When a master thief escapes from prison, detective Bettina Rothschild must put him back behind bars before the scandalous fiasco destroys the Ministry of Justice. Her investigation leads from decaying cemeteries where ravens conspire to warehouses where wondrous machines are built in secret, and even to the fabled Drifting Isle above the city of Eisenstadt where an ancient tomb hides a deadly secret.The relentless chase proves taxing for a young woman who relies on her cane and her steamcarriage to get about, but that's where a good husband steps in. While Bettina picks locks and interrogates suspects, her beloved Arjuna defends her from the most brutal and bizarre assassins in Eisenstadt. But as the clock ticks down, Bettina finds too many questions still remain. How did the thief escape from prison? How can he afford to hire so many killers? And why would he go to the Drifting Isle only to steal a giant beetle?The Drifting Isle ChroniclesThis unique fantasy series was created by an international team of writers who collaborated to create a new shared world full of original and diverse people, places, creatures, and ideas. Perhaps for the first time in history, a team of writers has written and published an entire series of novels all at once!Each author wrote their own book in this new world, telling very different stories about very different people living in one fantastical city during the greatest discovery of the modern age. The writers worked closely to weave their characters and plots carefully together, in order to bring you this unique tapestry of steampunk action and fantasy adventure.The first three books, which you can read in any order, are:Black Mercury . . . Charlotte E. EnglishThe Kaiser Affair . . . Joseph Robert LewisThe Machine God . . . MeiLin MirandaAre you a fantasy writer? Would you like to join this exciting, ongoing collaboration project? To learn how you can write and publish your own official Drifting Isle novel, visit the series website: driftingislechronicles.comAuthor site: josephrobertlewis.com