The Alchemist in the Attic

The end of the 19th century has brought reporter Theodore “Teddy” Atwood and his newspaper, the San Francisco Oracle, to the edge of ruin. What Teddy needs to survive is a fantastic story with at least a grain of truth—and he thinks he may have it when two notorious grave robbers return to the city. But they and the city’s other grave robbers are only the first step down a dark path leading to murders and a patron who scares even them to silence. Teddy believes that a mysterious recluse named Marius Valencourt is the malefactor, and Valencourt’s tight-lipped neighbors appear to agree. Pursuing Valencourt throws Teddy headfirst against an arcane power that kills some and drives others insane. Urias keeps the pace quick and ramps up the pressure on Teddy, making for a gritty, breathless, sometimes bewildering tale in which financial ruin often seems the best of Teddy’s possible dooms. If the sum of the secrets feels somewhat anticlimactic and well trod, readers will have an exciting ride getting there nevertheless. (BookLife)