to Mr Manning's death may be found. (My wife being a vicar, I was rather alarmed at the idea - which I think is accurate for Victorian days - that strangers could just turn up at a remote vicarage and expect to be put up!)
The story that Lane draws out is fascinating, much of the book gradually exposing the range of views that Victorians might hold on witchcraft, cunning-men, fairies and the like. The Norfolk that Jesperson and Lane visit is a mesh of rivalrous arcane practitioners with Manning himself having been involved in something called the "School of British Wisdom" whose purpose is to revive the learning of the "druids". They, and pretty much everyone else our duo meet, have all sorts of views on the so-called "screaming pits" to be found in local fields and woods, as well as different attitudes to witchcraft, whether historical or modern. The book is a reminder - like The Somnambulist and the Psychic Thief - of the spread of opinion about the supernatural, and the blurred distinction between that and science, that obtained then. Like the Victorians, we're in real doubt whether or the events have a "natural" explanation (or even what that means).
The key to Manning's death is apparently located somewhere in this complex web, which also draws in a missing baby, poisonings and the "good neighbours" (nothing to do with Ramsay St). But there are many false turns, misleading theories and a startling lack of hard evidence, so it's a tough case to crack with surprises right to the end.
As I said earlier, there is less action in this story than in the previous book, and I felt at times that the conversations over tea in drawing rooms used, especially in the first half, to establish the facts of the case teeter on the edge of becoming long-winded. Teeter, but don't fall over - Tuttle avoids that, not least because alongside the investigation, there are darker veins running through the book.
First, she maps the attitude of men towards women, seeing them as means to ends, whether those are commercial, such as obtaining property, or more "spiritual". This attitude comes out quite nakedly on a couple of occasions but is always simmering away. It's something Lane is alert to, and even the presence of her friend Jesperson makes her uneasy at one point:
"His eyes glinted in the moonlight and I suddenly felt unaccountably nervous, and looked away at the empty, tree-lined road ahead".
Apart from a sense of menace, the books shows women not being listened to. Often, men whom Lane is asking question of respond to Jesperson instead, and at one point we're told, "...the men were not so ready to believe she knew what she was talking about..." These moments give the story a real bite, counterpointed, of course, by the recurring debate about witchcraft and the treatment of women regarded as witches.
As well as the treatment of gender, there are also some carefully observed class attitudes. One may draw a comparison between the treatment by the Rev and Mrs Ringer of their servant, Maria, and the superstitious attitude to the fairies (those "good neighbours"). You mustn't, you see, acknowledge or thank the fairies of they do you a good turn. Similarly, Maria's toil in the kitchen goes unremarked: when she's ill one evening and Jesperson and Lane do the work instead, nobody remarks on it. I'm reminded of George Orwell's observation of old women carrying firewood in North Africa: that it was just wood going by.
So, within this apparently charming and engaging fantasy crime novel, there is a good deal of shrewd social commentary.
Overall, a solid follow-up to The Somnambulist and the Psychic Thief, showing that Tuttle isn't simply planning to repeat a successful formula - popular though I'm sure that would be - but is letting this series evolve. I wonder what she'll do with it next?
October 1, 2017
Fans of historical fiction/urban fantasy, rejoice - Jesperson and Lane are on the case. In this second outing of the private detectives, they find themselves outside London in the quiet of the countryside. Having seen a man die on their front steps, the detectives have gone to look into his last days and try to find out what could have caused his demise. Was it heart failure as the police surgeon ruled, an overdose, or perhaps witchcraft? They must speak with the local vicar and his family, the three sisters residing at Wayside Cross, Felix Ott and his followers in the School of British Wisdom, and various servants and local residents.
The characters of Jesperson and Lane are entertaining and remind me of those in the Jackaby novels. There is the slightly eccentric Jasper Jesperson, who has an encyclopedic knowledge of many subjects including poisons and occult practices. And Miss Lane with her background in the world of psychics and her logical good sense. Together they can look into mysterious deaths in London and around Wayside Cross, research the local shrieking pits, hunt for an abducted baby, and look for clues about the actions of the deceased and those closest to him.
I like the way Jesperson sees Lane as a partner, and not an assistant or underling. He realizes that she has her own strengths and abilities and has no qualms about letting her pursue leads on her own. At the same time, they are both aware of society's views on unmarried men and women working together and make sure to keep the gossips from having any ammunition. Both of them seem much more open-minded than most of the people they encounter.
Anyone who enjoys mystery, and perhaps some magic, mixed in with historical fiction will probably have a grand time with the Jesperson & Lane series. I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
The characters of Jesperson and Lane are entertaining and remind me of those in the Jackaby novels. There is the slightly eccentric Jasper Jesperson, who has an encyclopedic knowledge of many subjects including poisons and occult practices. And Miss Lane with her background in the world of psychics and her logical good sense. Together they can look into mysterious deaths in London and around Wayside Cross, research the local shrieking pits, hunt for an abducted baby, and look for clues about the actions of the deceased and those closest to him.
I like the way Jesperson sees Lane as a partner, and not an assistant or underling. He realizes that she has her own strengths and abilities and has no qualms about letting her pursue leads on her own. At the same time, they are both aware of society's views on unmarried men and women working together and make sure to keep the gossips from having any ammunition. Both of them seem much more open-minded than most of the people they encounter.
Anyone who enjoys mystery, and perhaps some magic, mixed in with historical fiction will probably have a grand time with the Jesperson & Lane series. I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
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