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Reeves & Worcester Steampunk Mysteries #1
What Ho, Automaton!
** Finalist for the 2012 WSFA Award for best short fiction **
"A fun blend of P.G. Wodehouse, steampunk and a touch of Sherlock Holmes. Dolley is a master at capturing and blending all these elements. More than fascinating, this work is also rip-roaring fun!" - SF Revu
The adventures of Reggie Worcester, gentleman consulting detective, and his automaton valet, Reeves.
"Dolley got me to laugh out loud near the end. Which, frankly, is VERY hard to do. Dolley's tone is spot on Wodehouse and the steampunk elements tie into both plot and silliness admirably." - Gail Carriger, author of Soulless
Reggie, an avid reader of detective fiction, knows two things about solving One, the guilty party is always the person you least suspect. And, two, The Murders in the Rue Morgue would have been solved a lot sooner had the detective the foresight to ask the witnesses if they'd seen any orang-utans recently. Reeves needs all his steam-powered cunning and intellect to curb the young master's excessive flights of fancy. And prevent him from getting engaged.
The book contains two stories set in an alternative 1903 where an augmented Queen Victoria is still on the throne and automata are a common sight below stairs.
What Ho, Automaton! - an 8,000 word novelette about how the two met.
Something Rummy This Way Comes - a 41,000 word novella chronicling their first case. When Reggie discovers that four debutantes have gone missing in the first month of The London Season and, for fear of scandal, none of the families have called the police, he feels compelled to investigate. With the help of Reeves's giant brain and extra helpings of fish, he conducts an investigation that only a detective of rare talent could possibly envisage.
Mystery, Zeppelins, Aunts and Humour. A steam-powered Wodehouse pastiche.
REVIEWS
"A fun blend of P.G. Wodehouse, steampunk and a touch of Sherlock Holmes. Dolley is a master at capturing and blending all these elements. More than fascinating, this work is also rip-roaring fun! But where Dolley really excels is in capturing the atmosphere and humor of the Bertie and Jeeves stories. Any Wodehouse fan will want to grab a copy of this work, but even if you have never explored that world, What Ho, Automaton! is a fun and fascinating read. Highly recommended, take a spin in this steampunk hybrid and enjoy the ride!" - SF Revu
"Dolley's collection of Wodehousian steampunk is entertaining and often spot-on parody... Fans of Wodehouse will certainly appreciate Dolley's witty pastiche," - Publishers Weekly
"I found myself snickering and snorting as I read, thinking the entire time 'this is pure awesome'" - Tiffany A. Harkleroad
"I enjoyed every page of this book. A steampunk novel that combines classic British Humor, tongue-in-cheek references to Sherlock Holmes and a cast of great characters. I don't think I've actually laughed out loud this much while reading a book in a very long time." - ErisAerie
"I found myself laughing out loud at Reggie and the fabulous Reeves as they romped their way through various adventures. A homage to Wodehouse without being sycophantic, this is fantastic. One thing to say to Chris More please!" - Sueo23
"A fun blend of P.G. Wodehouse, steampunk and a touch of Sherlock Holmes. Dolley is a master at capturing and blending all these elements. More than fascinating, this work is also rip-roaring fun!" - SF Revu
The adventures of Reggie Worcester, gentleman consulting detective, and his automaton valet, Reeves.
"Dolley got me to laugh out loud near the end. Which, frankly, is VERY hard to do. Dolley's tone is spot on Wodehouse and the steampunk elements tie into both plot and silliness admirably." - Gail Carriger, author of Soulless
Reggie, an avid reader of detective fiction, knows two things about solving One, the guilty party is always the person you least suspect. And, two, The Murders in the Rue Morgue would have been solved a lot sooner had the detective the foresight to ask the witnesses if they'd seen any orang-utans recently. Reeves needs all his steam-powered cunning and intellect to curb the young master's excessive flights of fancy. And prevent him from getting engaged.
The book contains two stories set in an alternative 1903 where an augmented Queen Victoria is still on the throne and automata are a common sight below stairs.
What Ho, Automaton! - an 8,000 word novelette about how the two met.
