Death's Detective: The Malykant Mysteries, Volume 1

Malykant Mysteries #1-4

by Charlotte E. English

To catch a killer, send a monster.

There’s a realm. Wreathed in ice and snow, drowning in the dark, Assevan needs a different kind of hero.

There’s a god. Merciless and cold, and quick to anger, the Lord of the Dead insists upon one thing only: vengeance for a murdered soul.

And there’s a man. A ruthless killer, Konrad is detective, judge and executioner in one. Dauntless, relentless, monstrous, he stands alone against the dark.

Meet the Malykant. Justice will be served.

Four cases. Four killers. Four executions. Dark fantasy and murder mystery collide in this first collection of the Malykant Mysteries.

Genres: Fantasy, Mystery, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Horror, Fiction, Historical

326 pages, ebook

First published February 25, 2015

About the author

English both by name and nationality, Charlotte hasn’t permitted emigration to the Netherlands to change her essential Britishness. She writes colourful fantasy novels over copious quantities of tea, and rarely misses an opportunity to apologise for something. Spanning the spectrum from light to dark, her works include the Draykon Series, Modern Magick, The Malykant Mysteries and the Tales of Aylfenhame.

Reviews

[David Baird · Rating 5 out of 5]

This compendium is made up of 4 short stories which have previous been released separately. I really enjoy collections like this as it not only offers value for money but also gives you more to read. I love a good short story but they always leave me wanting more.. a selection like this is perfect to keep you happy if you’re like me.

So these tales focus on the life of Konrad Savast. Savast has two sides to him, first being the wealthy and respectable citizen the second being the Malykant who basically deals out justice for those who have been murdered.

The idea for the Malykant really intrigued me, this dark avenger fighting for those who can’t. The added fantasy twists to the underlying tale of vengeance make for a very engrossing read.

I definitely think getting the compendium instead of the separate books is the way to go so you can move from tale to tale with the previous book fresh in your mind. You don’t need to do this but for me It gave something extra to the development of the characters, you can see Savast grow and struggle with his role as the Malykant and you can see his relationship with Nanda expand and motivations come to light in book 4 that tie things together nicely.

Also I really enjoyed Konrad’s companions in justice, Ootapi & Eetapi, their sense of humour fits perfectly with the theme of the book and I just loved them popping up.

I was already a fan of Charlottes before reading this collection and she has definitely kept me happy with this one. It’s beautifully written to help the reader understand the characters and their surroundings. The descriptiveness really did help paint a picture in my head as I was reading

I’ve given the book a 5* but I was left wanting more.. It credit to the author I guess.. Charlotte has managed to make 300+ pages seem like 100.. I got immersed so much I didn’t even see the end I sight. I’m looking forward to reading and review more of her work

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is FABULOUS!

I downloaded it ages ago as a freebie and didn't get round to it until a couple of weeks ago and I romped through the first book in a couple of days. The characters and world-building are brilliant as is the dry humour throughout the series.

Then I looked for the second book and decided to buy all three as paperbacks. - reason? Kindle books are somewhat 'ephemeral' - they get read, maybe reviewed and stuck in a collection (or two) and then they simply disappear from sight unless I am reminded of them.

Whereas a REAL book, a proper, hold-in-your-hand book, with paper and a glorious cover and the sound of pages turning...... now THAT goes on my bookcase (14 foot long, 9 foot high and crammed with books) where it remains easily accessible for when I want to read it again.

And this is very much a 'read it again' series. A sort of Russian fairy-tale-dark-fantasy series of stories that blend together to make a wonderful read.

[Filip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every now and then I get these books for free from Bookbub. I have literally thousand of them and since I'm not writing kindle too much these days, I've got a terrible backlog. But also every now and then, I pick up one of them at random and go all 'wow!'. This one was definitely one such book and I'll be buying volume two for sure.

It's not really a novel but a set of four long stories/short novellas but I didn't really mind. The cast of recurring characters isn't big but well-written and entertaining and yes, that includes spirit snakes. Ootapi, Eetapi, you should really form a trade union. Konrad is a fan character to follow and Nanda is a great foil for him. The mysteries are interesting and the whole concept behind the books is great. Maybe there isn't much tension, but there's only so many ways in which you can threaten a guy who has the god of death on speed dial.

