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Garrett Files #3
Cold Copper Tears
Slaying beauty
She was tall, blonde, and offering Garrett a fee that was irresistible to take a case that seemed open and shut. But in a town of elves and humans, thugs and swindlers—a place where magic and religion could prove an all-too-potent mix—Garrett had learned to take a long, hard look before nodding yes.
And when, soon after this damsel in distress had departed, the Grand Inquisitor came looking for Garrett’s help, he knew it was time to throw some business his competitors’ way. But even for a hard-boiled detective like Garrett, who had the Dead Man for an ally and the toughest half-elf in town guarding his back, it was already too late to say no. For Garrett had been fingered as the latest sacrifice to a long-dead god, and his only chance to save his neck was to solve his newest cases right now!
She was tall, blonde, and offering Garrett a fee that was irresistible to take a case that seemed open and shut. But in a town of elves and humans, thugs and swindlers—a place where magic and religion could prove an all-too-potent mix—Garrett had learned to take a long, hard look before nodding yes.
And when, soon after this damsel in distress had departed, the Grand Inquisitor came looking for Garrett’s help, he knew it was time to throw some business his competitors’ way. But even for a hard-boiled detective like Garrett, who had the Dead Man for an ally and the toughest half-elf in town guarding his back, it was already too late to say no. For Garrett had been fingered as the latest sacrifice to a long-dead god, and his only chance to save his neck was to solve his newest cases right now!
249 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
44 people are currently reading
860 people want to read
About the author
Glen Cook
158 books3,703 followersGlen Cook was born in New York City, lived in southern Indiana as a small child, then grew up in Northern California. After high school he served in the U.S. Navy and attended the University of Missouri. He worked for General Motors for 33 years, retiring some years ago. He started writing short stories in 7th grade, had several published in a high school literary magazine. He began writing with malicious intent to publish in 1968, eventually producing 51 books and a number of short fiction pieces.
He met his wife of 43 years while attending the Clarion Writer's Workshop in 1970. He has three sons (army officer, architect, orchestral musician) and numerous grandchildren, all of whom but one are female. He is best known for his Black Company series, which has appeared in 20+ languages worldwide. His other series include Dread Empire and and the Garrett, P.I. series. His latest work is Working God’s Mischief, fourth in the Instrumentalities of the Night series.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/glencook
He met his wife of 43 years while attending the Clarion Writer's Workshop in 1970. He has three sons (army officer, architect, orchestral musician) and numerous grandchildren, all of whom but one are female. He is best known for his Black Company series, which has appeared in 20+ languages worldwide. His other series include Dread Empire and and the Garrett, P.I. series. His latest work is Working God’s Mischief, fourth in the Instrumentalities of the Night series.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/glencook
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
February 21, 2022
I think I might or might not be slightly a little in 💕lurve💕 with Garrett. And Morley. And Dean. And Maya. And the Dead Man. Hahahaha, just kidding. I draw the line at maggots. Sometimes. But mostly with Garrett. Because DUH.
How do you like my new covid-19 hairdo? Pretty hot, huh?
➽ Review to come and stuff.
· Book 1: Sweet Silver Blues ★★★★
· Book 2: Bitter Gold Hearts ★★★★
· Book 4: Old Tin Sorrows ★★★★★
· Book 5: Dread Brass Shadows ★★★★
· Book 6: Red Iron Nights ★★★★★
· Book 7: Deadly Quicksilver Lies ★★★★★
· Book 8: Petty Pewter Gods ★★★
· Book 9: Faded Steel Heat ★★★
· Book 10: Angry Lead Skies ★★★★
· Book 11: Whispering Nickel Idols ★★★★
· Book 12: Cruel Zinc Melodies ★★★★
· Book 13: Gilded Latten Bones ★★★★
· Book 14: Wicked Bronze Ambition ★★★
How do you like my new covid-19 hairdo? Pretty hot, huh?
➽ Review to come and stuff.
· Book 1: Sweet Silver Blues ★★★★
· Book 2: Bitter Gold Hearts ★★★★
· Book 4: Old Tin Sorrows ★★★★★
· Book 5: Dread Brass Shadows ★★★★
· Book 6: Red Iron Nights ★★★★★
· Book 7: Deadly Quicksilver Lies ★★★★★
· Book 8: Petty Pewter Gods ★★★
· Book 9: Faded Steel Heat ★★★
· Book 10: Angry Lead Skies ★★★★
· Book 11: Whispering Nickel Idols ★★★★
· Book 12: Cruel Zinc Melodies ★★★★
· Book 13: Gilded Latten Bones ★★★★
· Book 14: Wicked Bronze Ambition ★★★
December 14, 2010
4.0 stars. If Philip Marlowe drank too much Four Roses Whiskey one night and stumbled into a dark, gritty version of Tolkien's Middle Earth, you might have something similar to the setting of The Garrett Files series. This third installment continues the tradition of fun, fast and smart reads that are highly enjoyable. I really like this series and recommend it.
