Audiobook
$0.00
with membership trial

Paperback
$11.34

Mass Market Paperback
$42.68

Learn more

Read for Free

OR

Print List Price:	$12.99
Kindle Price:	$2.99 Save $10.00 (77%)
Sold by:	Amazon.com Services LLC

Promotions apply when you purchase

Add an

audiobook with virtual voice for $1.99

Audiobook Price: $3.99

Save: $2.00 (50%)

Read with our free app

You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.

Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

There was an error. We were unable to process your subscription due to an error. Please refresh and try again.

Follow the author

Heather Blackwood

Follow

Hounds of Autumn: A Steampunk Mystery Kindle Edition

by Heather Blackwood (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

521

See all formats and editions

They say that the moor has eyes. It is 1890, and the windswept moors hold dark secrets. Chloe Sullivan is an amateur inventor whose holiday takes a dark turn when her friend and colleague, one of the few female mechanical experts in the British Empire, is murdered.

A black mechanical hound roams the moors, but could it have killed a woman? And what secrets are concealed within the dark family manor?

Accompanied by her naturalist husband and clockwork cat, Chloe is determined to see her friend’s killer found.

But some secrets have a terrible cost.

Print length

322 pages
Language

English
Sticky notes

On Kindle Scribe
Publication date

December 15, 2013
File size

760 KB
Page Flip

Enabled
Word Wise

Enabled
Enhanced typesetting

Enabled
See all details

Report an issue with this product or seller

Kim M. Watt
485
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $3.99
Susan Copperfield
913
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $5.99
Travis Baldree
20,782
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $12.99
S. Usher Evans
314
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $2.99
Jim Eldridge
408
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $8.32

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00AZMU8W8
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Triple Hare Press (December 15, 2013)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 15, 2013
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 760 KB
Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 322 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #1,565,784 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #2,087 in Women's Detective Fiction
- #6,347 in Alternate History Science Fiction (Books)
- #10,522 in Amateur Sleuth Mysteries (Kindle Store)

Customer Reviews:
521

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Videos

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload your video

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Heather Blackwood

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Heather Blackwood tells lies to strangers for money. She is an American author of urban and historical fantasy, steampunk and mystery. Her books include Hounds of Autumn and the Time Corps Chronicles.

She enjoys playing Celtic harp, writing and reading historical fiction, fantasy, mystery and science fiction. Her obsessions include historic cemeteries, cuckoo clocks, tea, nesting dolls, old books, time travel and stained glass.

She graduated with a BA in literature with a minor in history and has worked as a high school English teacher, a marketing copy editor, technical editor and an engineering technical writer at a Fortune 500 company. She is now a full-time novelist.

Find out about current books and upcoming publications at www.heatherblackwood.com.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5

521 global ratings

How customer reviews and ratings work

Sort reviews by

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Ian Keller

Great Female Heroine, loved the setting, and everything else too!

Reviewed in the United States on November 28, 2013

Verified Purchase

I’ll admit it, I love the steampunk genre, and this book doesn’t disappoint. In addition, this book is very compelling murder mystery story in its own right. In fact, the murder mystery is really what drives the story. The mystery is compelling, interesting, and puzzling right up until the end.

The hero of the book, Chloe Sullivan, is the perfect example of a strong female heroine. She is resourceful, intelligent, and strong-willed. The police seem to be botching the investigation of her friend’s death, so Chloe takes it upon herself to do a little investigation of her own.

Now, I don’t want to give away any spoilers, so I won’t say any more. I will say I read this book in a single day, staying up until the wee hours of the morning because I was so engrossed in the story.

Five stars. This book will appeal to both fans of mystery novels and to fans of steampunk. I’m definitely going to look for more by this author.

Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2013

Verified Purchase

Well-written, with interesting twists and turns in an ingenious plot. This is steampunk set in an authentic historical background with sympathetic characters. I can't wait for a sequel !

One person found this helpful

Helpful

dlc

Great Read

Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2013

Verified Purchase

I love historical Fiction and Steampunk. This was a subtle blend of both, really more mystery than Steampunk, but a GREAT mystery. It's been ages since I've read a mystery that I didn't have it figured out half way through. This had me going to the very end. I appreciate the author took the time to make the point of how limited a Victorian woman's freedoms were, how her husband had the last word in all things and the hypocrisy of the class system. So many historical fiction authors create strong independent female characters that would not have had the social freedoms that were the norm of the period.