But what I loved the most was the atmosphere. The spirits, the Bone Forest, the Slavic elements, the creepy feel permeating the stories... yes, please, more. I think the only thing I disliked was the reveal at the end, both because of how it changed a certain relationship (but that's a matter of taste) but mostly on how said reveal was done. It would've been so much better if Konrad pieced the puzzles together on his own.

Still, really enjoyed it and I need to read book 2.

[Annika Hoogendoorn-Van Oosten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Het 1e verhaal heb ik uitgelezen. Het is totaal niet wat ik had verwacht. In goede zin dan. ;) In het verhaal heeft een onverwachte wending. Zoals zo vaak, maar toch goed bedacht.

Konrad is een tussen persoon (Malykant) voor de god The Malykt. The Malykt zorgt voor wraak, dmv Malykant, voor onnatuurlijke doden. Vaak mbv kruiden en gif.
Het speelt zich af in Rusland in de tijd dat er nog aristocratie was. Heerlijk!

Het tweede boek was weer net zo verrassend als het eerste. Al werd er nu meer uitgelegd van hoe en wat alles is. Niet dat ik het echt miste, maar nu gis je minder. ;)

Eerst zei ik dat het in Rusland afspeelt, maar dat doet het niet. Het is een niet bestaand land, al krijg ik er een Rusland vibe bij.

Ook het 3e boek was weer erg spannend. Met een soort van vampier geesten, maar die voeden van energie ipv bloed. Erg goed bedacht!

En uiteraard was het vierde boek ook weer erg goed. Dit keer een door verdriet overmande vader die dmv het binden van zielen zijn overleden vrouw en dochter bij hem wilde houden. Heerlijk.

Dit boek heb ik gratis via Amazon kunnen downloaden, maar ik ga zeker de andere delen aanschaffen!

[Virginia · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I liked about this book most was the originality of it. It was interesting and I thought creative in the characters and story line

[Ilona Nurmela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Constantine (the movie) meets Conan Doyle - if it was set in an imaginary city with a New Orleans vibe

This collection of 4 stories (across 320pp) read like a set of Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes novellas.

Konrad Savast is a gentleman of Gypsy blood and obscene wealth by day and the Malykant aka the Death’s detective at night. He is called to solve suspicious death cases - when a soul that should have gone to the Malykt never reached its destination.

I absolutely loved the feels of these books - like reading Sherlock Holmes while watching Constantine (the movie) - all permeated by a New Orleans vibe (where quite a few of the inhabitants of the imaginary city have Russian-sounding names). The God of Death - the Malykt - reminded me of Baron Samedi a little - you know, minus the debauchery and plus seeking justice for unnatural deaths & foul crimes.

I loved Konrad & Irinanda’s verbal sparring and friendship over poisons. Taking of the rib bone was super creepy but a good way to announce who was on the case to society at large. I loved how the author didn’t make Konrad into a killer who takes joy in slaughtering the bad guys, but someone with a sense of restoring justice for the good guys. I loved the ghost serpents Eetapi and Ootapi who reminded me of Ursula’s twin eel babies. And the 2 weeks notice scene by the ghostly aids over their master’s bad mood that lasted 5 months was priceless, lol.

One story flowed effortlessly into the next, but they are all standalones that I just couldn’t put down! Will definitely be on the lookout for more books by this author.

Recommended for lovers of murder mysteries with an occult vibe where the MMC leads a double life and the story has an undercurrent of friendship foction with a potential but by no means obvious romance.

[Aya · Rating 2 out of 5]

Malykant Mysteries: 1
Konrad Savast is a wealthy citizen of Ekamet with the eccentric hobby of following police investigations, but secretly, he is the Malykant, in service to the death god, Malykt, tasked to solve unnatural deaths and deliver the murderers to Malykt's justice. Story is set in an Eastern European inspired fantasy world filled with gods and magic. This writing style feels like it was written by a non-Westerner. Conversations are awkward, especially when Konrad is questioning someone - he seems to give up, losing interest before finishing, similarly when he searches a location for clues. Scenes are short and don't always progress in a natural manner. Everything just feels very abrupt. The mysteries as a whole are unsatisfying - there's no armchair detecting possible here either on the part of the reader or Konrad himself, as he basically just bulls his way through until things start to make sense with lots of conclusion jumping thrown in just to make things go faster. Lots of plot holes, inconsistent worldbuilding. Not interested in the sequel.