October 21, 2013
Originally reviewed at Bookwraiths Reviews
This is the third novel in Glen Cook’s Garrett P.I. series, where our hero doesn’t have to go looking for trouble for it to find him. While this wasn’t the best of the series, Cold Cooper Tears was still a solid novel with enough humor, surprises, and interesting plot lines to keep you turning the pages.
Basically, this story begins when our favorite fantasy P.I. Garrett gets approached by a beautiful damsel in distress named Jill Craight. (Garrett getting hired by a cute chic what are the odds?) Naturally she needs Garrett help for a routine job: find out who has been breaking into her apartment and why.
Sounds pretty easy doesn’t it? That is exactly what Garrett believes.
Unfortunately, things immediately get complicated when a Magister Peridont comes by, wanting to hire Garrett to locate some religious relics which have walked away. Since Garrett isn’t a religious sort of guy - and he is naturally lazy never forget - he respectfully declines. Of course that doesn’t keep things from spiraling downward, and Garrett finds himself being attacked by a gang called the Vampires. This leads our investigator to contact an old friend Maya, who is the leader of a gang called Doom, for advice. From Maya, Garrett learns that his client, Jill, was a former member of Doom and that she is a chronic liar. With Maya in tow and Garrett suitable confused as usual, the story begins in earnest.
What happens next is classic Garrett. He bumbles around without the first clue as to what is going on or who to investigate. He will find a clue here, a dead body there, stumble upon long forgotten bad guys out to murder him, and then spend most of his time drinking beer and attempting not to go home alone. Along the way, a reader is peppered with Garrett’s wit and wisdom about people and life without you even realize he is doing it.
Almost anything Glen Cook writes to me is worth reading, and Cold Copper Tears is no exception. Now, it won’t give you an epiphany about life, but it will entertain you for more than a few hours. And really isn’t that what P.I. books are all about: entertainment.
This is the third novel in Glen Cook’s Garrett P.I. series, where our hero doesn’t have to go looking for trouble for it to find him. While this wasn’t the best of the series, Cold Cooper Tears was still a solid novel with enough humor, surprises, and interesting plot lines to keep you turning the pages.
Basically, this story begins when our favorite fantasy P.I. Garrett gets approached by a beautiful damsel in distress named Jill Craight. (Garrett getting hired by a cute chic what are the odds?) Naturally she needs Garrett help for a routine job: find out who has been breaking into her apartment and why.
Sounds pretty easy doesn’t it? That is exactly what Garrett believes.
Unfortunately, things immediately get complicated when a Magister Peridont comes by, wanting to hire Garrett to locate some religious relics which have walked away. Since Garrett isn’t a religious sort of guy - and he is naturally lazy never forget - he respectfully declines. Of course that doesn’t keep things from spiraling downward, and Garrett finds himself being attacked by a gang called the Vampires. This leads our investigator to contact an old friend Maya, who is the leader of a gang called Doom, for advice. From Maya, Garrett learns that his client, Jill, was a former member of Doom and that she is a chronic liar. With Maya in tow and Garrett suitable confused as usual, the story begins in earnest.
What happens next is classic Garrett. He bumbles around without the first clue as to what is going on or who to investigate. He will find a clue here, a dead body there, stumble upon long forgotten bad guys out to murder him, and then spend most of his time drinking beer and attempting not to go home alone. Along the way, a reader is peppered with Garrett’s wit and wisdom about people and life without you even realize he is doing it.
Almost anything Glen Cook writes to me is worth reading, and Cold Copper Tears is no exception. Now, it won’t give you an epiphany about life, but it will entertain you for more than a few hours. And really isn’t that what P.I. books are all about: entertainment.
January 28, 2020
Among my favorite things - mysteries, film noir, and fantasy fiction (from J.R.R. Tolkien, to Lev Grossman and beyond). Glen Cook has done a great job of packaging them together with a sense of humor in Garrett (his P.I.) that sometimes seems like Parker’s Spenser and other times seems like Keillor’s Guy Noir (but for those who know, he is Archie to his own Nero). I found 4 star copper, and lack any regrets that it isn’t gold. Don’t look for anything but a moment’s entertainment.
Here is a sample: “…Here we go again.” I knew the signs. Out comes the squeaky old armor and the rusty old sword. Garrett was going to get all noble.
At least this time somebody would pay me for my trouble --- though I wouldn’t exactly be doing what they paid me to do. But I never quite do what they want done. I do what I think needs doing. That’s why not all of my former clients give me favorable references.”
Not having a better idea of what to do, I headed for the Old Shipway theater district. Who knew? I might stumble onto something blonde.”
My convoy went with me. The faces changed periodically but there were never fewer than four men hovering around. It’s nice to know that you’re loved.”