Ms. Blackwood took not prisoners in the treatment of her characters, lines were blurred and no character was safe. There is no happy ending, with everyone holding hands and skipping off in to the sunset, but one that is as satisfying as the circumstance would allow. This was so original I'm excited to read more of Ms. Blackwood's work. I hope Ms. Blackwood will continue to explore Chloe's inventions, their evolution and hers and where they take her in other adventures.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Diane Malkowski

Great first outing!

Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2013

Verified Purchase

I sometimes despair of e-publishing. It seems like it's just too easy for authors to get published these days and I've seen a lot of books of late that should never have made it to print.

Then I run into books like this one and my faith in reading gets renewed.

"Hounds of Autumn" is a great blend of mystery, romance, and murder set in a beautiful Gothic setting in Dartmoor. The steampunk elements blend in perfectly...it's not a mechanist's dream but neither do the machines run away with the story.

Chloe, her mechanical cat Giles, and her husband, Ambrose, are off to the Moors to visit some of Ambrose extended family. But the run into murder when one of Chloe's friends turns up dead. Meanwhile it seems things are not quite as respectable in the Aynesworth house as the family makes themselves out to be.

While this story does draw some inspiration from Arthur Conan Doyle's Hound of the Baskervilles, it's not a rewrite of that story by any stretch of the imagination. There are plenty of suspects to shift through, secrets to uncover and scandals to be brought to light, all the while the police content themselves with seeking out the mechanical hound they feel to have caused the death of Camille Granger.

I read this in one day - I didn't want to put it down - and I'd love to see more of Chloe and Giles in future stories. Heather Blackwood did a fabulous job on her initial offering, and I can't wait to see her next story!

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

icdbeez

Those Unruly Women of Science and Invention

Reviewed in the United States on July 24, 2016

Verified Purchase

Few women in this book acted close to the Victorian ideal for woman. The worst examples were the inventors of smart mechanicals: Camille Granger, the inventor of a new type of battery that allowed her to build the hound, and our protagonist, Chloe Sullivan, the inventor of Giles the cat and the steamcycle. Both women were friends, working colleagues, clearly independent, intelligent, driven, and they posed as men in correspondence with other scientists.

They story starts as Chloe and her husband, Ambrose are travelling from their home in London to see his family in Dartmoor on the moors. Chloe is excited because Camille lives close to her in-laws. Ambrose, a plant biologist, has brought all his sampling equipment and tools. As they near their destination, they are blocked by the body of a dead woman in the bog. As Chloe jumps out of the carriage, she determines it is Camille, and the hound has left prints nearby. Shades of Baskerville!

The coppers think the hound did it, but the hound has no opposable thumbs and no way to stand, as she was bonked on the back of the head. So who killed her? Why doesn't anyone think it's weird a rich woman jumped out of a carriage and started asking questions and carrying on about a dead body, instead of staying in the and acting disgusted.

Many adventures go on from here. Chloe is an interesting, intelligent and warm protagonist, put in an impossible situation. If she had been less intelligent, daring or logical the story would having a much sadder ending.

In this adventure she not only has to locate the hound, but solve a number of related mysteries that end up directly threatening her family. Combination of folklore, technology and whodunnit in a Victorian country setting, good clean fun.

5 people found this helpful

Helpful

Sharon Storm

Too mechanical, not enough mystery

Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2014

Verified Purchase

This book was tough for me to finish, but the writing was good enough that I managed it. This is a steampunk book, and I got it both out of curiosity and because the story sounded interesting. Turned out that there was too much information about the mechanical devices, and not enough mystery to hold my interest. Just not my kind of genre, I guess. Heather Blackwood is a good writer, however, and I would consider reading other books by her that weren't steampunk.

5 people found this helpful

Helpful

Kindle Customer

What a wonderful book.

Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2024

Verified Purchase

The characters are fantastic and complex. The plot is twisty and interesting. The world building is superb. I'm looking forward to reading more books from this author!

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Catherine L. Vickers

I think I've found myself a new Agatha C.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 25, 2015

Verified Purchase

Absolutely fantastic book. This author has it all: murder-mystery, romance, monsters on the moors, sadness and I'm saying no more as I don't want to give anything away. All I can confirm is that, for me, it is definitely a page turner.

I'm normally a fantasy fan, but this book falls under my second favorite category of historical British crime and it did not let me down, not one bit.

Will definitely be looking into other books by this author.

One person found this helpful

brienneselwyn

Excellent Steampunk novel with bittersweet end

Reviewed in Germany on January 3, 2014

Verified Purchase

My Expectations
I read a lot of Steampunk novels in the past years and based on that I have common expectations. Steampunk elements should be part of the story and no decorative parts. I like either a Victorian background or an alternate history setting. Romance is not really my cup of tea. Therefore I hoped that romance would not play an important and extended role.