[BookishWeeb Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be honest, I truly thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I picked it up on a whim from the apple store and found that I couldn't put it down. There's just something so appealing about victorian style mysteries. But what was also appealing was that this one didn't come as a romance. Instead, it focused more on background folklores and supernatural themes!

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of historical fantasy murder mystery novellas. Quite a mix of genres. I especially enjoyed the basic premise of the story - Konrad is the chosen of a god to track down murderers and bring them to justice. It's a cleverly believable premise to provide his motivation for investigating murders and add a touch of fantasy to the storyline. The historical parts were vaguely reminiscent of the Victorian era, but honestly, rather unconvincing. However, its fantasy, so I give that a pass.

Konrad is one of my favorite character tropes, the scarred hero with a troubled past and difficult present, doing his best to try and make things a little bit better. I enjoyed watching him work through the mystery in the first novella, and begin growing in his relationships to other characters in the second and third novellas (much more of that later in the series).

I must admit the writing quality isn't the best in this book. It is obviously one of the author's earlier works. The writing isn't bad - there is good sentence structure, word choice, grammar, and other basics - but it is sparse, without much of the supportive descriptive detail that fleshes out a story. This is most noticeable in the conversations, which end up as a long string of dialog tags, without the little details of what the characters are seeing, doing, thinking, feeling, etc. while they have the conversation.

However, these are murder mysteries. Brevity in the storytelling isn't a terrible quality for this genre, because it means the detail is in the plot. And all of these plots are nicely fleshed out, a few twists and turns, some actual clues (a pet peeve of mine is the murder mystery that doesn't have any clues, the investigator just talks to people and learns nothing useful until the murderer tries to kill the investigator. Argh!!! This series isn't Sherlock, but still includes some clues, thankfully). There is enough plot in each novella that it could become a nice shorter-length novel if the missing descriptive detail was added. More impressive was the amount of character development achieved even with the sparse writing. Admittedly, I do love Konrad's character trope but still. It was well done.

3 stars for story quality, 4 stars for how much I enjoyed it. Unreservedly rounding up because I can easily see myself enjoying re-reading this series.

[Clarissa Gosling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing and full of good mysteries.

[Arnaud · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun mysteries in a unique world

This one was a pleasant surprise! I did not know what to expect off of this series of mysteries as I had not thought much about my selection here. The world approached in these stories turned out to be quite intriguing and very well approached. The characters growth was right where one would want it to be, and it's easy to quickly get attached to the duo Konrad and Nanda. Their dynamic is entertaining, plus keeps the flow going throughout each stories. Will definitely check out more stories about the Malykant :-)

[Alan Colclough · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new take on the theme of Vengeance. Konrad Savast, wealthy bachelor, is also secretly the Malykant, servant of the Malykt or the God of Death - His job: to hunt down murderers and bind their souls to those of their victims, aided by his ghostly snake familiars, the job isn't as easy as it would first seem. This first book contains four short stories, each could easily stand alone, but there is a timeline that ties the stories together.

I really enjoyed this book and will definitely read the others in the series. The writing is good and descriptive with a sort of odd mix of Russian names and Victorian style setting which work as we are not in a country that is recognisable, but it is sort of familiar. The stories are easy to read, but there is a depth to them which is somewhat surprising given their brevity, and they at no time appear rushed.

[Bruce Retallack · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's a whole lot to like about this volume. The basic premise is excellent and the characters well delineated and differentiated. I also like the fact that the sections are actually individual short stories, but sequenced in time so that there is clear character development. The prose is generally very good, although slightly distanced, so I never really felt the fog and the cold and the dark as much as I could. The same is true of the lead character, due in part to the fact that his deathly master has taken away all of his emotions. The four actual 'cases' are interesting enough, but he method of detection often depends on the introduction of yet another otherworldly character who provides either information or the means that allow Konrad to solve the murders. That worked OK for the first story and maybe the second, but after that it got predictable. By the fourth, I was starting to disengage from the hero a bit.
The thing that kept throwing me off was the world-building. All the names are Russian, but the urban environment screamed Victorian England. Perhaps the fantasy creatures derive from a part of Russian folklore I am unfamiliar with but, not knowing, I assume they are from the author's imagination. Basically, if the setting is Russian, I needed a more clearly Russian social milieu. If not, European names would have felt more natural in these drawing rooms.
So a good read, but just short of excellence for me. But I will read more from Ms. English when I can.

