Funny and swift sherlockian pastiche - if Sherlock was a man-child by nature and Watson was a woman.

I am a fan of this canon and the psychic powers are well involved within many a Sherlock adaptations (even if this is NOT a Sherlock adaptation), so I was all ready to enter this world. And I was quite a happy rider here:) The book is funny, the characters are relatable (maybe because they are a bit messy? We all are.) and the mysteries are enjoyable.
Unfortunately, the novel is prolonged and the plot is slow at times, otherwise I would go for 4 stars.

This was such a very good read. Lisa Tuttle did an excellent job creating a well detailed plot with interesting characters. I had difficulty getting into the book at first but once I got into the story, I could stop reading.

It's 1893, and young Miss Lane, assistant to an investigator into the authenticity of seances, discovers her partner to be a possible fraud. She escapes to London with very little money. She finds a job with Consulting Detective, Mr. J Jespersen. She also finds a room with him and his mother. They too, are down to their last dollar and owe rent. Jespersen and Lane begin their partnership bartering with the Landlord for the rent. H is brother-in-law is acting strangely and his sister is worried. He hires the pair to solve the case.

They find themselves involved in London's world of seances and psychic magicians, as they follow the brother -in-law as he sleepwalks in a trance at night. And Miss Lane finds her skills as an investigator of psychic phenomena are just what is needed to solve the case.

This tale is full of fast paced action and wonderful characters. An excellent read.

This novel was such a good read. Lisa Tuttle wrote a fantastic novel and I will for now on pick up anything she writes from now on. I was skeptic at first but once I got into the story, I could stop reading.

The Somnambulist and the Psychic Thief (The Curious Affair Of, #1)
by Lisa Tuttle
A somnambulist is a sleep walker. Just in case you were wondering. How do you handle that in Victorian England. You follow the walker, and find that he is being controlled by another. This is only the start of the mystery that will put our sleuths duo set in Victorian England. They are thrown together by circumstances, and only their abilities will save them. This is a modern twist to the Victorian crime fighters that will remind you of the historic Sherlock Holmes, the modern twist will bring the reader a breath of fresh air. A great start to a series.

This was a delightful read! I love cozy mysteries and I believe that this qualifies for that category. I had a lot of fun with the historical setting and the Sherlock Holmes-esque flavor of the book. The writing style was perfect for the story. The characters were a lot of fun, and I hope to read more about them in the future.

Finding herself in desperate need of a new job and place to live, Mill Lane happens upon an advertisement for a brave assistant with a good memory. After inquiring, Lane becomes the partner of Mr. Jasper Jesperson, a detective. Pickings are slim at first until a sleepwalker and the disappearances of several local psychics both fall into their laps. Now, it is up to Jasper and Lane to solve these seemingly unrelated cases.

This book is just good fun. Jasper is the sort of detective character who is smart, clever, and charismatic yet a bit irresponsible. Lane is also intelligent yet charmingly self-depreciating and together they make a formidable pair you will enjoy following though the story as it unfolds.

Although this genre is not my expertise, I think I can safely call this a cozy mystery and I has a lot of fun reading it. I was on the edge of my seat and I would love to read the next one when I get my hands on it. 4 out of 5.

a kind of Sherlock Holmes book . 2 persons trying to selve myserious crimes. I loved reading it.

I am not usually a fan of Western detective novels because I find them slow and boring. Well, this book is a little on the slow side, but the writing style was anything but boring. I was intrigued by the merging of the classic detective genre with a little of the supernatural. Even the characters were memorable, especially our leading pair of detectives. Usually, in a detective novel, I will lose count and forget about the supporting cast - not this one: I could at least tell the difference between this medium and the another.
If you like Sherlock Holmes, then of course, pick this up immediately!
*I got a free copy in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley

I am always on the lookout for Victorian mysteries. The time period is one of my favorites. The character of Miss Lane drew me into the story from the very start. She is very well written as are Mr. Jesperson and his mother. If you enjoy spiritualism and psychics and strong characters, give this one a try. A very good historical mystery.

