The historical and scientific research that goes into this series has always impressed me, and this book is probably one of the best in the whole lot. I absolutely love Andrea Penrose's ability to build up the thrill of scientific discovery. With most of our mystery-solving crew now well established, the focus of this book manages to be the mystery instead of the relationships. Not that we don't get a touch of drama between Kit and Cordelia, and unfolding a bit more of Wrex's history is a welcome piece of storytelling, but it is nice to see everyone working together so efficiently to unravel what turns out to be a very cool mystery. This also feels like it might be the last "casual" story of the series, with even more international intrigue happening, along with my new favorite character (I've always had a soft spot for librarians). The Weasels are, as always, a delight, with Peregrine finally hitting one of the plot points I've always wondered about (in terms of recognizing art style), and I'm happy to see that they haven't been relegated to background characters over the course of the series.

Fans of the series will find this another solid book. Newcomers are welcome to start here if it's what you've got, but I do heartily recommend reading at least the first volume just to set the stage.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an advance copy! All thoughts in this review are my own.