Something Rummy This Way Comes - a 41,000 word novella chronicling their first case. When Reggie discovers that four debutantes have gone missing in the first month of The London Season and, for fear of scandal, none of the families have called the police, he feels compelled to investigate. With the help of Reeves's giant brain and extra helpings of fish, he conducts an investigation that only a detective of rare talent could possibly envisage.
Mystery, Zeppelins, Aunts and Humour. A steam-powered Wodehouse pastiche.
REVIEWS
"A fun blend of P.G. Wodehouse, steampunk and a touch of Sherlock Holmes. Dolley is a master at capturing and blending all these elements. More than fascinating, this work is also rip-roaring fun! But where Dolley really excels is in capturing the atmosphere and humor of the Bertie and Jeeves stories. Any Wodehouse fan will want to grab a copy of this work, but even if you have never explored that world, What Ho, Automaton! is a fun and fascinating read. Highly recommended, take a spin in this steampunk hybrid and enjoy the ride!" - SF Revu
"Dolley's collection of Wodehousian steampunk is entertaining and often spot-on parody... Fans of Wodehouse will certainly appreciate Dolley's witty pastiche," - Publishers Weekly
"I found myself snickering and snorting as I read, thinking the entire time 'this is pure awesome'" - Tiffany A. Harkleroad
"I enjoyed every page of this book. A steampunk novel that combines classic British Humor, tongue-in-cheek references to Sherlock Holmes and a cast of great characters. I don't think I've actually laughed out loud this much while reading a book in a very long time." - ErisAerie
"I found myself laughing out loud at Reggie and the fabulous Reeves as they romped their way through various adventures. A homage to Wodehouse without being sycophantic, this is fantastic. One thing to say to Chris More please!" - Sueo23
159 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 9, 2011
About the author
Chris Dolley
20 books89 followersNew York Times bestselling author, pioneer computer game designer and teenage freedom fighter. That was back in 1974 when Chris was tasked with publicising Plymouth’s Student Rag Week. Some people might have arranged an interview with the local newspaper. Chris invaded the country next door, created the Free Cornish Army and persuaded the UK media that Cornwall had risen up and declared independence. This was later written up in Punch. As he told journalists at the time, ‘it was only a small country and I did give it back.’
In 1981, he created Randomberry Games and wrote Necromancer, one of the first 3D first person perspective D&D computer games. Not to mention writing the most aggressive chess program ever seen and inventing the most dangerous game ever played — the Giant Wrigley’s Spearmint Gum Cliff Top Relay.
He writes SF, fantasy, mystery and humour. His novel, Resonance, was the first book to be chosen from Baen’s electronic slush pile.
Now he lives a self-sufficient lifestyle in deepest France with his wife and a frightening number of animals. They grow their own food and solve their own crimes. The latter out of necessity when Chris’s identity was stolen along with their life savings. Abandoned by the police forces of four countries who all insisted the crime originated in someone else's jurisdiction, he had to solve the crime himself. Which he did, driving back and forth across the Pyrenees, tracking down bank accounts and faxes and interviewing bar staff. It was a mystery writer’s dream.
The resulting book, French Fried: one man's move to France with too many animals and an identity thief, is now an international bestseller.
In 1981, he created Randomberry Games and wrote Necromancer, one of the first 3D first person perspective D&D computer games. Not to mention writing the most aggressive chess program ever seen and inventing the most dangerous game ever played — the Giant Wrigley’s Spearmint Gum Cliff Top Relay.
He writes SF, fantasy, mystery and humour. His novel, Resonance, was the first book to be chosen from Baen’s electronic slush pile.
Now he lives a self-sufficient lifestyle in deepest France with his wife and a frightening number of animals. They grow their own food and solve their own crimes. The latter out of necessity when Chris’s identity was stolen along with their life savings. Abandoned by the police forces of four countries who all insisted the crime originated in someone else's jurisdiction, he had to solve the crime himself. Which he did, driving back and forth across the Pyrenees, tracking down bank accounts and faxes and interviewing bar staff. It was a mystery writer’s dream.
The resulting book, French Fried: one man's move to France with too many animals and an identity thief, is now an international bestseller.
