 |
| 3 out of 5 stars |
Oberon's used to solving supernatural crimes, but the latest one's extra weird. A mobster's daughter was kidnapped sixteen years ago, replaced with a changeling, and Mick's been hired to find the real child. The trail's gone cold, but what there is leads Sideways, to the world of the Fae, where the Seelie Court rules. And Mick's not really welcome in the Seelie Court any more. He'll have to wade through Fae politics and mob power struggles to find the kidnapper – and of course it's the last person he expected.
Hard-boiled detective + the Fae = an interesting first book.
When I ran across this title in my public library’s catalog, I was intrigued. Those of you who read my reviews regularly will know that I am a sucker for books that feature Fae characters. I love them! Plus, I am an enormous fan of Raymond Chandler, so this combo was irresistible.
I enjoyed Marmell’s take on the Fae. Mick Oberon (yes, he’s related to THAT Oberon) has a penchant for milk, cream when he’s needs something a bit stronger. He doesn’t always ask for money to pay for his jobs—but he has an instinct for asking for something which later helps with a new problem. He’s also extremely reluctant to head back Underhill for any reason.
Marmell is obviously fully conversant with the whole hard-boiled genre. Mick is tough-talking, hard-(milk)-drinking, and wise-cracking. He gets beat on and thumps others in return. All the correct boxes are ticked. It would be unfair to compare his writing to Chandler—very few can live up to those standards. If I have a niggling annoyance, it’s that I felt the Chicago gangland vocabulary was laid on awfully thick (with a trowel, really).
Still, it’s a fun fantasy world and I will definitely continue on with the series. Not, however, a series that I will want to own.
No comments:
Post a Comment