Jackaby

Jackaby by William Ritter

Everyone, you can groan with me, another Sherlock Holmes super sleuth book? GAHH!!!!!

....but it was actually pretty funny, charming, and I definitely want to read the second one.

An amazon summary, "Newly arrived in New Fiddleham, New England, 1892, and in need of a job,Abigail Rook meets R. F. Jackaby, an investigator of the unexplained with a keen eye for the extraordinary--including the ability to see supernatural beings. Abigail has a gift for noticing ordinary but important details, which makes her perfect for the position of Jackaby’s assistant. On her first day, Abigail finds herself in the midst of a thrilling case: A serial killer is on the loose. The police are convinced it’s an ordinary villain, but Jackaby is certain it’s a nonhuman creature, whose existence the police--with the exception of a handsome young detective named Charlie Cane--deny.

Doctor Who meets Sherlock in a debut novel, the first in a series, brimming with cheeky humor and a dose of the macabre." AMAZON LINK OF JUSTICE

This was definitely a fun jaunt into the supernatural as the main character, Abigail is at a slight disadvantage.

Her employer, Jackaby, can see all manner of paranormal/magical creatures and knows where to look for any signs of them.

Abigail is decidedly normal and doesn't have any sudden moments where because of whatever incident, she can also see the paranormal/irregular. She has a resolute stubbornness about her, a sense of adventure, and doing things, unlike many females of the age. She also has a bit of 'no nonsense' attitude and begins to get a bigger backbone as the story progresses; a female protagonist of worth for sure.

So.

The story unfolds in a murder mystery as the sleuths try to figure out who done it; man or creature? And then, which creature?

The world building was top notch, and the characters had a natural sense about them.

Truly wonderful.

Happy reading!