This fifth installment to the Ministry Peculiar Occurrences series lived to my expectations and even surpassed it some instances. In the aftermath left by the Maestro's dastardly plans for Queen Victoria and England, we see the Ministry struggling to put the pieces back together and rebuild their ranks. Agents Books and Braun are as dashing a pair as ever, with even more sparks flying between them as they delve into a deeper and more meaningful relationship while trying to simultaneously hunt down the terrible Dr. Jekyll-Hyde. Meanwhile, while Books and Braun find themselves on a mission in India, Agents Hill and Campbell are once again paired up and sent off into the bitter cold of Russia to find a secret ingredient that might save Queen Victoria's life. Hill and Campbell find more than they bargained for as they begin to unravel the latest scheme by the House of Usher and its new master.
Meanwhile, back in India, Books and Braun meet an unexpectedly familiar agent who may not be as innocent as they are led to believe. In addition, they discover disturbing technology that can transport Indian rebels from one spot to another without physical transportation, but that has an unfortunate side effect -it creates ghosts. Braun and Books must race against the clock to discover those behind this technology and how to stop it, without losing their lives or their very souls. Sophia del Morte also shows up again, but in some very surprising ways, and we learn just a little bit more about her history even during the midst of tragedy.
I liked how the Ghost Rebellion had two separate plotlines that ran simultaneously but that were more linked than I originally thought. I enjoyed watching Campbell and Hill learn to work together in a more seamless fashion and how Bruce Campbell began to change from his selfish past ways. Braun and Book also had some serious issues to work through as they found out more about Book's past and as they discovered what was happening in India. It was interesting how the authors wove in aspects of the prejudices seen in British India during those times towards both women and the natives. I liked how the main characters had to work through both these situations and their own growing feelings toward one another. There were also small snippets thrown in about Dr. Jekyll, changes in the House of Usher, and Miss. Del Morte that added to the suspense of the story and began setting the stage for the next book. Overall I really enjoyed this novel, and I cannot wait to see what our daring duo get into in future novels.
I received this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.
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