Beth C.
Written on Jun 18, 2020
In this charming, witty, and weird fantasy novel, Alexis Hall pays homage to Sherlock Holmes with a new twist on those renowned characters.
Upon returning to the city of Khelathra-Ven after five years fighting a war in another universe, Captain John Wyndham finds himself looking for somewhere to live, and expediency forces him to take lodgings at 221b Martyrs Walk. His new housemate is Ms. Shaharazad Haas, a consulting sorceress of mercurial temperament and dark reputation.
When Ms. Haas is enlisted to solve a case of blackmail against one of her former lovers, Miss Eirene Viola, Captain Wyndham is drawn into a mystery that leads him from the salons of the literary set to the drowned back-alleys of Ven and even to a prison cell in lost Carcosa. Along the way he is beset by criminals, menaced by pirates, molested by vampires, almost devoured by mad gods, and called upon to punch a shark.
But the further the companions go in pursuit of the elusive blackmailer, the more impossible the case appears. Then again, in Khelathra-Ven reality is flexible, and the impossible is Ms. Haas' stock-in-trade.
- ISBN10 0440001331
- ISBN13 9780440001331
- Publish Date 18 June 2019
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country US
- Publisher Penguin Publishing Group
- Imprint Ace
- Format Paperback (US Trade)
- Pages 352
- Language English
- URL https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780440001331
Reviews
llamareads
Written on Jun 14, 2019
While I can’t say I’m terribly familiar with the original source material, I’m a pretty big fan of Sherlock Holmes adaptations. While my favorite so far has been the excellent The Tea Master and the Detective, this Lovecraftian take might just knock it out of that spot. It’s utterly weird and completely queer and I really can’t recommend it enough.
In all the time I knew her, Ms. Shaharazad Haas never showed the slightest regard for the rules of society, the laws of the land, or the inviolable principles of the cosmos.
After being injured while fighting an interdimensional war, Captain John Wyndham is forced to retire from battling forces set on the complete annihilation of the universe and accept a position as an alchemist. The reduced pay means he can’t be particularly picky about lodgings, so when he answers the announcement of one Shaharazad Hass, sorceress, he’s willing to be a bit more accepting of her indulgences, blasphemies, etc. It’s not, however, until one of Hass’s former lovers comes to her with a blackmail letter and a plea for help that Wyndham gets drawn into her world of vampires, alternate dimensions, time travel, ancient gods, and unspeakable horrors.
“I have no doubt you think me very foolish. But I shall always offer aid to those who may need it and, on this principle, I shall not compromise.”
Ms. Haas put one hand to her face and the other upon my shoulder. “You are going to get so utterly killed.”
The overarching frame is that Wyndham’s serializing this account in a magazine, and while it feels a bit overdone at times, I think this would be a much less satisfying book without it. Wyndham was born in a Puritanical cult and, despite attending university in (and now living in) the more cosmopolitan city of Khelathra-Ven, he still retains a lot of the morals and a sort of wide-eyed innocence. Wyndham is just utterly charming – there’s a lot of hilariously fastidious deadpan commentary and redactions (heaven forbid a character utter a swear word!). While he views himself as a simple man and completely unremarkable compared to Hass, in truth it’s his principles and bravery that drive most of the plot and make him the perfect foil for her. Hass, for her part, is brilliantly profane and utterly without morals (at least when they don’t suit her), and seeing what bit of insanity she’d come up with next was a ridiculous amount of fun. While she’s the one who’s usually pushing the plot forward through arcane and usually nefarious means, it’s Wyndham who really stole the show for me.
“Oh ——. You’re Shaharazad ——ing Haas, aren’t you?”
“Currently only Shaharazad Haas, but I could be ——ing if you play your cards right.”
“For someone with your reputation, you’ve got some really —— ing cheesy lines.”
“I have two modes. Flirting and turning your blood to boiling lye within your veins. Which do you prefer?”
The world building is excellent, full of magic and incredible detail, though due to its depth can be alternately either confusing due to lack of explanation or overwhelmingly info-dumpy. I find it hard to complain about, though, because I found it all utterly fascinating and desperately wanted to know more about, well, everything. This book is also delightfully queer. Hass is, for lack of a term that explicitly includes relations with dead gods and other eldritch creatures, pansexual and Wyndham is trans. There’s a f/f couple at the center of the blackmail plot, Wyndham flirts with an extremely unsuitable man (and almost has, uh, relations with even more unsuitable men), and besides some barely mentioned transphobia (Wyndham’s family doesn’t approve of him), it’s all very much accepted as not even worth a mention.
Overall, this book is an absolute treat. There are, in true Victorian serial fashion, several references to other adventures that I’m desperately hoping will become future books. If you’re looking for a queer fantasy with a big dollop of mystery and eldritch horror, this is exactly what you need!
