Private investigator Mick Oberon knows he shouldn't take
this job but he needs the money. Anything that gets him
involved with the Outfit is bad news, particularly in
Chicago in the 1930s. Worse yet, Mick is hired specifically
because he is an elf and therefore can help the mobster's
wife determine who switched her baby at birth, leaving her
with a changeling. Mick will have to investigate in both the
human and the Fae world if he is to solve this mystery!
HOT LEAD, COLD IRON is the first book in Ari Marmell's
Mick Oberon series and boy does it get off to a
running start. We are plunged headlong into the worlds of
the Outfit and the Fae, where familial ties can be more than
deadly. I love how Ari Marmell shows the Fae world mimicking
the human world in so many ways, as it adds an otherworldly
air to the tale.
Mick is an intriguing hero. I'm still not completely sure if
I like him although he shows some flashes of compassion.
His use of slang takes a bit to get used to although it adds
authenticity to the storyline. Ari Marmell helpfully
provides the reader with a brief note at the beginning about
the language. Also included is a short blurb about the
various historical figures referenced in the book, which is
particularly helpful for readers who aren't familiar with
the various mobsters of 1930s Chicago.
HOT LEAD, COLD IRON is a promising start to a new series. I
am curious to see how Ari Marmell will continue to develop
both his world and his characters in future books.
Hopefully future books will also give us more time with the
various locations and secondary characters so that Ari
Marmell can flesh them out a bit more. HOT LEAD, COLD IRON
is well worth reading and has the potential to develop into
a fascinating new series.
Hot Lead, Cold Iron is the first novel in a brand-new
fantasy detective series that will appeal to fans of
Rivers of London and The Dresden
Files
Chicago, 1932. Mick Oberon may
look like just another private detective, but beneath the
fedora and the overcoat, he's got pointy ears and he's
packing a wand.
Oberon's used to solving
supernatural crimes, but the latest one's extra weird. A
mobster's daughter was kidnapped sixteen years ago, replaced
with a changeling, and Mick's been hired to find the real
child. The trail's gone cold, but what there is leads
Sideways, to the world of the Fae, where the Seelie Court
rules. And Mick's not really welcome in the Seelie Court any
more. He'll have to wade through Fae politics and mob power
struggles to find the kidnapper – and of course it's the
last person he expected.