[Roger Weetch · Rating 5 out of 5]

When a person is murdered his/her spirit cannot find rest until the perpetrator has been killed. That job falls to the malykant. In a series of stories the character of the person undertaking this secret role, together with his associates and their relationships is gradually developed. A different and very enjoyable read.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 – 4.5 Stars

The Bone Forest at night is a dangerous place to be. The ground is marshy, spread with silent pools of water waiting to catch the steps of the unwary. A permanent fog shrouds the air in the colder months; in winter little can be seen of the landscape save the twisted trees looming out of the dark, their branches reaching into the sky like stripped bones.

The fog still hadn’t lifted, and the trees were dripping wet when he stepped beyond the city gates into the marshlands. Beads of dew twinkled on the branches, and half-frozen water sloshed and splintered underfoot, eerily loud in the hush. He strode through the hazy atmosphere, sure of his path, unconcerned by the fact that he could see only a few hand spans in front of him. The serpents glided into position on either side of him, coalescing out of the mist like puffs of steam.

Death’s Detective: The Malykant Mysteries Volume 1 contains the first four books in the Malykant Mysteries series by Charlotte E. English. When this popped up on social media I was immediately intrigued by the cover and premise, so I let loose my one-click finger and grabbed a copy to plunge into.
What I discovered between these covers is a fantastic, atmospheric paranormal mystery series with lots of dark and dramatic tones which I loved. The series has an historical setting with a Gothic Russian or Eastern European vibe. The world-building is highly original with dark and moody tones that really help to set the ‘atmosphere’ and make the story come to life.
Konrad Savast is The Malykant, the servant of the God of Death. His ‘job’ comes with some supernatural abilities, exceptional detective skills, wealth and standing in the community, as well as two bloodthirsty and macabre ‘familiars’, in the form of spirit serpents who are both prone to some petulant antics at times. It is Konrad’s job to seek ‘justice’ for the souls who have met their death prematurely, by being murdered. He investigates their death, using good old detective work coupled with some supernatural skills, and hunts down the killer/killers and ‘sends’ them to his master, The Malykt, the God of Death. As the stories/series unfolds, Konrad goes from working alone, with his familiars in tow, to making friends, who then become part of his ’team’- and adding an extra element of intrigue and enjoyment to the series. The characters are wonderfully crafted individuals with their own unique personalities, quirks, and flaws. I was a fan right from the get-go.
Throw in murder, crime and investigation, monsters, ghosts, tension, secrets, action, adventure, friendship, intensity, suspense, and so much more- and this became quite a riveting read.
There are 12 books in this series, or three volumes each with four stories- and I read them all, back-to-back. The individual stories are quite short, being mostly under 100 pages each- which allowed me to devour the series quite quickly.

This volume is made up of 4 books (Books #1 – 4):
-The Rostikov Legacy (Book #1)
When Konrad discovers the body of a wealthy society hostess lying in the cold, mist-shrouded reaches of the Bone Forest, the pressure is on to find her killer. Can he catch the killer without revealing himself as the Malykant?
-The Ivanov Diamond (Book #2)
When three people turn up dead, their immortal souls missing, Konrad’s got a strange case on his hands. And it’s clear that it’s got something to do with the theft of a great and valuable diamond from one of Ekamet’s wealthiest citizens…
-Myrrolen’s Ghost Circus (Book #3)
When a corpse turns up in the middle of Myrrolena’s famed circus, Konrad must uncover the weird truth behind the mysterious travelling show—and without falling foul of its enigmatic Ringmistress, Myrrolena herself.
-Ghostspeaker (Book #4)
When a wealthy young woman takes her own life, Konrad is sent to investigate. Was it suicide, or murder? Or... both? To discover the truth, Konrad must navigate the combined perils of society gossip, an unregistered Ghostspeaker and a host of unquiet spirits.

