Sherlock Holmes meets Penny Dreadful in the debut of a delightful Victorian-era fantasy series from John W. Campbell Award winner Lisa Tuttle. Has there ever been a more unlikely pair of consulting detectives than Jesperson and Lane? They certainly make a striking duo: Mr. Jasper Jesperson, with his shock of red hair and seemingly encyclopedic knowledge of all subjects—save common sense—and Miss … subjects—save common sense—and Miss Lane, whose logical mind is matched only by her fascination with psychic phenomena.
Their talents are rare . . . as are their customers. So when Jesperson and Lane are hired to track the nocturnal wanderings of a sleepwalking London business owner, they’re simply happy to be working again. The case begins as a window into the séances and other supernatural parlor games that are so popular these days, and takes a sinister turn as the intrepid investigators pull back the curtain on the cutthroat rivalries underpinning polite society.
But after several mediums go missing, it’s clear that Jesperson and Lane are in over their heads. For they’ve uncovered a presence beyond their understanding—an evil force that won’t hesitate to kill in order to achieve its nefarious ends.
Advance praise for The Curious Affair of the Somnambulist & the Psychic Thief
“Sleepwalkers, psychics, and the spirits of the dead (or are they?) make for a heady stew in Lisa Tuttle’s latest, The Curious Affair of the Somnambulist & the Psychic Thief, the first full-length novel about Jasper Jesperson and Miss Lane, a dauntless duo of Victorian detectives first introduced in her stories for Down These Strange Streets and Rogues. They’re an entertaining pair, and it’s great to see them back in action in a longer work. Here’s hoping this is only the first in a long series of Lane and Jesperson adventures. Tuttle does a lovely job of putting us back in the foggy streets of Victorian London in this lively, entertaining blend of murder mystery and supernatural adventure. Arthur Conan Doyle would have approved.”—George R. R. Martin
Praise for Lisa Tuttle
“A stylish, distinctive storyteller.”—The Washington Post Book World
“This John W. Campbell Award–winning author remains one of fantasy’s best.”—Publishers Weekly
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Sleepwalkers, psychics, and the spirits of the dead (or are they?) make for a heady stew in Lisa Tuttle’s latest, The Curious Affair of the Somnambulist & the Psychic Thief, the first full-length novel about Jasper Jesperson and Miss Lane, a dauntless duo of Victorian detectives first introduced in her stories for Down These Strange Streets and Rogues. They’re an entertaining pair, and it’s great to see them back in action in a longer work. Here’s hoping this is only the first in a long series of Lane and Jesperson adventures. Tuttle does a lovely job of putting us back in the foggy streets of Victorian London in this lively, entertaining blend of murder mystery and supernatural adventure. Arthur Conan Doyle would have approved.
repetitive and predictable
a good read
Kept my interest as a light, not really thrilling thriller. Never really worried about the characters in danger. You would probably get to like the characters as a. Ew situation starts in final sentences toward the next book. You can put it down….but do want to finish it.
I really liked the premise and wanted it to be a little better than it was. Maybe the works and characters will be more three dimensional with next in series?
The main characters were very engaging and their development throughout the story was well played. Supporting characters were interesting as well. Thoroughly enjoyed the historical setting and descriptions. Fun, enjoyable read and will read any follow up books.
I am a sucker for Sherlock Holmes-type detective stories – a seemingly impossibly-talented individual who sees things the rest of us don’t, usually with the aid of an assistant who seems bumbling/less than helpful but turns out to be the heart of the operation. The Jesperson & Lane series delivers – although this first book wasn’t quite as consistently strong as I’d hoped. It opens very well and the ending is great – there are sections in the middle that continue in that vein, but there are also sections that seem like they’d benefit from tighter editing. To me, the key to this type of mystery is to keep things relatively straightforward, without too much additional description/setup – that’s the key to the Holmesian type of logical reasoning/deduction, and it helps keep the stories crisp and feeling consistent with the characters. This one meandered a little more than I would have preferred, although it was still quite entertaining and I already have the second title in the series lined up because I really liked the characters and enjoyed the paranormal angles, which were unexpected in shape and form and made the story more enjoyable for the surprise they represented…
What a great book, I hope there is a second!!!
It’s hard to put this book down, the characters are great, the plot is original!!!!
Mildly entertaining. Not enough mystery in it. I did manage to finish the book. I gave me something to read. Given this book and an old Sherlock Holmes mystery I would take Sherlock. This writer has the potential of becoming a better writer if he/she could give more depth to the characters and make the plot more intricate.
I’m a big fan of anything Sherlockian, and this was a really original, entertaining twist. Very well written too.
At first I thought it was interesting. Then as I got to the middle it started to annoy me. It was just annoying