…I’m a guy who doesn’t understand intangible stakes. I know some would argue that I have a set of values that I take pretty seriously, but if I can’t eat it or spend it or make it go purr in the dark, I don’t know what to do with it. It’s a weakness, a blind spot. Sometimes I forget that there are guys willing to get killed over ideas. I just go bulling ahead, looking for the pot of gold.”
Here is a sample: “…Here we go again.” I knew the signs. Out comes the squeaky old armor and the rusty old sword. Garrett was going to get all noble.
At least this time somebody would pay me for my trouble --- though I wouldn’t exactly be doing what they paid me to do. But I never quite do what they want done. I do what I think needs doing. That’s why not all of my former clients give me favorable references.”
Not having a better idea of what to do, I headed for the Old Shipway theater district. Who knew? I might stumble onto something blonde.”
My convoy went with me. The faces changed periodically but there were never fewer than four men hovering around. It’s nice to know that you’re loved.”
…I’m a guy who doesn’t understand intangible stakes. I know some would argue that I have a set of values that I take pretty seriously, but if I can’t eat it or spend it or make it go purr in the dark, I don’t know what to do with it. It’s a weakness, a blind spot. Sometimes I forget that there are guys willing to get killed over ideas. I just go bulling ahead, looking for the pot of gold.”
January 8, 2023
COLD COPPER TEARS is the third Garrett PI book and one that I very much enjoyed from start to finish. It is an interesting story as well because it is Garrett dealing with the topic of religion and how it utterly baffles him as a concept. Glen Cook has made his opinions on organized religion known in his BLACK COMPANY book and doesn't hold back here either. However, the interesting fact is that Glen Cook plays around here.
Basically, Garrett is a fantastic detective when dealing with self-interested, coin-obsessed, and ruthless criminals. He's fine when dealing with corrupt clergy but it takes most of the book to realize he's utterly failed to be able to crack the case because it doesn't parse that not only are the rank and file of the cults he's dealing with true believers but their leaders are sincere worshipers as well. It takes his companion, Dead Man, psychically telling him that, "No, he actually does believe his religion's dogma" to get it through his head.
Kudos.
I also really liked the character of Maya but the discovery she's 18 rather than 14 rather, uh, leads to a questionable decision on Garrett's head regarding whether she's suddenly girlfriend material. I'm not sure I can really follow that logic, Glen.
No, sir, I don't like it.
Otherwise, a fantastic noir detective story in a high fantasy setting.
Basically, Garrett is a fantastic detective when dealing with self-interested, coin-obsessed, and ruthless criminals. He's fine when dealing with corrupt clergy but it takes most of the book to realize he's utterly failed to be able to crack the case because it doesn't parse that not only are the rank and file of the cults he's dealing with true believers but their leaders are sincere worshipers as well. It takes his companion, Dead Man, psychically telling him that, "No, he actually does believe his religion's dogma" to get it through his head.
Kudos.
I also really liked the character of Maya but the discovery she's 18 rather than 14 rather, uh, leads to a questionable decision on Garrett's head regarding whether she's suddenly girlfriend material. I'm not sure I can really follow that logic, Glen.
No, sir, I don't like it.
Otherwise, a fantastic noir detective story in a high fantasy setting.
March 25, 2018
This 2nd read read it in 1989 & 2010 but After reading horror needed a good laugh.
The dead man he's not a man but A Loghyr he weighs only 36stone is about four hundred years old stinks bad, has mice eating him and he does lot of sleeping but When He is awake he helps PI Garret in TunFaire Garret is a Sam Spade & Philip Marlow hard boiled beer drinking ginger haired bastard working with dwarfs,elves and lot of evil fairys out to kill him all time .Rodger Rabbit style on bloody Acid.
In walks Lauren Bacul the there the vampires along with the religious mad monks out to kill him its just normal day
The dead man he's not a man but A Loghyr he weighs only 36stone is about four hundred years old stinks bad, has mice eating him and he does lot of sleeping but When He is awake he helps PI Garret in TunFaire Garret is a Sam Spade & Philip Marlow hard boiled beer drinking ginger haired bastard working with dwarfs,elves and lot of evil fairys out to kill him all time .Rodger Rabbit style on bloody Acid.
In walks Lauren Bacul the there the vampires along with the religious mad monks out to kill him its just normal day
October 11, 2025
This is third in a mystery series and can be read out of order. There's some continuity with relationships and setting, but nothing you can't pick up in context. Still, I recommend reading in order anyway, with maybe skipping the first for reasons I described in my review of Bitter Gold Hearts.
For a guy who doesn't want work, Garrett sure does seem to do a lot of it in this book. With people throwing money at him while others seem bent on killing him, I suppose his desire to be a layabout doesn't really hold weight.
This story has a lot of religion in it, almost all steeped in corruption and hypocrisy. There are good people with faith (Dean and Playmate come to mind), but for the most part, religion takes a beating in this book. I suppose selection bias would play into that as those elements prone to corruption would be those that would lend themselves to Garrett's line of work. Still, if you like your fantasy religions to have solid foundations you won't find that here. It doesn't help that for all the foreign words and structure, the core religion reflects strong elements of medieval faith including monks, nuns, confessionals, and expectations of priestly celibacy. Uncharacteristically shallow world building that...
