Dead Man in a Ditch
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3.8 • 4 Ratings
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
In this brilliant sequel to actor Luke Arnold's debut The Last Smile in Sunder City, a former soldier turned PI solves crime in a world that's lost its magic. The name's Fetch Phillips -- what do you need? Cover a Gnome with a crossbow while he does a dodgy deal? Sure. Find out who killed Lance Niles, the big-shot businessman who just arrived in town? I'll give it shot. Help an old-lady Elf track down her husband's murderer? That's right up my alley. What I don't do, because it's impossible, is search for a way to bring the goddamn magic back. Rumors got out about what happened with the Professor, so now people keep asking me to fix the world. But there's no magic in this story. Just dead friends, twisted miracles, and a secret machine made to deliver a single shot of murder. Welcome back to the streets of Sunder City, a darkly imagined world perfect for readers of Ben Aaronovitch and Jim Butcher.
Praise for Dead Man in a Ditch:
"Superb... With a lead who would be at home in the pages of a Raymond Chandler or James Ellory novel and a nicely twisty plot, this installment makes a strong case for Arnold's series to enjoy a long run." ―Publishers Weekly
"Arnold's universe has everything, including the angst of being human. The perfect story for adult fantasy fans—a tough PI and a murder mystery wrapped around the mysticism of Hogwarts, sprinkled with faerie dust." ―Library Journal (starred review)
Fetch Phillips Novels
The Last Smile in Sunder City
Dead Man in a Ditch
One Foot in the Fade
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Arnold expands on the vividly imagined world of The Last Smile in Sunder City in the superb second urban fantasy to feature "man-for-hire" Fetch Phillips. Six years ago, a cataclysmic event called the Coda eliminated all magic from Sunder City. Following the events of the previous installment, Fetch, a human, has earned a reputation for working to prove that magic still exists, and many formerly supernatural creatures now try to hire him for this express purpose. When Lance Niles, an affluent newcomer to the city who had been buying up properties for an unknown purpose, is found dead in a humans-only club looking like a "bomb went off in the back of his throat" the police call Fetch in to assist, as the cause of death appears to have been magic. Fetch takes the case, hoping to quell the rumors about his magical conspiracy theories by finding a scientific explanation for Lance's murder and is promised a hefty reward should he succeed. With a lead who would be at home in the pages of a Raymond Chandler or James Ellory novel and a nicely twisty plot, this installment makes a strong case for Arnold's series to enjoy a long run.
