What a charming, old-fashioned mystery. Aphrodite Lane lost everything, rather than compromise her principles. On her own and with nothing, she takes a position as a "lady detective" with Mr. Jasper Jespersen, a seemingly distracted young man who misses nothing. Together, they investigate some cases that keep some money coming in but, in an attempt to really make a living, they take on the unusual case of a somnambulist. Apparently unrelated, some mediums had gone missing and Jespersen and Lane will also try to find them. There are seances, magic tricks, villains, a scary Russian henchman, and a lot of smart dialogues. But, as quaint as the story is, Miss Lane is not a good damsel in distress. She is smart, scrappy and a fighter. The final climax is so suspenseful that it kept me reading past my bedtime. The foggy Victorian London is so well described, that you can almost feel the chill in your bones. I can only hope this is a start of a series, because I will keep following this unlikely duo wherever they go.

https://lynns-books.com/2017/05/18/the-somnambulist-and-the-psychic-thief-the-curious-affair-of-1/
3.5 of 4 stars
The Somnambulist and the Psychic Thief is the start of a promising new detective series with a difference set in the Victorian era. I enjoyed this, it was an entertaining read and I will definitely read more even though I had some reservations.

At the start of the story we make the acquaintance of Miss Lane who appears to all intents and purposes to be fleeing on a late night train out of Scotland. It seems that Miss Lane has for the past few years worked with a close friend called Gabrielle Fox – known more commonly as Miss X by people in the psychic field. It seems that Miss Lane has discovered her friend to be a fraud and rather than confront her she packs her scant belongings and heads for London. She’s as poor as a church mouse with only a few coins to her name and with no friends on which to impose she finds herself in desperate need of employment.

Quite by chance Miss Lane spots an advertisement for an assistant detective and thinking her skills will fit the bill applies within and in quick succession finds herself not only appointed to the post but also with a room and board included with the deal. Pretty lucky, you might be thinking, however, Mr Jesperson, the detective who she will be assisting, is new to the game and with little experience under his belt jobs are thin on the ground. In order to prevent themselves becoming destitute they take a job from their landlord, it seems his sister’s husband has taken to sleep walking at night and not content with shambling round the bedroom like a zombie takes himself further abroad. From there things fairly quickly gather momentum. The two are invited to a seance where they make the acquaintance of the latest new medium looking to establish a name for himself, they are paid a visit by none other than Miss X herself and on top of that quickly find themselves embroiled in a missing persons case.

I did enjoy this. It has a lot going for it and I like the idea of a new detective series set in London during a period that is virtually the epitome of gothic with it’s dark alleys and swirling pea soup fog. On top of this, as I said this is a detective series with a difference which is clearly going to come in the form of certain fantasy elements.

Before I go further I’m going to highlight a few of my niggles with the story. Firstly, and this probably seems a small thing, but at the start of the story Miss Lane is virtually running away from Miss Fox and yet when the two of them meet later in the book this issue is never tackled or discussed, it really is the elephant in the room. In fact the two of them meet and take up as though nothing has come between them at all. I was puzzled by that I must admit but I realise it’s only a minor issue and perhaps it will be tackled later in the series.

I really like that ‘otherworldly’ elements are being brought into the story, they just fit the period so well and make for good reading, but I felt that something was lacking a little in the handling somehow. I think this is probably because in this day and age we tend to be very sceptical of psychic events whereas in the Victorian era seances and the like were all the rage – until of course all the gimmicks and hidden wires were discovered. Miss Lane is herself a sceptic and yet, when certain elements of the story literally take flight she was incredibly accepting of everything. Again, there is explanation for the whys and wherefores of events (and sorry to be mysterious but I’m trying not to be spoilery) but I guess I wanted some shock, or disbelief or outright astonishment or simply fainting and conniptions. It just felt like everything was accepted and things carried on. Like going to bed at night and finding a dragon curled up on your bed and casually thinking ‘cool, dragons really do exist’ and then going to sleep like everything is normal in the world – actually I do kind of like that notion.

