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Alexander Southerland, P.I. #5
A Nymph Returns to the Sea: A Noir Urban Fantasy Novel
Murder in the Eye of the Storm!
Coming off a heartbreaking whirlwind relationship, a despondent Alexander Southerland returns to the streets of Yerba City when he hears that an old acquaintance is a person of interest in the murder of an unregistered adaro nymph. Southerland's uncontrollable curiosity finds him mingling with street gangs, secretive priestesses, rogue cops who aren't what they seem, an adaro resistance movement, ghosts of the mind and body, and powerful spirits from the islands of the southern seas. Can our intrepid P.I. solve the secret of the Eye of Taufa'tahi before a record-shattering storm pulls Yerba City into the sea?
Coming off a heartbreaking whirlwind relationship, a despondent Alexander Southerland returns to the streets of Yerba City when he hears that an old acquaintance is a person of interest in the murder of an unregistered adaro nymph. Southerland's uncontrollable curiosity finds him mingling with street gangs, secretive priestesses, rogue cops who aren't what they seem, an adaro resistance movement, ghosts of the mind and body, and powerful spirits from the islands of the southern seas. Can our intrepid P.I. solve the secret of the Eye of Taufa'tahi before a record-shattering storm pulls Yerba City into the sea?
345 pages, Paperback
Published November 28, 2022
40 people are currently reading
36 people want to read
About the author
Douglas Lumsden
14 books186 followersMy parents raised me right. Any mistakes I made were my own. Hopefully, I learned from them.
I earned a doctorate in medieval European history at the University of California Santa Barbara. Go Gauchos! I taught world history at a couple of colleges before settling into a private college prep high school in Monterey. After I retired, I began to write an urban fantasy series featuring hardboiled private eye Alexander Southerland as he cruises through the mean streets of Yerba City and interacts with trolls, femme fatales, shape-shifters, witches, and corrupt city officials.
I am happily married to my wife, Rita. The two of us can be found most days pounding the pavement in our running shoes. Rita listens to all of my ideas and reads all of my work. Her advice is beyond value. In return, I make her tea. It's a pretty sweet deal. We have two cats named Cinderella and Prince who are happy to stay indoors. They demand that we tell them how pretty they are.
See my blog at https://douglaslumsden.blogspot.com/
Visit my website at https://douglaslumsdenauthor.com
I earned a doctorate in medieval European history at the University of California Santa Barbara. Go Gauchos! I taught world history at a couple of colleges before settling into a private college prep high school in Monterey. After I retired, I began to write an urban fantasy series featuring hardboiled private eye Alexander Southerland as he cruises through the mean streets of Yerba City and interacts with trolls, femme fatales, shape-shifters, witches, and corrupt city officials.
I am happily married to my wife, Rita. The two of us can be found most days pounding the pavement in our running shoes. Rita listens to all of my ideas and reads all of my work. Her advice is beyond value. In return, I make her tea. It's a pretty sweet deal. We have two cats named Cinderella and Prince who are happy to stay indoors. They demand that we tell them how pretty they are.
See my blog at https://douglaslumsden.blogspot.com/
Visit my website at https://douglaslumsdenauthor.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
December 2, 2022
It begins with a special nymph called Kanoa, a shitload of rain, and something called the Eye of Taufa’tahi.
Well, it happened again. I waited (im)patiently for months for the latest instalment in Douglas Lumsden's fantastic fantasy-noir mystery series, namely, the "Alexander Southerland, P.I." books, to be released! I then faithfully downloaded my copy even before I had had my morning coffee (for some odd reason, my region won't let me pre-order English books). And over said coffee I decided to read a few pages… and then a few more... and so on... The rest, as "they" say, is history. Shortly before midnight that very same day, I closed this latest triumphant offer and likewise closed my very tired but very satisfied peepers.
A lot of mysteries are solved by following the money. This one is a case of following the magic.
Needless to say - but I will because this is after all my review of the book - "A Nymph Returns to the Sea" is another fantastic read. Lumsden's latest chapter is a beautifully yet achingly rendered mystery that kept me guessing to the very end. This enchanting case is filled with more turns and twists than anyone has a right to expect and I'm still not clear on how it all came together as neatly (+/-) as it did. But I love how the author manages this melting pot of a plot (say that five times fast!) as it's ratcheted up to its highest setting by the time the fat troll sings and we're off to enjoy more calamari and drinks at the Dripping Bucket. Or someplace that maybe isn't quite so full of "charm"...
I’m sorry to hear that, sir. I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings, but you are most likely fucked.
Just as the epilogue promises (wait…), we're once again tagging along for the ride with our resident curmudgeon P.I. who isn't so much assigned a new case but plants himself squarely in the middle of one just for shits and giggles. Seems he's recovering from a shattered heart as the only emotional settings he's learned over the years are "anger on" or "anger off". Poor guy... but to be fair, he is really crap at the dating game. Yet you know he'll start to feel a little bit better as he starts cruising "through the mean streets of Yerba City and interacts with trolls, femme fatales, shape-shifters, witches, and corrupt city officials." And goodness knows we are treated to scads of all these and more of Lumsden's excellently imagined urban fantasy critters. Oh and humans, too.
The suppressed anger in my heart was a vital part of me, part of what made me good at my job.
I will say that of all the 6 books so far - and yes, I'm counting Crawford the were-rat's novella-length adventure in there - I think this was the darkest of the lot. Sure, that impression may be from the almost constant deluge we're faced with as we literally face a battle of land versus sea! But at the same time, this is one of those stories where you begin to question by the end if there were in fact any TRUE heroes or even if all the bad guys were at heart REALLY villains. One sure, but that guy was just rotten to the core! No, our well-educated historian weaves all kinds of moral conundrums into his story including man's tendency to mistreat indigenous peoples, ignore crimes against humanity as long as the heat is working and even treat women like second-class (at best) citizens. You can just feel the literary magma pushing up against the face of the planet in this story, waiting to erupt and prove to all creatures great and small just how insignificant they really are!
Stand up and fight? Right. Easy to say. Lofty sentiments, to be sure, but not very practical for the average joe and jane.
And so, alas, here I am starting the waiting process all over again. Waiting and sighing heavily even though the puppy has long since learned to ignore my theatrics. But this world is in for some BIG happenings and I can't wait to see how Lumsden brings us across the finish line or at very least over the next steep rise in this series (there are, after all, 48 named hills upon which Yerba City sits). No doubt our deeply-flawed though still-loved (by us that is) P.I. and his collection of other heroes will be there to, if not save the day, then at least help the coming cataclysm along on its merry way! My thanks again though for another great day of reading! Now if only my retinas would stop bleeding…
“Rude. He could have thanked you.”
“He didn’t eat me. That’s all the gratitude I need.”
Well, it happened again. I waited (im)patiently for months for the latest instalment in Douglas Lumsden's fantastic fantasy-noir mystery series, namely, the "Alexander Southerland, P.I." books, to be released! I then faithfully downloaded my copy even before I had had my morning coffee (for some odd reason, my region won't let me pre-order English books). And over said coffee I decided to read a few pages… and then a few more... and so on... The rest, as "they" say, is history. Shortly before midnight that very same day, I closed this latest triumphant offer and likewise closed my very tired but very satisfied peepers.
A lot of mysteries are solved by following the money. This one is a case of following the magic.
Needless to say - but I will because this is after all my review of the book - "A Nymph Returns to the Sea" is another fantastic read. Lumsden's latest chapter is a beautifully yet achingly rendered mystery that kept me guessing to the very end. This enchanting case is filled with more turns and twists than anyone has a right to expect and I'm still not clear on how it all came together as neatly (+/-) as it did. But I love how the author manages this melting pot of a plot (say that five times fast!) as it's ratcheted up to its highest setting by the time the fat troll sings and we're off to enjoy more calamari and drinks at the Dripping Bucket. Or someplace that maybe isn't quite so full of "charm"...