I'm not sure why I have this as four stars in my rating from however long ago. I enjoyed it just fine this time through and was completely engaged throughout. There is a bit of a squick* factor with Maya and that whole relationship is a minefield, but I like Maya too much to quibble about it. And we already know Garrett is a hound dog with a weakness for willing women.
Anyway, I'm bumping this up to five stars as it's a fantastic fantasy mystery and Garrett is in his element with the Dead Man, Dean, and Morley cementing their respective roles along the way—above weaknesses notwithstanding.
* Squick formula: The squick formula is the older divided in half and then add seven years. If the younger is under that number, we have a squick violation. Garrett is "early thirties" and Maya is eighteen. So even if we take the generous side and call him 31, we come up with 31 / 2 = 15.5 + 7 = 22.5 as Garrett's lower acceptable bound. Yeah, it's not even close. I feel a little bad that I don't care because Maya is definitely the instigator and we already know that Garrett is weak, at least in this regard.
A note about Chaste: There's definitely sex, including squicky sex. But Cook pulls the curtain extremely fast and none of it is on-page. I find it fairly chaste, but those with stricter boundaries have cause to disagree. Maybe with a bit of enhanced judgement given that Garrett is indiscriminate in his affections (i.e. he's with Tinnie Tate in this book as well as Maya so yeah; hound dog).
For a guy who doesn't want work, Garrett sure does seem to do a lot of it in this book. With people throwing money at him while others seem bent on killing him, I suppose his desire to be a layabout doesn't really hold weight.
This story has a lot of religion in it, almost all steeped in corruption and hypocrisy. There are good people with faith (Dean and Playmate come to mind), but for the most part, religion takes a beating in this book. I suppose selection bias would play into that as those elements prone to corruption would be those that would lend themselves to Garrett's line of work. Still, if you like your fantasy religions to have solid foundations you won't find that here. It doesn't help that for all the foreign words and structure, the core religion reflects strong elements of medieval faith including monks, nuns, confessionals, and expectations of priestly celibacy. Uncharacteristically shallow world building that...
I'm not sure why I have this as four stars in my rating from however long ago. I enjoyed it just fine this time through and was completely engaged throughout. There is a bit of a squick* factor with Maya and that whole relationship is a minefield, but I like Maya too much to quibble about it. And we already know Garrett is a hound dog with a weakness for willing women.
Anyway, I'm bumping this up to five stars as it's a fantastic fantasy mystery and Garrett is in his element with the Dead Man, Dean, and Morley cementing their respective roles along the way—above weaknesses notwithstanding.
* Squick formula: The squick formula is the older divided in half and then add seven years. If the younger is under that number, we have a squick violation. Garrett is "early thirties" and Maya is eighteen. So even if we take the generous side and call him 31, we come up with 31 / 2 = 15.5 + 7 = 22.5 as Garrett's lower acceptable bound. Yeah, it's not even close. I feel a little bad that I don't care because Maya is definitely the instigator and we already know that Garrett is weak, at least in this regard.
A note about Chaste: There's definitely sex, including squicky sex. But Cook pulls the curtain extremely fast and none of it is on-page. I find it fairly chaste, but those with stricter boundaries have cause to disagree. Maybe with a bit of enhanced judgement given that Garrett is indiscriminate in his affections (i.e. he's with Tinnie Tate in this book as well as Maya so yeah; hound dog).
March 13, 2011
Garrett P.I continues to hold my interest with this third installment. Good transfer of the noir style to the fantasy world of Tun-Faire with its cosmopolite mix of races, religions and political factions. The plot is ambiguous and the solution comes more from perseverence than from genial insights a la Sherlock Holmes. Colourful characters range from blonde bombshell to spooky paid killers, crime overlords and corrupt priests. Some of Garret's friends from the previous adventures provide conitnuity, together with an overarching military plot. Best part for me comes from the ability of the writer to crack jokes without dumbing down the story and the sudden barbed arrows sneaked in the text, including a variation of "down these mean streets a man must walk ..."
July 11, 2017
Bogart and Bacall, Garrett, Jill and Maya this is a cross between the Big Sleep and Nero Wolfe with the fat man Wolfe replaced by the Dead Man, Fritz by Dean. And while it's all been done before it's never been done this way in the town of TunFaire with dark elves street assassins, trolls, dwarfs, and gods.
Recommended to anyone who looking for a hard boiled mystery in a very different setting.
edit** 7/11/17 reread, just as good as I remembered, after recently reading Black Company, I wanted to see if Garrett still had his old magic and he's still my favorite fantasy detective.
Recommended to anyone who looking for a hard boiled mystery in a very different setting.
edit** 7/11/17 reread, just as good as I remembered, after recently reading Black Company, I wanted to see if Garrett still had his old magic and he's still my favorite fantasy detective.
