The Knave of Hearts: Part 9 of the Red Dog Conspiracy

The Knave of Hearts (The Red Dog Conspiracy #9) is crime fiction at its best. I absolutely 💯 ♥️ this series and this part is another page turner. The genre steampunk noir and how the story is set in post-apocalyptic retro-futuristic art-deco steampunk city is a perk. The author vividly describes and details the settings so you feel like you are transported to another realm watching from the side lines. The writing style is brewed and I love it. The political aspects of the Spadros family is another slice of excitement. The characters are fleshed out more and I love watching Jaqui evolve and gain wisdom and self reflection. Deciphering of the mystery happens with little crumbs entwined throughout each book, and then suddenly not in the cards twist happens. The ending brings you craving more. So excited to have been back in this peerless world and look forward forward to reading the next chapter of this series.

I love the character development. We see Jaqui maturing, gaining insight and self-discovery from her experiences over the course of the series and this novel is the most dramatic. Dealing with betrayal on the deepest level, suffering from post-partum depression, and while discovering herself and her place within the City of Bridges. Many of the other characters become more fleshed out and in depth with each novel as the mystery seems to unravel and then take an unexpected twist.