What do you think?
Rate this book
Detecting Magic with Dick Hunter: The Mort des Hommes Files
What begins as a routine missing person case for Seattle's best private investigator, Dick Hunter, turns into a personal vendetta against a cruel murderer. The murderer, Mort Des Hommes happens to posses powerful magic.
In order to solve the case and avenge a death, Dick Hunter has to take a crash course in magic from the beautiful Jinn Amie, and gather magical animal familiars in order to battle and defeat Mort Des Hommes.
In order to solve the case and avenge a death, Dick Hunter has to take a crash course in magic from the beautiful Jinn Amie, and gather magical animal familiars in order to battle and defeat Mort Des Hommes.
207 pages, Paperback
First published February 23, 2011
72 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 30, 2011
A Little Bit of Marlowe And a Whole Lot of Magic
Unusual in its presentation, Detecting Magic With Dick Hunter: The Mort Des Hommes Files is a novella by A. Jarrell Hayes. Dick Hunter smacks of the private eye, Phillip Marlowe, from the 1940s. Marlowe’s traits were once described as “the loneliness, the quick, sarcastic cynical jibes masking a battered romantic, the love/hate relationship with the cops,” all of which seem to be part of Hunter’s personality as well.
The magical creatures essential to this tale might have distressed Marlowe, but Hunter treats them with the same sarcasm he usually reserves for humans with one exception: Amie, a Pleasant Jinn and the one character who can perhaps unmask the battered romantic in Hunter.
Dick Hunter’s wise-cracking repartee while dealing with Sylphs, Pyros, Gnomes, Shades, Sea Nymphs and Auras—or magical raccoons, salamanders, cats, bats, sea turtles and birds to you—keeps the tale light despite the weighty consequences awaiting Hunter’s failure to deal with the Wicked Jinn known as Mort des Hommes.
In this entertaining tale, you’ll be treated to magic and romance, but don’t expect a predictable ending.
Reviewed by Dannye Williamsen, Breakthrough Bookstore
Unusual in its presentation, Detecting Magic With Dick Hunter: The Mort Des Hommes Files is a novella by A. Jarrell Hayes. Dick Hunter smacks of the private eye, Phillip Marlowe, from the 1940s. Marlowe’s traits were once described as “the loneliness, the quick, sarcastic cynical jibes masking a battered romantic, the love/hate relationship with the cops,” all of which seem to be part of Hunter’s personality as well.
The magical creatures essential to this tale might have distressed Marlowe, but Hunter treats them with the same sarcasm he usually reserves for humans with one exception: Amie, a Pleasant Jinn and the one character who can perhaps unmask the battered romantic in Hunter.
Dick Hunter’s wise-cracking repartee while dealing with Sylphs, Pyros, Gnomes, Shades, Sea Nymphs and Auras—or magical raccoons, salamanders, cats, bats, sea turtles and birds to you—keeps the tale light despite the weighty consequences awaiting Hunter’s failure to deal with the Wicked Jinn known as Mort des Hommes.
In this entertaining tale, you’ll be treated to magic and romance, but don’t expect a predictable ending.
Reviewed by Dannye Williamsen, Breakthrough Bookstore
May 20, 2011
This is a first-reads review.
Hayes lays down a story like no other. It has an interesting cast of characters, a new mythos for a familiar world, and an easy readability. Stylistically, it evokes a "hard-boiled detective" from the black and white films, with a sarcasm and lighthearted touch more evocative of today's action films with elements of romantic comedies.
Dick Hunter is a surly character, yet he manages to cope well with the magical idiosyncrasies of the novel. It offers an interesting dichotomy, a down-to-earth ration person with the whimsy and openness of magic. The magical creatures are cute, with inspired names, and the villain doesn't lack in terms of malevolence and general ill-will.
All in all, this was a fine read, and an interesting look for those that enjoy detective noir with a hint of the supernatural.
Hayes lays down a story like no other. It has an interesting cast of characters, a new mythos for a familiar world, and an easy readability. Stylistically, it evokes a "hard-boiled detective" from the black and white films, with a sarcasm and lighthearted touch more evocative of today's action films with elements of romantic comedies.
Dick Hunter is a surly character, yet he manages to cope well with the magical idiosyncrasies of the novel. It offers an interesting dichotomy, a down-to-earth ration person with the whimsy and openness of magic. The magical creatures are cute, with inspired names, and the villain doesn't lack in terms of malevolence and general ill-will.
