so, somehow i am supposed to review this. 
 and it's unfair, because it isn't being published until june, and as soon as it is, and more people begin to read it and its secrets come out, it won't be necessary to be all coy in the reviews, but for poor little me, reading this all the way back in february, it would be insensitive to be all HEY YOU GUYS, THIS BOOK IS ABOUT SUCH AND SUCH. 
 even though it was spoiled for me before i read it. double unfair. 
 because the reveal comes early in the book. and if you know it's coming (thanks a lot, greg), you can see what is happening just before it does, but if you don't, it would probably be a fantastic jaw-dropping turn in the narrative. 
 and then there's more than 300 pages that follow, none of which i can really address without giving away what this book is about. triple unfair. 
 basically, i am left with about 70 pages to review, and the rest to kind of mumble over. 
 soooooo... this book is a victorian gothic with elements of both the adventure and detective novel. and also oscar wilde. and something else, mumble mumble. it is a multi-perspective third-person storyline with journal entries and all the other conventions of a victorian novel. and then something else, mumble mumble. it has a really good handle on the historical elements; the mores of the times, with the class and gender and sexual codes. and the mumble mumble aspects are better here than in other mumble books i have read. 
 and i think that is all i can safely say except 
 mumble mumble mumble mumble mumble mumble. but then mumble mumble mumble mumble mumble?? and then mumble mumble mumble mumble mumble!! mumble mumble. so mumble mumble mumble mumble mumble mumble mumble. mumble mumble?? mumble. 
 you'll see what i mean in june.