Product Description

Death stalks London and the newspapers proclaim that a mummy's curse has been unleashed. Sir Maurice Newbury, gentleman investigator for the Crown, is drawn into a web of occult intrigue as he attempts to solve the murders. And he soon finds himself on the trail of a rogue agent - a man who died to be reborn as a living weapon. Newbury's able assistant, Miss Veronica Hobbes, has her own mystery to unravel. Girls are going missing from a magician's theatre show. But what appears to be a straightforward investigation puts Miss Hobbes in mortal danger. Can Newbury save his assistant, solve the riddle of the mummy's curse, capture the deadly man-machine - and stop the terrifying Osiris Ritual from reaching its infernal culmination? The second "Newbury & Hobbes" adventure is a thrilling mystery featuring rooftop chases, swordfights, an exhilarating steampunk car chase, and a race through the London Underground. If you enjoyed "The Affinity Bridge", you will love "The Osiris Ritual".

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13661 in Books
• Published on: 2009-09-07
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 416 pages

Review
'Mann is at the forefront of the new generation of UK genre movers and shakers.' SFRevu.com 'The author does a superb job of recreating nineteenth century London...a thoroughly engaging story.' SF Signal 'Mann is leading the charge.' The Guardian 'Fans of Alan Moore's work will likely enjoy Mann's depiction of Victorian asylums, slums, aristocratic soirees and things that go bump in the night.' Strange Horizons 'A carefully plotted and entertaining steampunk mystery.' SciFi.com '[Mann] has a sharp talent for writing and a surplus of enthusiasm for the genre' Sci Fi Now 'Highly, highly recommended' fantasybookcritic.com

About the Author
George Mann is the author of The Affinity Bridge, Ghosts of Manhattan and The Human Abstract, as well as numerous short stories, novellas and an original Doctor Who audiobook. He has edited a number of anthologies including The Solaris Book of New Science Fiction, The Solaris Book of New Fantasy and a retrospective collection of Sexton Blake stories, Sexton Blake, Detective. He lives near Grantham with his wife, son and daughter.

Customer Reviews

A Step Forward
George Mann's previous 'Newbury and Hobbes' novel, The Affinity Bridge was a curious mix of riotous entertainment and horrendous cliché, that teetered on the brink of being truly awful, yet managed to remain a book worth reading. So, it was with some apprehension that I settled down to read 'The Osiris Ritual' - which way would Mann go? Would we be treated to a robust steampunk thriller, or a latter-day penny-dreadful?

I'm pleased to report that some of the problems of the first instalment have been ironed out. Mann's characters and settings now feel like artful homage, as opposed to clumsy pastiche (though some may argue there is little difference!), and although there is still some anachronistic dialogue, the editing for book two is tighter, making for a smoother read and considerably less frustrated tutting.

Again the sleuth's adventures are exciting; this time Newbury finds himself dealing with an Egyptian curse, whilst Hobbes hunts down a mysterious magician, linked with the disappearance of a number of women. The story flows quickly, thanks mainly to Mann's fluent writing style, which is a good job, as it hides 'The Osiris Ritual's' main flaw. The plot doesn't really hold up to close scrutiny. On the face of it, the villain's motives and methods seem sound, but on reflection it's a rather half-baked scheme not befitting for the master criminal he is purported to be. There are some nice set pieces in the book, but I was left with the impression that the plot was fudged to fit around them, rather than things being developed in unison.

Despite that, 'The Osiris Ritual', like its predecessor, is so much fun, that its plot flaws are easy to forgive. If you are looking for an easy enjoyable read, and are not upset by loose plotting, then you could do a lot worse than investigating the exploits of 'Newbury and Hobbes'. They are definite Guilty Pleasure material, perfect for lightening a dreary Autumn evening.

The Second in the Newbury and Hobbs Series
`The Osiris Ritual' is the second in the Newbury and Hobbs series (if you haven't read it yet, you might be better to go back and read `The Affinity Bridge' first.) The story opens as Lord Winthrop is hosting a party where he will unveil (and unwrap!) a Mummy he discovered whilst in Egypt. Sir Maurice Newbury is at the party and soon becomes involved in a mystery surrounding the Mummy and the untimely death of the men who discovered it. Meanwhile his capable assistant, Veronica Hobbs, is investigating the disappearance of a number of young girls which appears to be linked to a travelling magician.

I had really enjoyed the first book in this series and was really looking forward to reading the next instalment and it didn't disappoint. The steam-punk element of the novels means that the Victorian world we are so familiar with is given a different spin; the portrayal of Queen Victoria isn't as vivid in this book but is still very amusing.

There may be times when Newbury slips a little into being an inferior version of Sherlock Holmes (he even has a Scottish housekeeper and a Moriarty-type nemesis) but this does little to dampen this fast paced and good-humoured sequel!

Light entertainment
Two-dimensional characters, a predictable plot, and sometimes wooden prose, combined with frankly unbelievable tech, could have killed this book dead. The fact that it is still fairly enjoyable is a testament to the author, but it's still not a great book, just an OK one.