Mystery, magic and machines, and a unique couple in Victorian London. That’s The Curse of the Brimstone Contract.
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Let the revelry begin. Everyone set down to the tea Mrs. Hudson has brought up to our quarters, put on your latest Victorian fashion including those radical designs made by our heroine, Miss Joan Krieger, and enjoy the wonderful warmth provided by our mage coal furnace.
Excerpt from The Curse of the Brimstone Contract, as we return to a Victorian London changed by magic and steam technology, in which a Jewish seamstress has hired an enigmatic consulting detective to investigate the death of one of her clients and becomes embroiled in far more danger and romance than she ever expected.
As they sneaked out of the office, he locked up behind them silently. He took her arm and led her up the stairs, his glance darting in all directions, perhaps worried their prowler would come back. This time, there was nothing sensual about his grip. It was all business.
His magic hid their sounds on the way back up the stairs. It was not until they were in the safety of her room that Joan drew a proper breath.
Sherringford let go of her elbow. She collapsed in her chair and stretched out her legs. Her feet still tingled from being cramped.
“Well done, Miss Krieger,” he said in a quiet voice. “I’m in your debt.”
“Well done? I did little. You hid us.”
“Do you know how many women would’ve been too frightened to open the safe? Or would have been so afraid at the darkness I summoned that they would’ve screamed?”
“It sounds like you have been spending time with the wrong sort of women,” Joan snapped. For some reason, his compliment had annoyed her. “And your actions were for my benefit, as was the danger. So you can hardly be in my debt.”
He made a humphf noise, as he had in his laboratory. “I heard papers rustling in the intruder’s hands. Were those papers from the safe?” “Yes. When we tried to open the safe, we triggered a magical alarm. Once our quarry realized the safe contents were in danger of discovery, he checked on them. As for your other questions, I have guesses, not facts.”
“Then give me guesses,” she demanded. “It’s not—” She rose out of her chair and grabbed his forearm, much as he had held her earlier. “You may not have full answers yet, Gregor Sherringford, but this is my life, my business and, indeed, my fate at stake. You’ll explain and you’ll explain now.”
“To give you a full accounting here would risk discovery by your enemy.”
“Are you telling me you’re too afraid, sir?” She jutted out her chin. The time to panic had been when those icy claws protecting the safe had grabbed her, or when their enemy entered the office. “Because I am done with fear.”
“I see.”
Darkness seemed to surround him again. She kept tight hold of his arm, guessing that he could not disappear as long as she was touching him. She only hoped he didn’t physically push her away. He was taller and stronger and could free himself, if he wished.
“If you come with me, Joan Krieger, you will close a door behind you. It’s not a deed that can be undone.”
0 COMMENTS
Carol Strickland
10 years agoAfter hitting the midpoint on this book, I couldn’t put it down. And hey, I’m not even that big a fan of steampunk! (Can I say that here?) Loved all the layering and how this world isn’t black and white. Very much looking forward to the next installment. (Memorable cover, too.)
flchen1
10 years agoOoh… great excerpt, Corrina! Love what we’ve seen of Joan so far–so shrinking violet here!
Kelly
10 years agoAwesome! I love steampunk!
Jill
10 years agoThis is a great draw me right into the story.! I almost like it more than Above the Fold.
Corrina
10 years agoOne of these days, Above the Fold will be published. 🙂 But, yes, I love this too.
Alex
10 years agoGreat excerpt Corrina! Looking forward to starting the series.
Erin Bentley
10 years agoPayday is on Friday. Guess what I’m picking up? Great excerpt!
bn100
10 years agoThat’s a nice excerpt
Liz S
10 years agoGobbled this story up in one sitting tonight! Highly recommend it and can’t wait for more of these characters!
Corrina Lawson
10 years ago AUTHORThanks, all! Joan was one of the biggest surprises to me when writing the story. I had Gregor and the general idea for the mystery but Joan very quickly kinda insisted on this being her story. Which makes some since because I just re-read A Study in Scarlet, the first Holmes story and realized that it’s really Watson’s story, as he goes from aimless war veteran to being interested in the world again through Holmes’ investigations.
I should share a funny story about the dress on the cover. We received the cover before we did final edits. My editor and I took one look at it and had the same thought: “We love this but neither the gun or the dress are in the story.”
I said: Oh, I know where I can put them in. She said, “do it!”
So if you’ve read the book, well, you can see where this dress and the gun show up.
Rachelle
10 years agoThe excerpt is intriguing! Why is her life and business at stake? What other magic can Sherringford do?
Corrina
10 years agoSomeone is killing off the clients for Joan’s family business. As for Sherringford, well, he likes to be mysterious but he’s very, very good at not being seen. More would be telling. 🙂
Tessa Onabigon
10 years agoLove steampunk
Mina Gerhart
10 years agoGreat excerpt Corrina 🙂
Maybe the dress & gun show up in the next novel??, Pretty please?
I LOVE the mix of magic & Victorian technology!
Mindy 🙂
Birdsooong@comcast.net
DB in Richmond VA
10 years agoNice excerpt – liked how she had to hold onto him so he wouldn’t disappear – kinda typical ;o)
Corrina
10 years agoOh, yes. One of the things I re-discovered on re-reading my Holmes stories is that Holmes was, even before Batman, the guy who would appear and disappear at will. Poor Watson. 🙂
Corrina
10 years agoI have to close down the contest now and due to the magic of the random number generator, Carol is the winner! 🙂