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A review by flexmentallo
The Witness for the Dead by Katherine Addison
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
This is a essentially a 'shaggy dog' mystery in a fantasy world. Thara Celehar, an intriguing bit player in The Goblin Emperor, leads this as a 'Witness of the Dead,' a priest who tries to help settle the affairs of the recently deceased. The core story follows from being called in when a mysterious woman washes up on a riverbank, dead. He must investigate her murder, find out who killed her, and bring them to justice in her name.
Like all shaggy dog mysteries, a great deal of the story is more about character and setting than specifically about solving the mysteries. Thara Celehar is a gentle, sweet protagonist, and watching him try to solve a mystery is a delightful change of pace from the gritty mystery protagonists I'm used to. Beyond that, Katherine Addison expands considerably on the world of The Goblin Emperor here, using that as a base for what has become a fascinating and dense setting. This is a little too dark to really be called a 'cozy mystery', but it skirts that line in fascinating ways.
Like all shaggy dog mysteries, a great deal of the story is more about character and setting than specifically about solving the mysteries. Thara Celehar is a gentle, sweet protagonist, and watching him try to solve a mystery is a delightful change of pace from the gritty mystery protagonists I'm used to. Beyond that, Katherine Addison expands considerably on the world of The Goblin Emperor here, using that as a base for what has become a fascinating and dense setting. This is a little too dark to really be called a 'cozy mystery', but it skirts that line in fascinating ways.