All in all, this was a fine read, and an interesting look for those that enjoy detective noir with a hint of the supernatural.
June 9, 2011
Gates of Hell
Detecting Magic With Dick Hunter by A. Jarrell Hayes is a tall tale about detective Dick Hunter. Dick Hunter is a former cop, turned private detective, hired to find a missing husband. In his search for the missing man, he runs across a scene his eyes refuses to believe.
As he tries to solve the mystery, Dick realizes this story is about to take a bizarre turn for the worst. Dick meets the beautiful Jinn Aime that he soon finds out is actually 300 years-old and a cast of magical animal familiars that can talk and have special powers. They all team together to catch and defeat Mort Des Hommes (a wicked Jinn), who happens to posses a very powerful magic. Mort Des Hommes has a mission...to bust open the gates of hell. Can this cast of characters stop him?
Detecting Magic With Dick Hunter by A. Jarrell Hayes was a very strange story. Although it was a quick read I was a bit confused with the crash course terminology of the magical world in which the author was writing about. I also had a hard time believing that six magical creatures, who were all small in stature, could possibly take on the task at hand. With a good developmental author, and a little more creative plotting this story has the potential to be better but for a younger audience (minus the sexual references and cursing).
This book was provided by the author for review purposes.
Reviewed by Leona
APOOO BookClub
Detecting Magic With Dick Hunter by A. Jarrell Hayes is a tall tale about detective Dick Hunter. Dick Hunter is a former cop, turned private detective, hired to find a missing husband. In his search for the missing man, he runs across a scene his eyes refuses to believe.
As he tries to solve the mystery, Dick realizes this story is about to take a bizarre turn for the worst. Dick meets the beautiful Jinn Aime that he soon finds out is actually 300 years-old and a cast of magical animal familiars that can talk and have special powers. They all team together to catch and defeat Mort Des Hommes (a wicked Jinn), who happens to posses a very powerful magic. Mort Des Hommes has a mission...to bust open the gates of hell. Can this cast of characters stop him?
Detecting Magic With Dick Hunter by A. Jarrell Hayes was a very strange story. Although it was a quick read I was a bit confused with the crash course terminology of the magical world in which the author was writing about. I also had a hard time believing that six magical creatures, who were all small in stature, could possibly take on the task at hand. With a good developmental author, and a little more creative plotting this story has the potential to be better but for a younger audience (minus the sexual references and cursing).
This book was provided by the author for review purposes.
Reviewed by Leona
APOOO BookClub
November 16, 2012
This novella has a very noir detective feel. Dick Hunter has a casual, aloof and sarcastic manner even though he is very much determined to understand the horrific death of his client’s husband. Enter the Jinn and her magical familiars. The story takes a fantastical turn as the author reveals a new magical history to our world. I felt that the story moved at a rapid pace, and had alot of action, but I did not really connect with the characters, especially with Dick Hunter. He felt too one-note, and the developing romance was based on superficiality. Although the story is a quick and entertaining read and has very interesting ideas, I was not moved by the characters or the events and I think the story could benefit by digging a little deeper into the characters minds and the high risk stakes. I would especially be interested in reading more about the Jinn and their lives on earth.
May 6, 2011
the book was great I liked the fact that Mr Hayes took a non believer in magic and made him into a believer by the end of the book.
Dick Hunter is hired to find a missing person and while on the case finds himself knee deep {or in this case top of his head deep} in magic with woodland animals talking to him and a number of other things he personally can not explain.
well I guess people will have to read the book to find out what I mean by this but it was a great page turner
Dick Hunter is hired to find a missing person and while on the case finds himself knee deep {or in this case top of his head deep} in magic with woodland animals talking to him and a number of other things he personally can not explain.
well I guess people will have to read the book to find out what I mean by this but it was a great page turner
February 13, 2013
In compliance with FTC guidelines, please disclose in your review that you received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.My dad won this book for the family. I think it is a really good book and enjoyed reading it a lot. I could not put the book down I just wanted to get to the end to see what happened.
June 2, 2018
Awesome book. There were times where the book remained me a whole lot of Supernatural. The book had angels and demons and a guy trying to stop the end of the world, just like supernatural. Very cool book.
Read
June 21, 2012It was awesome! I enjoyed reading this book.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews