Murder in the Dust

by Shaun Thornhill

Through the years, the villagers of Sannat have struggled to overcome a horrible battle. When several of Colonel Hawthorn’s sheep are brutally slaughtered, echoes of the past worry many.

Colonel calls on the Arcane Investigators, mages Ross MacTaggert and Rick Logan to take the case. Very soon it becomes clear that there’s more to this act of violence than meets the eye. They’ll need some extra help from Dr. Karel Babbage and Cora Wiltshire to track down the culprit.

As the Arcane Investigators each scour the small town for clues, surprising connections are uncovered—and increasing acts of violence put their unique skills to the test. When the case suddenly shifts from livestock slaughter to a full-blown murder mystery, the stakes become higher than ever as the crew grows closer to finding the “ogre” behind these heinous acts.

Murder in the Dust follows every step of the heart-pounding investigation in a world of Western fantasy, mixing high magic with proto-steampunk technology. Join Ross and Rick as they uncover clues, immerse themselves in their third case together, and combine their efforts to make Sannat a safer and more respectable place to live.

#fantasy #steampunk #indieauthors

195 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 13, 2016

Reviews

[Claire Banschbach · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

This was an interesting read full of action and mystery. It all takes place in a small town best by mysterious murders. Two magic using investigators are brought in to solve the case, and they and their team must race to solve the case before more townspeople are killed.
The story had a really interesting setting in a widely varied world. The magic using was really neat as were the different races. My only problem was that some of it wasn't explained very well, but you could still figure it out from context. Some of the worldbuilding could have been explained, but I think that this book might be linked to another one of the author's books, so it might be better laid out there.
The characters were all varied and interesting. POVs switched around a lot which made things a bit confusing at times, but it wasn't terrible. The plot moved very quickly and the author gave plenty of townspeople motivation which meant that there was plenty of suspicion to go around. The pace definitely picked up after the first few chapters and it's not terribly long, so I finished most of it in one sitting. There was a bit of a twist at the end, which made things very interesting. :)

Recommended if you like fantasy, mystery, and magic!

[Amy Magee · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an avid reader it is rare that I don't see the plot twist coming or figure out who the murderer is. I honestly had no idea who the murderer was and for me that is a great book! The book was also very well written to make you feel like you are taking the journey through the town with the Arcane Investigators and discovering the town and the people with them. The vivid descriptions give you a very clear visual that makes you feel like you are there. I also like how the author eases you into the realization that this is not your regular western by introducing different elements and ideas throughout the story that slowly paints the picture of the time you are in and the types of characters that are there. I won't say more because it will spoil it, but if you like mysteries and fantasy, you will love this book.

[Shaun Thornhill · Rating 5 out of 5]

A straight 'who done it,' marks the first case of the Arcane Investigators. A murderer lurks in the quiet village of Sannat. I enjoyed the subtle clues and the juxtaposition of action and contemplation. I also liked the interaction between the fantasy/western steampunk CSI team. each brings a certain perspective to the solving of the crime. I definitely want to see this team work another case.