Happy Reading…

Thank you, Charlotte E. English!

[Adriana · Rating 3 out of 5]

TW: violence, death, suicide, body desecration, murder, implied sexual assault

I picked this up as an ebook to read, because I had no books at work and the first one was free. It started out okay, but I settled into the characters and the world the longer I read and it became more enjoyable and fun. The book is set up with 4 detective cases, each building on the former. I felt immediately the parallel between this book and Sherlock Holmes; Death's Detective is the dark fantasy version of these tales.

Konrad, his spirit servants, and Irinanda are all interesting characters, and occasionally they made me laugh and smile, especially when someone got petulant. They all grew on me the longer I read. I appreciated that though it was apparent that Konrad has feelings for Nanda that nothing ever comes of them--in the first book, at least. Whether Nanda feels the same for Konrad remains to be seen... She cares for him, but not sure if I get romantic vibes. Ootapi and Eetapi's names I don't really like, but as characters, I find them the funniest, especially in the story of Myrrolen's Ghost Circus. The character development across the cases is very well done, and I appreciated that aspect.

I enjoyed the mysteries, and I think that there were enough clues in each novella to solve the crimes if you wanted to, except, perhaps, in cases where the cause of death was supernatural. The first case is very easy to solve, and I'd say they get more confusing the farther you go.

The novel does feel sparse in its world building, but then, considering I'm quite certain this takes a lot of inspiration from Holmes, that's par for the course. There are gods, but no real explanation of the religions or worship in the book. We are told Konrad has been fixed up in high society by his Malykt benefactor, but we don't see much of that society unless it directly involves a case, and we are not told how Konrad was exactly set up the way he is in society; we don't learn even how he became the Malykant until the Epilogue of the novel (novellas?). And the writing is repetitive, explaining Konrad's powers and his fear of the Malykt again and again, and the icy voices of the spirit servants, and Nanda's crooked smile and mischievous moods. I'm sure this is because the stories were separated at once and the descriptions are included in case they are read between intervals and the reader might have forgotten. But when they're all put together, the language and descriptions are repetitive--even in places where it's not reminding the reader of things they may have forgotten between books.

Those who like this book may also enjoy The Complete Sherlock Holmes and Gideon the Ninth, and vice versa.

[Ана Хелс · Rating 5 out of 5]

В този свят правилата са странни. Смъртта си има свой аватар, отмъстител и убиец, а Животът – нещо подобно, което въобще не е противоположното, ами по-скоро допълващото на душегубците. Всички носят странни славянски имена, объркали руска, полска, чешка и словашка митологии и именници, и от кашата изплува един огромен несъществуващ мегаполис, предимно студен, заснежен и ветровит, с богати и бедни, с балове и коптори, с жертви и убийци от всяка кръвна група. Но в центъра на всичко стои Конрад Саваст – Маликантът, Детективът на Смъртта, Отмъстителят на Смъртта, Екзекуторът на Смъртта. И най-вече – жертвата на Смъртта, с отказано изкупление и утеха, но подложен на непрекъснати морални избори, които биха прогнили всяка душа, дори и тази, която отдавна не съществува.

Това е мрачен свят, като нашия, но в сянка, без милост и с наказание, но и с усещане за мистична безнаказаност. Тук бродят светещите сенки на отдавна продали услугите си души, вампирите ламаени обладават тела и унищожават съзнания, върколаци пътуват през океани, за да създадат своите смъртоносни глутници, а демони от всякакъв калибър сеят нещастия на всеки ъгъл. И все пак хората си остават най-безмилостните чудовища, удряйки невинните или поне не толкова виновните в най-непредсказуемия момент. И само Маликантът може да разкрие гнусните престъпления на този замръзнал свят, и да попречи на есенцията на злото да се натрупа и унищожи още една реалност.

Историите на Шарлот Инглиш са си всъщност пълноценни криминалета, в които наред с убийствата от ревност, гняв и алчност, се намесват и резултатите от деянията на некроманти, вампири и неестествени сили. Книгите са кратки, съсредоточени и стегнати, пълни с мрак и точици светлина. Героите са истински съкровища – със своите тайни самоличности, специални умения и неподозирани мотивации, добрите и лошите се сливат в едно, но накрая бъдете сигурни, че Справедливостта ще тържествува. Може и да не ни хареса, може и да имате нужда да пощадите някой и друг лошко в сърцето си, или да хвърлите в някое тъмно и усойно място някой от така наречените герои в добрия лагер, но правилата на равновесието често не признават симпатичността като фактор за вземане на решение. А трябва.