Then there is the friendship/relationship with Miss Lane and Mr Jesperson. It feels like something is going to be developed further here – hopefully something that takes its own sweet time. At the moment the two of them feel quite awkward together, which is understandable. I think I wanted a little more from them in terms of their dialogue, just to make it more entertaining.

Finally, I think the actual detecting work was a little on the skimpy side. I think I had a notion that this might be a bit of a send up or maybe even a homage to Sherlock himself and that maybe Jesperson, in particular, was going to turn into one of those people who can just tell that you’ve been for a long walk with your dog and eaten a scone for afternoon tea from just a brief introduction. Okay, I recognise that’s simply personal expectations and I’m not holding that against the book but it did seem that a lot of the actual investigation work was based on little more than supposition, I hope for more detecting in the next book.

So, that probably all sounds terribly negative and so to counter my own niggles above I’m going to end on the things I enjoyed in order to leave a favourable impression because I did enjoy this. I think it suffers a little from first book in series syndrome and over ambition in terms of what’s actually going on but, in spite of that, it was a very quick read, fast paced and entertaining, amusing in parts and also suitably spooky in others. There are abductions and ghostly apparitions, stage performances and attempted murder. The writing is smooth, the time period quite effortlessly evoked. I like the characterisation so far and thought that there is plenty more yet to come both in terms of individual development and potentially a romantic slow burner and I thought some of the scenes were really quite gripping. Overall a very good foundation for a series that I would be keen to read more of. Holmes and Watson, allow me to introduce Jesperson and Lane and hopefully some more ‘curious affairs’.

I received a copy through Netgalley courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

There is something enduringly appealing about the Victorian mystery, which is probably what caught my eye on this one - along with the title I've been misspelling all over the place! ;) Think Sherlock Holmes - mentioned in-novel as a fiction, with Arthur Conan Doyle a contemporary figure - but with a female Watson narrating. Indeed, Miss Lane (she does have a first name, but the reveal is one of the mysteries of the book ;) ) has an excellent detective mind in her own right, but she's a little more down to earth than her 'Sherlock', Jasper Jesperson.

The case(s) told here are strongly linked to Miss Lane's past as a debunker of psychic frauds. When faced with what could well be the 'real thing', the crime solving duo must also deduce any links to the disappearing mediums in the city, while trying to set up their new partnership with more mundane cases, like the mysterious sleepwalking of their landlord's brother in law. And there's still the shadow of Miss Lane's previous partner to be dealt with...

I did enjoy this book, but there were a few things that irritated me a little. Firstly, the first person narrative is just a little too... well, full of moans about emotions and doubts and feelings. I don't want to say it's 'girly', but I'm struggling to find another phrase. There is something just 'meh' about a lead character voicing their doubts and fears every few paragraphs.

The other main character, Jesperson, is the opposite: head first into everything with an enormous sense of adventure - which, alas, ends up coming across as childish, not least because he still lives with his mother (the Mrs Hudson of the piece) and acts out like a spoiled brat once or twice. Oh, and of course he's a martial arts expert, master hypnotist, and not quite as differentiated from the 'Great Detective' as I imagine he was supposed to be. Hmm.

Overall, though, the story was intriguing and fun and the period mood remained appealing, so it's rather a shame I didn't get on too well with the characterisation. That said, this looks like it might be the first in a series, and I'd quite like to see where it all goes next.

We first meet Miss Aphrodite Lane on a train from Scotland to London. Miss Lane has been the assistant to a psychic for several years, Gabrielle Fox. Miss Lane, having discovered that Fox is actually a fraud, has left her employ without a word. She has little money and few possessions but sees an advertisement reading "Consulting Detective Requires Assistant. Must be Literate, Brave, Congenial, with a Good Memory & Willing to Work All Hours". Thus is born the detecting team of Jesperson and Lane and an adventure in the world of the psychic "craze" in Victorian England. The duo's first two cases turn out to be linked; the case of a somnambulist and that of several missing psychic mediums.