I’m sorry to hear that, sir. I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings, but you are most likely fucked.
Just as the epilogue promises (wait…), we're once again tagging along for the ride with our resident curmudgeon P.I. who isn't so much assigned a new case but plants himself squarely in the middle of one just for shits and giggles. Seems he's recovering from a shattered heart as the only emotional settings he's learned over the years are "anger on" or "anger off". Poor guy... but to be fair, he is really crap at the dating game. Yet you know he'll start to feel a little bit better as he starts cruising "through the mean streets of Yerba City and interacts with trolls, femme fatales, shape-shifters, witches, and corrupt city officials." And goodness knows we are treated to scads of all these and more of Lumsden's excellently imagined urban fantasy critters. Oh and humans, too.
The suppressed anger in my heart was a vital part of me, part of what made me good at my job.
I will say that of all the 6 books so far - and yes, I'm counting Crawford the were-rat's novella-length adventure in there - I think this was the darkest of the lot. Sure, that impression may be from the almost constant deluge we're faced with as we literally face a battle of land versus sea! But at the same time, this is one of those stories where you begin to question by the end if there were in fact any TRUE heroes or even if all the bad guys were at heart REALLY villains. One sure, but that guy was just rotten to the core! No, our well-educated historian weaves all kinds of moral conundrums into his story including man's tendency to mistreat indigenous peoples, ignore crimes against humanity as long as the heat is working and even treat women like second-class (at best) citizens. You can just feel the literary magma pushing up against the face of the planet in this story, waiting to erupt and prove to all creatures great and small just how insignificant they really are!
Stand up and fight? Right. Easy to say. Lofty sentiments, to be sure, but not very practical for the average joe and jane.
And so, alas, here I am starting the waiting process all over again. Waiting and sighing heavily even though the puppy has long since learned to ignore my theatrics. But this world is in for some BIG happenings and I can't wait to see how Lumsden brings us across the finish line or at very least over the next steep rise in this series (there are, after all, 48 named hills upon which Yerba City sits). No doubt our deeply-flawed though still-loved (by us that is) P.I. and his collection of other heroes will be there to, if not save the day, then at least help the coming cataclysm along on its merry way! My thanks again though for another great day of reading! Now if only my retinas would stop bleeding…
“Rude. He could have thanked you.”
“He didn’t eat me. That’s all the gratitude I need.”
April 9, 2024
Finishing A Nymph Returns to the Sea was bitter sweet.
Sweet as I'd just thoroughly enjoyed another fantastic dive into the rich world that Douglas has created and spending time with the underbelly of Yerba City alongside the my favourite PI Alexander Southerland.
But bitter as I remember there are only two books left in the current series...
A full review will follow but I can say that as with each of the preceding novels, Douglas continues to go from strength to strength and delivers a fantastic noir mystery full of depth and feeling. Not to mention a huge variety of creatures and supernatural entities. There is a strong Tongan / pacific island influence to this story that I really enjoyed and living on that side of the planet was familiar to me.
As with the rest of the series, Nymph doesn't just entertain with a brilliant story. It also raise some thought provoking issues and doesn't sugar coat the brutal realities of a society not too far removed from our own (minus the dragon overlords perhaps). We also see (dare I say it) a more thoughtful and maturing Southerland, which for me worked really well and it will be fascinating to see how this aspect of his character develops.
So do yourself a favour and grab cup of your favourite tipple and settle into A Nymph Returns to the Sea as soon as you can.
I'm already working out when I can jump back into series!
Sweet as I'd just thoroughly enjoyed another fantastic dive into the rich world that Douglas has created and spending time with the underbelly of Yerba City alongside the my favourite PI Alexander Southerland.
But bitter as I remember there are only two books left in the current series...
A full review will follow but I can say that as with each of the preceding novels, Douglas continues to go from strength to strength and delivers a fantastic noir mystery full of depth and feeling. Not to mention a huge variety of creatures and supernatural entities. There is a strong Tongan / pacific island influence to this story that I really enjoyed and living on that side of the planet was familiar to me.
As with the rest of the series, Nymph doesn't just entertain with a brilliant story. It also raise some thought provoking issues and doesn't sugar coat the brutal realities of a society not too far removed from our own (minus the dragon overlords perhaps). We also see (dare I say it) a more thoughtful and maturing Southerland, which for me worked really well and it will be fascinating to see how this aspect of his character develops.
So do yourself a favour and grab cup of your favourite tipple and settle into A Nymph Returns to the Sea as soon as you can.
I'm already working out when I can jump back into series!
November 20, 2022
I'm a big fan of Douglas Lumsden's Alexander Southerland, P.I. series, and was thrilled to read the ARC of his latest book, A Nymph Returns to the Sea. Tightly plotted, well-paced, and frequently deeply moving, it elevates the series to new heights while also advancing the plot on multiple fronts. Highly recommended!!
For the uninitiated, this series fills a tragically underserved niche in the urban fantasy genre: UF-type stories that are set in an actual fantasy world (vs. the more common 'contemporary Earth with some supernatural beings'). From the very first book, A Troll Walks into a Bar, Lumsden has done a terrific job building out that world for us, layering in new races and cultures as the main character's cases take him deeper and deeper into the muck and the mire of his city's politics. A Nymph Returns to the Sea is no exception to that trend, focusing in on the adaro species, (the author's unique take on mer-people), and the female adaros' current status as, essentially, hostages/prisoners of war. There are some heavy subjects (with real-world analogues) in play here, as is often true of the best of SFF, but they are handled with nuance, and deepen the story rather than distracting from it or feeling out of place.
In Nymph, the main character, Alexander, begins at a bit of a crossroads, dealing with a relationship that has ended (and the knowledge that he was the reason it ended), while trying to still cling to the idea that he can remain neutral in the political conflict between elves and dragons that has been building for multiple books. These two plotlines interweave as the story continues, informing and building off of each other, and I liked that interplay between the glimpses of the relationship as it barreled towards its own demise and the present-day plotline of the case Alexander finds himself pulled into.
Lumsden does a fantastic job of not just drenching the pages in noir but really exploring what the reality of that hard-drinking, lovelorn PI archetype might be like. He mines it for truths that a less confident author might shy away from, and the result is that Alexander feels so real he could walk right off the pages. He is a flawed man, a product of traumas in both his childhood and his adult life, but the way he has adapted to those flaws, the willpower he has found to keep going and the emotional armor he has built for himself have left him perhaps uniquely suited for the job he faces. I'm a sucker for a character who almost can't help but try to do the right thing, whatever the cost, and there is clearly a tragic hero lurking behind Alexander's gumshoe facade, no matter how much he tries to hide it.
Many characters from earlier books make their appearances, reintroduced in a way that reminds the reader of who they are and where we know them from without reams of pace-killing exposition. It's the sort of deft work any author working in long-form series should study, and something I'm going to try to emulate in my own future books.
The central mystery is, as always, rock solid. A number of different threads spiral through the book before coming together in a series of revelations and realizations that all feel appropriately earned. Meanwhile, Alexander himself continues to take steps on both his road of self-discovery/self-healing and his journey toward being, as he puts it, a tiny role in a larger movement. Things wrap up well, if not always cleanly, and yet there's a sense that the typhoon-like weather that occurred in the book is just a precursor to the much larger geopolitical storm to come.
With (I believe) one more book to come, I am fascinated to see where that larger story ends up. This is a world I could read about forever.
For the uninitiated, this series fills a tragically underserved niche in the urban fantasy genre: UF-type stories that are set in an actual fantasy world (vs. the more common 'contemporary Earth with some supernatural beings'). From the very first book, A Troll Walks into a Bar, Lumsden has done a terrific job building out that world for us, layering in new races and cultures as the main character's cases take him deeper and deeper into the muck and the mire of his city's politics. A Nymph Returns to the Sea is no exception to that trend, focusing in on the adaro species, (the author's unique take on mer-people), and the female adaros' current status as, essentially, hostages/prisoners of war. There are some heavy subjects (with real-world analogues) in play here, as is often true of the best of SFF, but they are handled with nuance, and deepen the story rather than distracting from it or feeling out of place.
