I was really won over by this book. It’s nothing like what I expected… I thought it would be typical m/m romance with a kind of clunky plot and thinly veiled excuses for the characters to have it off. Nothing of the kind. The author is totally invested in creating a complex mystery, a complex and detailed feel for the era, and a fully developed hero. I love that there are very strong allusions to other classic Victorian characters (Characteres very like Sherlock Holmes and Watson serve as an intellectual foil to Inspector Raft) as well as Jack the Ripper. The narration is incredibly well done – with nuance and enormous variety… and witty delivery. I think lovers of great detective novels will find themselves pleasantly delighted to discover Inspector Raft and his sensual and sensational adventure.