I have always been fascinated by the interest and belief in psychic phenomena during the Victorian era. Even someone like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was deeply involved and entirely credulous. There are references to Holmes and Watson in The Somnambulist and the Psychic Thief, but only as fictional characters. Mr. Jasper Jesperson is a young man with many talents and Miss Lane is an intrepid young woman. This first novel in a projected series is an entertaining read, although a little slow paced, with many clues about Mr. Jesperson's early life, lived all over the world, and how he gained his arcane knowledge. I hope we hear more about his life in future books. I recommend The Somnambulist for fans of historical mystery and fantasy.

Thanks to Hydra and Net Galley for an advance digital copy. The opinions above are my own.

Sometimes a novel just doesn't work for a reader. This is one of those times. I'm going to go through the list of things that caused this novel to not work for me, but keep in mind that it may just be a case of personal preference.

When I began reading this novel, I was startled by the pacing of the book. The focus was more on recounting events rather than showing the true passage of time and the full events, which was a bit disappointing; I would have preferred to have read the scenes in real time.

I was also taken aback by the similarities between Jesperson and Sherlock Holmes. The author did allude to Sherlock Holmes in the very beginning so I knew that there would be comparisons between these detectives and him. However, I wasn't expecting the author to create characters and relationships so strikingly similar. While I love Sherlock Holmes, I don't like seeing characters that try to emulate him.

I didn't like the main characters in the story, which is unfortunate because it led me to not like the story. Jesperson was quite whiny and I didn't like his ideologies; he believed himself to be the next Sherlock, and showed a great deal of selfishness and arrogance in his decisions. Miss Lane was a bit annoying, and that made it hard to get through the story, which is pretty much told through her perspective.

My favorite thing about this story is the Victorian Era setting for this novel. The author really did a good job in staying true to this time period and I just love reading novels set in Victorian England. I also quite liked the mystery itself, as it had a lot of funny and interesting aspects to it.

Overall, this was an interesting story but the characters didn't work for me, and that is why I didn't really enjoy this novel as much as I could have. While I give this novel a 2.5/5 stars, I'm sure there are others that would rate this novel higher!

I requested to read and subsequently review this book via NetGalley as I loved the title. There was no doubt that interesting things were to come from such a book! It is a Victorian Era novel with decidedly unVictorian elements, which is part of the appeal for me. I tend to get bogged down with British-English to American-English translations when I read or watch something with Brits. That was not a problem whatsoever here. I can see why some people would be annoyed by this, but it was a plus for me. Also Ms. Lane is a very strong female character placed in an era where women weren't supposed to be. The book was everything the title promised: mediums and psychics and hypnotists, oh my! It's difficult to give too much information without spoilers, but suffice to say that if you enjoy supernatural/paranormal books or a good mystery, this one is for you. Plus the ending gives promise of more adventures with Ms. Lane and her fellow detective, Mr. Jesperson. I'm looking forward to meeting them again!

The Curious Affair of the Somnambulist And The Psychic Thief by Lisa Tuttle.
Has there ever been a more unlikely pair of consulting detectives than Jesperson and Lane? They certainly make a striking duo: Mr. Jasper Jesperson, with his shock of red hair and seemingly encyclopedic knowledge of all subjects—save common sense—and Miss Lane, whose logical mind is matched only by her fascination with psychic phenomena.

Their talents are rare . . . as are their customers. So when Jesperson and Lane are hired to track the nocturnal wanderings of a sleepwalking London business owner, they’re simply happy to be working again. The case begins as a window into the séances and other supernatural parlor games that are so popular these days, and takes a sinister turn as the intrepid investigators pull back the curtain on the cutthroat rivalries underpinning polite society.
A very enjoyable read with great characters. I loved the story. How he gets the killer's. Amazing. 5*. Netgalley and random house publishing.

