The Chess Queen Enigma

Stoker & Holmes #3

by Colleen Gleason

And then she mouthed a word at me—an unmistakable word that told me everything I needed to know. “Checkmate.”

Evaline Stoker & Mina Holmes have reluctantly agreed to act as social chaperones and undercover bodyguards for Princess Lurelia of Betrovia, who has arrived in London to deliver a letter that details the secret location of an ancient chess queen that’s been missing for centuries. But when the letter—which will heal a centuries-old rift between England and the Betrovians—is stolen out from under Evaline and Mina’s watchful eyes, the two girls are forced into a high-stakes race to ensure they find the chess queen before anyone else does…including their foe, the Ankh. For the chess queen is not only a historic symbol of a woman’s political power, but it has literal power as well—the queen will unlock the chessboard, revealing both treasures and ancient secrets the Ankh would kill to possess. It will take Mina’s smarts and Evaline’s strength to beat the thief and untangle this mystery before it is too late.

Genres: Steampunk, Young Adult, Mystery, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Historical, Fiction

360 pages, Hardcover

First published October 6, 2015

About the author

Award-winning, NEW YORK TIMES and USA Today bestselling author Colleen Gleason (who also writes as Colleen Cambridge) has written more than fifty novels in a variety of genres…but always feature smart, strong women determined to right wrongs and get shit done.

Colleen lives in the Midwest United States where she is fortunate enough to be working on her next book.

She loves to hear from readers via her website, Facebook, or GoodReads.

Reviews

[Jaylia3 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third crime-solving adventure of Mina Holmes, the niece of Sherlock, and Evaline Stoker, the vampire-hunting sister of Bram, but their partnership is still uneasy to say the least. While petite Evaline is physically strong and highly impulsive, ready at a moment’s notice to barge in bashing heads and staking hearts, ungainly Mina is instead methodical in temperament, analytical in thinking, and clumsy in movement.

In spite of their differences, Mina and Evaline are both intent on unmasking and capturing The Ankh, an evil villainess they’ve been chasing since the first book, but Irene Adler (boss to Mina and Evaline, and “The Woman” to Mina’s Uncle Sherlock) and Princess Alexandra have asked (ordered) them to spend their time chaperoning Princess Lurelia of Betrovia instead.The highly delicate diplomatic situation between Betrovia and Britain dates back to Elizabeth I and involves love, betrayal, secret treasure, and the mysterious missing piece of an elaborate chess set. It’s important that Princess Lurelia be coddled and protected at all costs lest the two countries have another falling out, but the Princess is attacked almost at once, at the ball in her honor of her visit.

This series is silly, suspenseful, occasionally moving, and a lot of fun. I love the sometimes irritated banter between Mina and Evaline, and I enjoy seeing the world through their very different perspectives. I really adore the setting. The the two young women inhabit a colorful, Victorian, steam-powered London that would make a great travel destination. It’s a city layered with multi-leveled walkways connected by coin-driven mechanical lifts that keep those who are short on funds down below. While the higher levels of this London are amazing, gleaming, and gorgeous, complete with clever clockwork devices, animated twinkling lights, and the opulent upper floors of skyscrapers so tall they have large balloons to act as air anchors, the lower levels of the city are dirty, dank and dark, and the haunt of criminals.

The Chess Queen Enigma doesn’t end in a cliffhanger, but several things are left unresolved, leading me to hope there will be a fourth book. I read an ebook advanced review copy of this book supplied by the publisher through Edelweiss. Review opinions are mine.

[Lollita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well I liked Dylan and all but he kinda made no sense and wasn't really an important character, plus I like grayling more.

[Sophie Narey (Bookreview- aholic) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author: Colleen Gleason
Published: 06/10/2015

I received this book for free through GoodReads FirstReads competitions.

I thought that this was an absolutely amazing! It is the third book in the Stoker and Holmes series of crime solving novels. Even though the characters of Milna Holmes (niece of Sherlock) and Evaline Stoker are quite opposites of each other they both have the same goal, to unmask and capture The Ankh. The novel is set in 1889 London, where it starts off with a bittersweet rivalry between the two girls ends up being a partnership and a friendship.
There is plenty of banter between the two characters which adds the fun and silly element too it, aswell as being full of suspense. It blends steampunk, paranormal and history elements beautifully and there is a nice pace all the way through so their isn't a boring part to read. It compels you to read it and never want to put the book down. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes steampunk and crime novels. I hope to read more from this fantastic author!!