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February 9, 2016There’s been enough said about steampunk all over the place. I don’t want to try defining it. I suspect it’s one of those things that people point to and say “That’s steampunk,” when it’s something they like that has cool gears, steam-power, zeppelins, and an alternate history fin-de-siècle feel.
Steampunk and Wodehouse? Hey, who does better alternate London than Wodehouse?
I wasted some time trying to track down a quotation I remember reading, in which Henry James made a prediction that by the end of the 20th Century, Hugh Walpole would be a famous name, whereas P.G. Wodehouse would be forgotten.
James was an insightful critic, and his essays about the modern novel, though written around 1900, have some value now, but one thing I've never seen him praised for is his humor. He also had a thing for Walpole, whose early novels showed some promise, but James never seems to have understood Wodehouse. He could do horror, as in “The Turn of the Screw,” which terrified me as a twelve year old kid. Wodehouse admired James—and apparently he was doing a typically Wodehousian homage in one of his most famous and funniest short stories, “Honeysuckle Cottage.” I don’t know what James thought of it. If he even read it.
Wodehouse, like several writers who became popular in the pre-WW II era, such as Antonia Forest, chose to unmoor later work from time, as the culture they'd known before or between the wars changed forever. Though it could be argued that the London of Bertie Wooster and Jeeves’ earliest stories, which seem to center around the Drones Club, was unmoored from time at their inception. There is no sign of the horrors of WW I in those stories; the rise of fascism is glimpsed in strictly comedic form, such as in the figure of Sir Roderick Spode, who secretly designed ladies’ underwear when he wasn’t spouting Brown Shirt footle.
There’s a timelessness to Wodehouse’s stories and novels, as well as a good-humored almost sweetness; you can believe that Wodehouse's well-dressed young gentleman wear spats. Wodehouse has been beloved by many famous writers who have tried to pin down exactly how his comedy works. Lacking that fine critical eye, I can only say that Wodehouse is one of the best examples of how a great narrative voice can make anything work. Data dump? They are as entertaining as the dialogue. Action? Vivid. Pacing? So deftly handled the reader is unaware of drifting along an extremely carefully planned plot that will spring in just the right place, at the right time.
Pastiche of writers with distinctive voices is tough to pull off. As far as I can tell, Wodehouse is right up there with Shakespeare in quotations that are not only pulled out because of their wit and verve, but they are instantly identifiable as his. Wodehouse could take the most trite expression and give it a deft twist--"I smoked a moody cigarette"--and he applied the same twist to literary allusions, often leaving out crucial bits, in a way that vanquished cliché. He could also build set up a host of characters, and a mood, in one line or phrase, like “On the occasions when Aunt is calling Aunt like mastodons bellowing across primeval swamps . . .” Wodehouse had a thing about tough aunts.
But this is a review about Chris Dolley's What Ho, Automaton!, right? Well, the only way I could get into how and why this book works so splendidly for me is to acknowledge the master whom Dolley so delightful pastiches.
Chris Dolley begins with Aunt Bertha, who feels that Reggie Worcester should be married. Reggie totters off to the Drones Club, where he meets his pal Stiffy, who tells him what he needs is a Reeves—an automaton, hitherto dressed as a fortuneteller, stuffed into the Drones’ closet. When another member tries to interfere, a quick word from Stiffy that Reggie has aunt trouble, and everyone understands.
The second thing about Wodehouse’s humor is the seeming non sequitur that turns out to actually makes sense—if by no one else’s reasoning but Bertie’s. Stiffy instructs Reggie to tell Reeves everything. When I read, “I recounted my sorry tale, omitting not a single Pomeranian,” I thought, this is it. Chris Dolley has got it.
In this alternate 1903, many servants are automata, fed on steam (which leads to some humorous moments). There are also the Prometheans, of whom Dr. Frankenstein was probably a founding father. Reggie drives a Stanley Steamer, and there are airships as well. The first tale is a country house story, a blending of Bertie and Blandings; with the second tale, Dolley really finds his feet. It's longer, stronger, and Dolley begins to develop his own voice, though expertly staying within Wodehouse's airy limits.
