A combination of the paranormal and mystery, two of my favourite genres. As a result I enjoyed this novel quite a bit. Greyling turned the table on vampires in her writing, making them extremely dependent on human sufferance in her version of 19th century New York. Hunted nearly to extinction in the 1600s, vampires survive by employment to wealthy families. They own little and receive no wages.
Radhika Dhingra is an orphan of South Asian heritage and a newly minted lawyer. Life is difficult as she has no clients. Who would engage an inexperienced female lawyer? Especially one with a dark complexion? A desperate vampire, that's who. When Mr. Evelyn More arrives on her doorstep one evening, frantic with worry, desiring a will and predicting his immanent arrest and execution, Radhika is determined to treat him like any other client, with kindness and respect.
We learn more along with Radhika, meeting the Frost family who claim Evelyn More as theirs and hearing about the young woman who he is accused of killing. We also meet Jane, Radhika's reporter friend with street smarts and connections and Detective Hitch, a little person who has carved out a place for himself on the police force. Interesting characters, all with disadvantages that they are coping with, as we all do.
I picked this book specifically because the description recommended it for those who enjoy Deanna Raybourn, Rebecca Roanhorse, and Gail Carriger. I'm afraid I don't see any similarities. There is none of Carriger's exaggerated humour (which I love) and none of the witty banter that I expect of Raybourn. The setting and time period couldn't be more different from Roanhorse. I really don't know who wrote those comparisons, but I think they are misleading. Fortunately, I like the book very much on its own merits.
At this point, the novel seems to be a standalone, but the last few paragraphs leave an opening for future investigations for Ms. Dhingra. I hope Greyling has something in mind.
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