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

**I received this book for free from (Publisher) via (Edelweiss) in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.**

*Genre* Young Adult, Steampunk
*Rating* 3.5

*My Thoughts*

The Chess Queen Enigma is the third installment in the Stoker & Holmes series by author Colleen Gleason. The Stoker and Holmes series is set in 1889 London, and features Mina Holmes (the daughter Mycroft Holmes) and Evaline Stoker (the younger sister of Bram Stoker). What started out as a bitter rivalry between the girls, has since turned into a partnership and a friendship ever since Irene Adler brought them together in The Clockwork Scarab. Evaline's legacy is as a vampire hunter. She can trace her roots back to Victoria Gardella. (See The Gardella Vampire Chronicles for more information.) 3 weeks ago, Evaline took her place in history by eliminating a dozen vampires. (See The Spiritglass Charade for more information.)

*Full Review Posted @ Gizmos Reviews 10/20/2015*

http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/201...

**Recvd 05/22/2015 via Edelweiss* Expected publication: September 29th 2015 by Chronicle Books

[Preri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was my favorite so far.

I truly did not see a few of the twists coming. I loved the decisions made in this one, I loved the reactions of the characters, I loved the fun that this series always brings. What an absolute delight!

Mina and Evaline are incredibly fun characters, and the mysteries are always intriguing and exciting. I confess this series is almost becoming a guilty pleasure of sorts. I simply have to finish the rest.

And I'm out.

[Shae · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buddy read this with my teenager. A delightful steampunk mystery with a bit of cross-dressing, a few vampires and cool words like 'cognog' thrown in for good measure - 3.5/5 stars.

Also learned this handy household tip; should you ever get bitten by an UnDead creature, apparently 'salted holy water' is the go :-)

[Karissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 3rd book in the Stoker and Holmes series. It was a great continuation of the series, I think it was the best book in the series yet. Five books are planned in this series.

Evaline Stoker and Mina Holmes are requested as chaperones for the dreadfully drab and boring Princess Lurelia of Betrovia. England has a treaty with Betrovia for now...the initial hostilities between the two countries were caused by a chess board whose pieces were stolen by England. Now England has promised to return the Queen piece as long as Betrovia provides the instruction for when the Queen piece is hidden. During the welcoming ball for Princess Lurelia the instructions go missing. Now it is up to Evaline and Mina to figure out where this elusive chess piece is, while keeping Princess Lurelia (who is not as timid as she first seems) out of trouble.

This book was great fun and continues the storyline involving the Ankh while adding in this new storyline involving Betrovia.

The story alternates between Evaline and Mina and they both continue to have distinct voices. There are many interesting steampunk elements to the story (lots of interesting devices and such).

Amidst all the mystery solving, vampire hunting, and general sneaking around the two girls also have to deal with their societal demands. In the last two books Evaline and Mina both have love triangles of a sort going on...let’s just say that those are dealt with in unexpected ways. We also start to learn more about the mystery that is Pix and is he is panning out to have a very interesting background.

This series has been an interesting blend of steampunk, paranormal, and history elements. It is a light and fun read, that I really enjoy.

Overall a fun and light steampunk series. I enjoy the spunky heroines, the history, and the vampire hunting. There is a lot of mystery-solving, a bit of Victorian partying, and some romance. I would recommend to fans of investigative urban fantasy and/or light steampunk reads

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE this series so much and think it's a shame that I know no one who reads it. Stoker & Holmes are two fierce ladies who kick ass and take names, all in the constricting fashions of the Victorian era. I honestly can't decide which of them I love more because Mina is entirely hopeless and adorable in social situations, Evaline can't stop eating and, y'know, staking vampires, and then there are a host of supporting characters that are just . . charming and captivating and also very frustrating. Particularly regarding the gentlemen I can't decide should be deserving of these two.

It's an interesting clash as always, with an investigation occurring while there's also the threat of vampires. Those two worlds are steadily beginning to merge into the bigger picture that has been hinted at throughout the series. So, what does that mean? It means that I'm craving the next book already when there's NO RELEASE DATE, no name for it, nothing. How am I supposed to survive on an ending like this one? What?!?!

Maybe I'll talk about something that makes me a little less frustrated and incoherent. Mina and Evaline are developing so nicely, not only in their relationship but as individuals. I love how they continue to endlessly frustrate one another but remain a team, steadfast and now easily able to predict what one another will do. It's fascinating to read and I can't wait to see how things will be the next time we see them. Hopefully spending more time with one another outside of investigations and life or death situations!

I can't recommend this series enough, to be honest. If you read it, let me know! I need to discuss these books with someone.

[Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

WELL. THAT WAS A WILD RIDE (in the best possible way).

MORE THOROUGHLY:

After the Dylan-heavy narrative of The Spiritglass Charade, I must admit I found his relative absence in The Chess Queen Enigma most refreshing (He still managed to irk me to no end and play the Outsider Savior trope to perfection, though, so don't get your hopes up too high. He's an entirely too convenient character for me to find any enjoyment in his presence).