Steampunk and Wodehouse? Hey, who does better alternate London than Wodehouse?
I wasted some time trying to track down a quotation I remember reading, in which Henry James made a prediction that by the end of the 20th Century, Hugh Walpole would be a famous name, whereas P.G. Wodehouse would be forgotten.
James was an insightful critic, and his essays about the modern novel, though written around 1900, have some value now, but one thing I've never seen him praised for is his humor. He also had a thing for Walpole, whose early novels showed some promise, but James never seems to have understood Wodehouse. He could do horror, as in “The Turn of the Screw,” which terrified me as a twelve year old kid. Wodehouse admired James—and apparently he was doing a typically Wodehousian homage in one of his most famous and funniest short stories, “Honeysuckle Cottage.” I don’t know what James thought of it. If he even read it.
Wodehouse, like several writers who became popular in the pre-WW II era, such as Antonia Forest, chose to unmoor later work from time, as the culture they'd known before or between the wars changed forever. Though it could be argued that the London of Bertie Wooster and Jeeves’ earliest stories, which seem to center around the Drones Club, was unmoored from time at their inception. There is no sign of the horrors of WW I in those stories; the rise of fascism is glimpsed in strictly comedic form, such as in the figure of Sir Roderick Spode, who secretly designed ladies’ underwear when he wasn’t spouting Brown Shirt footle.
There’s a timelessness to Wodehouse’s stories and novels, as well as a good-humored almost sweetness; you can believe that Wodehouse's well-dressed young gentleman wear spats. Wodehouse has been beloved by many famous writers who have tried to pin down exactly how his comedy works. Lacking that fine critical eye, I can only say that Wodehouse is one of the best examples of how a great narrative voice can make anything work. Data dump? They are as entertaining as the dialogue. Action? Vivid. Pacing? So deftly handled the reader is unaware of drifting along an extremely carefully planned plot that will spring in just the right place, at the right time.
Pastiche of writers with distinctive voices is tough to pull off. As far as I can tell, Wodehouse is right up there with Shakespeare in quotations that are not only pulled out because of their wit and verve, but they are instantly identifiable as his. Wodehouse could take the most trite expression and give it a deft twist--"I smoked a moody cigarette"--and he applied the same twist to literary allusions, often leaving out crucial bits, in a way that vanquished cliché. He could also build set up a host of characters, and a mood, in one line or phrase, like “On the occasions when Aunt is calling Aunt like mastodons bellowing across primeval swamps . . .” Wodehouse had a thing about tough aunts.
But this is a review about Chris Dolley's What Ho, Automaton!, right? Well, the only way I could get into how and why this book works so splendidly for me is to acknowledge the master whom Dolley so delightful pastiches.
Chris Dolley begins with Aunt Bertha, who feels that Reggie Worcester should be married. Reggie totters off to the Drones Club, where he meets his pal Stiffy, who tells him what he needs is a Reeves—an automaton, hitherto dressed as a fortuneteller, stuffed into the Drones’ closet. When another member tries to interfere, a quick word from Stiffy that Reggie has aunt trouble, and everyone understands.
The second thing about Wodehouse’s humor is the seeming non sequitur that turns out to actually makes sense—if by no one else’s reasoning but Bertie’s. Stiffy instructs Reggie to tell Reeves everything. When I read, “I recounted my sorry tale, omitting not a single Pomeranian,” I thought, this is it. Chris Dolley has got it.
In this alternate 1903, many servants are automata, fed on steam (which leads to some humorous moments). There are also the Prometheans, of whom Dr. Frankenstein was probably a founding father. Reggie drives a Stanley Steamer, and there are airships as well. The first tale is a country house story, a blending of Bertie and Blandings; with the second tale, Dolley really finds his feet. It's longer, stronger, and Dolley begins to develop his own voice, though expertly staying within Wodehouse's airy limits.
June 14, 2013
This is quite ideally ridiculous and definitely what I would call a mash up, like those Austen meets ninja zombie book things of a few years ago. There were a few modern language hiccups and a slow start, but both faded mid book (AKA during the second story – like Wodehouse this is written as a series of connected shorts/novellas rather than one large novel).
