Miri is a street prostitute desperately trying to make a living in the Edinburgh of 1868. Since prostitutes have been disappearing without a trace around the old town district, Miri’s profession has been especially dangerous as of late, but she has no choice but to work in order to eat and to pay her handler. Fleeing from danger one night, she is assisted by an enigmatic man named Caratacus, and she finds herself drawn by him into a world of heat and steam and intrigue.

Caratacus has been banished to Miri’s world from his own dimension. For the past five years, he has been devising a means by which to return home, and on the eve that he encounters the young prostitute, he finally has his engine and his plan ready. Searching for a way to keep Miri safe, Caratacus’s encounters the man who has been his rival and enemy for years, and who he also suspects may be involved in the disappearance of Miri’s fellow prostitutes. As the two work together to foil Caratacus’ enemy, Miri worries that she will become too attached to this brilliant and unusual man. Could he possibly care enough for a street whore to bring her with him when he leaves, or will she be left with nothing but fond memories?

In Steamy Nights: Machinations by Marie Treanor, “The Time Machine” meets “Jack the Ripper” in a gripping tale of dark intrigue in Victorian era Edinburgh. Machinations is the first installment of what promises to be an engrossing series. This well-written story places the reader squarely in the middle of the action. The environment is dark and seedy, and the reader can almost smell the stench of “Auld Reekie” through the words of this story. The characters are compelling, and while one doesn’t get to see much of the villain, Daneman, we know that he is going to feature more prominently in future chapters of this series. Miri, the heroine, is a “whore with a heart of gold” character. She is tiny, feisty, and cares more for people than is probably good for her. Caratacus is a buff inventor type, who is always endearingly streaked with oil and coal dust. While the story doesn’t give us a very good picture of the dimension that he comes from, I have the impression that we will see more of this world as the story progresses. Miri and Caratacus have good chemistry, and their bond, while initially sexual in nature, hovers on the brink of being love. Machinations ends with an incredible cliff-hanger, and I can only hope that Ms. Treanor provides us with another segment soon.

Reviewed by: Whitney