Murder at Spindle Manor (The Lamplight Murder Mysteries) Paperback – October 20, 2022

An able huntress and her trusty young coachman (woman) track her latest monstrous quarry to an old inn on the outskirts of Lamplight on the night of a terrible and unnatural storm. Trapped for the night by will-o-the-wisps alight in the woods as much as the raging storm, uncovering the identity of her hounded killer will be far from the only mystery laid before our huntress as she contends with the strange, contentious guests, as well as the secrets of Spindle Manor itself.Tim Burton does Agatha Christi in this was a wonderful introduction to a uniquely creative world of gothic mystery.Really, this was more Clue than Murder On The Orient Express. It is humorous and lighthearted. It's characters are as energetic as they and varied, and fill Spindle Manor with life and color. Evie the Coachman (woman) is the comic Dr. Watson to stolid Huntress Isabeau Agarwal's Sherlock Holmes. Together, they were a treat to read, and I was routing for them all the way.The cast and the world lead here. Each person staying at Spindle Manor is a unique and engaging character with a distinct voice, and each of them serves to reveal to the reader a little more of the larger world. There is a partially steam powered colonel, a professor of mesmerism, a defunct medium, a living-doll girl who's mouth is sewn shut, and more!The more we read, the further we are drawn into this world where the sun never shines and gaslamps drive back malevolent sprits. It may have been nice to understand more of these things, but the world feels wonderfully designed and so entirely immersive.Or huntress is calm, cool, and armed to the teeth. And that's good, because she'll need to be. She is thorough in her work and also wonderfully to the point. Matters come to a head quickly at Spindle Manor, and the steaks couldn't be higher, or so we're told.The truth is the mystery of the hunt that brings our main character to Spindle Manor becomes an afterthought as the other, more pressing mysteries of the story unfold. The absolute urgency of Isabeau's hunt and the grave consequences that will befall her should she fail in it are unceremoniously brushed aside by the end of the story, and that's too bad.But the mysteries and characters and the many complications and surprises of Spindle Manor make up for this weakness in spades. Though it could have been tighter at times, the story is wonderfully active, and the world overflows with exciting imagination. The final chapters also introduce a profound and understated humanity to our protagonist that left me aching to read more. Imagine my delight to find there is already a sequel!In short, this story is a triumph. I have never read anything quite so lively. It has all that I love in gaslamp turn of the century mysteries, and much, much more. I can't wait to see what Stang has in store for me in the next chapter of what I hope will be a long running series of the adventures of huntress Isabeau Agarwal.I do not exaggerate when I say I would be grateful to continue reading Stang's stories of Lamplight for the rest of my life. I feel enriched for having encountered her work. I highly recommend Murder at Spindle Manor!

I’ve never read something so clever and interesting and downright weird as this story, and really enjoyed myself. It’s Agatha Christie meets Clue meets The Witcher. You wouldn’t think the amalgamation of these things would work, but the author tied everything together and made it easy-to-understand and fun! I would recommend to those who like a murder mystery in a big spooky house with fantasy monsters and ghosts. Hard to explain but worth the trip.

A varied cast of characters/possible suspects in a secluded location. A professional monster hunter. Gaslamp era.Isabeau is a Huntress, tasked with tracking down and killing various monsters which plague society. In this case, it's a creature which can perfectly imitate anyone. She has until dawn to find which of the colorful cast is an imposter.There's also an additional murder to solve.Loving this series! Recurring gags, fun and funny characters, compelling mysteries, and we gradually learn more about the wider world.

I loved the mix of genres; mystery, fantasy and paranormal. There was a great rapport between the huntress and her coachman, Evie. Evie had a great sense of humor as did the author. many times I could envision a movie a scene in my head when all the suspects were running from room to room and floor to floor. Reminded me a little of Murder by Death, another great book btw.

Fun, short read. It got a little overwhelming with everything and the kitchen sink being thrown at the reader, most of which had nothing to do with the mystery we were presented with.But I guess that was to throw us off the case

An enjoyable beginning to a series and the mix of cozy mystery and dark fantasy was well handled. Good cozy reveals, reminiscent of Christie/Marsh.

I really had a good time reading this book! First by this author, but I'll quickly buy the rest of the trilogy. The writing was smart, not overly self-aggrandizing, dryly hilarious and super-satisfying. I'll be honest, I love whodunnit stories, but sometimes I feel like the writer works so hard to bury the clues that there is so much junk and clutter. Not Stang! I caught on to a few things, others were a surprise, but I loved the ride. Hope this author gets the hype they deserve. Their monsters and supporting characters were very creatively written. I had no trouble visualizing each person and think this would make a truly fun movie if someone were to do it justice. Can't wait to read more about Isabeau...

Yall, this is Agatha Christie meets Soulsborne, and I did not know that that was something I needed in my life, but boy did I enjoy it. Author Morgan Stang has crafted a delightful frankenstein monster of a murder mystery, combining the large colorful casts and cozy procedural feel of Hercule Poirot, with the dark, weird, and deadly of the Soulsborne games. How does this work? I don’t know, but it does!!Synopsis: Ordained Monster Hunter Isabeau Agarwal, certified gunslinging bad***, is on the hunt for a skin-stealing monster. Having tracked it to the titular Spindle Manor, she has only the course of one night to figure out which of the ten guests isn’t who they say they are. But when a murder most foul disrupts the proceedings, Isabeau finds herself at the center of a wild nesting doll of secrets and lies.Pros: Snarky, humorous, action packed, supernatural, intriguing worldbuilding, fun ensemble cast, compelling mystery, satisfying conclusion.Cons: YMMV, but there were quite a few easter eggs/references sprinkled throughout the novel, and not all of them landed with me.Final Thoughts: The next installment in this mystery series comes out in August and I CAN’T WAIT. I WANT IT NOW. Also at the time of writing this, this book is a SPFBO9 entry, and if it gets cut in the first round, I am going to be UPSET.