July 1, 2012
"I'm Garrett - low thirties, six feet two, two hundred pounds, ginger hair, ex-marine, all-around fun guy. For a price I'll find things or get the boogeys off your back. I'm no genious. I get the job done by being too stubborn to quit. My favorite sport is female and my favorite food is beer."
Garrett for the win !
Garrett for the win !
January 14, 2022
This series continues to be excellent even years after my first read through.
I love all of the characters and how alive this world seems. What I forgot is how dark it is as well. Sure, there is humor and some levity, but the author also shows the ugly side of TunFair. The existance of the Doom and the kind of members it attracts is just one reminder.
Onward to the next book of the series.
I love all of the characters and how alive this world seems. What I forgot is how dark it is as well. Sure, there is humor and some levity, but the author also shows the ugly side of TunFair. The existance of the Doom and the kind of members it attracts is just one reminder.
Onward to the next book of the series.
August 5, 2012
Another entertaining Garret Files book, this one centered around a mysterious doomsday cult. Once again Garret is "hooked" by a beautiful and mysterious woman which leads him down a winding path of danger, death, and excitement with the usual cynical wit and drinking along the way. One trend that I'm noticing in these books is that the author tends to hide the critical from the reader which makes it less of a mystery and more of a wait and see what happens adventure. I've also noticed that Garret actually solves his cases more through dogged perseverance than through any kind of insight or great detective skills -- he's too stubborn to give up! Don't expect any sort of character growth or deep philosophical meaning behind his motives: he's old enough to be cynical and cranky, likes his drinks, and considers women a sport, yet is a genuine "good guy" in a rough and tumble fantasy setting. These books are nothing but entertainment, quick and light entertainment. In a previous review I cast Garret as what Jim Butcher's Dresden would've been like if written by Terry Pratchett. I now revise that to him being more like what Philip Marlowe would've been as a Dungeons and Dragons character.
February 21, 2019
Religion comes to TunFaire in this third volume of the Garrett P.I. series. Garrett is a hardboiled detective in a fantasy city. His dream in life is to have nothing to do but drink beer and maybe enjoy the attention of a beautiful woman. After his exploits in the previous novel he has plenty of money and really doesn’t need to do any work, so he’s quite surprised when a street gang tries to kill him and even more shocked to learn shortly thereafter that someone has put a substantial price on his head. Despite his best efforts to the contrary, Garrett has to go to work to find out who’s trying to kill him.
That’s when religion enters the picture. A high-ranking religious figure tries to hire Garrett to find some missing relics. An ancient cult with some bizarre self-mutilation habits seems interested in doing the detective ill. A woman from his distant past is somehow involved in the mess and Garrett’s nobler instincts are pushing him to help her—if he could figure out what she really wants him to do. It’s a complicated situation which shows us a totally different side of the city of TunFaire then we saw in the first two books. The mystery is engaging and the eventual exposure of the villain is exciting and worthy of the buildup. It’s always a good sign when you still remember the bad guy thirty years after first reading the book.
Overall, I would describe this as a classic Garrett novel. The supporting cast is still small enough that they don’t slow the pace of the story as everyone has to make an appearance. The prose is tight and the pages flip quickly from first chapter to last. It’s not the best book to start the series on because the Dead Man plays a smaller role than usual, but if you’ve enjoyed any of the other Garrett books the odds are high you’ll enjoy this one too.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
That’s when religion enters the picture. A high-ranking religious figure tries to hire Garrett to find some missing relics. An ancient cult with some bizarre self-mutilation habits seems interested in doing the detective ill. A woman from his distant past is somehow involved in the mess and Garrett’s nobler instincts are pushing him to help her—if he could figure out what she really wants him to do. It’s a complicated situation which shows us a totally different side of the city of TunFaire then we saw in the first two books. The mystery is engaging and the eventual exposure of the villain is exciting and worthy of the buildup. It’s always a good sign when you still remember the bad guy thirty years after first reading the book.
Overall, I would describe this as a classic Garrett novel. The supporting cast is still small enough that they don’t slow the pace of the story as everyone has to make an appearance. The prose is tight and the pages flip quickly from first chapter to last. It’s not the best book to start the series on because the Dead Man plays a smaller role than usual, but if you’ve enjoyed any of the other Garrett books the odds are high you’ll enjoy this one too.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
October 18, 2012
I'm going to let this review serve for all the Glen Cooks I have read in the past week plus the ones that I'm planning to read in the near future. It's a simple review and this is it: moving Archie Goodwin* to a fantasy city as well imagined - and not dissimilar to - Ankh-Morpork or Sanctuary from the old Thieve's World books was a stroke of total and complete genius. Finally I have figured out why people rave about Glen Cook. I'm eating these books up. So is my dog, which means that I read Petty Pewter Gods in several installments of more or less chewed pages.