[Lynn's · Rating 4 out of 5]

Time Period: Unknown (but think ball gowns and gentlemen with long jackets and top hats)
Setting: Fantasy (...but think Eastern Europe)

This book was everything the five star reviews promised and more! “Death’s Detective” came up free on Kindle a few weeks ago and after reading a few reviews I downloaded it. Not being familiar with the author, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I loved it! The book includes four short stories that resemble a Grim Reaper / Sherlock Holms combo, set in a Fantasy world that closely reflects Eastern Europe in the 1800’s and a fair dose of magical elements. Though I’m not a fan of witches, ghosts or magic, these stories were done tastefully and I really enjoyed them.

Konrad Savast is the Malykant (kinda like a Grim Reaper.) Yet, instead of coming to collect souls at their death, Konrad is enlisted as a detective to avenge those who have been murdered in cold blood. Because of his special position, he has been given unique abilities normal people don’t have, and two ghost snakes who help him investigate and alert him to a new murder case. (To be clear, I hate snakes, but these two became my favorites by the end of the four novellas.) Kinda sounds weird at first, but the mechanics of the story really grow on you as you read.

The first mystery, The Rostikov Legacy, was my favorite from the four stories in this book. (Though all were good!) I would recommend reading the collection in order, so you catch the character development and relationships as they build throughout each book. I really enjoyed the sweet friendship (maybe romance?) between Konrad and Nanda. With Konrad being portrayed as “a gentleman” while investigating a case but also doubling as the Malykant, I felt the author did a great job with his character. He was the perfect hero, even considering some of the grosser aspects of his job as the Malykant. I would say the relationships in this book were written like a classic and the fantasy side of the story gives you the best imagination and creativity has to offer!

Conclusion: The first thing that drew me into this book was the cover...it’s gorgeous! The second thing I loved was how clean the story was, that it was creative and combined historical and fantasy elements all in one story. And...you know I’m sold on something when there are snakes in the story and I end up liking them by the end of the book. LOL! Though I hadn’t read anything from Charlotte English before, I would definitely continue reading this series. I recommend this one for Fantasy lovers!

[Tony · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found the Death’s Detective set (Malykant Mysteries #1-4) by Charlotte E. English is a novel way of developing ands publishing a series. The stories themselves are on the short side, maybe 70 or 80 pages apiece, but when grouped together, they turn into a longer story arc. Each of the four stories represents an interesting case that our central character, Konrad Savast, must solve at the behest of his spiritual master.

The fictional world the author has developed is an interesting place. It seems to be Eastern European in nature, and is filled with alchemy, magic, religion, and society intrigue. It seems to be set somewhere in the 1800’s, in a time roughly based on Victorian principals of class and etiquette. I love the world. It is just different enough to hold the folklores, while being familiar enough for a layperson’s imagination of that period of time.

I loved the characters. Konrad Savast is a man with a duty. He has a history, part of which is gradually drawn out in this series. He is conflicted. The other reoccurring mortal character is Nanda, his only human friend and someone he has feeling for yet can’t express them in this closeted Victorian society. He also has minions, Ootapi & Eetapi, snake spirits who must do the “dirty work”. They also have personalities of their own. There are a few other reoccurring characters, but they aren’t described in any detail, at least not at this point in the series.

I liked the mysteries. Each of the novellas focuses on a single case, although there were also a couple of other threads that surfaced in each installment. I found them mysterious, creative, and entertaining. They are also a vehicle that is used to help build the world, a few bits of worldbuilding in each one. They tend to be fairly short and to the point, which suits the format nicely.

Overall, I enjoyed this initial series. They are light reading and a good escape. I will be on the lookout for additional sets in the future to see how the author continues to develop her world. Five of five stars on Goodreads.

