Whispering Nickel Idols

Garrett Files #11

by Glen Cook

Garrett’s having a pretty good morning until, five minutes in, he finds a strange child named Penny Dreadful poking around his apartment. Before he can figure out who the mysterious urchin really is, he’s hired to investigate how an old crime boss ended up in a coma—leaving his beautiful, criminally insane daughter to run the family business.   The boss’s daughter has some lascivious designs on Garrett—and some deadly ones, too. But she’s not the only one dreaming up ways to finish off the endangered private eye—who now has to figure out why everyone is suddenly after him...

Genres: Fantasy, Mystery, Urban Fantasy, Fiction, Detective, Science Fiction Fantasy, Crime

372 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 3, 2005

About the author

Glen Cook was born in New York City, lived in southern Indiana as a small child, then grew up in Northern California. After high school he served in the U.S. Navy and attended the University of Missouri. He worked for General Motors for 33 years, retiring some years ago. He started writing short stories in 7th grade, had several published in a high school literary magazine. He began writing with malicious intent to publish in 1968, eventually producing 51 books and a number of short fiction pieces.
He met his wife of 43 years while attending the Clarion Writer's Workshop in 1970. He has three sons (army officer, architect, orchestral musician) and numerous grandchildren, all of whom but one are female. He is best known for his Black Company series, which has appeared in 20+ languages worldwide. His other series include Dread Empire and and the Garrett, P.I. series. His latest work is Working God’s Mischief, fourth in the Instrumentalities of the Night series.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/glencook

Reviews

[✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans) · Rating 4 out of 5]

🐀 Time for Rats to Smell Rats Buddy Read (TfRtSRBR™) with The Overlord 🐀

Actual rating: 4.5 stars.

It's Quick Maths Time again! Yay and stuff!

Slightly murderous cults with somewhat nefarious intents + bad fashion sense as a sure sign of innate villainy + HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA + rats who pet cats + the Depths of Despond, home to depressed as fish fish +yeti men in green plaid pants (aka the Ugly Pants Gang, aka “the world's ugliest fashion retards”) + perpetually hammered pixies + cosmetic sorcery + buckets of ungrateful meows + HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA - Garrett (aka the “lightning rod for cynicism and sarcasm”) letting the Dead Man do all the work and just tagging along + the Dead Man doing all the work while Garrett is just tagging along + HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA - um, well I kinda sorta did see that coming + ha! well I sure didn't see that coming! + my girlfriend Pular Singe (aka the most deliciously sarcastic, cleverest, hottest ratgirl ever) = one of the best instalments in the series so far =



➽ Nefarious Last Words (NLW™): Glen Cook better bring the Goddamn Parrot back in the next installment, or else...



But hey, no pressure and stuff.

👋 To be continued and stuff.

· Book 1: Sweet Silver Blues ★★★★
· Book 2: Bitter Gold Hearts ★★★★
· Book 3: Cold Copper Tears ★★★★
· Book 4: Old Tin Sorrows ★★★★★
· Book 5: Dread Brass Shadows ★★★★
· Book 6: Red Iron Nights ★★★★★
· Book 7: Deadly Quicksilver Lies ★★★★★
· Book 8: Petty Pewter Gods ★★★
· Book 9: Faded Steel Heat ★★★
· Book 10: Angry Lead Skies ★★★★
· Book 12: Cruel Zinc Melodies ★★★★
· Book 13: Gilded Latten Bones ★★★★
· Book 14: Wicked Bronze Ambition ★★★

[Jacob Proffitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is eleventh in a fantasy mystery series. While you don't have to read in order, don't start here. A lot of the plot and characters and motivation depend on previous stories so definitely read the rest before this one.

So this is the worst cover blurb in the history of cover blurbs and I don't just mean that it spelled TunFaire wrong (or called the city a country). There isn't anything right about that blurb. Belinda never wants Garrett dead. Garrett already knows how Chodo wound up in a coma. And only one guy wanted Garrett actually dead and that was a late-stage development and never actually on-page. That degree of wrong is almost malicious in its completeness.

Anyway, I really enjoyed this story with two caveats. I like all the moving pieces. I like the developments with Garrett's circle of friends. And I like how all those complex elements come together in the end with some actual benefit to TunFaire due to the Dead Man's scheming.