In Nymph, the main character, Alexander, begins at a bit of a crossroads, dealing with a relationship that has ended (and the knowledge that he was the reason it ended), while trying to still cling to the idea that he can remain neutral in the political conflict between elves and dragons that has been building for multiple books. These two plotlines interweave as the story continues, informing and building off of each other, and I liked that interplay between the glimpses of the relationship as it barreled towards its own demise and the present-day plotline of the case Alexander finds himself pulled into.
Lumsden does a fantastic job of not just drenching the pages in noir but really exploring what the reality of that hard-drinking, lovelorn PI archetype might be like. He mines it for truths that a less confident author might shy away from, and the result is that Alexander feels so real he could walk right off the pages. He is a flawed man, a product of traumas in both his childhood and his adult life, but the way he has adapted to those flaws, the willpower he has found to keep going and the emotional armor he has built for himself have left him perhaps uniquely suited for the job he faces. I'm a sucker for a character who almost can't help but try to do the right thing, whatever the cost, and there is clearly a tragic hero lurking behind Alexander's gumshoe facade, no matter how much he tries to hide it.
Many characters from earlier books make their appearances, reintroduced in a way that reminds the reader of who they are and where we know them from without reams of pace-killing exposition. It's the sort of deft work any author working in long-form series should study, and something I'm going to try to emulate in my own future books.
The central mystery is, as always, rock solid. A number of different threads spiral through the book before coming together in a series of revelations and realizations that all feel appropriately earned. Meanwhile, Alexander himself continues to take steps on both his road of self-discovery/self-healing and his journey toward being, as he puts it, a tiny role in a larger movement. Things wrap up well, if not always cleanly, and yet there's a sense that the typhoon-like weather that occurred in the book is just a precursor to the much larger geopolitical storm to come.
With (I believe) one more book to come, I am fascinated to see where that larger story ends up. This is a world I could read about forever.
October 13, 2025
Alexander Southerland, P.I. 05 A Nymph Returns to the Sea by Douglas Lumsden
4.25 Stars
challenging funny mysterious reflective sad tense
Medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters are a main focus: Yes
Two of my favourite genres...Fantasy and Crime/Thrillers, and he does it so well.
As I'm reading it, I feel that I'm transported to this fantastical world of Fantasy Noir, where Alexander Southerland, P.I. (Private Investigator) is just trying to make a living.
This story is about racsim and the hatred and abuse of the "other". The powers that rule, and the majority of the population see the ada(Lro nymphs and their religion as "less than" and want to coral them in interment camps and restrict their freedoms.
I really like the police chief, Kalama. She gives Alexander a hard time, calling him "gumshoe", but they're a bit of respect there...and they help each other out, though she ALWAYS has the upper hand, while Alexander always short-changes her...when he feels he can get away with it.
I really don't trust Ralph, but for some reason...Alexander does. They have an interesting relationship.
The police and the LIA (Lord's Investigation Agency), which would be the dictator's FBI (in our world), which is usually sketchy (not always doing things "by the law").
There is also some characters that always seem to be looking out for Alexander. They are few, but they are very special.
During this story, we get to know Alexander's ex-girlfriend by experiencing their relationship from what happened in the past. There is a scene where she dresses him down BRUTALLY, but on point. I've heard this EXACT dress down from one of my early girlfriends, too. It made an impact in my life and how I treated the person that I loved...and bore fruit when I got married to my wife, and how I had learned from this moment, to never do THAT ever again.
Loved this story, and cannot wait to read the next book in the series.
4.25 Stars
challenging funny mysterious reflective sad tense
Medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters are a main focus: Yes
Two of my favourite genres...Fantasy and Crime/Thrillers, and he does it so well.
As I'm reading it, I feel that I'm transported to this fantastical world of Fantasy Noir, where Alexander Southerland, P.I. (Private Investigator) is just trying to make a living.
This story is about racsim and the hatred and abuse of the "other". The powers that rule, and the majority of the population see the ada(Lro nymphs and their religion as "less than" and want to coral them in interment camps and restrict their freedoms.
I really like the police chief, Kalama. She gives Alexander a hard time, calling him "gumshoe", but they're a bit of respect there...and they help each other out, though she ALWAYS has the upper hand, while Alexander always short-changes her...when he feels he can get away with it.
I really don't trust Ralph, but for some reason...Alexander does. They have an interesting relationship.
The police and the LIA (Lord's Investigation Agency), which would be the dictator's FBI (in our world), which is usually sketchy (not always doing things "by the law").
There is also some characters that always seem to be looking out for Alexander. They are few, but they are very special.
During this story, we get to know Alexander's ex-girlfriend by experiencing their relationship from what happened in the past. There is a scene where she dresses him down BRUTALLY, but on point. I've heard this EXACT dress down from one of my early girlfriends, too. It made an impact in my life and how I treated the person that I loved...and bore fruit when I got married to my wife, and how I had learned from this moment, to never do THAT ever again.
Loved this story, and cannot wait to read the next book in the series.
December 13, 2022
I have just finished “A Nymph Returns to the Sea”, and it was a wonderful literary repast. I suffer (and happily own) the sin of Gluttony for this series and it was simply delicious perfection from the first word to the last. I tried to make it last as long as I could but like all great things, it ended way too soon.
I am remembering every wonderful bit with relish – and already hungrily waiting for the next installment.
I read a lot – and I mean A LOT – and this series is at the top of my list of favorites. I have read them all digitally but have ordered the entire series in print form so that I have them physically in hand.
Prior to “A Troll Walks into a Bar”, I had never read anything considered Urban Fantasy Noir and now I am a fan of the genre. I was going to say ‘hooked’ on the genre but I am only hooked on Alex Southerland, the continent of Tolanica and its denizens.
I have enjoyed other authors’ forays into the genre but I ultimately find them lacking and the difference is that Douglas Lumsden’s characters are ultimately true to their nature be they human or otherkind.
Alex Southerland for example, is unfailingly human, an interesting, engaging man; flawed and in my opinion; simply perfect in his imperfection. I have known people like Alex Southerland. Perhaps because I have a history of being in the military and in the police, I find that I can relate to Alex and his circumstances, or his life and personality – in some way.
Alex has evolved through the series and has even gained a few abilities that help him along his life path but he is still intrinsically the same person at his core that he was when the series began and I love that.
When I was reflecting on why this series stood out to me more than others in the genre, it was because over the course of 5 books, Alex did not quickly transform from what he was and is into some uber-rich, uber powerful demigod. Alex has been steadfastly Alex and over the course of the books, I just got to know him a bit better as I him followed along his adventures in Yerba City.
The world that Douglas Lumsden has created is a fully-fleshed world that I can easily envision with a multitude of interesting characters, as I discovered in “The Demon’s Dagger”; which is set in the same world and which I loved reading and highly recommend as well - Alex and Yerba City are but a small part of this whole darkly wonderful world.
This is a world that I urge everyone to discover, because as a glutton for the series; the more readers there are who want more – the more chances I have to indulge in my sin. Go ahead, take a taste – if not for yourself then for me - you will be very happy you did!
I am remembering every wonderful bit with relish – and already hungrily waiting for the next installment.
I read a lot – and I mean A LOT – and this series is at the top of my list of favorites. I have read them all digitally but have ordered the entire series in print form so that I have them physically in hand.
Prior to “A Troll Walks into a Bar”, I had never read anything considered Urban Fantasy Noir and now I am a fan of the genre. I was going to say ‘hooked’ on the genre but I am only hooked on Alex Southerland, the continent of Tolanica and its denizens.
I have enjoyed other authors’ forays into the genre but I ultimately find them lacking and the difference is that Douglas Lumsden’s characters are ultimately true to their nature be they human or otherkind.