[Audrey Driscoll · Rating 5 out of 5]

I took a long time to read this book, mostly because I saved it to read just before going to sleep. It did not give me nightmares, despite its macabre setting. Instead, it provided an entertaining and interesting reading experience.
Konrad Savast, the Malykant, and the apothecary Irinanda Falenia are distinctive personalities whose conversations, often about death and strangeness, are lightened with humorous banter. Each of the four novellas in this book features a murder for which retribution must be delivered, but there is an overarching plot about Konrad himself and the difficulties that come with the job of Malykant. His friendship with Irinanda develops and changes. Even his spirit-serpent helpers, Eetapi and Ootapi, furnish the odd subplot as well as unexpected funny moments.
The fictional city of Ekamet, in which the stories are set, is dark, cold, and gloomy. It's almost always snowing, raining, or blowing. Nearby is the weird Bone Forest, where Konrad has a hut on stilts. It features in every one of the stories, adding its own brand of shivery attraction. Most of the characters' names are Russian, and there's a nineteenth-century feel to the place, but it's entirely fictitious. The mixture of familiar characters and situations with the weird and unexpected is satisfying.
Even as I enjoyed reading this book, I could not help but notice that Charlotte E. English is fond of the semicolon, and uses it correctly. Who says semicolons have no place in works of fiction?

[Erin Penn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a combination of four novellas; short mysteries which allow easy pickup and put down of the book. First off, I love the premise. Unlike many first-of-a-series, the reader isn't introduced to a character discovering a new world. Konrad has been working for Death for nearly a decade, he is powerful and sure of his tasks. But being powerful does not mean mysteries are easy to solve. Legwork, development of ongoing information sources, and research is the name of the game.

The Rostikov Legacy - Great introduction piece
The Ivanov Diamond - Diamonds may be a girl's best friend, but they truly shine for spirits
Myrrolen's Ghost Circus - The weakest of the four novellas and yet the most intriguing. I just wish the character was more consistent here - but an emotional breakdown without emotions can be difficult.
Ghostspeaker - After dealing with some strong supernatural pieces, the true tragedy is people dealing with grief. I recently read grief is love remembered. The results here are very creepy.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing is nicely atmospheric in this series of gaslamp murder mysteries. Konrad Savast is a wealthy aristocrat in the city of Ekamet and he’s also the Malykant - an agent of the Lord of the Dead sent to solve and avenge murders. He has two serpent spirits as servants to help him and they allow him to speak with the recent dead. In this double life, he has just one friend, Irinanda, a mysterious poison master. Death's Detective is a collected book of four of his cases. The Rostikov Legacy, about the poisoning of an aristocratic woman. The Ivanov Diamond that begins with the apparently peaceful death of a baker, Myrrolen's Ghost Circus which takes place during the Festival of the Dead, and Ghost Speaker about the possible suicide of a young woman.

The mysteries were good and there are a number of interesting spirits and creatures. I liked the main characters (although one of the murder victims shared my pre-marriage last name - which was a bit unsettling 😱.) I very much enjoyed the stories- dark with flashes of humor and heart.

[Jenny T · Rating 5 out of 5]

What fun! Four creepy paranormal mystery novellas starring Konrad Savast, the titular Malykant, mortal servant of Malykt, god of death, for whom he solves murders and deals the god’s personal brand of justice to the perpetrator. He is aided by Eetapi and Ootapi, two delightful serpent spirits and Nanda, a brilliant herbalist who just happens to have the gift of Sight (and with whom he has a developing friendship/possibly something more that links these novellas together).

The mysteries themselves are interesting, but the characters are the highlight, honestly, and watching Konrad consistently make Nanda roll her eyes at him, making me giggle,,while dealing with some pretty gruesome stuff (but never described in graphic detail) – it’s the perfect blend of horror and humor.

There’s an Eastern European vibe to the setting, but it feels very Victorian/Sherlock Holmes-esque. There’s some excellent paranormal world-building as well, and it’s amazing how much of a punch these novellas have. Highly recommended!

