Review: Beautifully romantic mystery
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 23, 2011
Murder, treason, spies, revolutionaries, airships, and an herbal concoction that brings on an orgasm with a single kiss. In her debut novel, VIRIDIS, Calista Taylor weaves a beautifully romantic cozy mystery set in Victorian London. Lady Phoebe Hughes, the alchemist who created the herbal Viridis, finds herself embroiled in social and political intrigue after the murder of a young noble who frequents the popular club where she sells her orgasmic elixir.As the heat builds in her relationship with the handsome and ingenious tinkerer Seth Elliott, the mystery deepens, jealousies ignite, conspiracies are uncovered, and a young inspector works tirelessly to unravel it all. The mystery/intrigue is first rate and filled with surprises at every turn. It kept me guessing and flipping pages as fast as I could read. The characters are rich and endearing, or villainous as the case may be. And the love scenes are tender, erotic, and passionate.The author fills the senses with hauntingly detailed scenes of a steam-powered London on the cusp of revolution. Her inventive mind offers intricate tinkerings from airships and fuse guns to an aether powered information storage device complete with glass screen and brass keyboard. The steampunk technology is perfectly blended into the setting so that it feels natural and Ms. Taylor's descriptions are complete without being intrusive to the story. She is a true master of the genre.I recommend VIRIDIS to fans of romance, mystery, steampunk, or anyone who enjoys fine literature. There is something here for every taste. Ms. Taylor has created a cross-over classic and it is only the first in a series. Her second novel will be out soon. I can't wait to read it.