Dolley got me to laugh out loud near the end. Which, frankly, is VERY hard to do. His tone is spot on Wodehouse and the steampunk elements tie into both plot and silliness admirably. I enjoyed it over all. It was nice to read a Wodehouse story that I hadn't read already!
Dolley got me to laugh out loud near the end. Which, frankly, is VERY hard to do. His tone is spot on Wodehouse and the steampunk elements tie into both plot and silliness admirably. I enjoyed it over all. It was nice to read a Wodehouse story that I hadn't read already!
August 18, 2012
This ebook is a long short piece (8,000 words) and a 41,000 word novella.
Here is parody done right, and as a bonus, we get Steampunk! Chris Dolley has taken the classic tales of P.G. Wodehouse and created a delightful homage to them. Reggie Worcester begins in the title tale with “Aunt trouble,” a dreadful thing, as any fan of the Jeeves’ tales knows. Fortunately, his club has found an automaton in the attic - a smart fellow. Reggie is flabbergasted (the club has an attic?) but game to borrow Reeves, as the former carnie mechanical man is called. If anyone can help Reggie appease his aunt and get safely home, this brilliant automaton is surely the person – er, machine.
Dolley has down pat the voice, the mannerisms, and the bits and pieces that scream early 1900s. The language may be a bit thick for those who don’t read or watch a lot of period Brit entertainment, but I think that you can get the gist of it, as well as the laughs. Do take a look at the sample and find out if it’s for you.
Now – why hasn’t this pair been optioned for television? Excuse me while I return to our heroes as they continue their entry into sleuthing!
Here is parody done right, and as a bonus, we get Steampunk! Chris Dolley has taken the classic tales of P.G. Wodehouse and created a delightful homage to them. Reggie Worcester begins in the title tale with “Aunt trouble,” a dreadful thing, as any fan of the Jeeves’ tales knows. Fortunately, his club has found an automaton in the attic - a smart fellow. Reggie is flabbergasted (the club has an attic?) but game to borrow Reeves, as the former carnie mechanical man is called. If anyone can help Reggie appease his aunt and get safely home, this brilliant automaton is surely the person – er, machine.
Dolley has down pat the voice, the mannerisms, and the bits and pieces that scream early 1900s. The language may be a bit thick for those who don’t read or watch a lot of period Brit entertainment, but I think that you can get the gist of it, as well as the laughs. Do take a look at the sample and find out if it’s for you.
Now – why hasn’t this pair been optioned for television? Excuse me while I return to our heroes as they continue their entry into sleuthing!
March 27, 2024
Amusing and fun!
August 12, 2011
I was first introduced to Chris Dolley's work in International Kittens of Mystery and was happy to find out that more fun and frivolity were forthcoming in What Ho, Automaton!. If you're a fan of wry historical fiction that isn't afraid to be silly and absurd (in a good way) then this book is a good bet.
Reggie is, in a word, a goofball. His primary concerns in life are avoiding the yoke of holy wedlock and trying to solve mysteries, which he considers himself uniquely qualified to do because of his enjoyment of Sherlock Holmes novels. When he discovers Reeves, a thoroughly capable, steam powered automatic valet, telling fortunes at a club he frequents, he figures it's a good match.
It totally is- without Reeves, Reggie would know his you-know-what from a hole in the ground, and even with Reeves thoroughly managing things behind the scenes, Reggie manages to make a muddle out of just about anything, even without trying. He fixates on an idea and simply cannot let go of it, much to the amusement of the reader and the chagrin of the rest of the characters.
There's a lot going on in this story- missing debutantes, secrets and lies, intrigue, pork products, you name it. It's a story that strives to make people laugh, especially those who are fond of Victorian detective novels or mysteries in general. It doesn't try to save the world and overhaul the characters from the beginning to the end, and I appreciated that- sometimes it's nice to just have a good joke and leave it at that. This is a novella, as well, so it's the perfect thing for a short reading break. Plus, with a price tag of $2.99, what's not to love?