What an interesting read that left me hoping for more! The characters are interesting and well developed. The story is an intricate weaving that becomes the wonderful fabric of good storytelling.

Let me get the most important thing out of the way - this book and I didn't get along well. There are numerous reasons why but I'll just list a couple of them. Now, I admit it could be the case of 'right book, wrong time'. However, I doubt it considering the characters.

The Somnambulist and the Psychic Thief has a lot going in its favour. I don't know many people who don't like this time setting when spiritualist associations were trying to get to the bottom of things and a number of people claimed they have one or several psychic powers, communication with the dead being the most common one. Then, you have jewellery theft mixed into this story for good measure. And, who doesn't like the idea of private detective duo investigating all kinds of nefarious things? What's wrong with them if they don't? For these things only I am not throwing this into the 'I didn't like it' pile.

As I said, the idea is entertaining and I expected a lot. That was my first mistake, I think. We meet Miss Lane the first time on her way from Scotland. She has just found evidence of her friend Miss Fox being a charlatan. They were supposed to be above these things when investigating haunted places. Miss Fox, it seems, couldn't resist. When Miss Fox appears in the book later, they never talk about the white elephant in the room.

I really didn't enjoy being in Miss Lane's head and considering the fact that almost the whole book, with the exception of Mr Jasperson's notes regarding the case, is from Miss Lane's point of view, you can understand why it came close to be a chore to get through this. It starts well enough, though. I even thought I found another awesome story.

Jasper Jasperson is even worse. If you're interested in a child who whines when his mother tells him she's going to ask his uncle for help (money) because he will have to work as a clerk. The horror! I won't get into too many details, though. Even though he admits his flaws a bit later, I couldn't get over it. He is special, he knows everything, he learned stuff abroad.

There are some things that annoyed me, but it's possible they won't be in the book, so I won't bother listing them.

Overall, not a bad story, but I couldn't get past the characters' flaws.

The ending promises another case and I'm hoping that one will be better considering at least one revelation in this book. I hope the characters grow on me.

ARC received from Random House Publishing Group - Hydra via NetGalley

Miss Lane wonders if she has, perhaps, made a big error in accepting the position of assistant to Mr. Jasper Jesperson, Private Investigator. While investigating the night wanderings of a kind, gentle man, they find themselves involved in the mysterious disappearances of several of London's psychics. Are the two cases connected? Feeling frustrated that the case is going nowhere, Miss Lane quickly finds herself immersed within a dangerous web of cunning deceit and chicanery.


Tuttle has created a likeable and entertaining duo in Miss Lane and Mr. Jesperson. Her plotting is precise and she weaves her slimy villain nicely within her other characters. The chemistry between Miss Lane and Jesperson will be a big hit with the fans of William Ritter’s Jackaby series though the series does not have the fantasy theme thus far. The storyline has a mild supernatural thread and it enhances the story without overpowering. Over all it is a good story and highly enjoyable. I hope we hear more from the adventures of Miss Lane and Mr. Jesperson, and his mom.

I tried four different times to read this. All four times I barely finished 1/4 of the way through. The first few pages were tough but I read on. The setting is Victorian London and it follows the supernatural activities of two investigators trying to unravel paranormal mysteries. I couldn't follow the sequence of actions. The descriptions were awesome and I could see myself rooting for Lane and Jesperson but the cohesiveness of plot, for me, was lacking.

Mystery lovers: prepare yourselves for a new pair of crimesolvers - the unlikely duo of Jesperson and Lane. Set in Victorian England when chivalry was alive and the suffragettes were forming their movement, Miss Lane found herself in need of work. She chanced upon a handbill that Mr. Jesperson had placed seeking an assistant. And the rest, as they say say, is history.