Cook has essentially moved the entire Nero Wolfe household (sans orchids, but still) including Nero himself, reimagined as a, um, dead "person" who isn't quite dead to TunFaire, which is everything you could want in a grungy, energetic fantasy city. There are dwarfs and ogres and trolls, sorcerors, dark elves, the occasional T-Rex and more, all coexisting with the requisite blondes and stacked redheads who show up at the door, needing assistance and hiding their motives. The books are hilarious, fast moving, moderately sexist but I don't care in this instance and just generally tremendous fun to read.
* Archie Goodwin is Nero Wolfe's assistant in Rex Stout's classic detective books from the 30s. They are also a whole lot of fun.
Cook has essentially moved the entire Nero Wolfe household (sans orchids, but still) including Nero himself, reimagined as a, um, dead "person" who isn't quite dead to TunFaire, which is everything you could want in a grungy, energetic fantasy city. There are dwarfs and ogres and trolls, sorcerors, dark elves, the occasional T-Rex and more, all coexisting with the requisite blondes and stacked redheads who show up at the door, needing assistance and hiding their motives. The books are hilarious, fast moving, moderately sexist but I don't care in this instance and just generally tremendous fun to read.
* Archie Goodwin is Nero Wolfe's assistant in Rex Stout's classic detective books from the 30s. They are also a whole lot of fun.
February 28, 2014
Detective Noir meets Gary Gygax's Gord, set in a world of mixed races human and other with all the problems that entails a sexy girl walks into the detectives office and needs his help. Sound familiar? With wry humour Glen Cook takes us through Garrett's world and into stranger stuff still. The dead Loghyr who's spirit hasn't given up on his flesh yet, the street girl who's got Garrett in her sights and the half elf who helps him through motives of his own, all combine together to a fascinating adventure.
My one quibble was the end it wasn't exactly conclusive.
I'm looking forward to the next in the series
My one quibble was the end it wasn't exactly conclusive.
I'm looking forward to the next in the series
April 19, 2014
The third book in Garrett PI series, I liked this one better than the previous one. Cook tackles religion in this one, as well as some other difficult questions, helped a bit by making it a fantasy tale.
Garrett seems a bit less two dimensional in this novel, and although most other are archetypes, as expected in the genre, they work quite well. The mystery in this case is mostly absent, but I feel it works better by walking away from some of the conventions of the noir novel. It is still a quick read, but this time with a bit more teeth for reflection.
Garrett seems a bit less two dimensional in this novel, and although most other are archetypes, as expected in the genre, they work quite well. The mystery in this case is mostly absent, but I feel it works better by walking away from some of the conventions of the noir novel. It is still a quick read, but this time with a bit more teeth for reflection.
June 16, 2015
With this third Garrett book, the author has hit his stride. This is a fun blend of mystery, fantasy, and supernatural. Recommended.
June 19, 2025
This is the third book of the series that I’ve read and I’m not sure how i feel about them. Overall they are fun reads, sort of like a Dresden novel except maybe not as in depth. I enjoyed the book overall but I would like there to be a little more magic/fantasy in there. So far there hasn’t been too much just little things here and there. Obviously the characters for the most part aren’t human, so I guess that’s where the fantasy part mostly is. Definitely going to keep reading them
December 3, 2014
The best Garrett, P.I. book yet. Garrett's central case this time around was about the theft of some religious relics, and while complicated and full of feints and dead ends for the reader, it was infinitely less frustratingly dense than the previous book's case--in other words, you could actually guess 'who has done it' if you followed closely enough.
The action in the book was also confined to the streets of Garrett's home city which is new for the series and a welcome change, though some very interesting world-scope events and concepts were also revealed.
Maya is an interesting, well-described character that will probably stick around going forward. Her relationship to Garrett and their interest in each other makes way more sense than the P.I.'s relationship to Tinnie, who has only really ever been alluded to since the first book. It will be interesting to see how that triangle plays out, if the author even decides to address it in more than a passing way (which seems possible and maybe even likely).
The humor and tone matched the previous books in the series, which can only be viewed as a positive.
One knock against this book is that Garrett has a bit too much success with the ladies, though if you imagine him as a sort of boastful narrator, you can dismiss a lot of these encounters as trumped-up and exaggerated. It fits the character. Another more important thing to worry about going forward in the series is the reliance on the Dead Man to swoop in at about page 230 of 250 with the deus ex explain-everything-china routine. This time the Loghyr only tied up an ancillary (though very serious) mystery, so perhaps the author is aware of this trap and will avoid it in the future. It's probably hard to write semi-omniscient characters and not just have them just run the board all the time, after all!
I enjoyed this one a lot, and will certainly continue reading.
The action in the book was also confined to the streets of Garrett's home city which is new for the series and a welcome change, though some very interesting world-scope events and concepts were also revealed.
