Strange Beasts: A thrilling gaslamp fantasy full of stabby heroines, slow-burn romance and mortal peril

'An absolute joy to read' TJ Klune
'A whip-smart, lusciously atmospheric adventure' Frances White
'Fantastic and fresh' Wesley Chu

In Belle Epoque Paris, a monster is murdering powerful men. Stopping it may be a woman's job.

When the Gendarmes ask the Royal Society for the Study of Abnormal Phenomena for help, they don't expect them to send Samantha Harker.

She's a researcher, more used to papercuts than knife fights. Sam is also the daughter of Dracula's killer and can see into the minds of monsters. It's a perilous power, one that could help her crack this case or have her thrown into an asylum.

Dr Helena Moriarty is Sam's reluctant partner, the Society's finest agent who has forged a formidable path in her notorious father's shadow. Professor Moriarty is in hiding, but he still makes his presence known: Hel's partners have a way of dying in mysterious circumstances.

From Paris' glittering opera house to its darkest catacombs, the investigation pits Sam and Hel against magic, monsters, and men. And beneath their tenuous partnership, something else is growing . . .

But is trusting Hel the key to solving the murders? Or is Sam just another pawn in a Moriarty game?

With characters drawn from the worlds of Dracula and Sherlock Holmes, Strange Beasts is a twisty puzzle box of a historical fantasy perfect for fans of Genevieve Cogman, Theodora Goss, Freya Marske, T. Kingfisher, and Gail Carriger.

NetGalley readers LOVE Strange Beasts:

'I am speechless! One of my favourite books of the year, and I swear if this isn't the first book in a series I may go feral!'

'Think Sherlock Holmes x Fantastic Beasts x Supernatural with a sprinkle of Van Helsing ... I loved this book!'

'The perfect book for anyone who loves a puzzley mystery, badass ladies, and a dark atmosphere'

'The perfect mix of murder mystery, gothic horror, fantasy and historical fiction'