Something Strange and Deadly (review)

The dead are rising in Philadelphia, just in time for the 1876 World's Fair, and high-society gal Eleanor Fitts is forced to deal with the reanimated corpses while she searches for her missing brother. Convinced that Elijah's research into the arcane arts has gotten him kidnapped by the necromancer currently controlling Philadelphia's dead, Eleanor attends the Expo to obtain the help of the Spirit-Hunters, a group of paranormal investigators led by a young Creole man and his gruff but devastatingly handsome assistant. While the Spirit-Hunters attempt to discover Elijah's whereabouts and find a way to stop the encroaching zombie invasion, Eleanor must negotiate her own life-or-death situation as she tries to save her family from financial ruin—until she uncovers a disturbing connection between the posh world of society's upper echelon, her brother's disappearance, and the rise of the undead. A wonderfully brisk pace sweeps readers into a intriguing mystery; there's further fun to be had with the Victorian setting, replete with corsets and cobblestones, as well as Eleanor's tempestuous romance with the sigh-worthy Spirit Hunter, Daniel. As skilled at disabling zombies with her parasol as she is at charming her suitors with witty banter, Eleanor serves as a highly entertaining guide through the steampunk/supernatural world, and readers will find themselves settling in among the nineteenth-century undead just fine. The promise of further romance and adventure is set up in fabulous fashion at the book's close, so look out for future installments.