I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Amber (The Literary Phoenix)
Written on May 12, 2019
From what I can see of his previous works, The Affair of the Mysterious Letter is a little out of his normal wheelhouse. A lot of what Alexis Hall writes tends to be paranormal romance, which is one of my least favorites genres. Had I known that, I probably would not have requested this one… but! The Affair of the Mysterious Letter is NOT a paranormal romance! This book is a fantasy retelling a la Sherlock Holmes and that is why I requested it and that is certainly what I got.
The writing style in this novel is an absolutely delight, but it has its drawbacks. It’s a sort of tongue-in-cheek style. While I haven’t read anything by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, I do imagine John Watson’s voice being quick similar to Hall’s Mr. Wyndham’s. It’s a quirky, funny sort of voice that makes me chuckle and is right up my alley. Unfortunately, since we’re also being introduced to a vast, confusion, and complicated fantasy world at the same time, the voice was a little too editorialized for me to keep track of everything.
Pacing could have something to do with that as well. This book moves quickly! Aside from the times where Wyndham is talking about propriety or fashion, we’re moving at Shaharazad Haas’ pace, and the sorceress moves fast. Even after having read and digested the book, I confess, I’m still at a bit of a loss as to what happens in places. I had to go back and read the end because there was so much jumping about in the last few chapters that I nearly missed the grand reveal. It’s a cleverly written book with a lot of interesting bits, but it’s a lot. It’s just… a lot.
I wish I could talk a little more in depth about the world building, but The Affair of the Mysterious Letter is such a rollercoaster of a novel that I think I’m a bit dazed. It’s a complicated multiverse, and it becomes clear early on that all the rules will not be explained to the reader simply because Ms. Haas has no desire to pass them on to Mr. Wyndham. This is one of those world building things where I as the reader needed to decide if I was just going to jump on board for the ride and accept everything, or if I was out because the world was “because I said so”.
I was in, though, dear readers.
The voice of this novel amused me enough to carry on even when many things seemed positively pointless.
I think it’s Shaharazad’s character that takes the cake. Mr. Wyndham is an upright citizen as much as his co-inhabitant allows, but I thoroughly enjoyed Ms. Haas’ attitude of giving zero f***s and the constant implied eyeroll. Especially in this sort of half-Victorian lady, half-evil sorceress character. Shaharazad Haas was a downright funny character. She pulled the whole thing together and made it all worthwhile, she really did.
So.
At the end of the day, do I recommend this book? The simplest answer is, “I’m not sure”. I’ve got to be honest, it was a bit like riding a T-Rex through Manhattan. It was a mess. But it was also hilariously funny. I think this is the right sort of book for the right sort of person. If you’re not sure if you qualify in this way, I’d suggest pursuing other reviews and weighing your options. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this to someone whose personality seems to line right up to this type of storytelling. But it’s not a book I’m going to add to my library. It is, however, a character I’d like to see again, and should there be a sequel, I would most likely indulge.
kimbacaffeinate
Written on May 10, 2019
Witches, underwater cities, shape-shifting, flying and more await you in this clever tale. I loved this female version of Sherlock. John Wyndham comes from a deeply religious planet and found after college he couldn’t quite move home. When he looks for housing on Khelathra-Ven, and answers an ad for a flatmate he finds himself at 221b Martyrs Walk.
The owner of the dwelling is a hoard of bees and lives in the attic. I will let you discover more, but as John will tell you, “Don’t drink the tea.” Shaharazad Haas is over the top. A female sorcerer who uses prohibited magic when it suits her, annoys everyone and yet it seems everyone owes her a favor. Why John agrees to live with her, you must discover for yourself.
John narrates the entire story as he recounts the first case he works with her. His explanations and direct conversations with us, the reader were delightful and more than once I laughed aloud. This is pure fantasy at its best.
Because John is speaking to us, the story had a nice flow with pauses, to share information about the planet, place or city we are visiting. I thought this was rather clever. John’s mannerisms and upbringing offered humor as he relayed the outlandish behavior of the brilliant, opinionated and troublesome Haas.
Fans of diversity and LGBT storylines will appreciate the refreshing acceptance and characters found within. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
layawaydragon
Written on Apr 9, 2019
I devoured it while reading. When I had to pause, my mind kept straying back, itching to find out what happens next.
It's so...gay and different. I didn't know what to expecting going in, just that I had to read it. It's better than I could've imagined.
The best way I've thought to describe it is thus: Futurama meets Soulless where everyone is queer with less Beavis & Butthead humor, narrated by Victor Melling from Miss Congeniality but instead of an FBI agent in a beauty pageant, he's got a rogue sorceress addicted to opium who can't go undercover to save her life.
Have I mentioned how much I fucking loved this book? All of it. Just...GAH.
Also, is this what straight white guys felt about Holmes and Watson this whole time??? A-fucking-mazing.
Also, NEED A MILLION SEQUELS!!!
I'll try doing a more coherent review in a bit.