And yet--despite that, Enigma is easily the best of the three Stoker & Holmes novels to date. There's an elegance in Gleason's handling of plot and character that was hinted at in Spiritglass and noticeably absent in The Clockwork Scarab: in short, her writing has improved with the series, and witnessing that is an utter joy. While the narrative in Scarab felt a bit scattered and in Spiritglass a bit too wrapped up in Dylan, Enigma handles these more gently.

The relationship between Mina and Evaline continues to grow as they work on their newest case from opposite ends, but what truly stood out about this narrative was the presence of Inspector Grayling, our resident Scottish detective who also happens to have the most adorable puppy of all time. His relationship with Mina grows, as one might expect, but what struck me as truly revolutionary was the unexpected friendship that arose between Evaline and Grayling. Also, there were some totally great, badass fight scenes in this book for more than just our vampire-slaying heroine.

In truth, the only downside to finishing both of these within twenty-two hours is that waiting for the next feels agonizing.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am familiar with this author as I own all of the books in the Gardella Vampire Chronicles series. I have seen these books but have not read any of them yet. In fact, when I picked up a copy of this book I did not realize it was book three in this series until I opened the book up. Luckily for me I am not the type of person that has to read a series in chronological order. In fact there has been many times when I have started a book in the middle of a series and I find this the best test of the author's writing. I can tell if the rest of the books are worth reading in the series based on if the characters intrigued me instantly having not read the prior books as well as if I am able to jump into the story with little problems pertaining to prior events in the storyline of the prior books. What I can tell you about reading this book is that I found Evaline Stoker & Mina Holmes to share a good working relationship. Although, I did not find their skills to be as up to par as the original Sherlock and Holmes. However for the young adult reading audience they will find these two ladies engaging. Another thing that I found reading this book is that the pacing seemed off a little. At times it would go slow and then the next page it would speed up really fast. Although, I was able to follow along with the plot. My conclusion is that I would check out the prior two novels in this series.

[Jenni Sauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good third installment! I was expecting it to almost be a filler story but nope! Things really got intense there at the end...

And all the characters were so lovely and I forgot how much I missed them and how much I need them in my life ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[Wende · Rating 5 out of 5]

it’s 2am and I’m feeling all the feels

[Basia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was, by far, the best of the three. Not simply in terms of content--although this novel definitely felt the most balanced of the three, both narratively and as far as pacing goes--but also in terms of writing. I feel as if, reading these books, I've seen Gleason grow as a writer, and it's lovely to be on that journey with her, even as a spectator. I didn't find myself nit-picking about things as much because there was not much to nitpick. It was a refreshing, sweep-you-along sort of novel that I tore through in a matter of hours immediately after finishing The Spiritglass Charade.

That being said, my main criticism still revolves around Dylan. This isn't so much about his character, as much as he annoys me, but more about his narrative function. Dylan is, to put it simply, a plot device. I don't like him precisely because he feels intrusive and wildly inappropriate in the story. His deus ex machina role continues into Chess Queen, and more than once it left me gritting my teeth. "I can't do anything that would change the future!" he cries, while dashing off to do just that. That's the sort of narrative trope that always bothers me, regardless of whether or not I like the character, and it's sloppily done here. It sticks out in a novel that otherwise feels fairly polished. Dylan Eckhert: the hangnail, so to speak.

I stand by my original, slapdash review of this whole thing: the most wonderful and unexpected thing to come out of this installment was Evaline and Grayling being total bros.

Must I really wait until 2017 for the next one?

[Milou · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was happy to be reunited with these two wonderful ladies again. This series revolves around Mina Holmes, the niece of the famous Sherlock, and Evaline Stoker, sister of Bram. Together they solve mysteries and hunt vampires. How does that not sound great? What about if I tell you there is also time travel? And that there is a fair number of dashing young man who are sure great love interests, but this Never takes over the story and hardly anything romantic really happens (this is the third book and there have been an equal number of kisses so far)? The plot in this story is so intricate and well-done, that it shows off that the main characters are merely human with plenty of flaws. Their different perspectives stood out from one another more in this book than in the previous two, highlighting the differences between the two girls. I love the bickering going on between these two unlikely friends, who always have each others back. Overall this was a great read and I gave it a 5* rating.

[Paromjit · Rating 4 out of 5]

A hugely enjoyable period piece read. This is the third outing for Holmes and Stoker, but the first that I have encountered. The two women are very different characters who have a great relationship with each other. Here they are chaperones/protectors of Princess Lurelia of Betrovia. The instructions for a queen piece, a source of diplomatic friction, go missing at a welcoming ball. Holmes and Stoker are also chasing the Ankh. There are lovely descriptions of London in that time period involving characters both at the low and the high end of society.

The narrative is suspenseful and the story is well plotted. There is humour in the book. It is a great light entertaining read. Colleen Gleason has written an engaging and captivating book. Many thanks to the publishers for a copy of the book via the goodreads giveaways.

