Dectective Inspector Mina, known as Lady Wilhelmina Wentworth in her off duty hours, investigates murders with an iron will and ruthless efficiencty. She struggles with the double handicap of being a blue-blooded woman, but also a half breed. Two hundred years ago, in this world, the Horde swept across Europe and invaded Britian by infecting tea and sugar with nanotech bugs. Once the population ingested tea and sugar, the Horde activated the bugs and acquired control over everyone. The Horde's grip was broken when Rhys Trahaern, the Iron Duke, blew up the Horde's communication tower freeing people's minds from their control. Now the Iron Duke has a dead body on his door step and Inspector Mina digging into his past. 
 What can I say about this book besides that it is totally awesome. From the very first chapter, where Mina is called away from a ball to investigate a murder and straps her armour and weapons on over her ball gown, which by the end of the night has been ruined by blood, I was hooked. The world that Meljena Brook has created is absolutely fascinating, and fully populated with interesting side characters, like Lady Yasmeen and her airship. In addition to hot sex scenes, there are also interesting discussions of the moral and social problems of this world, for examples most newborns are delivered to creches to be raised rather than by their parents. 
 Reading Challenge: three generations