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vladdbad's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
rbreade's review against another edition
I gave this a hundred pages. The idea is good: a mash-up of noir detective and high fantasy, with Cook's private investigator, Garrett, taking a job that involves a contested will and a fortune in silver. Humans, gnomes, elves, and so forth. Cook's world-building isn't bad, nor is his dialogue, but he leans to far in to the sexist tropes of old-school detective fiction: the female characters are either shrews or temptresses or both, existing only to check a few plot boxes and allowed no agency of their own. In this, the novel shows its age, having been published in 1987. Finally, I said, "No thanks," and put the book aside.
shreela_r's review against another edition
3.0
Fun! But make sure to set sleep timer if listening, because this was a fast-paced story. I'll continue this series.
tigerb99's review against another edition
3.0
This is indeed what it says on the tin, a Chandleresque detective story with a fantasy setting. That is excellent. But it wasn't written in Chandler's time period, so... gosh, some better female characters sure would have been nice! Instead we have a harridan and a come-hither bombshell and they get almost no lines of dialog -- instead just general descriptions of their reactions to things. This was disappointing. I'll probably try another, but if there are still no 3D female characters I won't bother further.
hollydoesstuff's review against another edition
4.0
Solid 4! I realize this was written a long time ago, but the language was weird at times for me. I mean, I kind of get it. It's this slang they're using. I really like Garrett as a protagonist. I can't wait to read more of his adventures!
mayastone's review against another edition
I didn't like the writing and couldn't keep going. I also didn't find anything funny. I'm nervous to start his other series.
abigcoffeedragon's review against another edition
4.0
OK - This is a kind of cool Series - Take the Noir style of gumshoe detectives and add in fantastical mythological creatures, and you get Garrett P. I.
This has an interesting style, in that the reading is very Noir and detective like - and when he mentions Gnomes or Unicorns, it is never like, "This is a strange creature" but he talks about them like they were simply a race of people or animals in the wild - which I think is very cool.
This series has been around for a while, and has quite a few books in the collection. This is only the first but it will not be the last for me.
This has an interesting style, in that the reading is very Noir and detective like - and when he mentions Gnomes or Unicorns, it is never like, "This is a strange creature" but he talks about them like they were simply a race of people or animals in the wild - which I think is very cool.
This series has been around for a while, and has quite a few books in the collection. This is only the first but it will not be the last for me.
disastrouspenguin's review against another edition
4.0
My introduction to Glen Cook, an easy-to-read book with tongue-in-cheek humor, a hero who's not quite that and for whom all of the womenfolk inexplicably fall over themselves trying to get into bed. Aside from that particular aspect (which I'm getting really tired of, c'mon guys), this was an enjoyable book.
There were a couple of points that weren't wrapped up (How did the crooks get the the box from the Dead Man's house??) and a couple leaps in the conversation/logic that I didn't quite follow, but maybe I'm just a bit slow in the brain. I was reading this on vacation, after all.
There were a couple of points that weren't wrapped up (How did the crooks get the the box from the Dead Man's house??) and a couple leaps in the conversation/logic that I didn't quite follow, but maybe I'm just a bit slow in the brain. I was reading this on vacation, after all.
stokka's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0