Reggie is, in a word, a goofball. His primary concerns in life are avoiding the yoke of holy wedlock and trying to solve mysteries, which he considers himself uniquely qualified to do because of his enjoyment of Sherlock Holmes novels. When he discovers Reeves, a thoroughly capable, steam powered automatic valet, telling fortunes at a club he frequents, he figures it's a good match.
It totally is- without Reeves, Reggie would know his you-know-what from a hole in the ground, and even with Reeves thoroughly managing things behind the scenes, Reggie manages to make a muddle out of just about anything, even without trying. He fixates on an idea and simply cannot let go of it, much to the amusement of the reader and the chagrin of the rest of the characters.
There's a lot going on in this story- missing debutantes, secrets and lies, intrigue, pork products, you name it. It's a story that strives to make people laugh, especially those who are fond of Victorian detective novels or mysteries in general. It doesn't try to save the world and overhaul the characters from the beginning to the end, and I appreciated that- sometimes it's nice to just have a good joke and leave it at that. This is a novella, as well, so it's the perfect thing for a short reading break. Plus, with a price tag of $2.99, what's not to love?
February 29, 2016
I liked the setup for this short story/novella mini-book, which is Jeeves and Wooster with "Reeves" as a convincingly-human automaton and "Worchester" as, well, Wooster, in an alternate-universe pre-WWI England. Some mild horror such as Frankenstein's monster-like "Prometheans," and a four-legged cyborg Queen Victoria, add a unique flavor to the otherwise steampunk setting.
A number of catch-phrases were repeated way too many times in novella "Something Rummy This Way Comes": troth-plighting; referring to fish as brain food; Worchester's belief that the culprit in the central crime was an orangutan, eunuch, or man with a limp.
I've read a small handful of English novels written during this book's time frame, and yes, people tended to be culturally stereotyped if they weren't English and white. That said, I don't think that needed to be emulated in a 21st-century book, without any calling out beyond the point-of-view character being a careless, blithering fool. And these stereotypes are repeated over and over.
I did chuckle a few times, though, especially when Worchester was in disguise, so it wasn't all bad. And the young woman, Emmeline, who helps him in his investigations is a fun character who has a great scene-stealing moment late in the story.
I enjoyed the first of the two stories in the book, "What Ho, Automaton!" better. It was a good emulation of the Wodehouse shorts, with all the various elements tying together nicely at the end, just as happens in the originals.
A number of catch-phrases were repeated way too many times in novella "Something Rummy This Way Comes": troth-plighting; referring to fish as brain food; Worchester's belief that the culprit in the central crime was an orangutan, eunuch, or man with a limp.
I've read a small handful of English novels written during this book's time frame, and yes, people tended to be culturally stereotyped if they weren't English and white. That said, I don't think that needed to be emulated in a 21st-century book, without any calling out beyond the point-of-view character being a careless, blithering fool. And these stereotypes are repeated over and over.
I did chuckle a few times, though, especially when Worchester was in disguise, so it wasn't all bad. And the young woman, Emmeline, who helps him in his investigations is a fun character who has a great scene-stealing moment late in the story.
I enjoyed the first of the two stories in the book, "What Ho, Automaton!" better. It was a good emulation of the Wodehouse shorts, with all the various elements tying together nicely at the end, just as happens in the originals.
July 2, 2016
What a fun book! I really must try Wodehouse soon if he's anything like Dolley's work here. I've always found a reason to read something else, but perhaps I should queue something. Worcester and Reeves make an engaging pair (as I'm sure Jeeves and Wooster are) and the language is delightful. I've been largely disappointed in steampunk books for their reliance on gimmicky jargon - think "clanking", or in the case of Gibson some nonsense he's made up (especially with his Necromancer...not steampunk, but still his style) - but Dolley generally refers to the elements as a side to the story...they don't get in the way. It helps to have a Worcester character who elects to either not spend the time to investigate inner workings too deeply, or settles immediately on a fanciful explanation he's devised and moves on. Rollicking fun. I look forward to the next.
