Who Dunnit? The Mysterious Lady Law

The Mysterious Lady Law

By Robert Appleton  

Published by Carina Press  

Imprint: Carina Press

Publication Date January 31, 2011

Steampunk Mystery -- (Novella, 31000 words)

$3.19 only e-published

Provided by Publisher through NetGalley.com

In a time of grand airships and steam-powered cars, the death of a penniless young maid will hardly make the front page. But part-time airship waitress and music hall dancer Julia Bairstow is shattered by her sister's murder. When Lady Law, the most notorious private detective in Britain, offers to investigate the case pro bono, Julia jumps at the chance--even against the advice of Constable Al Grant, who takes her protection surprisingly to heart.

Lady Law puts Scotland Yard to shame. She's apprehended Jack the Ripper and solved countless other cold-case crimes. No one knows how she does it, but it's brought her fortune, renown, and even a title. But is she really what she claims to be--a genius at deducting? Or is Al right and she is not to be trusted?

Julia is determined to find out the truth, even if it means turning sleuth herself--and turning the tables on Lady Law... (http://www.robertappleton.co.uk/comingsoon.htm)

My Take

Steampunk is a fascinating genre; a world where there is plenty of science but it is the science of a different universe with ether, steam, magnetic forces, or some other overriding scientific factor which only authors could imagine being the unifying force in science, much as the laws of physics are ours the theory of.  It is the science of Jules Verne and his fantastic ships, submarines, and his worlds with worlds. It is a science that is almost our science, but which somehow went awry.  For some reason the steam punk world seems entirely stuck in the UK during the Victorian or Edwardian era.

This novella tells an interesting story of  of murder and plotting with a female Sherlockian type character, made a peer by the Queen for solving many crimes. Then we have a young woman, Julia, and her murdered sister Georgy, whose family was genteel but which had fallen on hard times and which resorted to domestic service, being a can-can dancer and air hostess to make a living.  There is also a constable, and an appropriately Colonel Pickering-esque, avuncular, British explorer and adventurer.

The story proceeds predictably except for a few twists I did not expect. Lady Law is quite mysterious indeed as we only see her for a few chapters. The rest of the time it is Julia and the Constable. I wondered why it wasn’t called The Mystery of Julia’s Sister.  There is a nice progression of the romantic relationship, but Julia’s light attitude after her sister’s death and after some of the other events is dubious.  There is a climactic scene of what would have been termed “sexual depravity” which I felt was somewhat gratuitous, and I thought some bits were a bit glib. I did like that in the end Julia isn’t saved; she rescues herself more than once and understands the reality of the situation more quickly than others. She is not the dumb female, but also likes being treated like a lady.

This may sound terribly sexist, but I think during the past nine months I have only read three or four books written by men.  Strangely they often seem to write from a women’s Point of View.  Often I don’t feel they truly capture the female character, as variable as that character is. I think that Appleton misses his target with Julia’s emotions.  No book is perfect.

But it is an enjoyable read, with nicely flowing prose and a couple of surprises. It isn’t high literary fiction, but who cares?!