Three quotes from Stephen Gallagher's The Bedlam Detective...

...that made me laugh out loud, which is generally unexpected in GLOOMY HISTORICAL MYSTERIES:

The man waxed his mustache. In Sebastian's book, that was never a good sign.

...

"I'm sorry you feel that way," Sebastian said.

"And I'm sure you imagine that's an apology," Lydia Bancroft said.

...

"I've lived a modest life, but I've observed something about prominent men. They become convinced that their success in business proves the superiority of their opinion in all other things. It doesn't matter what your skills are, or what it is that you do. They'll not hesitate to tell you how you ought to be doing it."

Heh. I'll be seeking out the other book in the series soon.