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Reviewed by Jean Hall for Readers' Favorite
Detective Patrick O'Malley is our hero in this mind-bending fantasy. O'Malley is pitted against steam-engineered pirates who aim to raid cargo ships and destroy lives. O'Malley also looks for love in the arms of the brilliant and fair-haired Becky Charming. Jim Musgrave in Steam City Pirates captures events in late 19th century New York City with a horrifying yet comic vision of science gone awry.
The story begins as Spanish inventor Monturiol wants to engineer a steam-powered submarine. His ultimate goal is to create a peaceful, undersea paradise. But Monturiol is corrupted and he becomes part of a diabolical network that has headquarters above and below ground. The Grand Inquisitor from this group is a fearsome 8-foot-tall, red-eyed, mechanistic creature. The Inquisitor collects inventors to pursue his dark goals and Monturiol is his latest find. Characters in this strange time and place may have a supernatural power or appearance. They may breathe and release steam, fly out of windows and disappear, wield knives at lightning speed, or travel through time. O'Malley also has a few tricks up his sleeve, but he may need help to hold the dark forces back.
Detective O'Malley struggles with bizarre creatures, haunting visions, and bawdy situations. Steam City Pirates by Jim Musgrave is dazzling with action and thoughtful with scholarly information. I think this book would make a good movie with all its visual elements. I was impressed with the sophistication of Jim Musgrave's writing style and his extensive vocabulary. I enjoyed all the shocking twists and turns with O'Malley on the case.
