This is a fun regency monster story. It has a really interesting twist on zombies. The French decided to go the route of getting to the English army through their wives. Some poisoned face powder was put out in London, and several hundred gentlewomen (and a few unlucky servants) died – and then woke back up a few days later.
A few of the first Afflicted include the Lady Seraphina Miles – one of the foremost mages of England. She’s married to a doctor, and they have one daughter, Hannah. Hannah was already in a weird place socially – her mother’s title was solely because of her magic power, which changed with the Affliction. But Hannah and her father have stood by her mother, and are desperately trying to find a cure.
The same can’t be said for everyone – society is still trying to figure out what to do with this undead women. They can stave off decay by consuming “pickled cauliflower”, but of course, that “cauliflower” needs to come from somewhere.
Into this setting, we have several murders that are clearly being committed by the Afflicted, and Hannah is enlisted to help the Viscount Wycliff investigate. He can’t be trusted not to be completely rude, and he clearly has some backstory of his own.
I got this book for free, and I never expect much of free books – this was a lovely surprise. The writing is good, and the story is engaging. I’ll definitely look for more.