June 4, 2012
A delightful tribute to Wodehouse with a Steampunk twist! What Ho, Automaton! is a grand romp through the trials an tribulations of young Reggie Worcester and his gentleman's automaton, Reeves. In two separate tales (the title story appeared in The Shadow Conspiracy II), they root out villains, appease formidable aunts, and evade vicious Pomeranians. In the second adventure, "Something Rummy This Way Comes," they are joined by the charming and inquisitive Emmeline Dreadnought, who holds her own against dastardly foreigners with Evil Plots. A great read, full of chuckles and smiles.
June 21, 2018
Great Read!
Whimsical, odd, funny, well written - an excellent story that captures the imagination and delights the reader! An adventure into crime and hilarity! Loved it.
Whimsical, odd, funny, well written - an excellent story that captures the imagination and delights the reader! An adventure into crime and hilarity! Loved it.
August 24, 2022
This book is the absolutely brilliant mash-up of steampunk and Wodehouse, Pelham G., with touches of Sayers Dorothy L, that could ever be created. I am absolutely smitten to the core with Mr. Dolley's work, and I cannot recommend it highly enough, especially for fans of Wodehouse, who will find much to praise in the faithful re-imagining of Bertie Wooster in a steampunk world. Howlingly good!
I had read the fourth book in this series, The Unpleasantness at Baskerville Hall, first. Happily, enough was set in that book to teach me the basics of this fictional world. The only thing missed is that Reggie Worcester seems a bit more sophisticated in his sleuthing as the series progresses.
My research tells me that I've three more delights in this series, to fill in the middle of the bookends I've read quite out of order. I can scarcely wait to dive into them. This series is truly a work of genius.
I had read the fourth book in this series, The Unpleasantness at Baskerville Hall, first. Happily, enough was set in that book to teach me the basics of this fictional world. The only thing missed is that Reggie Worcester seems a bit more sophisticated in his sleuthing as the series progresses.
My research tells me that I've three more delights in this series, to fill in the middle of the bookends I've read quite out of order. I can scarcely wait to dive into them. This series is truly a work of genius.
April 9, 2018
I wanted to pick this up because I love the light humor of Wodehouse's stories about Jeeves and Bertie, and I thought a steampunk version sounded fun. It definitely was fun, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was a mystery series as well. All in all, right up my alley!
At first I was concerned that the play on Jeeves and Bertie with Reeves and Reggie would be a little heavy-handed. It kind of was, but primarily because Dolley hits the nail on the head with his imitation in many ways. Reggie is a little too foolish for my tastes, but Reeves is delightfully droll. His gentle snark at Reggie is fairly satisfying, and as Reggie is never actually hurt by his comments, they add to the humor without being nasty.
The mysteries themselves are nothing particularly deep, but they entertain, and I would pick up the next novella for a light read, for sure.
At first I was concerned that the play on Jeeves and Bertie with Reeves and Reggie would be a little heavy-handed. It kind of was, but primarily because Dolley hits the nail on the head with his imitation in many ways. Reggie is a little too foolish for my tastes, but Reeves is delightfully droll. His gentle snark at Reggie is fairly satisfying, and as Reggie is never actually hurt by his comments, they add to the humor without being nasty.
The mysteries themselves are nothing particularly deep, but they entertain, and I would pick up the next novella for a light read, for sure.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 31, 2020
I have very mixed feelings about this book. Let me start with the positives, the world building was imaginative and had a distinct casual steampunk feel to it that just worked perfectly, Promethians were a plot point I enjoyed a lot. And the book was actually funny, many a time.
As for the bad... The main character was so stupid it got annoying from time to time. I know it's meant to be quirky and humorous but it got old quickly. On top of that the author has a tendency of repeating himself and switch perspective. Unless the main character routinely thinks about himself in the third person this seems very odd. And I think I've read every possible variation of "the mind boggles"
Story wasn't spectacular, would definitely not recommend it as the steampunk mystery it's marketed as, but does its job as a steampunk comedy.
As for the bad... The main character was so stupid it got annoying from time to time. I know it's meant to be quirky and humorous but it got old quickly. On top of that the author has a tendency of repeating himself and switch perspective. Unless the main character routinely thinks about himself in the third person this seems very odd. And I think I've read every possible variation of "the mind boggles"
Story wasn't spectacular, would definitely not recommend it as the steampunk mystery it's marketed as, but does its job as a steampunk comedy.