Alex Southerland for example, is unfailingly human, an interesting, engaging man; flawed and in my opinion; simply perfect in his imperfection. I have known people like Alex Southerland. Perhaps because I have a history of being in the military and in the police, I find that I can relate to Alex and his circumstances, or his life and personality – in some way.
Alex has evolved through the series and has even gained a few abilities that help him along his life path but he is still intrinsically the same person at his core that he was when the series began and I love that.
When I was reflecting on why this series stood out to me more than others in the genre, it was because over the course of 5 books, Alex did not quickly transform from what he was and is into some uber-rich, uber powerful demigod. Alex has been steadfastly Alex and over the course of the books, I just got to know him a bit better as I him followed along his adventures in Yerba City.
The world that Douglas Lumsden has created is a fully-fleshed world that I can easily envision with a multitude of interesting characters, as I discovered in “The Demon’s Dagger”; which is set in the same world and which I loved reading and highly recommend as well - Alex and Yerba City are but a small part of this whole darkly wonderful world.
This is a world that I urge everyone to discover, because as a glutton for the series; the more readers there are who want more – the more chances I have to indulge in my sin. Go ahead, take a taste – if not for yourself then for me - you will be very happy you did!
August 22, 2023
“A Nymph Returns to the Sea” is my second incursion in the Alex Southerland universe. Compared to book 1 (A Troll Walks into a Bar), the character, still a private detective, has evolved into a more politically-conscious protagonist. This doesn’t take anything away from the plot and the rhythm of the narrative, let’s say that it’s more opportunities for Alex to get in trouble. Luckily, he’s built a network of allies (both human and not so much) that he can rely on. His exceptional talents, more extensive than in the first installment, also come handy. The writing is breezy, even if the book is one big drenched adventure, and ironic. I especially recommend Lumsden’s version of a good cop/bad cop muscular interview. Alex may not feel anything but he will hurt in a day or two. This installment of the series also features prickly divine entities, ambitious priestesses, and strife between godly bodies that would give Zeus and his fractious family pause. Power corrupts everybody in this story. It makes it fantasy noir, from fedora to gum shoes. A fun read.
November 17, 2024
Well, there goes the nymph.
A 4 stars book, I really loved the last third of it, but had issues connecting with the first chunk of it.
There's a back and forth between the past and the present that was jarring for me and kept getting in the way of my reading rhythm.
But that's my only gripe with it.
There a superb high heights in the book, especially closer to the end, and that's something I greatly value.
Alex keeps being the beating heart of the story [would be very bad if that was not the case], Douglas manages to keep the rest of the cast superbly in line, making them all vivid and relatable.
The mystery in this case needed a little more hook at the start, in my opinion and feelings, perhaps that's what kept getting in the way of my immersion.
All in all, still a very enjoyable book! And I'll keep hyping the series!
A 4 stars book, I really loved the last third of it, but had issues connecting with the first chunk of it.
There's a back and forth between the past and the present that was jarring for me and kept getting in the way of my reading rhythm.
But that's my only gripe with it.
There a superb high heights in the book, especially closer to the end, and that's something I greatly value.
Alex keeps being the beating heart of the story [would be very bad if that was not the case], Douglas manages to keep the rest of the cast superbly in line, making them all vivid and relatable.
The mystery in this case needed a little more hook at the start, in my opinion and feelings, perhaps that's what kept getting in the way of my immersion.
All in all, still a very enjoyable book! And I'll keep hyping the series!
September 11, 2024
(4.5 Stars) What makes this series interesting for me is that while it is a Hard boiled Noir setting, it explores the theme of injustice at a large and small scale well. Alex is always keen to stand up for the little girl or guy, yet turns a blind eye to the bigger injustices of his society. It poses the question of what we each would do under a dictator, in charge for so many generations that it begins to seem inevitable. August’s dismantling of the Roman Republic and installing himself as Emperor, but on a much larger scale.
Alex notably evolves with each novel and this one is no exception. Along side coping with heartbreak, the protagonist is forced to face his choice to remain indifferent towards the systemic cruelty in his world. I’m curious to see where this goes in the next novel.
Nice work Douglas 👌
Alex notably evolves with each novel and this one is no exception. Along side coping with heartbreak, the protagonist is forced to face his choice to remain indifferent towards the systemic cruelty in his world. I’m curious to see where this goes in the next novel.
Nice work Douglas 👌
December 20, 2022
A storm is brewing... literally! And an Adaro priestess has been found murdered with the local gang leader as the primary suspect. However, Alex suspects foul play and goes on the hunt to find him before the local police catch him first.
The fifth installment in the Alexander Southerland fantasy detective series that returns us to the neighborhood of the first book, "A Troll Walks into a Bar". I read the entire series in about 4 weeks and look forward to the sixth book when it is released...
The fifth installment in the Alexander Southerland fantasy detective series that returns us to the neighborhood of the first book, "A Troll Walks into a Bar". I read the entire series in about 4 weeks and look forward to the sixth book when it is released...
March 1, 2024
Action and Excitement
The 5th addition in the Alexander Southerland P.I. Series is the best one yet! I really enjoyed the action, the characters and the humor! I can hardly wait to read the next edition in the series! Although, some of the names and words are difficult to pronounce, it adds to the intriguing situations Alexander finds himself in.
The 5th addition in the Alexander Southerland P.I. Series is the best one yet! I really enjoyed the action, the characters and the humor! I can hardly wait to read the next edition in the series! Although, some of the names and words are difficult to pronounce, it adds to the intriguing situations Alexander finds himself in.
June 24, 2024
these books keep getting better
Over five books, the author has built a fascinating world representing what might be an alternate version of the California coastline. His PI, Alexander Southerland, is appropriately hard-boiled, and he has a rich cast of characters to play off of. These are very entertaining reads.
Over five books, the author has built a fascinating world representing what might be an alternate version of the California coastline. His PI, Alexander Southerland, is appropriately hard-boiled, and he has a rich cast of characters to play off of. These are very entertaining reads.
December 28, 2022
Douglas Lumsden is one of my new favorites! This Christopher Moore mixed up with Carl Hiaasen and you get a funny, dark, yet very well written mystery. I've finished this Southerland series and
want more!
want more!
December 14, 2023
Really great read
I'm binging this series and loving it. And I'm all for the way this book approaches racial oppression and women's rights. I can't wait to start on the next book!
I'm binging this series and loving it. And I'm all for the way this book approaches racial oppression and women's rights. I can't wait to start on the next book!
November 17, 2023
I didn’t like this one as much as several others in the series but it was unique and even tried something different. The book accomplished what it set out to do and that’s commendable.
April 24, 2023
Where to begin? What I like about this series is that it gets better with each installment.
I mean that — listen, we’ve all fallen in love with a series of books, movies, shows, graphic novels, etc. which peter out after a few brilliant installments. Douglas Lumsden’s Alexander Southerland novels jauntily rebel against and shatter that pattern, with the world, characters, and situations evolving steadily in complexity, intelligence, and heart.
One reason it does this so effectively is that it asks the big questions in creative ways — about the self, society, morality, and life itself — but does so without PREACHING, which is not only the most effective way to reach folks and do good; it’s so goddamn rare in this day and age of self righteous social media poseurs and screaming. I am put in mind of things said more wittily on this heading by Oscar Wilde, G.K. Chesterton, and many other writers over the years, and I shan’t embarrass myself by doing more than applauding what, to borrow Neil Gaiman’s pithy term, I see to be “good art.”
Briefly, this is a well-written, intelligent and layered story of how Alex takes a massive step along his coming-of-age, his noir bildungsroman, juxtaposing his surprisingly poignant and self-aware introspection as he analyzes the breakup of his longest-running relationship to date alongside his war to stay neutral in a world rapidly descending into war (between oppressive forces and those who seek to rebel against them, including factions both natural and supernatural). Several of the most powerful passages are moving because they echo the struggles we face today in a world filled with injustice, where the average person would like very much simply to “get through the day” in peace, like Alex, though conscience gnaws each time fresh injustices crop up.
