*In an age of Zeppelins and gyroplanes, atomics and horseless carriages, the Transatlantic Span is the industrial marvel of the nineteenth century. A monumental feat of engineering, the steel suspension bridge stretches across the Atlantic from Liverpool to the distant harbor of New York City, supported by no less than seven hundred towers. But in the shadows of its massive struts, on the docks of the River Mersey, lies a faceless corpse…

*Inspector Matthew Langton is still seized with grief when he thinks of Sarah, his late wife. Tortured by nightmares and afflicted by breathless attacks of despair and terror, he forces himself to focus on the investigation of the faceless man. The victim wears the uniform of the Transatlantic Span Company but bears the tattoos of the Boers—could there be a Boer conspiracy to assassinate Queen Victoria on the upcoming Inauguration Day of the Span?

But the truth, as it begins to emerge, is far more bizarre than a political coup. As additional victims turn up—each with strange, twin burn marks on their necks—Langton draws a connection between the dead man beneath the bridge and chilling rumors of the Jar Bars, soul snatchers who come under cover of night. Most frightening of all is the mythic and elusive Doktor Glass, who may not only be behind the illicit trade in souls…but who may hold the key to what happened to the inspector’s own beloved wife on her deathbed…

Review

"Doktor Glass transports you into an alternate Victorian England so vivid and lively that you believe every escalating fantastic development--it's a wild, suspenseful ride, sure to keep you up late reading."--Tim Powers

"[R]emarkably well-crafted, with visceral, gritty details, a fascinating set of mysteries and a memorably tormented investigator."--Kirkus Reviews

"Mystery and intrigue abound as Thomas Brennan conjures this fog-choked vision of a steampunk Victorian England. Superb characterization and a generous dose of the heebie-jeebies make Doktor Glass a grimy urban fantasy you won't want to miss."--Adam Christopher, author of Empire State

About the Author

Thomas Brennan's day job as an Emergency Medical Dispatcher helps fuel his writing of all types of fiction: speculative, fantasy, crime, and literary. He has a particular fondness for Victorian fog and shadows, early science, and what might have been.

About the Author

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8-Henry Atherton's family is in some disarray when his mother has an affair with his father's female secretary. Henry's escape is helping elderly Mr. Fogarty with chores. Meanwhile, in a parallel world, Pyrgus Malvae, son of the Purple Emperor, is being chased and climbs the fence outside a glue factory where he discovers an evil secret and also comes close to losing his life. His father decides to send his son through a portal to the "Analogue World" for safety, which results in him mistakenly showing up under the lawn mower at Fogarty's where he meets Henry. Pyrgus arrives the size of a fairy, but overnight he grows and his wings disappear. Fogarty, a former bank robber and mechanical genius, sets out to build an artificial portal to send Pyrgus back home. Eventually, Henry and Fogarty cross over into the Purple Kingdom, where they help defeat the forces of evil. This book has a complex plot with plenty of drama and action, but at times the story seems to sink under its own weight. Early on, the transition from contemporary England to the Purple Kingdom is sudden, and the two settings do not intersect until well into the book, which may confuse some readers, and it's difficult to keep straight the many characters in the Purple Kingdom. In the end, Henry's experiences give him the wisdom to craft his own family solution.
Jane G. Connor, South Carolina State Library, Columbia
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 6-8. When Henry Atherton arrives at the house of eccentric old Mr. Fogarty, he comes upon crown prince Pyrgus Malvae, who has escaped the Faerie realm, where the Faeries of the Night want to kill him. Mr. Fogarty and Henry decide to help the prince return home. It's a complex situation, involving an evil demon, two avaricious glue factory owners, and Lord Hairstreak, leader of the Faeries of the Night, each with a personal agenda that will lead to taking over the realm. A subplot (Henry realizes that his mother, not his father, is having an affair with his father's secretary) is totally unnecessary, and there are discrepancies in the story and some awkwardness to slow things down. Still, there's enough solid adventure in the Faerie realm to keep readers on the edge of their seats. Sally Estes
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