A worthy followup to the first novel, The Affinity Bridge, sees the return of Newbury and Hobbes and yet more mysteries to be unraveled. Newbury is tasked by the queen with finding an operative that has apparently gone rogue. But he has very little to go on. Meanwhile Hobbes is investigating the dissappearance of several girls that seem to be connected by a magic show and its magician. As the two work each work their investigation alone it becomes quickly apparent that they need each other's help. I like these characters a lot and Mann has constructed an intricate plot to weave around them. These tales are somewhat grisley, at least thus far, but are very readable and move quickly with plenty of action. Mann''s characters are a bit of a reflection of Doyle's Holmes and Watson, if they were in a steampunk novel. Newbury is remiscent of Holmes and Hobbes makes a passable feamle Watson. The steampunk adds an extra dimension to the story. These are fun reads. ( )

It's a good middle of the road read. The world is interesting and I am looking forward to reading the first book in the series to get it more fleshed out. I read the second book first by accident. It was my fault and I do not blame the author for that fact. I enjoyed the story and the characters regardless. Sir Maurice Newbury the lead character is a mixture of Indiana Jones and Sherlock Holmes complete with the opium addiction. I found myself being more drawn to his plucky female assistant. Sadly Mann does nothing with her other than use her as the standard damsel in distress. There is a sub plot of Hobbes (the assistant) being a secret agent to the Crown. At the end of this novel the main character is clued into this fact. I am hoping for more agency for the female characters in the future. I would like to see some depth moving forward. However considering the male characters there is little hope for that. I really did enjoy this book but there is very little subtlety to it. ( )

The 2nd instalment of the Victorian steampunk adventures featuring Sir Maurice Newbury and his assistant Miss Veronica Hobbes sees the pair investigating separate cases. Newbury has been tasked with meeting a foreign agent returning home after spending several years deep undercover in Russia and when he fails to show has to track him down. Meanwhile, Hobbes is trying to discover why young women are disappearing after visiting a travelling magician's show. There’s also the case of Lord Henry Winthrop who was found murdered the day after his latest unveiling: The supposed mummified remains of a Theban king. Is there a curse attached to the mummy and if so what can be done to prevent further deaths?

This sequel builds well on both the world building and especially on character development with more than a little respect and affection blossoming between the two investigators. It will be interesting to see how their relationship can handle the revelations of how Hobbes came to be working with Newbury. The action is fairly slow to start but once it does it is fairly unrelenting with rooftop chases, swordfights and even a steampunk style car chase. It's a fun romp through an alternate Victorian London and I'll be more than happy to pick up the next in the series to see what happens next. ( )

It seems I like steampunk books that aren't burdened with the absurd made-up vernacular of clanking, clacking and a lot of other nonsense. Mann's Newbury & Hobbes series is interesting, engaging, and not bad to read. I do believe I'll have another. ( )

It seemed slow moving at first, but then gripped me so hard that I couldn't find means to put it down. I only wish there had been slightly more detail within the relationships between the main characters, other than that, it was a great read.
I plan on reading the first Newberry and Hobbes mystery as well as continue with the series. ( )