Maya is an interesting, well-described character that will probably stick around going forward. Her relationship to Garrett and their interest in each other makes way more sense than the P.I.'s relationship to Tinnie, who has only really ever been alluded to since the first book. It will be interesting to see how that triangle plays out, if the author even decides to address it in more than a passing way (which seems possible and maybe even likely).
The humor and tone matched the previous books in the series, which can only be viewed as a positive.
One knock against this book is that Garrett has a bit too much success with the ladies, though if you imagine him as a sort of boastful narrator, you can dismiss a lot of these encounters as trumped-up and exaggerated. It fits the character. Another more important thing to worry about going forward in the series is the reliance on the Dead Man to swoop in at about page 230 of 250 with the deus ex explain-everything-china routine. This time the Loghyr only tied up an ancillary (though very serious) mystery, so perhaps the author is aware of this trap and will avoid it in the future. It's probably hard to write semi-omniscient characters and not just have them just run the board all the time, after all!
I enjoyed this one a lot, and will certainly continue reading.
August 21, 2016
it feelt so easy to come back to Glen's 'Noir' (fantastic!=disc)world.
It's welcoming,as you always get the same perfectly executed, witty, similar but with a moving twist, introduction of characters and places....
We got to love it..the gods are made of dreams, the law is made of mist....all commonly expected realities in some other/most worlds, are here irrelevant, and not really necessary.
is it a detective story? yes
,but it's a ride with friends(real character, with their own moody personalities, similar; but their own individuals, contributing to the sense of inertia and the adesive substance between humans, worlds, realities, fun/ridiculous fun)
, through windy hills(crowded buildings and massive Christian cathedrals)
, white yarn ball (the lair of a friend, the next of another 3++ group of old Highschool friends).
What's the story about? ..all of the above and :
- a run after relics and priests, and women.
- a meeting with gods, and history, and realities of life.
- a day & a death in the life of a detective!
It's welcoming,as you always get the same perfectly executed, witty, similar but with a moving twist, introduction of characters and places....
We got to love it..the gods are made of dreams, the law is made of mist....all commonly expected realities in some other/most worlds, are here irrelevant, and not really necessary.
is it a detective story? yes
,but it's a ride with friends(real character, with their own moody personalities, similar; but their own individuals, contributing to the sense of inertia and the adesive substance between humans, worlds, realities, fun/ridiculous fun)
, through windy hills(crowded buildings and massive Christian cathedrals)
, white yarn ball (the lair of a friend, the next of another 3++ group of old Highschool friends).
What's the story about? ..all of the above and :
- a run after relics and priests, and women.
- a meeting with gods, and history, and realities of life.
- a day & a death in the life of a detective!
April 1, 2019
Cold Copper Tears is the third book in the Garrett P.I series and I feel as if they are only getting better. You get a little bit more background on Garrett and some of the other characters. As well as more world building and a bit of the religious structure. Again we have a few re-occurring characters such as Morley & Saucerhead as well as a few new characters introduced for this story.
I swear Garrett has his guardian angel working full time for this current adventure, with more tricks up his sleeves and mysteries pilling up by the minute!
Out of everything this book has to offer my favorite parts are with Garrett and horses. The dialog truly adds more of a humanistic flare to Garrett with a dose of comedic relief. Over all it was a great story and I'm looking forward to continuing on with the series.
I swear Garrett has his guardian angel working full time for this current adventure, with more tricks up his sleeves and mysteries pilling up by the minute!
Out of everything this book has to offer my favorite parts are with Garrett and horses. The dialog truly adds more of a humanistic flare to Garrett with a dose of comedic relief. Over all it was a great story and I'm looking forward to continuing on with the series.
July 1, 2013
Once again I jumped into the world of Garret P.I. with both feet and again was rewarded with a very well written novel about a norm P.I. set in a fantasy world with a series of interesting and complex allies. The story this time revolves around a mix-up between a religious cult, Garret and a mix of underworld organisations, and Garret is Hired to find out about the cult, track down a woman who may have the information to solve everyone's problems, and avoid getting dead at the same time. As usual there comes a point where Garret is handed some pretty nice tools to make him a match for some of the big bad enemies in the story and again Garrets fondness for the fairer sex is what seems to get him into the most trouble. A good read and a lot of fun this series is certainly well up on my to read list at the moment.
May 10, 2011
This series is not for everybody. There is a bittersweet undertone that makes them worth reading - and re-reading - but you have to have a certain amount of... life experience, I guess, to really get it.
The cynical take on war, immigration, and the economics thereof could have been written yesterday. Yet, the series began in 1987.
Very prescient, but then Glen Cook has an almost depressingly accurate understanding of human nature.
Also, although the dead Loghyr is supposed to be the center of the stories, Garrett quickly becomes the main character, and the star, of the series. The fact that he gets through the day without losing his humanity keeps you waiting to see what he'll live through next.
The cynical take on war, immigration, and the economics thereof could have been written yesterday. Yet, the series began in 1987.