I found this little gem on Net Galley and it seemed like the type of historical mystery that I would enjoy. I loved this duo of detectives and I particularly liked how much of this story is told from a woman’s point of view — a POV that loses sight of the intricacies of a women’s role in Victorian England.
Well-written and well-plotted, I can only hope that this is the start of a series!
Thank you for my review e-copy!

Many thanks to Lisa Tuttle, Hydra Publishing, and Netgalley for the free copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

I’m always in the market for a whimsical mystery series-one that doesn’t psychologically scar me. This is a bit like what if Sherlock Holmes tried to be less serious? I was thoroughly enthralled in the whodunnit. Right til the end. The narration is pleasant ; the situations are entertaining. It’s a bright beginning to a brilliant series. Bravo, Tuttle!

I loved this. I loved it so much that I let out a happy little yip and hit request immediately when I saw its sequel pop up on Netgalley, and another when I got it – I can't wait.

Lisa Tuttle has worked with George R.R. Martin, so I would expect her to know what she's doing, and she does. She knows how to build characters without bending herself or her narrative into knots to make sure I picture them just as she wants me to; the main characters of this book are excellent companions. Miss Lane and Mr. Jasper Jesperson, striving to build a private investigation practice in 1893 London, are neither of them perfect. As the book begins, she has fled a position with a psychical research group upon discovering that a woman in whom she had perfect faith, a friend, was planning to conduct a fraudulent séance; I kept wanting to poke the author, or the character, asking if they didn't want to make some kind of stand against such fakery or something? At first it felt cowardly of Miss Lane, although I surely understood her feelings of betrayal. In the end, where her moonlight flit could have seemed like an out-of-character maneuver included solely to put chess pieces in place for the next move – it didn't. It made sense – and because it made sense and worked for the character, the rest of the plot evolves organically from it.

And as for Mr. Jesperson – he is a bit arrogant, a bit of a Sherlock Holmes-wanna-be, a bit over-focused on his own ends… but as it turns out, he has reason to be a bit arrogant, and good cause to expect to emulate Holmes – and his vision isn't so tunneled that he can't see a child in distress. The kitten incident was a beautiful illustration of his abilities and capabilities.

And his mother is terrific.

The writing has an effortless-seeming clarity that makes the pages fly by. The author manages the disparate elements of the plot like an expert juggler, keeping all the balls in the air until they fall neatly into their places. I love the way the climax of the action is handled. The left hand (and the reader) doesn't really know what the right hand is doing, and the right hand can't let the left know without sabotaging the whole plan. Miss Lane is put into a position where she has to accept the possibility that her new partner has let her down at least as badly as her last friend and partner. And Mr. Jesperson has to handle the situation with an aplomb and pragmatism that would do Holmes proud.

Another area where the writing shines is what feels like effortless exposition – or withholding of exposition. Just enough of the characters' stories are told to make them extremely engaging while still leaving lots of ground for future books to cover (lots of future books, I hope). I love that there are lots of things in both Miss Lane's and Mr. Jesperson's pasts that aren't detailed – including in their shared past, as some of their very first cases are alluded to like the Giant Rat of Sumatra ("the curious affair of the deodand"). (Wow – I never heard of a deodand before- what a fascinating thing.) I love that … shall we say, to avoid spoilers, the origin of a certain, er, fashion accessory is never, ever provided. <spoiler>Why does Miss Fox wear an eyepatch? I have no idea. And what's lovely about it is that no one ever asks, and Miss Lane never explains. It would, after all, be indelicate to discuss it. Fantastic.</spoiler>

Best of all, the author knows how to avoid that thing that has been driving me straight up the wall so much lately: recapping. So, so many books lately feature characters doing something, and then meeting someone who wasn't there and telling them all about it, or simply thinking about what happened a couple of chapters ago – during which the writer thoughtfully provides her apparently amnesiac reader with a summarization of those events, sometimes using just the same phrasings. Lisa Tuttle doesn't do this. "I gave him all the details, finishing just as we reached the station." I could just hug her for that.

I've been making note of a few fun names that have popped up in this year's books – like the one which used my name, except flipped, and the Mad Men character n WWII London. Here there is a set of twins named Amelia and Bedelia – and the Amelia Bedelia books (about a very Mary Poppins-ish lady, as I recall) were a staple of my early childhood. I wonder if that was on purpose.

