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chaosqueen's review
3.0
I really enjoyed this book. It was an excellent mashup between paranormal and noir. The characters were generally interesting. I can't wait to see how the world opens up.
However, there is a glaring issue. There is RAMPANT homophobia within this story, particularly towards the main LGBTQ+ side character, Frankie. Frankie was a DELIGHT, and my most favorite character in the entire book. The way they were treated by Tony and the gang, especially in a supposedly modern setting, was absolutely atrocious. Now, I know there are characters and people like this. I know that this is meant to be modeled after old school noir. All that being said, it DOESN'T excuse this type of bullshit behavior. Now, this would normally be a deal breaker for me, but my interest in the world, other side characters, Tony, and Frankie is enough to keep me continuing this series. However, I'm letting you know now that the homophobia is bad.
However, there is a glaring issue. There is RAMPANT homophobia within this story, particularly towards the main LGBTQ+ side character, Frankie. Frankie was a DELIGHT, and my most favorite character in the entire book. The way they were treated by Tony and the gang, especially in a supposedly modern setting, was absolutely atrocious. Now, I know there are characters and people like this. I know that this is meant to be modeled after old school noir. All that being said, it DOESN'T excuse this type of bullshit behavior. Now, this would normally be a deal breaker for me, but my interest in the world, other side characters, Tony, and Frankie is enough to keep me continuing this series. However, I'm letting you know now that the homophobia is bad.
stephbookshine's review
4.0
*I received a free copy of this book via Voracious Readers Only and with thanks to the author. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
The blurb, the cover, the first half of the plot, are all pure classic detective noir with this first-in-a-series from Robert Lee Beers. We are introduced to characters named things like Toots and Fats, plus a supporting cast of gangsters, broads, hookers and molls. Tony Mandolin himself is definitely from the Sam Spade / Philip Marlowe mould of hardboiled detectives with a soft spot for the dames who do them wrong.
Fellow fans of urban fantasy can easily list another modern detective that fits this mould, and sure enough Tony himself notes that there is a wizard guy in Chicago who advertises his services in the Yellow Pages. And sure enough, as the story progresses we gradually notice that things aren’t quite adding up to the world that we know, and that vampires may actually be real after all… along with the pixies, the fae, and other things that go bump in the night and crave human food and/or booze (and/or blood and body parts).
The plot is well-constructed and is mostly well-paced too, although after an epic buildup I found the ending somewhat anticlimactic. The showdown with the main villain is quite quick, almost rushed, and the resolution is a little unsatisfying. However, this is mainly because parts of the plot are (necessarily) left unresolved to lead on to bigger-picture mysteries later in the series.
Fans of The Dresden Files will enjoy Beers’ style here and the snarky humour, as will any who enjoy a bit of urban-magic detective noir.
I’m Tony Mandolin and I handle the weird ones.
– Robert Lee Beers, A Slight Case of Death
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpress.com/2019/08/25/a-slight-case-of-death-robert-lee-beers/
The blurb, the cover, the first half of the plot, are all pure classic detective noir with this first-in-a-series from Robert Lee Beers. We are introduced to characters named things like Toots and Fats, plus a supporting cast of gangsters, broads, hookers and molls. Tony Mandolin himself is definitely from the Sam Spade / Philip Marlowe mould of hardboiled detectives with a soft spot for the dames who do them wrong.
Fellow fans of urban fantasy can easily list another modern detective that fits this mould, and sure enough Tony himself notes that there is a wizard guy in Chicago who advertises his services in the Yellow Pages. And sure enough, as the story progresses we gradually notice that things aren’t quite adding up to the world that we know, and that vampires may actually be real after all… along with the pixies, the fae, and other things that go bump in the night and crave human food and/or booze (and/or blood and body parts).
The plot is well-constructed and is mostly well-paced too, although after an epic buildup I found the ending somewhat anticlimactic. The showdown with the main villain is quite quick, almost rushed, and the resolution is a little unsatisfying. However, this is mainly because parts of the plot are (necessarily) left unresolved to lead on to bigger-picture mysteries later in the series.
Fans of The Dresden Files will enjoy Beers’ style here and the snarky humour, as will any who enjoy a bit of urban-magic detective noir.
I’m Tony Mandolin and I handle the weird ones.
– Robert Lee Beers, A Slight Case of Death
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpress.com/2019/08/25/a-slight-case-of-death-robert-lee-beers/
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