Johannes Cabal is the man you love to hate. He’s despicable but delightfully clever, and gets out of scrapes by the power of his wits. The book doesn’t dwell on the nitty-gritty details of necromancy, but instead treats it as something that he just does, which adds to the enjoyment. I’m also weak for a good murder mystery, and one set in such a steampunk universe is perfect to me.