Loaded with action, smart characters and plot development, plenty of twists, and carefully-balanced rising stakes as Alex reluctantly stumbles ever closer to the centers of power that govern his world, with a keenly incisive (and often wickedly funny) lens on social issues, power dynamics, and more, the story brings back some absolutely favorite characters (including beloved anti-hero Ten-Inch and the loveable Cody), and is strongly recommended for all.
NOIR LOVE – WITH A TWIST
For example, instead of a wooden device of “she dumped me, women suck” (or equally wooden PoMo spin of “she dumped me because all men suck”), the story enters a heartfelt and relatable coming-of-age for Alex, bringing incredible insight, intelligence, and empathy to both sides of his longest relationship to date (and the examination of its downfall), as Alex is forced to learn some hard lessons about himself and the sort of casual sexism that comes all too easily in a society that stifles women's voices.
Like the series as a whole, which is doing an excellent job of stakes-raising by the way (more on that below), the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune are actually teaching Alex valuable lessons about himself as he grapples with his demons, from childhood trauma and abuse to PTSD from his military service, to simply facing his own faults and flaws (including what he grudgingly worries is a pattern of alcoholism).
Indeed, instead of simply screaming at him for mansplaining birth control (and doing a hundred other controlling, unwittingly arrogant and condescending things that men constantly do around women), Holly goes toe to toe with him, blending fire with intelligence as she explains not only what he did, but why it was wrong (too many examples to share in one review, but these scenes are excellent and carefully written.) And when the end comes over a tasteful last dinner, Alex understands exactly why it’s necessary, and without mawkish self-loathing, he does accept some hard truths about himself (and grow, in some ways, though perhaps not in others).
Again, this is all done deftly in a way that shows (and doesn’t tell); that is, it doesn’t PREACH, but it shows in sometimes ugly detail what it’s like to screw up and then see exactly how we screwed up in a highly polished mirror.
NEUTRALITY, SIDES, OPPRESSORS
We’ve seen Alex evolve along his journey, starting as a traumatized vet-turned-private eye with a SERIOUS messiah complex to a more balanced agent of enlightened self-interest (notably in his monologues after he tangled with the Hatfields for the first time in a previous installment). Here, he faces a crisis of the soul, because he’s on the verge of going too far in the opposite direction: neutrality (cf. Desmond Tutu’s famous quote, or Elie Wiesel.)
“Everyone wants me to fight in their war. Well fuck that,” Alex says to Cougar. “I don’t fight in turf wars.”
But as the investigation exposes ever darker layers of injustice and oppression, Alex finds himself facing his foil in Ten-Inch, a fellow veteran and rebel against society’s norms and all power structures, albeit one who lives as an outlaw on the opposite side of the law that Alex fights to uphold (at least, nominally). Alex realizes that they are each, ultimately, men who answer to a higher power, to the code not of unjust laws and social norms, but what is right.
“It’s a war, Sarge. A war between spirits honored by my people. Fuck yes I’m going to fight,” Ten-Inch says in one memorable dialogue. “That was the Ten-Inch I remembered,” Alex remarks. “A warrior out of place in a world of peace-loving civilians. People like him had to be in a fight in order to feel alive.” And, though he rebels, Alex is more like Ten-Inch than he might like to admit.
This becomes ever clearer as he is dragged face to face with the racial persecution of Adaro women (a.k.a. nymphs) and the widespread racism against them in society, enforced by the all-powerful Lord Ketz and his shadowy secret police the L.I.A., along with mainstream police and military forces, including the Navy’s Masters at Arms who gladly kill on sight when Adaro stray from their designated areas or roles, such as trying to escape into the open ocean, along with trying to slaughter any male Adaro that sets foot on dry land.
But even here, Lumsden’s training as a historian (and deep knowledge not just of sociology but of people) shines through. Because again, nothing is as simple as it seems. Are the Adaro oppressed? Most definitely. But is the simple answer sending the Adaro women home to the deep to resume submission to the males in a thousand-year old patriarchal-warrior society redolent of ancient Sparta? Not really, argue a large number of Adaro women Alex encounters, who inform him of the gender-based oppression and subjugation that they have faced back home for centuries. When freed from what amounts to internment camps, not a few of the Adaro rebel movement intend to go home, not to be submissive wives and mothers (as the Adaro men would like) but to spread ideas of liberty and equality that they have picked up and developed during their long sojourn on land.
Indeed, the complex, multifaceted nature of this living world is never more apparent than in several dizzying twists related to one of the leading freedom fighters (and key surprises about the grisly crime that brought Alex into the case at the start). Like Solzhenitsyn said, the line between good and evil runs not between groups of people or individuals — that line runs through our own hearts. (Or, even more aptly, Jung might like us to alter that from good and evil to light and darkness; Alex is, after all, learning to face, accept, discipline, and integrate his own Shadow).
I could spend hours talking about ways this book spoke to me (and artfully framed useful questions about issues both timeless and current, from power dynamics to social and gender issues), and I greatly enjoyed seeing my favorite characters like Cody again (and a nod to the beloved Crawford, with a joke about fedoras that made me laugh out loud). I also thought Modoc was a fascinating study, from his secret to echoes of a famous Greek myth with an oversized, muscular bully who turns out to be a coward (hey, I spotted some nifty echoes of Greek and Spartan culture throughout, by the way, and history fans will be as delighted as world literature lovers by countless references, nods, and echoes).
I’ll simply say that like its predecessors, this is a smart, fun book that doesn’t just entertain you with a gumshoe’s action-packed slog through supernatural noir. It’s a book that really makes you think, but (as Hitchens said in an essay), it doesn’t tell you what to think so much as it models a useful way how to think about hard issues.
I need ten pages to talk about Walks and how well-done each part of this arc is, and I cheered when I read the great showdown. “ Payback time, motherfucker” [redacted] said, and I was punching the air in jubilation as one of my favorite characters meted out some overdue justice to one of the most hated (and best-drawn) villains in the city. The pacing and structure closing chapter 30 was *chef's kiss*, as the kids might say, along with the twist when Ten-Inch faces the final ghost of his past (I was not expecting the denouement, which was perfect for the characters and story in question).
And true to genre and good art, while I love seeing Alex’s progress and growth, he’s more than open about his human weaknesses, and anyone who has wrestled with similar demons will find themselves rooting for his efforts (and sympathetic each time he stumbles). I’m cheering for Alex, and I cannot wait to see what adventures are in store for him. He’s come within inches of true love twice now (maybe thrice, but no spoilers), and what I love is that he’s learning (and growing) from each one. He’s not finished his journey, but he’s making progress, and I’m rooting for him every step of the way.
I mean that — listen, we’ve all fallen in love with a series of books, movies, shows, graphic novels, etc. which peter out after a few brilliant installments. Douglas Lumsden’s Alexander Southerland novels jauntily rebel against and shatter that pattern, with the world, characters, and situations evolving steadily in complexity, intelligence, and heart.
One reason it does this so effectively is that it asks the big questions in creative ways — about the self, society, morality, and life itself — but does so without PREACHING, which is not only the most effective way to reach folks and do good; it’s so goddamn rare in this day and age of self righteous social media poseurs and screaming. I am put in mind of things said more wittily on this heading by Oscar Wilde, G.K. Chesterton, and many other writers over the years, and I shan’t embarrass myself by doing more than applauding what, to borrow Neil Gaiman’s pithy term, I see to be “good art.”
Briefly, this is a well-written, intelligent and layered story of how Alex takes a massive step along his coming-of-age, his noir bildungsroman, juxtaposing his surprisingly poignant and self-aware introspection as he analyzes the breakup of his longest-running relationship to date alongside his war to stay neutral in a world rapidly descending into war (between oppressive forces and those who seek to rebel against them, including factions both natural and supernatural). Several of the most powerful passages are moving because they echo the struggles we face today in a world filled with injustice, where the average person would like very much simply to “get through the day” in peace, like Alex, though conscience gnaws each time fresh injustices crop up.
