Review – Murder on the Lamplight Express (The Lamplight Murder Mysteries, Book 2) by Morgan Stang (4.5/5 stars)
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Steampunk/Historical Fantasy
Length: 271 pages
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: August 3, 2023
ASIN: B0CBHZPWFK
Stand Alone or Series: 2nd book in The Lamplight Murder Mysteries
Source: Borrowed eBook from Kindle Unlimited
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
“The orders given to Isabeau Agarwal and her partner are simple: ensure the safety of all passengers and crew until point of destination. But on the maiden voyage of this luxury train, nothing is quite what it seems. Isabeau soon discovers why her unique professional skills are needed when the passengers are threatened with a possible monster hiding among them.
But things are never that simple for a Huntress. A passenger is shot dead, and as the train hurtles headlong into desolate moors and a thunderstorm like none other, mayhem breaks loose.
Ten little passengers. The businessman. The attendant. The doctor. The creation. The puppeteer. The tarot reader. The bounty hunter. The actress. The ambassador. The bodyguard. Ten little liars…
…and one murderer.”
Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I borrowed this on ebook from Kindle Unlimited.
Thoughts: This was pure fun to read and is very creative. I love this unique world, the quirky characters, and the wonderfully done twisty turny mystery. We get a call out to Frakenstein in this one as well.
Isabeau and her partner, Evie, are asked to go on a last minute mission aboard a train to ensure the safety of the passengers and crew until their destination. By last minute, we mean they have to board the train while it is moving at top speed. As soon as they board the train, Isabeau’s compass starts to spin, which means there are monsters aboard. Maybe this is the mission? Without more information Isabeau and Evie are left to guess what they are protecting the passengers from. Then the murders start…
I am absolutely in love with this world; it’s monsters, doll people, ghosts, constant rain, and strange nobility are all fascinating. The characters are also incredibly wonderful. Isabeau is a Huntress, a loner by trade, however she has amassed a strangely rag tag group to help her along the way and is starting to realize that having companions isn’t horrible. Evie has secrets but is earnest in her effort to represent the law by Isabeau’s side. Then we have the bevy of new characters on the train, each of them as odd and quirky as the next. Despite all of the characters here, I never found it hard to keep track of them, they are all very distinct individuals who are easy to remember.
Danger comes at our characters from many sides. Not just from the characters but from the train itself and the bleak landscape it journeys through. This book has a lot of similar elements to “The Cautious Traveller’s Guide to the Wastelands” by Sarah Brooks which is another book I absolutely loved.
The mystery is incredibly well done and keeps you guessing. There end up being many mysteries that intertwine masterfully and get fairly complex, but never confusing. This story really kept me engaged and entertained. There is a lot of action here as well, which I really enjoyed. I think the only thing about this book (and the previous book) that hold me back from giving 5 stars is it feels like the story is a bit too focused on the mystery. I want to learn more about our characters and this crazy amazing world they dwell in. We do get to learn bits and pieces and have glimpses of both but I just want a bit more.
My Summary (4.5/5): Overall I loved this. This is an action packed read set in an amazing world with quirky characters and an incredibly well done who-dun-it mystery. I have been absolutely loving this series and plan to continue it. I would recommend this series to people who think a murder mystery set in a dark steampunk world with a Huntress detective sounds intriguing.