It's such a great title – and I love that "psychic thief" doesn't mean what you might first think it means. And the somnambulism is a great deal of (sometimes very creepy) fun. (And I adore that cover.)

Yay, there is a second book – and I have it.

Great quote, and … well, yeah:
Why the dead should wish to communicate with the living in such a bizarre and roundabout way—materializing flowers, playing trumpets, rapping on tables—rather than sending straightforward messages through their mediums was a question no true believer would ask.

The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review.

An entertaining and atmospheric Sherlock Holmes-esque mystery with a female 'Watson' and a touch of the paranormal. Very descriptive of late 19th century life in London and the Victorian fascination with Hypnotists, Mediums and seances and all things otherworldly. Excellently drawn characters and a few genuine chills. Good old fashioned storytelling.

What does a sleepwalking man and multiple vanishing psychics have in common? The team of Lane and Jespersen will find out if it's related, or not. A bit reminiscent of Sherlock and Holmes, but yet different with a darker edge to it. This British style book is set in London of long ago. Who is the villain or villain's behind these plots? Why does this one man come back, and others are simply missing? Ah, I do love a good mystery. I'd read more in the series eagerly.

My copy came from Net Galley. My thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is left of my own free volition.

Miss Aphrodite (Di) Lane had been fascinated by psychic phenomena but disillusioned by the apparent trickery of her friend Miss Fox. This led her back to London, where she became the assistant and partner of Mr. Jasper Jesperson, a consulting detective. They were hired on to follow a somnambulist after a number of smaller cases local to their office. The case was soon tied to that of missing mediums in the city, and then it grew even more personal when Miss Lane herself was abducted.

This is billed as "Sherlock Holmes meets Penny Dreadful" in Victorian era London.

It certainly evokes that kind of charm both in its language and descriptions, as well as the craze around psychic phenomena of the time. Sherlock Holmes and Watson are referenced as fictional characters here, so don't expect a crossover as they work together. Instead, they model their collaboration after the fictional pair, with Jesperson as Holmes due to his eclectic upbringing and knowledge. Di is more the voice of reason, so of course, she's the one that is marked to be kidnapped. The book is mostly told from her point of view, with occasional dips into Jesperson's journal after her kidnapping.

The characters are engaging, and the mystery itself seems rather obvious to the reader. It's more the atmosphere and setting up the dynamics that are the focus of this book, and the characterizations really shine.

This is the start of a series, so I hope that the next books have more elaborate mysteries to solve.

Sorry, could not finish this book! Thank you for approving me, but I felt that this book wasn't my cup of tea!

I really enjoyed this book and it was a quick read. I look forward to reading more of these characters in the future. I think they will develop really well.

This was a cute little book, think Sherlock Holmes. I enjoyed it even though it's not my usual. I would give a book like this to my mom to read.

The story is quite good and the idea is nice, but it's one of those books that try to imitate Sherlock. It's not a simple task and it's a dangerous path, if your book is awesome and your character is perfect you would be loved and praised but if you are not perfect you would be more disapproved than prized, and you would be criticized just for your trying, the story, the world building, the other characters... all those things are pushed to the background, and it's not a good thing for an author or a book.
And as you can imagine this book is not perfect.

It's not a bad book, but it's not a really good one, either. If you are in the mood for a fast read, with a good Victorian setting, and you are interested in mediums and similar than this book is good for you. But if you don't want to settle for something that's not the best, than you have to find something else to read.

Jasper Jesperson is not a bad character, he's funny, he's sharp, resourceful and bright, but he's not Sherlock. And his partner in crime, Mrs. Lane, seems really sharp and ironic at the beginning but she soon became quite plain. She's not a bad character, too, but she's nothing so special.
But the story is good (the plot twist are almost nonexistent, but plot twists are not all), especially if you like Victorian setting (because the setting is really well done) and if you are interested in mediums. It' s not a demanding reading, is quite fast, but in some parts is a little boring.
Overall I enjoy the reading and I can tell you that this book is not so bad, but you have to lower your expectation.