The Delivery
The 270 pages are divided into 20 consecutively numbered chapters. This is quite short compared to the books I normally read. I know that quantity does not say anything about quality.

When I read the words hounds and moor, The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle came immediately up in my mind. But beside hound and moor there are no further similarities. Hounds of Autumn is a unique story.
The title of the book can be interpreted either as the shortest possible summary or as a synonym for Chloe and Ambrose Sullivan who both play important roles. In fact Chloe is the main character. She is young, at least 20 years younger as her husband. I will come back to that fact later.
Chloe is an extraordinary person for her time. England in 1890 means Victorian England.

"When a Victorian man and woman married, the rights of the woman were legally given over to her spouse. Under the law the married couple became one entity where the husband would represent this entity, placing him in control of all property, earnings and money. In addition to losing money and material goods to their husbands, Victorian wives became property to their husbands," [Source]

One could say women have been the slaves of her husbands.

How did middle and upper class women spent their time?

"Women's leisure activities included in large part traditional pastimes such as reading, embroidery, music, and traditional handicrafts." [Source]

Author Heather Blackwood shows her talent in many ways. Her vivid presentation of the Victorian society is excellent and matches superb with the unique and fresh main characters in in form of Chloe and Ambrose Sullivan.
Ambrose has been a good friend of Chloe's family and the marriage - including a contract - gave Chloe the opportunity to do something outrageous for a Victorian woman: to read what she wants and to invent and build mechanicals. Her latest invention is the mechanical cat name Giles which is always good for a surprise.
Ambrose admires Chloe's intelligence, straightforwardness and endurance. He defends/saves her whenever necessary. Chloe enjoys a freedom which stands in conflict with society rules. They respect and also love each other which is shown in small gestures, something your recognise when you keep an eye on long term married couples who are still in love.
Without this unorthodox marriage the story would miss a lot.

While reading this charming story - don't get me wrong, there are scenes where Heather Blackwood pulls no punches - I enjoyed the balanced delivery of information which always light your imagination and avoids information overload.
I do not want to draw the curtain over the fact that humor, superstition, sense of responsibility and fog found their appropriate place within the book.

Finally I must admit that all my educated guesses to identify the murderer before the final revelation failed. I highly appreciated that the reader most of the time does not know more than Chloe.

The Inevitable

It was exactly my cup of tea. An intelligent heroine, a most entertaining story with twist and turns, a mystical touch, an excellent description of Victorian society and a bittersweet end,

The writing style supports the story at all points. Within seconds I forgot my surroundings and followed Chloe and Ambrose Sullivan on her way to the story.

If you look for a good Steampunk book which
- delivers suitable action beyond airship battles
- denies the endless ostentation of Steampunk gadgets
- present you an extraordinary woman her tries to hold her ground in Victorian society
- ends bittersweet
- bewitch with emotion and eerily-beautiful moments

then you should give Hounds of Autumn a try.

These are my totally subjective closing words
For me Hounds of Autumn cries for a sequel starring the extraordinary and inimitable Chloe Sullivan written by the talented and convincing Heather Blackwood !!!

3 people found this helpful

Mandy Walkden-Brown

Enthralling read.

Reviewed in Australia on April 1, 2016

Verified Purchase

I was a little wary about reading this as I was worried it wouldn't come up to the standard of The Time Corps Chronicles series, but it certainly does. Silly me.
One dearly hopes there may be more coming about Chloe and her mechanical constructions. And Giles, the mechanical cat. I want one please.
Set in 1890s, but with air ships and mechanical marvels. It's a joy to read.
Skilfully written. Eerie location of the Dartmoor moors as a background.
A great mix of murder, mystery and quaint characters against a genteel steampunk background.
It's worth its weight in mechanical cats ... and hounds.
Highly recommend.
Not sure why one reviewer I'd fixated on three typos. That few is rare in any book. A touch bizarre.

MR P A BRIGGS

A very good read.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 12, 2016

Verified Purchase

Interestingly different. A very good read.

One person found this helpful

AotearoaGemini

Really fascinating

Reviewed in Australia on April 13, 2014

Verified Purchase

I haven't read a story in this genre before, and really enjoyed the creativity and commentary on women and social issues of the time.

OR

Buy for others

Buying and sending eBooks to others

Image Unavailable

Follow the author

Hounds of Autumn: A Steampunk Mystery Kindle Edition

Customers who bought this item also bought

Product details

Videos

About the author

Heather Blackwood

Customer reviews

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Top reviews from other countries