trying to find a book - help please :o)

[advice please]

Hello everyone,

i wonder if you can help please. I read a book some years ago and want to track down the rest of the series. Sadly I can't recall the title or author. So in a massive needle in a haystack search I wondered if some of the points I can remember might jog other's memories.

It was an early SP novel. key points were the main character was a gentleman of leisure.

I bizarrely remember a phrase from the book where he wrote on his starched cuff " get help" as he'd no staff. He was highly connected as he seemed to be summoned to see queen Victoria a lot, who was being kept alive by a SP life support wheel chair that the royal engineers had made and had a cut off switch hidden in the back (which she knew of and had disconnected.)

There was some sort of underground semi hell fire club style venue he went to that behind the scenes had a religious order plotting against the empire and some new design of airship that was to be unveiled.

A robotoic man was carrying out burglaries and the man character has an argument with a devious posh gent on the steps of a gentlemen's club.

The main character had a lady that he met that helped him "solve the case" and a street lad that he met and had a fling with helped too I recall the phrase "XXX needed saving every five minutes".

The conclusion of the book was on an airship.

I realise its not much to go on but I thought with so much knowledge here someone might be able to help me )

[Rockula]

Sounds like 'The Affinity Bridge' by George Mann to me.
The first in the 'Newbury & Hobbes' series first published in 2008.
The latest is 'The Revenant Express' (2019).

Newbury & Hobbes series

The Affinity Bridge (ISBN 978-1905005888) (Snowbooks, 2008)
"The Hambleton Affair" (Newbury and Hobbes short story) – appeared in the hardcover edition of The Affinity Bridge, free PDF available for download.
Included in The Casebook of Newbury & Hobbes.
"The Shattered Teacup" (Snowbooks, 2010) (free PDF eBook/Audiobook download).
Included in The Casebook of Newbury & Hobbes.
The Osiris Ritual (ISBN 978-1906727048) (Snowbooks, 2009)
"What Lies Beneath" (short story), free PDF available for download.
Included in The Casebook of Newbury & Hobbes.
The Immorality Engine (ISBN 978-1906727185) (Snowbooks, 2011)
The Executioner's Heart (ISBN 978-1781160053) (Titan Books, 2013)
The Revenant Express (ISBN 9780765334091) (Titan Books, 2019)
The Casebook of Newbury & Hobbes Collection (ISBN 978-1781167427) (Titan Books, 2013)

[advice please]

That's really helpful thank you.

I've done some research over the years trying to find it and I wasn't sure if it might by that series, what confused me is they synopsis never mention the male assitant. Have you read the series ? is there a male assistant

because I recall a clock work burglar I wasn't sure if it might be the clock work man by Mark Hoder but that's recent or the difference engine by sterling and gibson

I really appreciate someone else having making a suggestion, thank you, its like having my recollections validated.

[advice please]

Its taken me a while  (I started with the last in the trilogy, as the copy of Affinity bridge I bought had pages missing; that was a bit trippy till I realised) but I'm finally getting there.
So affinity bridge definitely has Queen Victoria in a life support wheel chair so I'm sure I've read it before.

However, I definitely recall the male character having a fling with a younger man, but Sir Maurice doesn't seem the caddish type of character.

Any thoughts on a bisexual steam punk detective novel?

[von Corax]

Sounds like 'The Affinity Bridge' by George Mann to me.
The first in the 'Newbury & Hobbes' series first published in 2008.
The latest is 'The Revenant Express' (2019).

Newbury & Hobbes series

The Affinity Bridge (ISBN 978-1905005888) (Snowbooks, 2008)
"The Hambleton Affair" (Newbury and Hobbes short story) – appeared in the hardcover edition of The Affinity Bridge, free PDF available for download.
Included in The Casebook of Newbury & Hobbes.
"The Shattered Teacup" (Snowbooks, 2010) (free PDF eBook/Audiobook download).
Included in The Casebook of Newbury & Hobbes.
The Osiris Ritual (ISBN 978-1906727048) (Snowbooks, 2009)
"What Lies Beneath" (short story), free PDF available for download.
Included in The Casebook of Newbury & Hobbes.
The Immorality Engine (ISBN 978-1906727185) (Snowbooks, 2011)
The Executioner's Heart (ISBN 978-1781160053) (Titan Books, 2013)
The Revenant Express (ISBN 9780765334091) (Titan Books, 2019)
The Casebook of Newbury & Hobbes Collection (ISBN 978-1781167427) (Titan Books, 2013)

The series concludes with The Albion Initiative (ISBN-13: 9780765334107) (Tom Doherty Associates, August 31, 2021)

[advice please]

I'm wondering now if it was perhaps Robert Rankin?  I've read a bunch of his stuff but didn't have him down as a Steampunk author. I know he had a detective. Any advice please?