Welcome to Litsy!

So the so-so rating is not for the story, which was fun and interesting. It is because the book was very poorly edited (I read the paperback). There were so many grammatical mistakes in exposition that it was really distracting. Perhaps the author should not have thanked her editor so profusely in the acknowledgments, because she either is terrible at her job or really doesn't like the author!

Confusing, at first, with so many characters but a great first in a series!

#12booksof2023

So… I couldn‘t really keep the characters straight and the first 1/3 or so left me wondering how this has gotten such good buzz but I really loved the last 1/3. This is a strong first book for a series, I think I‘ll get to know the characters better over the course of the series and so, I‘m overlooking that confusion for now!

My #Bookspin for June
Book 4/4 for #JoysOfJune
Book 2/14 for #14Books14Weeks2023

Found a great reading spot.

This book is set in London and involves a secret group of detectives. Marion Lane is the MC, she is learning to be a detective in Miss Brickett's Investigations. Set in 1958, she and her fellow detectives have to solve a mystery. It's the first in a series and I really enjoyed it.

A fun and clever mystery, with lots of twists and turns — literal and metaphorical! Marion is a believable reluctant heroine, with identifiable issues and an engaging coterie of friends and enemies. I didn‘t see the ending coming, and the post-WWII setting allowed for some intriguing plot points. Will definitely pick up the next in the series!

Threads of steam rose from the warm tarmac.

#FirstLineFridays. @ShyBookOwl

Low pick but still a pick. I would read another one because Marion was interesting as was the secret detective agency. I was confused by the Goodreads reviews as they all compared it to Harry Potter. Not once did I ever think of Harry Potter while I was listening to this book. There‘s no magic, only gadgets. A whole lot of books have underground tunnels. They existed before Rowling and will continue to exist. Nice walk in the rain. #audiowalk

Since I finished Murder in Pirate‘s Cove, I‘m back to this one. I don‘t hate it, so I don‘t know why I keep dropping it for other books. Maybe I‘ll finish it this time. That is not a potato in the picture up top; it‘s a rock. Every where I walked was wet as heck as it‘s been raining almost nonstop for days. #audiowalk

Fast read⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 stars

Back to Marion Lane since I finished The Edge of Summer. I will probably review the Shipman book later as I‘m not really sure how I feel about it. #audiowalk

I thought the description of this book said it was funny, and I wasn‘t finding anything funny. I went back and looked at it, and it says it‘s fun. Okay, I can believe that. It‘s my new walking book. Barely finished my walk before the rain started. I‘m back home, so no more river— at least not one that‘s in walking distance. 😞. #audiowalk

#wineandbooks #worldbuilding #steampunk #lockedroom #whodunit #CapeCodLife

Cocktail hour. 📚🍷🍿

Leaving for Cape Cod today with these books. 📚🏖

Finished the books in collage next to #bookreport.
#weeklyforecast #audiomystety #policeprocedural #steampunkmystery #sundaybuddyread #fiction #biography #DeniseLevertov #poet

A fun murder mystery featuring a hidden society of private investigators, amazing gadgets and a fun cast of characters. I ordered this because it sounded fun - a little heavier than a cozy mystery, but not as gritty as a procedural. Plus a little bit of “steampunk lite” thrown in. Overall a fantastic read.

I enjoyed this and have already put the second book on hold; but was this originally some sort of Harry Potter fan fiction? There is no magic, but I spent a great deal of the book thinking about who/what felt like HP rather than solving the mystery. #Booked2022 #amurdermystery

Re-read this because I needed a refresher before reading book 2. I love series but have a terrible time remembering what happened in the last book!

Still liked this one the 2nd time around, so onto the next!

The overall idea of a hidden secret detective agency is fascinating with great scope for development, so it was surprising that at times it was a bit like wading through treacle. Hopefully the next case will be a bit more dynamic with a faster pace as the elements for a great series are all there. 3.5🌟

Full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4395519989

But that was the thing about death, as Marion knew so well. No matter how much the deceased were loved, life did not wait for the grieving.

This is a fun read, and I enjoyed the Marion character. Her relationship with her grandmother, especially, helped to create her into a 3D character. But: I find that the majority of other characters began to blend together. Besides Marion and her grandmother, I had a hard time remembering other characters & the who of who they were. Overall, this was a fun mystery read (with a dash of fantasy), & a pretty good introduction to a series.
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5

Good mystery. Hard to put a definite genre on this. I was wondering whether it's historical urban fantasy.

Fun and imaginative! For some reason when I was thinking just now of how to describe it I came up with “like hogwarts for adults, but instead of a secret world of wizards, it is a secret world of sleuths” and I‘m stuck on that description, though I don‘t think it‘s perfect. I think this is a good book to enjoy and not think too much about. :)

It was a solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Nothing really special. I wouldn‘t pick it up again. I was hoping for something along the lines of Neil Gaiman Neverwhere. So much that could have been done with underground London.

#mystery

This book was okay. The mystery was intriguing and the whole underground secret investigative service was pretty cool. However, I kept mixing up the characters and not knowing who was who. Marion was a good main character, but I felt like she definitely freezed up a lot for being a recruit. Almost like she didn‘t know what she was getting herself into. I‘m assuming this is a series but I don‘t know if it‘s one I‘ll continue on with.

Well narrated on audiobook. Slow to start, fun in the middle, end was meh. #Audiobook

Fun mystery with a twist of fantasy. I do have to say the ending was a bummer.

This was an enjoyable tale, a nice bit of escapism. It ended in a way that made it obvious a series is planned. I‘m not sure I‘ll continue with the next installment—so many series, so little time—but it was definitely a solid, entertaining debut.⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was the first box I ordered from the “Treat Your Shelf” subscription service provided by the indie bookstore The Book Shelf in Thomasville, Georgia... and I‘m really glad I ordered 3 months worth. Fun, quirky mystery with a strong female protagonist set in 1950s London. Perfect!! ❤️👍🏻

I just received my first book from my shelf subscription that my husband bought me for Christmas from The Bookshelf in Thomasville, Georgia. The Bookshelf‘s podcast From the Front Porch is one of my favorites so this was a fun way to support them. I love a good mystery so this looks like it will be right up my alley. #thebookshelf

This one shot to the top of my TBR list on Netgalley. Reminiscent of The Invisible Library with a bit of Bletchley Circle stirred in. Good so far....

Loved this mystery set in 1958 Britain — Marion Lane is a first-year apprentice in a secret underground inquiry agency with lots of steampunk gadgetry thrown in for good measure. Great fun! A #jólabókaflóð #Jolabokaflod gift from @WanderingBookaneer #BonBonCat #CatsofLitsy

Check out my latest #bookreview of one of my fav 2020 books at LaceyDoesLit.com!
@Tess_Amy_ @parkrowbooks

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