SPFBO 10 Champions’ League: Murder at Spindle Manor by Morgan Stang – Review

And here we go again, the second review for the SPFBO 10 champions league!

Mysteries abound in Spindle Manor.

For Huntress Isabeau Agarwal, the countryside inn is the last stop in a deadly hunt. Armed with gaslamp and guns, she tracks an insidious beast that wears the skin of its victims, mimicking them perfectly. Ten guests reside within Spindle Manor tonight, and the creature could be any one of them. Confined by a torrential thunderstorm and running out of time, Isabeau has until morning to discover the liar, or none of them—including her—will make it out alive.

But her inhuman quarry isn’t the only threat residing in Spindle Manor.

Gunshots. A slammed door.

A dead body. Someone has been killed, and a hunt turns into a murder investigation. Now with two mysteries at her feet and more piling up, Isabeau must navigate a night filled with lies and deception. In a world of seances and specters, mesmers and monsters, the unexpected is hiding around every corner, and every move may be her last.

Kerry

I am a true murder mystery fan and it was the Queen of Crime’s books that got me into the genre nearly 50 years ago at the age of 9. I also love the crossover of fantasy and mystery so Spindle Manor was definitely a book that ticked all my boxes.

Stang has also done exactly what Christie managed to do, pack a lot of individual’s stories into a rather short book without leaving stones unturned or leaving an unsatisfactory ending. I enjoyed how Stang has taken many of Agatha Christie tropes but turned them in on themselves. Whilst it was the detective’s sidekick who was usually armed, in this case it is our intrepid detective who is the gun lover and wielder.

The guests staying at Spindle Manor are recognisable to anyone who has read a Christie mystery; the war veteran, the young married couple, a spiritualist, a blackmailer, but again they’ve been altered to fit into a more fantastical realm. There are other Christie Easter eggs to be found within this novel, Homes the Coachman drunkenly mentions murders and ways of dying that are from Christie novels, but he always gets it slightly wrong, which I thought was amusing. For example he mentions curtains turning blue but that was wallpaper in “The Blue Geranium”.

I thought both setting and characters were well written. Our lead detective Isabeau is not perfect and though her employers, the strange, celestial Noble rulers, have a lot of faith in her, Isabeau is only human, one who makes mistakes and is not as heartless as she purports herself to be (as you’ll see at the ending of this tale). The fantastical, the monstrous, and the spiritual side to the story is also well written, and Stang fits that into the murder mystery quite seamlessly. The prose was perfect for this type of novel and though I’m not usually one for monologues, they are perfect denouements for this type of novel.

Yaniv

At the time I read Murder at Spindle Manor by Morgan Stang, it was the first book in a series, which I believe is now either completed or on its way there. I admittedly don’t read nearly as much mystery fiction, so I probably wasn’t the target audience of this book. Having said that, this is an entertaining gaslamp western-mystery book about murder in a run down, but full of character, manor.

Apropo characters, I especially enjoyed the Huntress, her sidekick, the Bionic veteran, and the extreme socialite. The automation was unnerving but also a nice touch to make the mundane shiver, and the mystery at its beginning was built up to catch my attention. However, some of the drawbacks for me were pieces of slow dialogue, what felt like too many characters and side stories weighing down the story, and milling through the manor as though it were not a crime scene but more of a charade. Readers who love mysteries would find this extremely down their alley!

Patrick

Agatha Christie in a fantasy gaslamp setting with monsters. What more could you want?

I admit it. I’m a sucker for a mystery story with all the suspects gathered in a house and the detective having to figure it out. But add in fantastical characters, monsters, and a cool, original setting and you have something special.

This is another of the shorter of the champions, and it’s a quick read, but there’s a lot packed in and I never felt like the author had skimped on anything. After I read this for the first time during the year it won SPFBO, I immediately went out and bought the second one and read that, too. I now see there’s a third book out, so I’m right off to get that one as well. If you like some mystery in your fantasy, vivid, fun characters, and plenty of twists, I fully recommend Murder at Spindle Manor.

Julia

Murder at Spindle Manor by Morgan Stang is a quirky gaslamp style murder mystery with a good dose of dark humor and supernatural flair. It is sharp, stylish, and clearly crafted with care. But as I learned while reading, I am just not the target audience for this kind of mystery, and that is completely fine.

The setup is fun: a locked room mystery with a magical twist, featuring an intriguing cast of characters, especially the Huntress and her delightfully snarky sidekick. I really enjoyed their dynamic, and they were easily the highlight of the book for me.

That said, once the mystery got going, I found myself struggling to stay engaged. The format, gathering everyone in a room, running from scene to scene, repeatedly interrogating suspects, just did not work for me after a while. Not because it was done poorly, but simply because this style of mystery is not something I personally enjoy. It turned into too much back and forth, too many twists stacked up, and I found myself more interested in when the mystery would wrap up than how.

The dialogue and character interactions also leaned into that exaggerated and somewhat chaotic style that fans of this genre often love. I think readers who enjoy this type of story will find exactly the kind of charm they are looking for. But personally, I think I would have walked out of Spindle Manor after about thirty minutes just to get some peace and quiet.

One of the central twists I spotted quite early on, which surprised me since I do not read many classic mysteries. But I do read a lot of fantasy and thrillers, so maybe that gave me a bit of a head start.

Still, there was a lot I appreciated. The prose is clever and engaging, the magic system and worldbuilding are genuinely interesting, and there are some very creative ideas woven into the story. The ending had one choice that did not quite land for me, but the final paragraphs pulled things together and left me with a smile.

So in the end, it is a solid and well written book that simply was not quite to my taste. If you love twisty mysteries with a gothic flair, lots of banter, and a touch of magic, Murder at Spindle Manor might be exactly what you are looking for.

Max

A mixture of steampunk, fantasy, and cozy murder mystery, starring eccentric yet refined ladies that love guns. How could I not love it?

There’s always an inherent problem with mixing fantasy and mystery, of course. When a wizard can cast spells to do nearly anything, how do you create a solvable mystery. This story works overall though, and delighted me. I highly recommend it.

Adawia

A perfectly plot-driven story that doesn’t skimp on character or worldbuilding—I really couldn’t ask for much more. Murder at Spindle Manor doesn’t take itself too seriously with plenty of tongue-in-cheek moments and nods to modern murder-mystery greats.

A very well-written story with plenty of atmosphere, and the relationships—both new and old—being particularly well done. Also, some well-timed introspective moments reflecting on loneliness, even when in company, and in society in general.

I found the pacing flawless and thoroughly enjoyed all the little reveals. I also enjoyed trying to connect the dots to figure out ‘whodunnit’—Stang sprinkled the breadcrumbs quite liberally—though mostly I was just happy to keep reading and be deliciously surprised by the revelations.

A highly engaging plot with intriguing characters, in a fascinating world—I had a great time with this book.

So… Where do we sort this book in our list of favourites?

As of now:

1. The Thief Who Pulled On Trouble’s Braids by Michael McClung (champions’ review/original review)
2. Murder at Spindle Manor by Morgan Stang (original review)

You can see the full score sheet for all the other blogs judging the contest here.

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