August, 1888 New York and Leland and Elizabeth Brady employ Miss Pell to find their missing friend, Robert Straker. Harrision Fearing Pell decides to impersonate her older sister and take the case with her best friend John Weston. This leads them to the first body.
Very enjoyable mystery, look forward to see how the series has developed. ( )

This was a delightful young female Sherlock Holmes story set in New York. The writing was good. The characters were sweet. The crimes were horrible. The sense of time and place was good, although I was surprised at times by the current way of thinking about solving a crime. I liked the pace, which gave me time to appreciate the details on offer without slipping into tedium. I'm glad I risked reading it despite the title - I'm not a fan of daemon stories. This aspect was well handled for my sensibilities. ( )

Ross' The Daemoniac kicks off the Gaslamp Gothic series, and introduces us to Harry and Weston. Harry's sister, Myrtle, is away on a case and when clients come calling, Harry decides she and Weston will look into it instead. Harry wants to join the Society for Psychical Research and hopes solving this case is a way to garner attention.

I finally got around to reading the first book in this series! And then waited too long to write a good review… thanks to a failing mind. No matter! This was a great story, as all of them have been. I enjoyed seeing the beginning of how Harry got into SPR. The spiritualism aspect was pretty cool. It's a topic I find fascinating. I think I kinda combine Harry and Weston's beliefs. I'm very open-minded, but skeptical until I can prove or disprove something to my satisfaction. As with the other books, I adored the Sherlockian influences, and especially that Harry contacted Conan Doyle about spiritualism. Looking forward to reading The Thirteenth Gate soon, and the latest in the series is due out shortly. Yay! Needless to say, I highly recommend this, and any other, book by Kat Ross.

****This book was purchased by me, and read for my own enjoyment. ( )

Harrison Fearing Pell, or Harry as she's known to her friends, sees fit to assume her detective sister's identity and take on a murder case. Along with her friends, she attempts to find a murderer who is murdering people across New York.
I really enjoyed this book. Think Sherlock Holmes but with a female protagonist. Harry is a very capable young woman, who can handle herself. The story was interesting and similar to an episode of the x files, leaves you wondering if it was paranormal or just looked that way. Can't wait to read book two. ( )

--Read my full review of the book at seriesousbookreviews.com! Spoiler Free!

**I received a copy of this book from Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not influenced by my source.**

I'm a sucker for a good mystery story--especially if it has anything to do remotely with Sherlock Holmes. And this story does not disappoint!

If you've ever read a Sherlock Holmes' story, you'll be right at home with this book. All the copious detail that is a staple of a Conan story is present from start to finish with this novel.

Which means it takes a while to get into the groove of the narration here. Especially for someone like me who isn't overly fond of excessive detail. The first few chapters were tough to get through but definitely worth it in the end.

If you are at all familiar with the basics of the Sherlock Holmes' universe, it's easy to see the parallels between the characters. But I do want to emphasize that these characters aren't carbon copies of their inspiration. For example, Harry's social pressures because she is female adds a unique flare to the story.

So while it starts slow, I'm glad I took the time to get involved in this series and am looking forward to the next instalment.

Check out more spoiler-free book and series reviews on my blog SERIESousBookReviews.com as well as read book series recaps!

Full Review: http://wp.me/p7hLUw-1IW
Actual Rating: 4/5
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