The Dead Cat Tail Assassins

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The Dead Cat Tail Assassins are not cats.
Nor do they have tails.

But they are most assuredly dead.

Nebula and Alex Award winner P. Djèlí Clark introduces a brand-new world and a fantastical city full of gods and assassins.

A Most Anticipated Book of 2024 According to Bookish, She Reads, Civilian Reader, and FanFiAddict

Eveen the Eviscerator is skilled, discreet, professional, and here for your most pressing needs in the ancient city of Tal Abisi. Her guild is strong, her blades are sharp, and her rules are simple. Those sworn to the Matron of Assassins — resurrected, deadly, wiped of their memories — have only three unbreakable vows.

First, the contract must be just. That's above Eveen's pay grade.

Second, even the most powerful assassin may only kill the contracted. Eveen's a professional. She's never missed her mark.

The third and the simplest: once you accept a job, you must carry it out. And if you stray? A final death would be a mercy. When the Festival of the Clockwork King turns the city upside down, Eveen's newest mission brings her face-to-face with a past she isn't supposed to remember and a vow she can't forget.

"Clark has created another memorable and intriguing fantasy setting in this fast-paced novella, which will be a hit with fans and newcomers alike." Booklist (Starred Review)

"This wildly surprising caper fantasy from Clark will keep readers on the edge of their seats working out who ‘dunit,’ and how and why….This will appeal to all lovers of urban fantasy." Library Journal (Starred Review)

"Clark's plot moves at a breakneck clip with quick wit, offbeat characters, and plenty of intrigue. This is pure entertainment." Publishers Weekly

" Well crafted, exciting, darkly comic, and just gory enough." Kirkus Reviews

Born in New York and raised mostly in Houston, P. Djèlí Clark (he/him) spent part of his childhood in Trinidad and Tobago, the homeland of his parents. He is the author of the novel A Master of Djinn and the novellas Ring Shout, The Black God's Drums, and The Haunting of Tram Car 015. He has won the Nebula, Locus, and Alex Awards and been nominated for the Hugo, World Fantasy, and Sturgeon Awards. His stories have appeared in online venues such as Tor.com, Daily Science Fiction, Heroic Fantasy Quarterly, Apex, Lightspeed, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, and in print anthologies, including Griots, Hidden Youth, and Clockwork Cairo. He is also a founding member of FIYAH Magazine of Black Speculative Fiction and an infrequent reviewer at Strange Horizons.