I read 85 of its 347 pages. I’ll save you the time and trouble of reading any. This is the 3rd of his Newbury & Hobbes series, so a number of people did buy the previous books
Hobbes is an uppity, aggressive young employee of Newbury, a brilliant, opium addicted employee of Queen Victoria. Hobbes has a sister who has seizures and during them can predict the future. The sister is being treated by Fabian, who is also the queen’s physician. He has made the irritable, bossy queen’s life much longer by installing a mechanical heart. He also installed a switch so he can turn the queen off. His assistant is one of his patients who has steam powered mechanical legs. He wears a mask so only his eyes show. His legs work cumbersomely and his balance is poor. He helps care for Hobbes’ sister, who is terrified of him. Newbury’s boss is a Sir, part of the nobility and head of Scotland Yard. The plot starts with the discovery of a well known thief’s body, except it may not be him. Newbury boss huffs and puffs much like Holmes’ Watson in the movies. And…
I would have gotten bored sooner but I was sick when I read this far. Check my other reviews to see if your reading tastes are similar to mine. I do write positive reviews as well.