The third novel in the “Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences” series is another fun romp of 1890’s era steampunk adventure. This time our two intrepid agents travel to America where they team up with two members from the corresponding “Office of the Supernatural and Metaphysical”. Their mission is to determine who is behind a series of disasters involving nautical and aeronautical mishaps and the deaths of hundreds. Their journey takes them from the Carolinas to Detroit, to Flagstaff Arizona, and on to San Francisco. Along the way they encounter famous personages such as Thomas Edison and Nicola Tesla as well as a few friends and foes from previous adventures. Side plots involve an assassin intent on keeping the agents at bay, the kidnapping of Prince Albert Edward, as well as further clues on what may be happening back home with none other than Queen Victoria and her plans.

I suppose it’s possible that this book can be read and enjoyed by itself, but I would recommend starting at the beginning with [b:Phoenix Rising|9795166|Phoenix Rising (Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences, #1)|Pip Ballantine|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1319574583s/9795166.jpg|14685275] or else risk being in the dark on several plot arcs. This novel also ends on a sort of cliffhanger but certainly works well to leave the reader chomping at the bit to get to the next one. It appears the stakes will increase yet again as we head back to London.

This is shaping up to be a nice series, especially for those who like their steampunk mixed with gaslight historical fantasy.

Books and Braun National Lampoon American Vacay! Devoured this can't wait for next installment!

Good job New Zealand: Flight of the Concords, Lord of the Rings movies, Karl Urban, my elementary English teacher-thank you Mrs. Ricks & your chocolate biscuits and and these books good job!

Amazing fun with Eliza and Wellington once again. Enlightening on several levels, and will blow you away. We get to see Wellington in action, and the beautiful Eliza as well.

****FULL REVIEW****
Things are still simmering in England after the Janus Affair. Sound has sent Agents Braun and Books as "Goodwill Advisers" to the Americas agency, the Office of the Supernatural and Metaphysical, while the heat of the last case cools a bit. Working with their counterparts of the Americas, they help with the case of ships of ocean and air are disappearing off the coast of the Outer Banks. Mysteriously, no debris is washing up on shore, that many are noticing. But there is one who has seen something. A bright light and debris that is gone the next morning. The Ministry Agents were requested for their experience with the aether gate commandeered from the House of Usher. The light ray takes the four agents to additional cities in the Americas, following Thomas Edison, working to stop the next deadly disaster. Things become suspicious for Dr. Sound as the Queen of England wants her son to visit the Americas, for a clankerton convention and he hears of the troubles stirring in the America's.

Amazing fun with Eliza and Wellington once again! Enlightening on several levels, and will blow you away. We get to see Wellington in action, and the beautiful Eliza as well.

Eliza is reinstated to active field agent. Wellington receives a promotion with her. Nothing is ever relaxing and calm for our duo. On the airship a thief is spied leaving Eliza's room and a race is under foot. There is always trouble in the line of duty that Eliza and Wellington serve.

A shoot 'm up bang, bang of American West blended with the elegance of Europe. Exciting! The American partners Eliza and Wellington meet are just like them, but maybe not as elegant as the British Agents. 'Wild Bill' Wheatley and Felicity Lovelace. I'm sure you can guess which is of Eliza's gun-shooting ways and which is the Librarian. And there is a bit of attraction to the, or from, their counterparts.

I love Eliza's spunk. Welly even gets a gun, or two, in hand. It seems trouble finds our boy Welly as well. Now that he's in the field, he seems to find the right spots to be with his reasoning deductions. We see Wellington in full action, even though he doesn't want to. Mostly, he's paired with his counterpart in the Americas. With doing so, Welly steps up his game and is more active with guns and actions. Having his counterpart present gives us someone to compare and reflect on Wellington's past ways (in previous two books).

We even get views from England. We learn Queen Victoria would like her eldest child, Bertie, occupied out of town for a time. He's taken to much of an interest in her health and away from his own enjoyments. She requests Dr. Sound to arrange for Albert to go to the Americas for a Clankerton Symposium. There is...bad blood between mom and son, Queen and heir to the throne.

Aaah, if you have read this series thus far, you know there are feelings to be sorted. Eliza tries to sort out her own and what relationship she has with Wellington, who seems to have forgotten the kiss he planted on her. There is no time with all the action, and interruptions, for Eliza and Wellington to talk. But, at one point Eliza is ready to explode and makes the time. Hahaha! Perfect timing.

Oh! Are you curious who the Maestro is? Well, you will learn who the person is behind the armor. We learn a bit of Wellington as well. He's picked up some habits from Ms. Eliza Braun, but he has his own secreted talents. I love his bloody car!! He has crafted it with great care and thought! All I will say...Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang.

The story here is complete. But in the end leaves me anxious as to what's to come to pass in England. There is much to look forward too. Oh how things are moving there. An amazing adventure with our favorite duo that leads us to so much more to come.

This third MoPO installment was slow to 'get off the ground' for me, but improved some in the later chapters. I didn't really find much of interest in either of the two American agents that appear in this book, and I also feel like we're beginning to be overloaded with villains. Also, I'm beginning to notice that almost all Steampunk style books seem to suffer from the authors' overenthusiasm for describing every piece of remotely Steampunk apparatus in glorious and loving (and tedious) detail. Wellington and Eliza are still strong enough to carry the series, and I'll try the next volume, but this series may be winding down for me.

Books and Braun National Lampoon American Vacay! Devoured this can't wait for next installment!

Good job New Zealand: Flight of the Concords, Lord of the Rings movies, Karl Urban, my elementary English teacher-thank you Mrs. Ricks & your chocolate biscuits and and these books good job!

Fun read but the interludes really bugged me in this one. Still looking forward to the next one.

The exposition and setup was too long. The relationship conflicts went on for too long. These are my best guesses why I felt the book was too long. There was always high action but by about 80% through, I had no desire to finish,despite the conclusion clearly being up ahead.

The ending held a lot of surprises, of which I might have never gotten to. Oh and, Books’ car/invention and the weapons the team receives seemed a little too convenient. For items still under testing, particularly in the field, they worked awfully well and consistently.

I made very quick work of this audio book, mostly because by the time I started this 3rd book in the series I've been well hooked into the story and enjoying it. There were some predictable bits in the character development, and some bits that weren't quite so predictable that left me pleasantly surprised. (I was expecting a tediously drawn out love triangle (or square) and was very pleased to be largely spared of that.) The pace of action was good and the insertion of a few key historical figures was especially fun (The Wright Brothers, Henry Ford, Tesla!). I do recommend this series! And now on to the 4th book!

Overall I think I would give this book 3.5 stars. I hate to say it (since I greatly enjoyed the other novels in this series) but this book was probably my least favorite so far. The beginning took to long to get off the ground and by the time I started to get into it, I had to deal with Eliza's jealousy over Felicity and vice versa. I wasn't happy about the American "counterparts" that were placed into this book. Mostly because it felt like they were put there just to put a rift between Eliza and Wellington. It also felt like the little Interludes that have been a fixture in every novel so far were especially annoying in this book. They kept on coming in when they weren't wanted and I felt like I had to muscle my way through them just to get back to the good bits. In the end though it was still a very well crafted novel and I look forward to reading the next one. I just hope it's been more well done then this one... And is a little less lengthy.

I love these stories, but the improper word usage and/or spelling issues take me right out of the experience. For example, one does not collapse onto a "chez lounge." And one certainly does not "surmise" a room. These problems were so obvious in the first book, that my first assumption was that it was written in another language and badly translated.

A proper job of editing would take care of this, I think.