Loaded with action, smart characters and plot development, plenty of twists, and carefully-balanced rising stakes as Alex reluctantly stumbles ever closer to the centers of power that govern his world, with a keenly incisive (and often wickedly funny) lens on social issues, power dynamics, and more, the story brings back some absolutely favorite characters (including beloved anti-hero Ten-Inch and the loveable Cody), and is strongly recommended for all.
NOIR LOVE – WITH A TWIST
For example, instead of a wooden device of “she dumped me, women suck” (or equally wooden PoMo spin of “she dumped me because all men suck”), the story enters a heartfelt and relatable coming-of-age for Alex, bringing incredible insight, intelligence, and empathy to both sides of his longest relationship to date (and the examination of its downfall), as Alex is forced to learn some hard lessons about himself and the sort of casual sexism that comes all too easily in a society that stifles women's voices.
Like the series as a whole, which is doing an excellent job of stakes-raising by the way (more on that below), the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune are actually teaching Alex valuable lessons about himself as he grapples with his demons, from childhood trauma and abuse to PTSD from his military service, to simply facing his own faults and flaws (including what he grudgingly worries is a pattern of alcoholism).
Indeed, instead of simply screaming at him for mansplaining birth control (and doing a hundred other controlling, unwittingly arrogant and condescending things that men constantly do around women), Holly goes toe to toe with him, blending fire with intelligence as she explains not only what he did, but why it was wrong (too many examples to share in one review, but these scenes are excellent and carefully written.) And when the end comes over a tasteful last dinner, Alex understands exactly why it’s necessary, and without mawkish self-loathing, he does accept some hard truths about himself (and grow, in some ways, though perhaps not in others).
Again, this is all done deftly in a way that shows (and doesn’t tell); that is, it doesn’t PREACH, but it shows in sometimes ugly detail what it’s like to screw up and then see exactly how we screwed up in a highly polished mirror.
NEUTRALITY, SIDES, OPPRESSORS
We’ve seen Alex evolve along his journey, starting as a traumatized vet-turned-private eye with a SERIOUS messiah complex to a more balanced agent of enlightened self-interest (notably in his monologues after he tangled with the Hatfields for the first time in a previous installment). Here, he faces a crisis of the soul, because he’s on the verge of going too far in the opposite direction: neutrality (cf. Desmond Tutu’s famous quote, or Elie Wiesel.)
“Everyone wants me to fight in their war. Well fuck that,” Alex says to Cougar. “I don’t fight in turf wars.”
But as the investigation exposes ever darker layers of injustice and oppression, Alex finds himself facing his foil in Ten-Inch, a fellow veteran and rebel against society’s norms and all power structures, albeit one who lives as an outlaw on the opposite side of the law that Alex fights to uphold (at least, nominally). Alex realizes that they are each, ultimately, men who answer to a higher power, to the code not of unjust laws and social norms, but what is right.
“It’s a war, Sarge. A war between spirits honored by my people. Fuck yes I’m going to fight,” Ten-Inch says in one memorable dialogue. “That was the Ten-Inch I remembered,” Alex remarks. “A warrior out of place in a world of peace-loving civilians. People like him had to be in a fight in order to feel alive.” And, though he rebels, Alex is more like Ten-Inch than he might like to admit.
This becomes ever clearer as he is dragged face to face with the racial persecution of Adaro women (a.k.a. nymphs) and the widespread racism against them in society, enforced by the all-powerful Lord Ketz and his shadowy secret police the L.I.A., along with mainstream police and military forces, including the Navy’s Masters at Arms who gladly kill on sight when Adaro stray from their designated areas or roles, such as trying to escape into the open ocean, along with trying to slaughter any male Adaro that sets foot on dry land.
But even here, Lumsden’s training as a historian (and deep knowledge not just of sociology but of people) shines through. Because again, nothing is as simple as it seems. Are the Adaro oppressed? Most definitely. But is the simple answer sending the Adaro women home to the deep to resume submission to the males in a thousand-year old patriarchal-warrior society redolent of ancient Sparta? Not really, argue a large number of Adaro women Alex encounters, who inform him of the gender-based oppression and subjugation that they have faced back home for centuries. When freed from what amounts to internment camps, not a few of the Adaro rebel movement intend to go home, not to be submissive wives and mothers (as the Adaro men would like) but to spread ideas of liberty and equality that they have picked up and developed during their long sojourn on land.
Indeed, the complex, multifaceted nature of this living world is never more apparent than in several dizzying twists related to one of the leading freedom fighters (and key surprises about the grisly crime that brought Alex into the case at the start). Like Solzhenitsyn said, the line between good and evil runs not between groups of people or individuals — that line runs through our own hearts. (Or, even more aptly, Jung might like us to alter that from good and evil to light and darkness; Alex is, after all, learning to face, accept, discipline, and integrate his own Shadow).
I could spend hours talking about ways this book spoke to me (and artfully framed useful questions about issues both timeless and current, from power dynamics to social and gender issues), and I greatly enjoyed seeing my favorite characters like Cody again (and a nod to the beloved Crawford, with a joke about fedoras that made me laugh out loud). I also thought Modoc was a fascinating study, from his secret to echoes of a famous Greek myth with an oversized, muscular bully who turns out to be a coward (hey, I spotted some nifty echoes of Greek and Spartan culture throughout, by the way, and history fans will be as delighted as world literature lovers by countless references, nods, and echoes).
I’ll simply say that like its predecessors, this is a smart, fun book that doesn’t just entertain you with a gumshoe’s action-packed slog through supernatural noir. It’s a book that really makes you think, but (as Hitchens said in an essay), it doesn’t tell you what to think so much as it models a useful way how to think about hard issues.
I need ten pages to talk about Walks and how well-done each part of this arc is, and I cheered when I read the great showdown. “ Payback time, motherfucker” [redacted] said, and I was punching the air in jubilation as one of my favorite characters meted out some overdue justice to one of the most hated (and best-drawn) villains in the city. The pacing and structure closing chapter 30 was *chef's kiss*, as the kids might say, along with the twist when Ten-Inch faces the final ghost of his past (I was not expecting the denouement, which was perfect for the characters and story in question).
And true to genre and good art, while I love seeing Alex’s progress and growth, he’s more than open about his human weaknesses, and anyone who has wrestled with similar demons will find themselves rooting for his efforts (and sympathetic each time he stumbles). I’m cheering for Alex, and I cannot wait to see what adventures are in store for him. He’s come within inches of true love twice now (maybe thrice, but no spoilers), and what I love is that he’s learning (and growing) from each one. He’s not finished his journey, but he’s making progress, and I’m rooting for him every step of the way.
January 18, 2026
Oof, this one was a trip down a lane Mr Sutherland would rather avoid. Reminders of the past, an attempt to move forward on the advice of a solid figure, and all the LIA B.S. we’ve come to fear and expect. Seemingly unexpected events and moments hold more weight than expected, just as they have with every book. And in the end there are so many unexpected endpoints, so many surprises and turns. But the surprises are, at times, overshadowed by the tragedy of our unwilling hero. This one gave me those Yerba City blues, how it may feel to be stuck in a cold fog and storm for days and days. Crazy man, crazy.
December 19, 2022
What world to explore
I really enjoy reading stories in this world of urban magic. The gritty style of the old dime store crime novels wrapped in a dark, magical world where everyone is fighting to survive while the lonely Detective Southerland claws his way through tangled mysteries to unravel the clues to make a little dough and keep his lawyer paid.
I really enjoy reading stories in this world of urban magic. The gritty style of the old dime store crime novels wrapped in a dark, magical world where everyone is fighting to survive while the lonely Detective Southerland claws his way through tangled mysteries to unravel the clues to make a little dough and keep his lawyer paid.
