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.
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
