In her doctoral dissertation Theodora Goss tried to answer the following question: Why did so many of the mad scientists in nineteeth-century narratives create, or start creating but then destroy, female monsters? Thankfully for us, she also decided to approach the question in the form of fiction. In The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter we follow a group of such female monsters, creations of scientists such as Dr. Jekyll, Frankenstein and Doctor Moreau. Together with Holmes and Watson they end up solving murders in Victorian London. Initially that may sound ridiculous, but it really works! What is particularly fun is the execution. The narrative is interrupted by comments from the characters – they’re writing their adventures into a book and understandably have some differing views on the details. 

Out of the classics that have inspired the story I’m only familiar with Frankenstein and Sherlock Holmes, but I don’t think that lessened my enjoyment in any way, although I certainly missed a lot of references. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series!