The Daemoniac (Gaslamp Gothic, #1)

by Kat Ross

Sherlock Holmes meets The X-Files in this acclaimed paranormal mystery series from the author of the Fourth Element Trilogy

It's August 1888, just three weeks before Jack the Ripper will terrorize Whitechapel, and another serial murderer is stalking the streets of New York. His handiwork bears the hallmarks of a demonic possession—but amateur sleuth Harrison Fearing Pell is certain her quarry is a man of flesh and blood. And she hopes to make her reputation by solving the bizarre case before the man the press has dubbed Mr. Hyde strikes again.

From the squalor of the Five Points to the high-class gambling dens of the Tenderloin and the glittering mansions of Fifth Avenue, Harry follows the trail of a remorseless killer, uncovering a few embarrassing secrets of New York's richest High Society families along the way. Are the murders a case of black magic—or simple blackmail? And will the trail lead closer to home than she ever imagined?

• ISBN10: 0997236248
• ISBN13: 9780997236248
• Publish Date: 12 October 2016
• Publish Status: Active
• Publisher: Acorn Independent Press
• Imprint: Acorn
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 326
• Language: English

Reviews

[Eve1972]

It's August of 1888 when a couple hoping to hire the infamous Myrtle Fearing Pell to discreetly look for their missing friend pay a visit to 40 West Tenth Street. Instead of Myrtle they are greeted by Harry Fearing Pell, younger sister to the infamous detective, and her good friend (DR. in training) John Weston.

Taking it upon herself to impersonate her famous sister, Harry and John take the case. What follows is a twisted and depraved tale of magic, murder and mayhem...



So ya, where to begin...I REALLY REALLY REALLY loved this book. It's like Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde got together and had a baby. The setting of 1800's New York City was fantastic. It's detailed and so atmospheric. It's almost like the setting is another character. The mystery kept me hooked (though I will say I DID figure out who the baddie was from early on.) It was full of interesting and well developed characters. The writing was fantastic. The plot was interesting and kept me turning the pages.

Not much else to say other than I enjoyed the heck out of this one and look forward to the next book in the series.

[shannonmiz]

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
I have realized lately that I have become quite a fan of historical fiction. And while I don't gravitate toward mysteries in contemporary books, I sure do love one in a historical setting. Or, maybe the ones I have read (like this one!) have just been so well done that I now enjoy them? Either way, I found The Daemoniac to be absolutely fascinating and delightful!

Let's talk about what made this book so enjoyable, shall we?

• Harry is so ahead of her time, and I love it. Not in an unbelievable sense, mind you, but she is one awesome female in a world that doesn't respect her fabulousness as it should. She is gutsy- she takes risks, she puts herself out there, she basically does whatever she needs to get the job done. But, she is still human and she still has fears and worries and such. I enjoyed her immensely. The supporting characters work well to balance out Harry's seriousness, so there's a good blend.


• I definitely wasn't sure how the mystery would unravel! I had a few ideas, but I was never sure. I was always left guessing, right up until the end. It was the kind of book that kept me turning the pages to uncover the next twist, to try to guess the outcome!


• The historical accuracy was phenomenal. I found myself Googling a lot of the people and other cases that were mentioned  during the story, and they were endlessly fascinating as well as incredibly well researched. I loved that Kat Ross included real people and events of the times as well as fictional characters and storylines. It made the story feel incredibly real.


• The writing was also wonderful. I felt so immersed in the world, and the dialogue was very reminiscent of the time, which made the setting feel so much more authentic. I could really picture the 1888 New York streets, and even the fear that was happening in them.

My one gripe is that while it is so well done and Harry is so thorough and amazing at her job, sometimes I was kind of waiting for Harry to get out of her head a little so we could move on with the action. Don't get me wrong, most of the stuff was necessary, but Harry's mind was constantly spinning, and sometimes I felt like the reader spun a bit with it. It threw off the pace from time to time, but not enough that I wanted to stop reading!

Bottom Line:  The Daemoniac kept me guessing with a great cast of characters, wonderful atmosphere, and a mystery that I was eager to have unraveled! Definitely looking forward to the next book!