The Executioner's Heart: A Newbury & Hobbes Investigation

The Executioner's Heart: A Newbury & Hobbes Investigation

In Executioner's Heart-- the fourth Newbury & Hobbes steampunk mystery from George Mann--the detectives are up against the most frightening villainess England has yet seen. It's normal for Charles Bainbridge, Chief Inspector of Scotland Yard, to be called to the scene of a crime, but this is the third murder in quick succession where the victim's chest has been cracked open and their heart torn out. Bainbridge suspects there's a symbolic reason for the stolen hearts, so he sends for supernatural specialist Sir Maurice Newbury and his determined assistant, Miss Veronica Hobbes. Unfortunately, neither of them are in much shape to take the case. Veronica has been hunting for some way to alleviate the mysterious forces that have been hounding her family of late, and Newbury has been retained by a private client: Edward, Prince of Wales, who's concerned that his mother, the Queen of England, is losing her grip on the nation. However, the two detectives pull together long enough to determine that the killings may be the work of a mercenary known as the Executioner. French, uncannily beautiful, her flesh covered in tattoos and inlaid with precious metals, the Executioner is famed throughout Europe, with legends going back for hundreds of years. Something is keeping her in a form of living stasis, but her heart is damaged, leaving her an emotionless shell, inexplicably driven to collect her victims' hearts as trophies. Who is the Executioner targeting, and who hired her? Why has Veronica stopped trusting Bainbridge? What does the Prince of Wales really want? These are just some of the mysteries that Newbury and Hobbes will confront on the way to unearthing the secret of the Executioner's Heart. This fourth Victorian occult mystery finds brilliant but erratic detective Sir Maurice Newbury and his intrepid sidekick, Veronica Hobbes, seeking a legendary assassin who removes her victims’ still-beating hearts. Known as the Executioner, this beautiful, ageless woman is covered in elaborate symbols and has a clockwork heart, which keeps her alive but unable to feel. Several factors complicate the case: Prince Edward has hired Newbury to unearth enemies to the crown, as the queen, her decaying body preserved in a monstrous machine, has grown dangerously paranoid. Meanwhile, Victoria worries that the arcane rituals Newbury performs to protect her sister from her seizure-inducing prophetic visions are killing him. As Newbury investigates the Executioner, he learns that she is targeting the queen’s agents—himself included—but the real mystery is who hired her. Mann’s blend of steampunk, sorcery, and a Sherlock Holmes–style detective story is winning, packed with period details and clever, if convoluted, plotting. A strong focus on black magic and many vivid, gory scenes will also appeal to horror fans. --Krista Hutley “A riveting page-turner that mixes the society of manners in turn-of-the-century London with a gritty and brutal murder mystery. In the midst of all this, automatons clank about, zombies lurk in the night, and dirigibles float majestically in the sky--until they crash and burn.... Will leave readers clamoring for the next book.” ― AM New York on The Affinity Bridge “Steampunk is making a comeback, and with this novel Mann is leading the charge…. An engaging melodrama that rattles along at a breakneck pace.” ― The Guardian on The Affinity Bridge GEORGE MANN is the author of the Newbury & Hobbes Investigations, beginning with The Affinity Bridge , and other works of fiction including Ghosts of Manhattan and official Doctor Who tie-in material. He edited the Solaris Book of New Science Fiction anthology series and The Mammoth Encyclopedia of Science Fiction . Used Book in Good Condition