The Lady in Pink (Deadly Ever After #2) by J.A. Kazimer

Blue and Izzy’s new detective agency is going from strength to strength and has become a household name (even if your house is a shoe). They have offices now and a staff and are a growing success

But when one of their interns is murdered it looks like Blue could be the target – and even so, losing an employee just has to be investigated. But as they delve deeper the opposition becomes stronger as they uncover more connections with Blue’s mysterious past. And his curse.

The plot of this book is interesting but I’m in two minds about it. The whole mystery of Blue’s origin, how it fed the conflict between Izzy and Blue, the whole opposition against their discovery and how it pops up in several different ways all work really well. I like how it’s related to several parts of the story and is both part of their profession and personal lives and allowed for some character growth

It also has a series of excellent Noir-style cross and double cross as victim and suspect constantly changed and changed and changed again. It had some really good twists and unexpected endings. I honestly didn’t have any idea where it was going or who the culprit was and I was completely surprised several times. I appreciate that in any book, especially a book with a murder mystery. Being kept guessing is always an achievement.

 So lots of positive. On the negative side I feel the ending was sprung on me without any real back up to it. I didn’t see it coming – but how could I? All the relevant information was dumped in the last part of the book – there was no way to extrapolate to this and that whole revelation felt abrupt and rather sudden. There’s a twist and an abrupt change of direction. Still I am curious as to what that means for the future

I also quite like the whole debate over whether Blue’s abilities are a curse or a blessing – and I think it’s actually done really well (after I’ve read a huge number of books where the “curse” has had no real downside).

For me there’s a strange disconnect with this book’s – this series’ – world building which I’ve touched on before. On the one hand, the original elements of the story are excellent. The whole idea of fairies that produce dust and need dentin to exist – that’s an excellent original concept I really like. It takes the idea of the tooth fairy and elevates it and explains it. It’s interesting and it’s original and there’s some genuine thought behind it that I appreciated.  There are other hints of things that I think have high potential – like the very original Trolls. There’s a lot of really unique elements I’m interested in here

The Fairyland Murders (Deadly Ever After #1) by J.A. Kazimer

Blue Reynolds is a PI at the very edge of his resources – there just doesn’t seem to be that much demand for a PI who is also a lightning rod. Needing to make rent he’s willing to take any case – even from fairies.

Even to protect the Tooth Fairy from a serial killer.

Which is even harder when it’s clear that the Tooth Fairy, Izzy, does not want to be found or protected – and then it just gets more complicated

I think the main selling point – indeed, the main point – of this book is it’s world setting. It’s like film noir meets fairy tales. We have the dark and gritty and grim that so constitutes film noir – and then we have the tooth fairy and fairy dust and trolls and princesses. It’s all blended together in a unique, sometimes hilarious and sometimes just plain weird way. From the fairies needing dentin to survive – so the tooth fairy because an essential role, to fairy dust being an actual drug to various characters with little easter-egg names like Detective Goldie Locks – it’s all very very unique and very very strange

I can’t say I’m a fan of Blue, the protagonist. His concept is interesting with him being a permanent electrode and how isolating that is. But it’s both being done (the tragic protagonist who can’t touch people without hurting them) and it has been done a lot better, especially since Blue’s angst seems to come in random waves. He’ll be walking along and then out of nowhere we’ll have this sudden mini monologue of despair, then next paragraph he’s fine – it’s almost like there’s a little note “remember tragedy!” Other than his tragic past, Blue is something of an archetype – the film noir detective who is grim and gritty and poor and hard drinking and chain smoking – honestly, he just needs to start referring to women as “dames” or “skirts” and we have it all, including the hard boiled inner monologue. I can appreciate the archetype aimed for, but it doesn’t really leave me much to invest in

Especially since there’s no real indication he’s even decent at his job. He has a big gun and a semi-lethal power her rarely, if ever, uses with any competence. He doesn’t actually investigate – he’s got three cases to pursue and he doesn’t really do anything but stumble around, get into fights and get very very drunk. This damages the pacing a lot because pages seem to go by with Blue constantly talking about how close to bankruptcy he is or generally giving a sense of urgency without actually doing anything. He’s kind of like the guy who tweets about how much work he has to do every 5 minutes but doesn’t actually do any of it

In terms of plot, it’s all a little bit confused. I think part of that is the intent – Blue is in the middle of a case with all the classic Noir elements of cross and double cross and never knowing who he can trust and every case as little loop holes and surprises within surprises. We’re meant to doubt everything, we’re meant to question everything, we’re meant to know nothing. We’re meant to flail and be suspicious and not trust anyone and realise that every assumption we make can be completely wrong. It’s a classic mystery in a classic style and in that sense it is really well done. I didn’t see any of it coming I didn’t know who the villains or allies where, I didn’t know what anyone’s motives where and I was so drowned in red herrings the whole book should smell decidedly fishy. All of this is perfect and I approve