High Vaultage comes fresh off the heels of the Victoriocity podcast, also written by Chris and Jen Sugden. As a disclaimer, I hadn’t listened to the podcast before reading the book, so I was pleasantly surprised the more I read.
The book centers on Archibald Fleet and Clara Entwhistle’s efforts and misadventures trying to solve a case. Both are private investigators traversing the chaotic streets of a Victorian, steampunk, even greater London. What first appears to be a simple case of a sudden and suspicious disappearance, turns into a multi-layered complot kinda compromising England’s national security.
I’ll cut to the chase: I had a lot of fun reading this. The tone of the novel is best described as British snark, though the personalities of all the characters bring more than just snark and sarcasm to the table. Archibald, for his part, can be thick-headed and deadpan in some of his comments, though in other interactions his confusion is the comic relief. Clara is upbeat and genuine—almost bordering on Victorian manic pixie dream girl—and at times takes things literally.
However, the narrative voice is definitely the highlight of the comedy. The descriptions of people, professions, and locations sometimes veer into the absurd and ridiculous, effortlessly eliciting a real chuckle or straight-up laugh from the reader. I mostly read while riding the subway, so I was giggling in the middle of rush hour and I could feel people looking at me. They were probably thinking a book could not possibly be that funny.
Not only is the novel funny, but it also excels at setting the world and describing London with a lot of detail without turning it into the center of the story. The retro-futuristic vibe is appealing and blends really well with the plot. It feels like an organic and chaotic setting the characters have to deal with. This further cements the feeling that the city is a behemoth that cannot be tamed, let alone comprehended.
The characters are lovable, particularly Archibald and Clara. Although it feels like there’s no proper development—because I suspect this is an accompanying piece to the podcast—the characters’ inner monologues are rich and complex. The supporting cast might feel a little like stock characters, but that doesn’t mean they’re forgettable. I would fight a small army of men for Helena Evans.
The book quickly drew me in and kept me invested until the very end. There’s a promise at the back of book saying Archibald and Clara will come back, and I cannot wait to get my comfort private investigators back. So, to make the waiting less lonely, I shall now proceed to listen to the podcast from beginning to end.
If you don’t know what to read next, I highly recommend this one. If plot-forward mysteries that turn into big complots are your jam, pick this book. If you enjoy detailed and unhinged backdrops with some lovable detectives running around the city trying to find police loopholes to solve the case, this book will not disappoint. And lastly, if you’re just looking for something that makes you laugh, High Vaultage will certainly give you a good time.
Adriana Acevedo is an editor, writer, and sleep paralysis demon. She's been published in magazines like samfiftyfour and Impostor. She's bilingual and living in the monstruos Mexico City. Whenever she's not reading horror stories or watching horror movies, she's baking sourdough bread. Read more of her writing here.