Very prescient, but then Glen Cook has an almost depressingly accurate understanding of human nature.
Also, although the dead Loghyr is supposed to be the center of the stories, Garrett quickly becomes the main character, and the star, of the series. The fact that he gets through the day without losing his humanity keeps you waiting to see what he'll live through next.
August 21, 2014
Continue to enjoy this series. In this story Garrett is faced with a complex plot that has a mysterious cult, a person from his childhood and several new characters. As the story moves, and the bodies add up Garrett is forced to do some questionable things like breaking and entering and turning Morley lose. In the end, Garrett finds a way to solve the mystery with help from his friends and the cities linchpin. As the story wraps up, winter is setting in.
Recommend this series to anyone that is interested in PI and fantasy stories. This has a definite urban fantasy vibe with the exception that the urban setting isn't part of our world.
Recommend this series to anyone that is interested in PI and fantasy stories. This has a definite urban fantasy vibe with the exception that the urban setting isn't part of our world.
September 18, 2021
Oh my, this time our man Garrett is mixed up with numerous sects of the local church, hookers, gangs, an end of the world cult and an insane but long dead but not departed sorcerer. Who is killing whom? Who has set up Garrett and why is a giant spider demon tearing up his neighborhood? This one also introduces Maya, an 18 year old beauty leader of the cities only all female, all human gang and she has her sights on Garrett.
Another great fun story spun by a master story teller.
Another great fun story spun by a master story teller.
July 18, 2017
Miles better than the other two, but no less sexist. I won't be continuing the series but at least this one had a rather epic and horrifying monster battle that made up for a lot of convoluted boring womanizing nonsense. The best part of this series is the dead guy...seriously.
March 4, 2023
Jumping back to the 3rd in the series. Can really feel the Chandler influence. Probably my favorite so far.
June 4, 2024
Ok i love this series but hooking up with Maya seriously. I am very disappointed in garrett right now. I think it was before the time of 21sr century sensibilities still though it wasnt nice.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 11, 2024
Knyga, kaip ir visas šis ciklas – noir detektyvo ir fantasy pavainikis.
Šįsyk Garrettas niekur nenori veltis, bet kas jo klaus? Jis tiek nenori veltis, kad naują klientą (eilinę damsel in distress) perleidžia savo kolegai – reikalas gi niekinis, susitvarkys. Tačiau nori Garretas kažkur veltis, ar ne – o kažkas paskelbia labiau nei dosnų atlygį už jo galvą. Ir nors iškart po to nusikalstamo pasaulio boso paskelbtas atlygis už to, kuris palies Garrettą, galvą, kiek palengvina situaciją, tačiau reikalas jau darosi asmeninis. O kaip į asmeninius reikalus reaguoja Garrettas, žinom. Jis nesustos, nors reikalas ir kvepia ne kaip, ir, negana to, teks kišti galvą ten, kur nerekomenduotina – į aukštesniuosius religinių kultų sluoksnius.
Keistas dalykas nutiko su šia knyga. Pamenu, kad kadaise labai patiko. O štai dabar, antru užėjimu, neabejotinai ją vertinu kaip silpniausią iš pirmų trijų. Na, ne visai silpną, nes vis tik skirsiu labai labai tvirtus tris iš penkių. O toliau laukia mylimiausia ciklo knyga. Tikiuosi, kad ji tokia išliks ir po antro skaitymo.
Šįsyk Garrettas niekur nenori veltis, bet kas jo klaus? Jis tiek nenori veltis, kad naują klientą (eilinę damsel in distress) perleidžia savo kolegai – reikalas gi niekinis, susitvarkys. Tačiau nori Garretas kažkur veltis, ar ne – o kažkas paskelbia labiau nei dosnų atlygį už jo galvą. Ir nors iškart po to nusikalstamo pasaulio boso paskelbtas atlygis už to, kuris palies Garrettą, galvą, kiek palengvina situaciją, tačiau reikalas jau darosi asmeninis. O kaip į asmeninius reikalus reaguoja Garrettas, žinom. Jis nesustos, nors reikalas ir kvepia ne kaip, ir, negana to, teks kišti galvą ten, kur nerekomenduotina – į aukštesniuosius religinių kultų sluoksnius.
Keistas dalykas nutiko su šia knyga. Pamenu, kad kadaise labai patiko. O štai dabar, antru užėjimu, neabejotinai ją vertinu kaip silpniausią iš pirmų trijų. Na, ne visai silpną, nes vis tik skirsiu labai labai tvirtus tris iš penkių. O toliau laukia mylimiausia ciklo knyga. Tikiuosi, kad ji tokia išliks ir po antro skaitymo.
December 22, 2011
More fantasy detective noir fun, though not quite as much of a romp as the previous volume. The addition of TunFaire church politics, and some dire supernatural threats, made the fantasy epic side of the book overwhelm the detective mystery side. Still good stuff, still worth reading ... but I'm taking a break before moving on to the next installment.
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