Steeplejack

By AJ Hartley
334 pages
Hardback

What a weirdly swooping narrative. I felt that some plot elements took me by surprise, and others were expected. The characters were realistic and engaging. It was a good book!

Ang is a steeplejack - someone who fixed chimneys and towers. In short succession she discovers a theft and a murder, is assaulted, deals with family drama, and begins to look into these happenings.

The setting (inspired by South Africa?) is a mix of city and rural. Racial tensions are high. It is horse and carriage technology. The world itself is beautiful and compelling.

It doesn't require a sequel, but I would read one!