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Goodreads; 4 stars Amazon. An entertaining and original collection of novellas

The premise of the death god's servant, whose mission is to take the lives of murderers in balance for the unclean deaths they leave behind, is, I believe, original. Each of these light dark-fantasy mysteries (if that oxymoron makes sense) has a different complication to make the investigation difficult, and the methods, motives, and magics involved also have range., though the serpent-spirits assigned to aid the Malykant play a role in all the stories. The personal arc of Konrad (whose emotions were suppressed by the Malykt) and his only friend, the apothecary Irinanda, goes from full of secrets on both sides, to estrangement, to trust and understanding. I've posted more-detailed individual reviews on the first three included stories, and now that I'm finished with Before You Go for the Kindle "boxed set", I'll go do the same for the last.

[Christopher Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an urban fantasy set in a mythical late 1800s culture with a strong Eastern European/Russian feel to it. The setting is unique for fantasy and goes some interesting, different places from your usual urban fantasy romp. There's a lot of heart in this and the characters are well crafted and interesting.

The collection here is four novellas about a man who is basically death's executioner; he doesn't kill people for death, he avenges people who were murdered. Death doesn't like people being taken before their time, it seems, and he uses this man as a detective to find the killer and take them out.

Each of the four stories is a mystery, none particularly compelling in and of themselves as a plot, but interesting in their setting, and distinctly fantasy oriented. The main character is a likable sort even if he's a bit cold and frightening, and the final story really pays off to explain a lot of the build up.

[Peter Mc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Switching gears from full-length novels to a four-story anthology took a moment of recalibration, but once I settled into the rhythm, Death’s Detective found its stride. The structure gives the world a kind of shifting-lens quality: each story tilts the light differently, letting the characters unfold in layers rather than in one long arc. I enjoyed that sense of gradual revelation. It felt like watching a puzzle assemble itself from the edges inward.

There were a few moments where character actions didn’t entirely line up with the emotional logic the story had built, little misfires that pulled me out of the moment. Nothing fatal, just bumps in an otherwise engaging path.

Overall, it was a clever, atmospheric read with enough intrigue to keep me turning pages, even if it never quite hit the heights of the longer novels I’ve been tearing through lately. A solid 3.5 - 4 stars—and I’m glad I picked it up.

[Mary Cokenour · Rating 5 out of 5]

While set in a Russian location, the details and speech are very much Victorian England. Konrad Savast is a rich gentleman to the public, and a novice detective as a hobby, but in truth, is the Malykant. He gets justice for those murdered, so his master, the Malykt, can get the soul, as he rules over the dead, and death itself.

His two snake spirits are his servants, as well as his guides, and a rather amusing pair. Irinanda is a herbalist who specializes in cures using poisonous, and nonpoisonous, plants and other natural substances. Her relationship with Konrad has many facets, but being his friend is #1 for now, possibly romantic later on?

There are four tales in this first volume, and each one gives more details into who the characters are, and why.

[Jayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This took a few chapters from the first book before I was enchanted! All of the characters are beautifully imagined and written but I dearly adore The Malykant and his two spirit snakes, Ootapi and Eetapi.

If fantasy is not quite your thing, read this for the wealth of characters and for Konrad Savast. So many of us would relate to the man. He has been made wealthy beyond our dreams but Konrad is no dandy. His most favorite place in the world is his little primitive hut in the Bone Forest. It is by the third book that you know Konrad is a lonely man who wants a simple and normal life. Yet, Konrad believes he shall never leave the job given him by the dread god, The Malykt.

[karolina ✧.* · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love mysteries don't get me wrong... but this?
for me & mysteries I love the guessing of who did it. I love the clues you get throughout the whole book. but this didn't get to have that due to the separate 4 cases. In every case, you got a culprit who is random as hell or (in context with what the Malykant is supposed to do) un-finishable. so this didn't have the mystery factor I know and love BUT...
the angst in Nanda and Konrad's relationship is so good. literally the only reason I would move forward with the series. so. good.
I also really liked the characters (Irinanda, Konrad, Eetapi, Ootapi) and the whole concept of Malykant

[P. Shar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charlotte E English writes beautiful stories. I've said it before, I am so jealous of her command over language, I'm practically green. this is the first book of hers I read. It's a murder mystery in a fantasy land with witches, powerful beings and the best part is that you get to solve more than one case with the Malykant through the book.
I like the book. The contrast of the damp marsh frequenting Malykant and the refined gentleman with considerable wealth works. I usually end up liking side characters more than the MC, but this time, I loved Konrad though his spectre snakes were equally intriguing.