December 18, 2022
This series is amazing!!!!
I loved everything about these books! The characters have a depth and nuance that keeps the stories fresh and interesting through all 5 books. I would literally read 30 of these and never get tired of them.
I loved everything about these books! The characters have a depth and nuance that keeps the stories fresh and interesting through all 5 books. I would literally read 30 of these and never get tired of them.
November 2, 2023
This is not a boring series.
The plot of this story twisted in very unexpected ways. The main character leads a hard life but you can only feel respect for his choices as he is facing serious issues and doing what it takes to deal with them. A lot going but it all.makes sense in the end and the long view plot of all these books is starting to shape up. Onto the next!
The plot of this story twisted in very unexpected ways. The main character leads a hard life but you can only feel respect for his choices as he is facing serious issues and doing what it takes to deal with them. A lot going but it all.makes sense in the end and the long view plot of all these books is starting to shape up. Onto the next!
December 4, 2022
The mysteries continue
This series continue its vein of hard boiled detective in a fantasy tech alternative to the modern world. I was hoping for more character and power growth but was satisfied with this being another mystery to be unraveled. A couple of twists made the ending a little surprising. Hopefully the next book gives larger roles to the characters that have been previously introduced or expands the realm. Worst case, even a stand alone mystery has enough tidbits to keep it interesting to read.
This series continue its vein of hard boiled detective in a fantasy tech alternative to the modern world. I was hoping for more character and power growth but was satisfied with this being another mystery to be unraveled. A couple of twists made the ending a little surprising. Hopefully the next book gives larger roles to the characters that have been previously introduced or expands the realm. Worst case, even a stand alone mystery has enough tidbits to keep it interesting to read.
December 4, 2022
another great story
I love this series and Alex Southerland! The world is intriguing and I have to read each book as fast as I can. This story, as usual, propelled me rapidly through to the satisfying conclusion. Alex is right up there with Sam and Philip in my opinion. I look forward to the next book!
I love this series and Alex Southerland! The world is intriguing and I have to read each book as fast as I can. This story, as usual, propelled me rapidly through to the satisfying conclusion. Alex is right up there with Sam and Philip in my opinion. I look forward to the next book!
December 1, 2022
The Alex Southerland series is one of the very best urban fantasy detective series out there, and I'm always keen to jump into the latest installment.
What to Expect
Alex is in a bad place in his life, sinking into a bottle of rye after a bad breakup. In an effort to crawl out he's looking for work, and when no one would hire him he drums up a tenuous case for himself. Which, naturally, ends up pitting him against crime organisations, intelligence agencies, and living forces of nature.
What I liked
As always, I love the world Lumsden has crafted, with its detailed alt-history and unique setting and mythology coming to life. I love Alex as a detective, operating along the hard-boiled unwritten rules (though much better adapted to the modern world and modern readers!) and never mind his extra abilities.
This series epitomises blending the genres in the best of ways, and it's great to see Lumsden's style maturing and exploring literary devices for an immersive and engaging story.
What to be aware of
This is book five in the series, with many references to previous events and characters previously introduced. While each ‘case’ is more or less independent, I’d recommend reading this excellent series from the start.
Felix's Review
Felix is not unfamiliar with the dangerous allure of alcohol, and bad breakups. Been there, done that, and he'd be happy to take Alex on a journey of redemption (starting with a pub-crawl, of course). A kindred spirit, he appreciate his doggedness to serve his client and solve the mystery, even when facing powerful authorities and supernatural forces.
Summary
If you’re a fan of Urban Fantasy detectives, this series is an absolute must read. Lumsden’s writing stands out as unique and refreshing. If you haven’t read it before, start with A Troll Walks Into A Bar.
Enjoying the reviews, but wondering who the heck is that Felix fellow? Glad you asked! He's the protagonist of the Togas, Daggers, and Magic series, an historical-fantasy blend of a paranormal detective on the background of ancient Rome.
Assaph Mehr, author of Murder In Absentia: A story of Togas, Daggers, and Magic - for lovers of Ancient Rome, Murder Mysteries, and Urban Fantasy.
What to Expect
Alex is in a bad place in his life, sinking into a bottle of rye after a bad breakup. In an effort to crawl out he's looking for work, and when no one would hire him he drums up a tenuous case for himself. Which, naturally, ends up pitting him against crime organisations, intelligence agencies, and living forces of nature.
What I liked
As always, I love the world Lumsden has crafted, with its detailed alt-history and unique setting and mythology coming to life. I love Alex as a detective, operating along the hard-boiled unwritten rules (though much better adapted to the modern world and modern readers!) and never mind his extra abilities.
This series epitomises blending the genres in the best of ways, and it's great to see Lumsden's style maturing and exploring literary devices for an immersive and engaging story.
What to be aware of
This is book five in the series, with many references to previous events and characters previously introduced. While each ‘case’ is more or less independent, I’d recommend reading this excellent series from the start.
Felix's Review
Felix is not unfamiliar with the dangerous allure of alcohol, and bad breakups. Been there, done that, and he'd be happy to take Alex on a journey of redemption (starting with a pub-crawl, of course). A kindred spirit, he appreciate his doggedness to serve his client and solve the mystery, even when facing powerful authorities and supernatural forces.
Summary
If you’re a fan of Urban Fantasy detectives, this series is an absolute must read. Lumsden’s writing stands out as unique and refreshing. If you haven’t read it before, start with A Troll Walks Into A Bar.
Enjoying the reviews, but wondering who the heck is that Felix fellow? Glad you asked! He's the protagonist of the Togas, Daggers, and Magic series, an historical-fantasy blend of a paranormal detective on the background of ancient Rome.
Assaph Mehr, author of Murder In Absentia: A story of Togas, Daggers, and Magic - for lovers of Ancient Rome, Murder Mysteries, and Urban Fantasy.
July 28, 2025
Solid four.
This one got drawn out a few times for me to finish. Alexander Southerland is back again and in true noir fashion, not only is the whole deck stacked against him, the casino is rigged as well. And we keep piling this on.
I loved the inclusion of more of the South Seas/ Maui/ Tahiti mythology and the reconnection to the adaro plight. Even with old returning characters, however, this entry felt a bit superficial. Superficial in that Alexander is down on his luck and gets pulled into a three way war between major spirits.
As I type this review, though Im not. religious, how does it work in this field? Is there spirits and gods, but only one God like in Dresden? Is Catholicism a thing? Multiple gods with a little g were mentioned. And thats what this novel felt like, a continuation of a centuries long fight between higher powers and our intrepid cast gets pulled into the middle.
This not so much leaned into the noir elements but drenched the pages/ ebook in it. Everything keeps going wrong and the stakes get higher. It almost felt like detente and even Alex himself pointed it out that he had two magical Macguffins to help him out.
There was a good bit about police corruption and some stirring speeches about tilting at windmills and middle stage feminism through different species but no changes except for initially, the worst. Yeah, we managed to free a few people from a settlement camp and then they just built higher walls and razor wire. Yeah we had growth but it was drenched in " misunderstanding" rather than growth.
Still looking forward to the next one!
This one got drawn out a few times for me to finish. Alexander Southerland is back again and in true noir fashion, not only is the whole deck stacked against him, the casino is rigged as well. And we keep piling this on.
I loved the inclusion of more of the South Seas/ Maui/ Tahiti mythology and the reconnection to the adaro plight. Even with old returning characters, however, this entry felt a bit superficial. Superficial in that Alexander is down on his luck and gets pulled into a three way war between major spirits.
As I type this review, though Im not. religious, how does it work in this field? Is there spirits and gods, but only one God like in Dresden? Is Catholicism a thing? Multiple gods with a little g were mentioned. And thats what this novel felt like, a continuation of a centuries long fight between higher powers and our intrepid cast gets pulled into the middle.
