Review - The Garrett Files... Toss a Coin to Your P.I.

 Image credit: Glen Cook & Tor Books

I love me some Glen Cook.

    For the longest time I was on a Bernard Cornwell and Joe Abercrombie kick, and don't get me wrong those two are still among my top tier of writers, but I eventually stumbled into my Glen Cook phase and haven't looked back.

    For those who don't know, Cook is a grimdark writer. The founder of the genre, really, who has given inspiration to the likes of Mark Lawrence and Joe Abercrombie. While those latter two are potentially heavier names in the modern day, Cook more than earned his stripes starting in the 80s. The Garrett Files just delivers further notches to his credential belt.

    The Garrett Files is actually the title of a trilogy of his novels that revolve around the detective work of the titular character. The actual books within are titled Sweet Silver Blues, Bitter Gold Hearts, and Cold Copper Tears. All of them are standalone mysteries, but the character that Cook builds with Garrett grows with each novel. 

    In Sweet Silver Blues he is tasked to go to the Cantard, his old stomping grounds from his days as a Marine. While there he is looking for a missing woman who stands to inherit thousands of gold, but it seems more and more like she doesn't want to be found. Or perhaps someone doesn't want her to be found? Garrett enlists his friend Morley Dotes, a half dark-elf with a knack for violence, and knows he'll need his help before long as they keep hearing about the vampiric presence in the area.

    Bitter Gold Hearts takes Garrett back to his familiar scenery in Tunfaire. The city is akin to Carnival Row, with a mishmash of elves, trolls, and other nonhumans that experience ill treatment at the hands of their human neighbors. That's not Garrett's main concern here, however, as he is searching for the murderer behind some high society deaths. Garrett makes it clear that this is not his usual clientele, but that does little to dissuade him from getting his hands dirty with both the detective work as well as the good-looking women involved.

    Cold Copper Tears rounds out this first trilogy of Garrett's with a new damsel in distress. With this one, at least, Garrett has the wherewithal to keep his hands to himself. No matter how difficult. There is more to the story than it initially seems, and before he knows it our infamous detective finds himself at odds with a cult, a church, and dead Loghyr that still holds more power and sway with its spirit than ten live wizards combined.

The Good

Cook's style is incredible. It's not just the narrative, but the voice with which he spins his stories.

    Garrett is a completely different character than Croaker, the physician/narrator of The Black Company, and that is one of the things that makes Cook's voice so incredibly unique. Garrett uses dry humor and sarcastic wit to accompany his womanizing behavior. Is he asinine? A lot of the time. But there's a charm there that will have you turning the page again and again just to see what he does next. And the buck doesn't just stop with Garrett.

    There are a plethora of colorful characters that find themselves at Garrett's side throughout this trilogy. As mentioned above, Morley Dotes is a staple. There's also Saucerhead Tharpe, Tinnie, the Dead Man, Dean, and my personal favorite in Maya. Each one of these characters brings their own unique backstories and interactions with Garrett that flesh him out as they traverse the interesting locale that is Tunfaire.

    The narratives are also strong, here. None of the mysteries are going to make you gasp with surprise, but at the risk of cliches it's really not the destination you're reading them for. The journey itself is what makes the books so good, and with short chapters of roughly five pages a piece... it's a breeze to get through.

The Bad

I don't think this would necessarily fall into a bad category, but I will say that the genre is very niche. This is not a typical Glen Cook military fantasy. It's also nothing like the science fiction books he's written. Garrett stands on his own as a unique protagonist, and his stories are just as unique in that it would be incredibly hard to find a shelf with Gritty Fantasy Detective Fiction on the label. That said, if that's your bag... pick the book up and enjoy.

Absolutely Epic

It's a great ride. I'm not sure yet if I like Garrett's series as much as I love Croaker's, but only time will tell. It's certainly up there. At the very least a close 2nd. If you like The Witcher but wish you could see a funnier Geralt with less powers and more bravado, The Garrett Files is probably for you.

9/10

Epic

To see my own works in the fantasy section, check out The Sovereign