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A review by missuskisses
The Bullet-Catcher's Daughter by Rod Duncan
4.0
A dedicated illusionist—a bullet catcher—lives as she performs. Elizabeth Barnabus, a woman born in a traveling circus to a bullet catcher, has mastered the illusion of being her own twin brother. As her twin brother Edwin has always graced the stage with Elizabeth, few know that Edwin has never existed.
When the Duke of Northampton set his sights on Elizabeth, she ran, and she and “Edwin” have been on the run ever since. As it would be unseemly for a woman to do so, Edwin becomes a private detective to help Elizabeth earn a living.
But cases may be scarce and payments even more scarce. So when the Dutchess of Bletchley hires Edwin to find the Dutchess’s brother and promises to pay a hefty sum of gold, Elizabeth bites. Not everything is as it seems, however, and soon, the agents of the Patent Office are after the Barnabus twins. Elizabeth will have to evade the agents, as well as deal with rogues, freaks and self-proclaimed alchemists, to solve the case.
The Bullet-Catcher’s Daughter had me at “cross-dressing detective” (also that cover art by Will Staehle), and Elizabeth Barnabus does not disappoint. She’s a resourceful heroine, but far from perfect or invincible—she’s no Mary Sue. She describes her background as such:
My main complaint is that, at times, solving the mystery is less a cohesive goal or storyline than an excuse to plop Elizabeth in one setting after another. Thankfully, each setting is unique and fun enough to maintain the momentum, to keep each adventure rollicking. As someone who regularly deals with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, I found the idea of Patent Office agents as a policing force hilarious—in a good way.
Each chapter is headed by a quote from The Bullet Catcher’s Handbook, quotes that range from the practical, to the proverbial, to the poetic:
Good advice from a book with more than a few surprises.
In the glossary, it is revealed that Elizabeth plays a part in bringing down the Gas-Lit Empire. It will be interesting to see how she achieves that in Unseemly Science, the second and last book in the Fall of the Gas-Lit Empire duology, which will be released in February 2015.
When the Duke of Northampton set his sights on Elizabeth, she ran, and she and “Edwin” have been on the run ever since. As it would be unseemly for a woman to do so, Edwin becomes a private detective to help Elizabeth earn a living.
But cases may be scarce and payments even more scarce. So when the Dutchess of Bletchley hires Edwin to find the Dutchess’s brother and promises to pay a hefty sum of gold, Elizabeth bites. Not everything is as it seems, however, and soon, the agents of the Patent Office are after the Barnabus twins. Elizabeth will have to evade the agents, as well as deal with rogues, freaks and self-proclaimed alchemists, to solve the case.
The Bullet-Catcher’s Daughter had me at “cross-dressing detective” (also that cover art by Will Staehle), and Elizabeth Barnabus does not disappoint. She’s a resourceful heroine, but far from perfect or invincible—she’s no Mary Sue. She describes her background as such:
Illusion was my inheritance, fed to me on my mother’s lap as the drowsy rocking of the caravan and the slow rhythm of iron-shod hooves lulled me. It was a ripe strawberry conjured from the air, or a silver coin caressed from my soft cheek by the touch of a loving hand.
My main complaint is that, at times, solving the mystery is less a cohesive goal or storyline than an excuse to plop Elizabeth in one setting after another. Thankfully, each setting is unique and fun enough to maintain the momentum, to keep each adventure rollicking. As someone who regularly deals with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, I found the idea of Patent Office agents as a policing force hilarious—in a good way.
Each chapter is headed by a quote from The Bullet Catcher’s Handbook, quotes that range from the practical, to the proverbial, to the poetic:
As a bullet can be removed through a barrel breach, so can one be added. Therefore, never trust anything or anyone, or even your own self when a gun is pointing at your head.
Good advice from a book with more than a few surprises.
In the glossary, it is revealed that Elizabeth plays a part in bringing down the Gas-Lit Empire. It will be interesting to see how she achieves that in Unseemly Science, the second and last book in the Fall of the Gas-Lit Empire duology, which will be released in February 2015.