Alternative Detective

4 books in series
4.5 out of 5 stars 189 ratings

Steeplejack Publisher's summary

Earphones Award Winner (AudioFile Magazine)

Thoughtfully imaginative and action-packed, Steeplejack is New York Times best-selling A. J. Hartley's YA debut, set in a 19th-century South African fantasy world. Actress Noma Dumezweni - best known for originating the role of Hermione Granger in the stage production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - narrates with the precision and delicacy of a high wire act to bring a remarkably complex and one of a kind heroine to life.

Seventeen-year-old Anglet Sutonga lives repairing the chimneys, towers, and spires of the city of Bar-Selehm. Dramatically different communities live and work alongside each other. The white Feldish command the nation's higher echelons of society. The native Mahweni are divided between city life and the savannah. And then there's Ang, part of the Lani community who immigrated over generations ago as servants and now mostly live in poverty on Bar-Selehm's edges.

When Ang is supposed to meet her new apprentice Berrit, she instead finds him dead. That same night, the Beacon, an invaluable historical icon, is stolen. The Beacon's theft commands the headlines, yet no one seems to care about Berrit's murder - except for Josiah Willinghouse, an enigmatic young politician. When he offers her a job investigating his death, she plunges headlong into new and unexpected dangers.

Meanwhile, crowds gather in protests over the city's mounting troubles. Rumors surrounding the Beacon's theft grow. More suspicious deaths occur. With no one to help Ang except Josiah's haughty younger sister, a savvy newspaper girl, and a kindhearted herder, Ang must rely on her intellect and strength to resolve the mysterious link between Berrit and the missing Beacon before the city descends into chaos.

©2016 A. J. Hartley (P)2016 Audible, Inc.
Show more Show less
Steampunk Exciting Thriller & Suspense
You're getting a free audiobook


You're getting a free audiobook.

$14.95 per month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Product List
  • Book 1

    $24.95 or free with 30-day trial

  • $24.30 or free with 30-day trial

  • Book 2

    $24.95 or free with 30-day trial

  • $24.30 or free with 30-day trial

Similar series

The Books of Babel Mortal Engines Wax and Wayne Six of Crows The Book of Dust Temeraire The Rithmatist DC Icons The Infernal Devices The Divine Cities Bartimaeus Burton & Swinburne

Book 1 in other series

A Deadly Education Audiobook By Naomi Novik cover art
A Deadly Education By: Naomi Novik
Jackaby Audiobook By William Ritter cover art
Jackaby By: William Ritter
Etiquette & Espionage Audiobook By Gail Carriger cover art
Etiquette & Espionage By: Gail Carriger
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie Audiobook By Alan Bradley cover art
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie By: Alan Bradley
The Lost Property Office Audiobook By James R. Hannibal cover art
The Lost Property Office By: James R. Hannibal
The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters Audiobook By Gordon Dahlquist cover art
The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters By: Gordon Dahlquist
The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane Audiobook By Katherine Howe cover art
The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane By: Katherine Howe
Timekeeper Audiobook By Tara Sim cover art
Timekeeper By: Tara Sim
The Palace of Lost Memories Audiobook By C. J. Archer cover art
The Palace of Lost Memories By: C. J. Archer
A Shadow Bright and Burning Audiobook By Jessica Cluess cover art
A Shadow Bright and Burning By: Jessica Cluess
Fires of Invention Audiobook By J. Scott Savage cover art
Fires of Invention By: J. Scott Savage
Enchanter's Child, Book One: Twilight Hauntings Audiobook By Angie Sage cover art
Enchanter's Child, Book One: Twilight Hauntings By: Angie Sage