Author Lisa Tuttle fully immersed herself in 1890's London. Her verbiage is impeccable. My kindle managed to pick up many of the now archaic words with the wi-fi turned off, but scratched it's head and wanted it turned on with some of the more bizarre. Never have I used the dictionary...I was going to so much, but, I realized I never use it! Regular readers of gothic novels will really love this one! I have to admit, it was a little mindboggling. But the mystery was terrific. As unusual and original an idea that I have read.

I highly recommend this to all mystery fans. I was given a copy of THE CURIOUS AFFAIR OF THE SOMNAMBULIST AND THE PSYCHIC THIEF from the publishers at Random House/Hydra.

Although not entirely lacking in charm -- especially in the first few chapters -- this novel fell short for me. It's generally pleasant when modern authors try for an old-fashioned style while steering clear of old-fashioned gender politics (i.e., Miss Lane and other women here are not wilting flowers, and the book mentions sexuality to some degree), but none of that can entirely save this story. It's like it isn't sure whether it wants to be supernatural or a straight detective story, and ends up missing both marks instead of combining them coherently. The characters are all underdeveloped, without exception, and seem to rely overmuch on reader familiarity with pop culture figures like Sherlock Holmes and Victorian-Era pop psychology. The end was pretty over-the-top, and loose threads abound. I will probably not read the sequel, assuming there is one to come.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Hydra for allowing me to read and review this ARC. This is my honest and unbiased opinion.

Let me start by saying that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It’s definitely reminiscent of a Sherlock Holmes mystery and it delivers the atmosphere of Victorian England set in London in 1893.

The tale concerns a duo of investigative detectives, Jasper Jesperson and Aphrodite 'Di' Lane.
Miss Lane works with her companion of four years, Gabrielle Fox, for the SPR (Society for Psychical Research). She discovers that they are engaging in fraud. Shocked by this, Miss Lane abruptly departs for London, to look for work and lodgings as she is without funds to support herself. She unexpectedly comes across an advertisement for an assistant detective in a shop window and applies. Miss Lane meets Jasper and is hired on the spot.

Jasper (very much like Sherlock Holmes) is an highly intelligent lateral thinker with a wide array of interesting skills at his disposal. As a contrast, Miss Lane is a more logical, rational person with a strong fascination for anything psychic related.

Since they need to obtain some well-funded cases, Miss Lane reluctantly writes to all her previous contacts telling them of her change in career and recommending Jasper and herself for any investigations they may require.

They soon find themselves with a number of separate cases, which strangely turn out to be linked.
One of the cases is to determine why Mr Creevy, a happily married man, has suddenly resumed sleepwalking.
Lord Bennington, a previous acquaintance of Miss Lane, invites them to a private seance by a Mr Chase, a reportedly powerful psychic from America. The duo discover that a number of mediums have recently vanished, including Hilda Jessop.

The pair investigates only to find that this is related to Mr Creevy's sleepwalking in a very interesting and mysterious way. Miss Lane herself becomes the target of a ruthless, dangerous and powerful force and is kidnapped. What is their fate? Will Jesperson get to the bottom of the mystery?

The language of the story is directly in keeping with the Victorian era and lends itself well to the mystery woven in this tale. The atmosphere and characters are interesting and well written. The story caught and held my interest right up to the end. I particularly enjoyed the psychic twist to the tale. Even the fog played its role in lending itself to creating the mysterious and slightly frightening atmosphere experienced by some of the characters.

I hope that this is the first in the series as I would definitely like to read more about these detectives and their interesting cases.

This is an atmospheric Victorian era mystery of what might possibly be a series with the duo of investigative detectives, Jasper Jesperson and Aphrodite 'Di' Lane. It is an atmospheric read set in London in 1893. Miss Lane discovers her former friend and companion, Gabrielle Fox, working for the Psychical Society, is engaging in fraud. Shocked, she abruptly departs for London, looking for work and lodgings with little money. She comes across an advertisement for a assistant detective and applies. She meets Jasper and is hired on the spot as they both seem to click as people.

