The Inexplicables by Cherie Priest

Cherie Priest just gets better and better and has written a fast paced and moving fifth book in The Clockwork Century series, an alternate history of Civil War era late 19th century America. Priest has more developed characters and the story has greater depth than previous novels in the series. In The Inexplicables we clearly see that most people are neither fully good nor fully bad but are, instead, a mixed bag. We also see that some are driven by substances that override the normal internal checks and balances that keep us morally functional, but we've all got choices to make no matter how difficult or painful. As one character says,"The world's an uncertain place," full of what ifs and mights and our job is to keep working forward through those uncertainties ... to celebrate and build upon the good that comes through. And, yes, there are zombies.