This not so much leaned into the noir elements but drenched the pages/ ebook in it. Everything keeps going wrong and the stakes get higher. It almost felt like detente and even Alex himself pointed it out that he had two magical Macguffins to help him out.
There was a good bit about police corruption and some stirring speeches about tilting at windmills and middle stage feminism through different species but no changes except for initially, the worst. Yeah, we managed to free a few people from a settlement camp and then they just built higher walls and razor wire. Yeah we had growth but it was drenched in " misunderstanding" rather than growth.
Still looking forward to the next one!
May 28, 2024
Why I picked this up: I’ve enjoyed the Alexander Southerland, P.I. series so far and I have every intention of continuing.
Genre: Urban fantasy / noir
Tone: Rye whiskey with a hint of blood from a broken nose you got from standing up against a bunch of street thugs.
Plot: Who murdered this dame? Detective uncovers supernatural shenanigans.
Pacing: The only point the story dragged was when Alex was battling traffic at one point, but that in itself was a feel. Overall, the story moved quick, which is how I like it.
Prose: 1st person, single POV. Easy to read. We’re in Alex’s head, so it’s all grit.
World: A modern urban setting with fantasy elements: creatures/people, spirits, dragons, elementals, witchcraft, etc. The lore of the Pacific Island-inspired adaro people introduced in an earlier book is further developed.
Characters: All New York attitude.
Conflict: Corrupt cops, street hoods, dark agents, angry spirits and trippy magic juice. Plenty of action and intrigue.
Cringe: The sexualisation of the adaro women (nymphs.) I get it, biology and pheromones, etc., but it didn��t sit well with me. It’s probably more to do with my personal hang-ups.
Overall enjoyment: The book’s great; not my favourite instalment, but the series is awesome. If Douglas Lumsden writes it, I’m gonna read it. Looking forward to picking up book #6 and seeing what happens next.
Genre: Urban fantasy / noir
Tone: Rye whiskey with a hint of blood from a broken nose you got from standing up against a bunch of street thugs.
Plot: Who murdered this dame? Detective uncovers supernatural shenanigans.
Pacing: The only point the story dragged was when Alex was battling traffic at one point, but that in itself was a feel. Overall, the story moved quick, which is how I like it.
Prose: 1st person, single POV. Easy to read. We’re in Alex’s head, so it’s all grit.
World: A modern urban setting with fantasy elements: creatures/people, spirits, dragons, elementals, witchcraft, etc. The lore of the Pacific Island-inspired adaro people introduced in an earlier book is further developed.
Characters: All New York attitude.
Conflict: Corrupt cops, street hoods, dark agents, angry spirits and trippy magic juice. Plenty of action and intrigue.
Cringe: The sexualisation of the adaro women (nymphs.) I get it, biology and pheromones, etc., but it didn��t sit well with me. It’s probably more to do with my personal hang-ups.
Overall enjoyment: The book’s great; not my favourite instalment, but the series is awesome. If Douglas Lumsden writes it, I’m gonna read it. Looking forward to picking up book #6 and seeing what happens next.
March 12, 2023
NO SPOILERS
I try to read as many Urban fantasy novels as I can. Some have been great, others OK. Author Douglas Lumsden has captured magic in a bottle within the Noir Urban fantasy world with The Alexander Southerland, P.I. series.
A Nymph Returns to the Sea continues the great adventures of Southerland's by Lumsden. Being book No. 5, you would think some of the trappings that befall Southerland would get old, luckily, that has not been the case.
Now, don't think it needs to be said, but to truly enjoy A Nymph Returns to the Sea, you must read the previous novels. Do you need to? No, Lumsden does a good job of filling in key events that occurred to get the story going. But then you will miss out the impact some of those moments have in the novel. Smokey is the one that benefits from that. The growth Smokey has seen is great and fits within his "character."
Again, trying hard to review without spoiling, but might be failing. So I'll end with, A Nymph Returns to the Sea was a great read. Can't wait for the next one.
I try to read as many Urban fantasy novels as I can. Some have been great, others OK. Author Douglas Lumsden has captured magic in a bottle within the Noir Urban fantasy world with The Alexander Southerland, P.I. series.
A Nymph Returns to the Sea continues the great adventures of Southerland's by Lumsden. Being book No. 5, you would think some of the trappings that befall Southerland would get old, luckily, that has not been the case.
Now, don't think it needs to be said, but to truly enjoy A Nymph Returns to the Sea, you must read the previous novels. Do you need to? No, Lumsden does a good job of filling in key events that occurred to get the story going. But then you will miss out the impact some of those moments have in the novel. Smokey is the one that benefits from that. The growth Smokey has seen is great and fits within his "character."
Again, trying hard to review without spoiling, but might be failing. So I'll end with, A Nymph Returns to the Sea was a great read. Can't wait for the next one.
February 11, 2023
A solid series for fans of urban fantasy grimnoir books
This is a really solid series of urban fantasy books featuring a gumshoe PI, a twisty and turny mystery all covered in a gooey layer of magical realism, a genre otherwise known as grimnoir.
I like these books because theyremind me of the old Mickey Spillane gritty detective stories I surreptitiously read as a kid. You can practically hear the mournful saxophone playing in the background as Alexander Southerland, P.I., roams the streets, putting together the clues to solve the mystery.
Give these books a read if you are a fan of Dan Willis' Arcane Casebook series - they have a very similar vibe.
This is a really solid series of urban fantasy books featuring a gumshoe PI, a twisty and turny mystery all covered in a gooey layer of magical realism, a genre otherwise known as grimnoir.
I like these books because theyremind me of the old Mickey Spillane gritty detective stories I surreptitiously read as a kid. You can practically hear the mournful saxophone playing in the background as Alexander Southerland, P.I., roams the streets, putting together the clues to solve the mystery.
Give these books a read if you are a fan of Dan Willis' Arcane Casebook series - they have a very similar vibe.
April 9, 2024
I mean we know the gist by now - the noir detective finds another case, gets entangled in things beyond his ken, gets into trouble with the law in multiple ways and gets battered all the way through - all of this even as the greater mystery and conflict of the world is tantalizing built upon. All of those are true in the 5th installment of this fantastic series
But what this book does very well is to grow Alex as a person - Alex has taken many hits over the last few books but in this one, he is pretty much depressed and the hit is more personal. Alex grows as a person more so in this book than the others and that juxtaposition makes this a fascinating read
But what this book does very well is to grow Alex as a person - Alex has taken many hits over the last few books but in this one, he is pretty much depressed and the hit is more personal. Alex grows as a person more so in this book than the others and that juxtaposition makes this a fascinating read
March 3, 2023
A good read!
The series offers a complex yet accessible venue. For those who enjoy a good mystery and who love good fantasy the book satisfies that itch. The setting is a combination of Dash Hammett noir and Lynn Asprin mythology. All the while remaining fast paced and readable.
The characters are believable and likable.
A good read!
The series offers a complex yet accessible venue. For those who enjoy a good mystery and who love good fantasy the book satisfies that itch. The setting is a combination of Dash Hammett noir and Lynn Asprin mythology. All the while remaining fast paced and readable.
The characters are believable and likable.
A good read!
November 26, 2023
so much fun!
I said in my comments on the previous book that the protagonist shared my values. I need to amend that to say the author is making the protagonist learn values that happen to match mine. I’m older than the protagonist is supposed to be (and, I think, a touch younger than the author), so that makes sense. Anyway, read the series!
I said in my comments on the previous book that the protagonist shared my values. I need to amend that to say the author is making the protagonist learn values that happen to match mine. I’m older than the protagonist is supposed to be (and, I think, a touch younger than the author), so that makes sense. Anyway, read the series!
August 1, 2024
Another Good Read
Good plot, interesting characters, further fleshing out of previously introduced players - I look forward to the next installment which I will begin this evening.
Good plot, interesting characters, further fleshing out of previously introduced players - I look forward to the next installment which I will begin this evening.
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