And They Called Her Spider is a short detective story set in a steampunk Victorian London, or its very similar but somehow different version. As this is a short story, the author doesn’t beat around the bush and throws you right in the middle of the story, or so it seems. But this also means that you are literally hooked to the book from the first words as you want to know more! Despite its shortness, it is a very gripping read with two very loveable detectives. I don’t think you could find two characters that are more opposite than these two but they work very well together, maybe because of the differences, rather than in spite of them.
When I was reading this story, the dynamics between the two detectives reminded me of the relationship between Holmes and Watson, but that is actually the only thing (and the ‘historical’ setting) that these four characters have in common. I was quite surprised how skilfully managed Michael Coorlim establish the main characters in such a short space, so that even during the reading you feel like you really understand them and know what makes them tick.
I truly enjoyed this read and I am very pleased to let you know that And They Called Her Spider is first in the series of A Bartleby and James Adventures, the rest of the series is listed below. I hope to find some time to dive into all of them as I really want to know what happens next!
I would like to urge you to give this story a try even if this genre is not your cup of tea, because I have no doubt that you won’t be disappointed.
The full series:
- And They Called Her Spider
- Maiden Voyage of the Rio Grande
- On the Trail of the Scissorman
- A Matter of Spirit
More information about the stories can be found on Michael Coorlim website.
(review copy)