[Sammm · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 for 3~4, more like a 3.75; I don't actually dislike this book more than its predecessors by much, just that this book is the first in the series so far to have an average rating above 4 (4.12 as I type this,) thus I feel less guilty to balance it out a little. =P I stress though, I like this book "okay," and if the average does drop below a 4, I wouldn't mind raising mine till then. Blame GR for still not giving us half-stars lmao. xDD

That said, there are actual other reasons why I minded less for giving this one a slightly lower rating: One of the main gals is seriously pissing me off, and the only other thing that bothered me more, is the fact that she also happens to be the gal that gets to have those apparent steamy snogs. lmao. Like wtf man, so unfair. xP That's the gist of my annoyance ahahaha.

A little more to add but not much. WIP.

[Veronica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now that this series has grown to three, I can finally put my finger on why I enjoy it so much: it's ridiculous. Do not get me wrong, the series is very well thought out, and it usually takes me a good while before I catch where it's going, but I say ridiculous because Colleen Gleason mashes together at least six different genres and somehow manages to make it work. It is as if the series recognizes its own inanity and proceeds to run with it (even incorporating Queen Elizabeth I in this round). That being said, I will continue to follow this series--if only to find out who the heck Pix is.

[Cherie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 3rd book in the Stoker and Holmes Series. I enjoyed the story in this book much more than the two previous ones. It is probably due to the character development, more than anything, but this story was also more exciting.

Our two young ladies are finally getting to know each other and become friends. I will be watching for the next installment.

[Jeninne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think I can safely say officially that I just simply don't care for this series. I find the mystery aspect fascinating enough, but the characters seriously lacking. And as someone who reads for the characters, bland, boring, and uninteresting characters are a deal breaker.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is just toooooooo good! I need more of Mina and Evaline!

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

COLLEEN GLEASON WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO ME

[Melissa Riggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay-I'm in the swing of the storyline now. Will definitely go back and reread book #1. Such a great premise-the sister of Bram Stoker and the niece of Sherlock Holmes along with Irene Adler, a time-traveling teen, Inspector of Scotland Yard, vampires, and more! Oh my.

"Evaline Stoker & Mina Holmes have reluctantly agreed to act as social chaperones and undercover bodyguards for Princess Lurelia of Betrovia, who has arrived in London to deliver a letter that details the secret location of an ancient chess queen that’s been missing for centuries. But when the letter—which will heal a centuries-old rift between England and the Betrovians—is stolen out from under Evaline and Mina’s watchful eyes, the two girls are forced into a high-stakes race to ensure they find the chess queen before anyone else does…including their foe, the Ankh. For the chess queen is not only a historic symbol of a woman’s political power, but it has literal power as well—the queen will unlock the chessboard, revealing both treasures and ancient secrets the Ankh would kill to possess. It will take Mina’s smarts and Evaline’s strength to beat the thief and untangle this mystery before it is too late."

[C.J. Milbrandt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mina Holmes and Evelyn Stoker are ready for another case, but they aren't thrilled to be babysitting a princess. Visiting royalty and vampire bites. Gentleman's clubs and black market gadgets. Disguises and dance cards. Face powder and false moustaches.

I'm very much enjoying this series, especially since Gleason is weaving in past references that didn't seem significant ... and hinting at upcoming tangles in the plot. More, please!

[Kimberly-Dawn Quinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series rocks. I love everything about it from the strong female characters with rich literary family history. Who couldn’t love a story with Holmes and Stoker as the main characters? In this adventure they are seeking a lost in time artifact said to give great power. Their nemesis is cunning and ruthless. Two very smart women run the streets of Victorian London. It’s possible the Queen herself may even know of their exploits.
Vampire hunting and thirst for immortality is played out.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun read in this series. I'm enjoying watching Evaline come into her own as a vampire hunter and the friendship growing between the two girls. I wish Mina was a bit less obnoxious, but am going to enjoy the rest of the battle of wits between her and the Ankh in the last 2 books!

[Andrea Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoying this series and will be happy to see the next book when it comes out.

[Nicole (bookwyrm) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable story, and the narration is perfect. This isn't a deep book -- I mean come on, it combines vampires and steampunk and a little bit of time travel -- but it also is just a ton of fun.

[Linniegayl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I throroughly enjoyed this third installment in the Stoker and Holmes steampunk mysteries. Many of the events at the end surprised me, and i can't wait to read the next in the series. This is a B+ for me, so four stars here.

[Stacie Haden · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a fun and entertaining series. It's young adult, so keep that in mind for all the fault you COULD find. Sometimes you just need to go with the flow.

Alternate London, 1889

[Sandra (LadyGrey Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

review coming soon