The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man

Burton & Swinburne, Book 2

De: Mark Hodder

Narrado por: Gerard Doyle

It is 1862, though not the 1862 it should be. Time has been altered, and Sir Richard Francis Burton, the king's agent, is one of the few people who know that the world is now careening along a very different course from that which Destiny intended. When a clockwork-powered man of brass is found abandoned in Trafalgar Square, Burton and his assistant, the wayward poet Algernon Swinburne, find themselves on the trail of the stolen Garnier Collection of black diamonds rumoured to be fragments of the Lemurian Eye of Naga, a meteorite that fell to Earth in prehistoric times.

His investigation leads to involvement with the media sensation of the age: the Tichborne Claimant, a man who insists that he's the long lost heir to the cursed Tichborne estate. Monstrous, bloated, and monosyllabic, he's not the aristocratic Sir Roger Tichborne known to everyone, yet the working classes come out in force to support him. They are soon rioting through the streets of London, as mysterious steam wraiths incite all-out class warfare. From a haunted mansion to the Bedlam madhouse, from South America to Australia, from séances to a secret labyrinth, Burton struggles with shadowy opponents and his own inner demons, meeting along the way the philosopher Herbert Spencer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Florence Nightingale, and Charles Doyle (father of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle).

Can the king's agent expose a plot that threatens to rip the British Empire apart, leading to an international conflict the like of which the world has never seen? And what part does the clockwork man have to play? Burton and Swinburne's second adventure, The Clockwork Man of Trafalgar Square is filled with eccentric steam-driven technology, grotesque characters, and a deepening mystery that pushes forward the three-volume story arc begun in The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack.

©2011 Mark Hodder (P)2012 Audible Ltd

Excellent Follow Up

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. It is a very particular type of book that, I think, would only appeal to fans of the genre but, saying that, it is an excellent representation of that genre.

Who was your favorite character and why?

It would have to be Burton himself. Complex, intelligent and unusual for his "time".

Have you listened to any of Gerard Doyle’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Gerard Doyle is excellent as a narrator. His performance is always exceptional.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The only reaction to this book was complete submergence in it. The story and story telling put you deep within the unfolding narrative

Any additional comments?

An excellent book. (To be read, of course, in sequence with the others from the series) :)

Book one surprised, book two astounds

Would you listen to The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man again? Why?

I will be listening to the story again. It is simply too good not to do just that.

Characters are fantastic, narration is just brilliant.

What other book might you compare The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man to and why?

I have none. This series just stands out on its own.

You are quickly enveloped in this mystirous universe, with all it's weird cotraptions, inventions, characters.

The way Mark Hodder has used real people in a very different environment, and personalities just works wonders.

What does Gerard Doyle bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

When I heard book one I was like "Damn, this will not be good". But he is Unique in his narration, and is able to do all the characters without overdoing them.

He brings depth, humour and makes the characters come alive. Especialle Swinburne is eminent.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Absolutely no clue.

Great story Great story teller

I have got to the stage now that what ever book Gerard Doyle chooses to read I am confident that I will love it. This story is Part 2 in an amazing story about the world in the 19th century that is a very different place due to a time traveller from the 22nd century who travelled back in Book 1 to change an historical event for his own selfish reason. The impact of this event was devastating and yet fascinating. Gerard's voice introduces us to so many solid characters that we are easily transported back to that now very strange time.
Enjoy!

Particularly liked the Volkswagen Beetle

Good story though the plot line is mostly transparent. Love the way historical figures are woven in and re-interpreted in the series.