July 9, 2018
Chris Dolley is clearly a fan of P. G. Wodehouse. Dolley's Reeves and Worcester (pronounced "Wooster") stories are an obviously loving pastiche of Wodehouse's famous pair. This book contains a novelette to establish the characters and a novel to take them on a full-fledged adventure/mystery. Both are in the spirit of Jeeves and Wooster, although I don't think that Bertie Wooster was ever as clueless as Reggie Worcester. The two tales are fun reading and nearly as well executed as the stories by Wodehouse.
November 18, 2022
Very silly! Worcester is well-meaning but light on brains, and is quite certain that fish will help Reeves' automation brain work faster. As he's an automaton, it... does not. He's also very intent on checking that no orangutans were involved in the crime. Reeves would be spending the whole time face-palming if he weren't so polite. There is also cross-dressing for, surprisingly, moderately sensible reasons!
June 23, 2018
I think the tiny human believes I’ve quite lost hold of the little gray marbles... I can’t remember the last time I laughed this hard in public! Reggie darling, welcome to my Character Cupboard, I have decided to keep you.
November 23, 2018
Excellent read!
It could almost be PGW himself penning these tales, and Hugh Laurie and Steven Fry speking off the page.
Add a soupcon of steam punk and the stories come alive on the page.
It could almost be PGW himself penning these tales, and Hugh Laurie and Steven Fry speking off the page.
Add a soupcon of steam punk and the stories come alive on the page.
February 21, 2019
I am supposing that this is a spoof on artificial intelligence, at least I hope that is what is is meant to be. At any rate it is a bit of a strange book but i still enjoyed it and it kept me entertained on a plane ride
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October 7, 2021Hilarious!
As a humor writer and P.G. Wodehouse fan, I'm very jealous of this book. It captures the silliness of Wodehouse, but even manages to capture the rigid steucture of British aristocracy. I wish I had written it.
As a humor writer and P.G. Wodehouse fan, I'm very jealous of this book. It captures the silliness of Wodehouse, but even manages to capture the rigid steucture of British aristocracy. I wish I had written it.
October 27, 2021
What ho! is right. I thoroughly enjoyed this book! What a concept—-to combine combine P. G. Wodehouse and Arthur Conan Doyle. This book was utterly delightful. Chris Dolley also added a little twist of steampunk just to make things interesting.
September 18, 2017
3.5 actually
December 25, 2017
Loving P.G. Woodehouse and Steampunk I really enjoyed this. Chris Dolley was spot-on the Woodehouse humor and atmosphere. A real treat.
March 1, 2018
This was cute and fun, an homage to Wodehouse with a twist that managed to hit all the right notes, homage-wise (the tone and snark were spot-on!), while still feeling like a novel read due to the steampunk-y bits... The supporting cast was just as fun (and well developed) as the main characters, with enough nods to Jeeves/Wooster tropes to be entertaining and smile-inducing without ever feeling derivative.
July 20, 2018
I think these books are quite hilarious but then I really enjoy the British sense of humour.
August 4, 2018
This is well written and amusing. I'm not a big fan of the Jeeves and Wooster style books. I thought the addition of steampunk elements might make this more interesting, but it really didn't.
November 18, 2018
Weird, delightfully so.
April 8, 2019
This is the origin story. It's not the best of the trilogy but it's fun in its own right.
September 21, 2021
Funny if a little overdone sometimes. Of course you thing of Jeeves and Wooster books. Light reading.
October 28, 2021
I like Reggie a lot better than I ever liked Bertie, but now I think I need to go read more Wodehouse (and the rest of this series, immediately). What fun.
November 29, 2021
Very charming book. I really enjoyed the story and the characters were very likeable. It is a very light book with some decent humor. I will continue reading this series.
December 19, 2022
It's not great literature but I enjoyed this much more than I expected. The author really did a great job capturing the spirit of "Jeeves and Wooster" in a steampunk universe.
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