Jasper is an highly knowledgeable and skilled man, he is determined and can think laterally. Miss Lane is more logical, rational with a strong fascination in the psychic. The two have a number of cases, but they are minor and their customers are reluctant to pay. Finding themselves in dire financial straits, Jesper's confidence lands them a job from their landlord, Henry Sims. This entails getting to the bottom of why Mr Creevy, a happily married man, has suddenly resumed sleepwalking. Miss Lane reluctantly writes to all her previous contacts telling them of her change in career and recommending Jasper and herself for any investigations they may require. Lord Bennington invites them to a private seance by Mr Chase. The duo stumble on the fact that a number of mediums have vanished, including Hilda Jessup. The pair investigate only to find this connects with Mr Creevy's reasons for sleepwalking. Miss Lane finds herself the target of a ruthless, dangerous and powerful force as are other mediums. Will the two detectives survive and get to the bottom of the mystery?

There is plenty of period detail and description. The language is mannered in keeping with the Victorian era. The characters of the modest Miss Lane and the dynamic, confident Jasper fit well together and easily captured my interest. The subject of psychic phenomena was one that interested a large element in Victorian society. I very much enjoyed this novel and hope it turns out to be a series. Thanks to Random House Hydra for an ARC.

The Curious Affair of the Somnambulist and the Psychic Thief is an interesting mix of Sherlock Holmes’ science of deductive reasoning and historical paranormal investigations. When Miss Lane discovers that her previous boss, a paranormal fraud specialist, just might be a fraud herself, she finds herself entangled with Mister Jesperson’s investigations. The setting is a rich mix of the gritty and mysterious streets of London, and the characters are complex. Plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing, although it does lag at times. A great read for the historical mystery lover!

Unique and engrossing, enjoyed the prose style very much. The character development of Miss Lane was well done, leaving a bit of mystery to her until the very end.

This is a detective story with a supernatural theme. Miss Lane, having left her previous job as companion to a psychic investigator (who turns out to be a fraud) ends up falling into the job of assisting Jasper Jesperson, a Sherlock Holmsian type of consulting detective. It's all very proper as the household is managed by Mrs Jesperson, Jasper's formidable mother. Clients are not exactly falling over themselves to employ Jesperson and Lane and the rent is due, but they take on a seemingly simple job to discover where a somnambulist goes when he sleepwalks. Things get complicated when this crosses over with a mystery which brings Miss Lane back into contact with her previous partner. Someone is kidnapping psychics and the police don't seem very interested in finding out who. Naturally it's a job for Jesperson and Lane.

I found myself liking the characters. Miss Lane (she hates her name Aphrodite) is intelligent and proactive without ever stepping out of the character of a Victorian lady while Mr Jesperson is hugely talented, though has an enormously high opinion of himself which takes a while to justify. I'm not a natural reader of Victorian detective fiction, though the supernatural elements appealed. To be honest, though it's extremely well written, I found this a little slow at times, especially in the first half. Ms Tuttle tries for the Victorian voice, and succeeds, but that does mean that everything is very polite and steady; slightly stiff, in fact. It does, however, warm up in the second half as the mystery deepens. I would guess, that this is setting up a series for Jesperson and Lane. Recommended for lovers of detective fiction and the Victorian era.

I received this as a review copy via Netgalley

I was looking for a book that wasn't too long, something fun to read that I could enjoy without thinking too much, and I found it in this book. I love the paranormal aspect that was interwoven into the detective genre.
When several mediums go missing, Jesperson and Lane are on the case. Using a combination of deductive reasoning, psychic powers, and on the ground detective work, the two must over come the most powerful medium they have ever encountered. Fun and free of romantic trappings, it was an easy read that entertained and left me wanting more.
I recommend this book if you are looking for something to just experience the love of reading!

Great story! Looking forward to reading more by this author! Highly recommend!