Synopses & Reviews
Above Angelinas Tavern in down-and-dirty Neceda youll find the office of Eddie LaCrosse, a freelance sword jockey who, for twenty-five gold pieces a day, will take on any task short of murder for hire. Eddies on his way back from a routine investigation when his horse almost runs down a half-naked blonde in serious trouble. Against his better judgment, he promises to protect the frightened young woman, only to find himself waylaid by unknown assailants and left for dead beside her mutilated body.
Eddie isnt the kind of guy to just let something like this pass. But who killed Laura Lesperitt? Eddies quest for payback leads him to a tangled mystery involving a notorious crime lord, a backwoods dragon cult, royal scandals, and a duplicitous femme fatale who has trouble keeping her clothes on. As bodies pile up, attracting the unwelcome attention of the kings guards, Eddie must use all his wits if he hopes to survive….
Review
“Bledsoe effortlessly draws readers into his created world and manages to stay true to both fantasy and mystery traditions.”
—Publishers Weekly, starred review
“An entertaining, well-crafted melding of fantasy and hard-boiled detective fiction…. Aficionados of tough-guy mysteries will find much to enjoy, and fantasy fans will appreciate the swordplay and the fully realized medieval society Bledsoe has constructed. Best of all, its not necessary to have read the first installment to enjoy this one.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Hard-boiled high fantasy—whats not to like? Bledsoe keeps me reading from the first page, and Im always eager for the next installment when the last page is turned.”
—Charles de Lint, award-winning author of The Mystery of Grace
About the Author
Alex Bledsoe grew up in West Tennessee, but now lives in Wisconsin. He is the author of the Eddie LaCrosse novels (including The Sword-Edged Blonde, Burn Me Deadly, and Dark Jenny) and also of The Hum and the Shiver.