Satrine Rainey is determined to give her daughters a better life than she had, even if it means lying to get a job posting as an inspector. Satrine tricks her way into the position and is immediately paired with Minox Welling and thrown into the midst of a case involving A MURDER OF MAGES. Minox has a secret of his own, as he is an uncircled Mage. Will Satrine and Minox uncover the murderer's identity in time or will they gamble and lose everything?

Marshall Ryan Maresca hooked me with the very first line in A MURDER OF MAGES! A MURDER OF MAGES is the first book in The Maradaine Constabulary series but is set in the same world as Marshall Ryan Maresca's first novel, The Thorn of Dentonhill. It is not necessary to have read The Thorn of Dentonhill to appreciate A MURDER OF MAGES, although it certainly enhances the reading experience when one is already familiar with the fantasy world.

I absolutely love the characters of Satrine and Minox! Satrine is a street-wise fighter, willing to do whatever it takes to protect and save her family, but she's also quite sharp. Minox is a bit of an oddball, used to disguising his abilities as a mage while spending inordinate amounts of time figuring out the minute details behind the crimes. They are a good working partnership, although I admit that Minox's quirkiness appeals to me quite a bit and I enjoyed the scenes with him in them far more than the ones just involving Satrine.

Marshall Ryan Maresca has crafted superb characters living in a phenomenal fantasy world with a detective story that just sucks you right into the storyline. Marshall Ryan Maresca impressed me with The Thorn of Dentonhill, but A MURDER OF MAGES has secured me as a fan. I can't wait to see what Marshall Ryan Maresca writes next as you can guarantee I will be reading it!