It should have been a simple job. But for Garrett, a human detective in a world of gnomes, tracking down the woman to whom his dead pal Danny left a fortune in silver is no slight task. Even with the aid of Morley, the toughest half-elf around, Garrett isn’t sure he’ll make it out alive from a land where magic can be murder, the dead still talk, and vampires are always hungry for human blood.
As a lover of fantasy and detectives I’ve long had Glen Cook’s Garrett Files on my TBR. This review is for the first in the series, but I expect to read through it this year.
*** What to Expect
A private detective of sorts, set in an interesting fantasy world. The tone isn’t quite a noir gumshoe, a bit more of an adventurous thriller, but fits quite comfortably with genre tropes. The setting has the usual fantasy tropes of not-really medieval urban scenes, but interesting takes on races and mixed-race society. Cook certainly gives the impression of depth without going into too many details.
The plot is very fast paced as Garrett crams a fair bit of action and travel in his attempts to locate a missing heiress to a huge fortune. Told in first-person POV, this reads like a tight, classic, fantasy/PI blend.
*** What I liked
I enjoyed the world-building. I do wish there were more details, as Cook gives tantalising glimpses. On the other hand, one also appreciates the clipped style that explains just enough and doesn’t bog the reader with slow expositions. Garrett himself is the classic such adventurer: ex-military, does the odd PI jobs, mixes with the wrong crowd, and has his inner code to push him forward.
*** What to be aware of
In speaking of fantasy and PI tropes, Cook has also picked up some of the less savoury ones. Most characters other than Garrett are a bit flat, and this is very noticeable with the women. The story and protagonist can get downright chauvinistic at times. This is definitely a book you read for the thrill of adventure, not of the inter-character relationships or a modern take on gender roles.
*** Felix’s Review
Felix thought Garrett had potential, if he only stopped to think some times. He seems to rush headlong into action and trouble — which he handles admirably, Felix admitted — but where a bit more caution and forethought might be warranted. When I pointed all the times Felix told me he relied on his own luck, he said, “yes, well, it’s a lot easier reading about it then being in the midst of action.” Some characters just have a tendency to talk back.
That said, Felix did enjoy the adventures, despite the world being low on magic as he understands it, so will be following his next adventures with interest.
*** Summary
Take this story for what it is. It’s a fun adventure set in an intriguing world, a very much “guy”-type action novel. If you like classic detectives and tight fantasy, this should be on your reading list.
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Enjoying the reviews, but wondering who the heck is that Felix fellow? Glad you asked! He’s the protagonist of the Togas, Daggers, and Magic series, an historical-fantasy blend of a paranormal detective on the background of ancient Rome.
Assaph Mehr, author of Murder In Absentia: A Story of Togas, Daggers, and Magic – for lovers of Ancient Rome, Murder Mysteries, and Urban Fantasy.
This is one of my favorite Glen Cook books. I’ve read it five or six times in the last three decades. It inspired my best friend to run an awesome D&D game that lasted eight years, and it leads to 13(?) mostly good sequels and countless copy cats. At its heart, this series becomes a fantasy take on the Nero Wolfe mysteries, but this first one is almost all about Garrett, an ex-Marine turned private investigator in the fantasy city of TunFaire. There’s a lot of action, but there’s also a very good mystery and a surprisingly strong chord played on the heartstrings by the end of the book. The characters are memorable and the world is ever more fascinating.
This first novel revolves around Garrett being hired to find the woman his old army buddy has left a fortune too. She’s in a realm called the Cantard which has been the focus of generational warfare between the wizards of his kingdom and their enemies. From the very beginning multiple groups of mysterious bad guys are showing too much (often violent) interest in Garrett’s mission and Cook plays these competing plotlines brilliantly to keep the adventure both fast-paced and always interesting. But the reason I keep coming back to this novel is the last five sentences of the second to last chapter—the true end of a brilliant novel. With five short sentences Cook transforms a triumphant ending into one which makes you want to weep.
In doing so he gives Garrett a depth worthy of a hundred sequels.