Patricia Loofbourrow

Originally posted on Tales to Tide You Over

The story starts out at a run. It picks up from where Part 6 ends and amps the tension immediately with an attempt on Jacqui’s life. This style is very much a return to the earlier books. There’s a mystery that touches a little too close, intrigue including the revelation of something I’ve suspected for some time, and Jacqui considering her relationships through new perspectives.

Speaking of characters, the series connections showed more clearly here as Jacqui crossed paths with people from other books, especially those where she wasn’t the lead. It strengthens the sense of building to something bigger than Jacqui and yet explicitly bound to her. And if you’ve been following my reviews on the series, it sure looks like the steam generators and the city’s design is in the middle of everything.

This book is not a standalone, and certain events relate closely to what happened in the previous book. I had to shake clear some cobwebs, but the clues are there to remind the attentive reader. Jacqui faces some of her biases she’s been blind to, which only makes me like her more, and yet don’t think she puts aside all her false beliefs. She gains some unexpected answers that throw her whole sense of self into question while she’s not the only character to experience growth when it hadn’t seemed possible. I quite enjoyed the maturation of characters in this book.

Many of Jacqui’s major growth moments involve her connections with others. She still assumes everything happens to torment her but seems surprised when other characters find the same link. Personally, I think it’s a little of both–a bigger picture we can’t see and playing Jacqui like the card she is rather than the one she believes herself to be.

The seeding of events works well, and I had fun building the pieces of the puzzle. The reader’s attention is drawn to things for which the book often provides plausible explanations, but I still had lingering doubts. I found myself growing suspicious of many a mention, probably too many. I’m not sure where everything that happened in this book is headed, if anywhere, but I’m certainly eager to find out.

P.S. I received this Advanced Reader Copy from the author in hopes of a review.… (meer)

Originally posted on Tales to Tide You Over

The Red Dog Conspiracy is a massive saga with The Five of Diamonds as part six. There is mystery, intrigue, and conspiracies all around, making jumping into the middle unwise. You’ll want to start with part one. You can read my review of The Jacq of Spades if you’d like but reading this post further could lay groundwork you shouldn’t know.

For existing readers, you can always reread the series, but the author provided enough context for me to remember the important bits.

You might recall from my earlier reviews how I felt the steampunk mechanics (as opposed to the Victorian influences on society and clothing) have been relegated to the background. This is a fascinating post-apocalyptic world built on a steampunkesque frame. The mechanics underlie everything and yet function without focus for the most part. Or did.

This is the book I’ve been waiting for. Right in the beginning, the city’s mechanics are thrown into the limelight when the trains stop working. This affects more than most would realize, causing problems that ripple through all levels of the city. The inventors are put on the spot while others rush to come up with stop-gap measures until the trains are repaired.

This is why I’m enjoying the series so much.

Things have an impact whether personal or city-wide. Little happens without setting off another crisis, large or small. The characters may frustrate me at times, especially Jacqui, but this shows how much I have invested rather than reasons outside of the story. I don’t always approve of their choices, even when I can see why they made them.

And speaking of Jacqui, while the events of the past and her emotions do still affect her, she doesn’t drown in them. The book returns to the PI noir voice I prefer. Jacqui focuses on seeking answers and puzzling things out, whether official cases or mysteries she trips over. I enjoyed her moments of practicality which balanced out times when her emotions, or addiction, ran strong.

The narrative is very engaging and sucked me in. There were several exchanges I enjoyed enough to share with my family. Even out of context, the humor came through.

The complicated intrigues between the Families throughout the series involve more secrets than seem likely. Yet they work within this noir world to create an underpinning of mystery. Every encounter could have multiple levels only some, if any, of the participants recognize.

This led me to become suspicious even where the objects might be innocent. In different spots, I crafted wildly speculative solutions to places where things didn’t add up, though I maintain my distrust is the true reason in most cases.

I mentioned above how I enjoy the world building, but I’ll squeeze in one specific example because it’s perfect. The cards are more than just a conceit of the title and Family names. They show up in common phrases and in how people interpret the events around them, giving the world more depth.

The nature of the series means there are always multiple mysteries in effect. This book starts with the trains failing, protesters in the Diamond quadrant, and several other issues beyond the looming Red Dog Conspiracy. I won’t spoil the fun by telling you what is or isn’t solved, but several pieces come to a satisfying conclusion while others remain open to keep us eager for the next book.

P.S. I received an Advanced Reader Copy from the author in return for an honest review. I have since bought my own copy of the release version.… (meer)