I very much disliked Cook rewriting Belinda to be crazypants insane and that she hates her father enough to want to torture him. I completely bought her complex emotions when we first meet her where she tells Garrett that she loves her father and that she knew he loved her, too. She knew he did bad things because he never excluded her from the realities of his life, even discussing them with her (which is, frankly, how it was reasonable that she could step in in his incapacity). So having her be crazypants in this story to make the plot work rubbed me the wrong way.

The other thing I disliked is having so much Tinnie. I mean, i can see how having her around this investigation so much, and seeing her interact with Garrett, could be a move to setup how they are fundamentally incompatible. She is never going to like that he puts himself in harms way in his investigations. She is still advocating for him to take the position with the combine that would be safe and routine. A position that would be a complete soul-killer for him. And she doesn't see that.

Anyway, despite the drawbacks (and blurb), this was fun and engaging and with a fast pace and lovely resolution. I'm going to bump my old four stars to five. Oh! And the cats! I almost forgot the cats. They sprawl across this story like little balls of happiness. I loved them so much!

A note about Chaste: There's a lot of play with Garrett choosing to be circumspect with Tinnie hanging around all the time. There's only a single instance of them having some fun off-page. So this is pretty chaste and fairly tame for Garrett's wandering eye.

[Gilbert Stack · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the best motivation for Garrett to get involved in a problem since Sweet Silver Blues. In that one, he was asked to locate his first great love. In this one, he is asked to pay his debt to very scary mob boss Chodo Contague by helping to find out if he’s really in a poison-induced coma (with the poisoner being Chodo’s equally scary daughter who is a sometime Garrett-love-interest. What makes this so good is that Garrett always fought not to become Chodo’s man, and yet the genius crime lord succeeded in using Garrett’s own code to reel him in.

So Garrett is investigating something he wants no part of and then things get really crazy. Someone is making people spontaneously combust. There is another flock of weird cultists in town and they are not happy with Garrett. There are some magic cats (which I think people should have realized earlier really were magic, but what the heck). And there’s the requisite mysterious woman in the background tied in unclear ways to everything that is happening.

Cook is on his game again in the eleventh book of the series, making me anxious to get to book twelve.

[Melissa McShane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've only read this one once before and had little memory of it, but of course once I got started again it all came flooding back. It's got my least favorite cover--Garrett looking like a dough-faced cheap knock-off of Han Solo, with a black-clad bimbo I can only assume is Belinda Contague perched almost on his lap--but one of the more clever plots, in which rival religious factions come to town and get tangled up in a plot to restore Chodo Contague to power, or rescue him from his coma, or...there are something like three different groups with conflicting agendas. And kittens. Did I mention the kittens? There are kittens. Magical kittens.

I get all conflicted about Tinnie Tate in this volume. I've never liked her, but at this point she starts making like she's ready to stop being a stupid self-involved whiner-baby and grow up, which would maybe satisfy my desire for Garrett to act his age and develop a mature relationship with someone, except that it's *Tinnie* and I don't like her. Unfortunately, there isn't anyone else to take that role. On a different note, my favorite female character is still Pular Singe, ratgirl extraordinaire, who despite Cook's retconning to make her only a genius "for a ratgirl" is still way smarter than anyone except the Dead Man, and he's got like five extra brains and 400 years experience.

[Ben Truong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whispering Nickel Idols is the eleventh book in the Garrett P.I. series written by Glen Cook and centered on the adventures of private investigator Garrett.

Garrett's life has been going well until one morning he finds a strange kid named Penny Dreadful hanging around his house, he gets summoned to a meeting by Harvester Temisk, Chodo Contague's lawyer, and nearly has his door knocked down by an ugly thug wearing green plaid pants. Garrett meets with Temisk, who fears there are unnatural events occurring associated with Chodo Contague, who may not be as paralyzed as he appears. Garrett agrees to look into the matter that evening, at a birthday party being held by Belinda Contague for her father.

At the party, when Chodo is introduced to the guests, a number of people mysteriously burst into flames, and in the confusion that follows, Belinda and Chodo somehow get separated. The whole mess seems to have some connection with the Ugly Pants Gang, who continues to harass Garrett at his home and on the streets.

In addition, Garrett is getting more attention than he likes from subordinate underworld bosses who suspect that Garrett knows where Chodo Contague is hiding. Garrett can only escape the warring mafia factions for so long, and eventually he is captured, poisoned, and blackmailed by one aspiring leader named Teacher White.

Whispering Nickel Idols is written rather well. Cook continues to expand the world of TunFaire and the narrative and writing seemed to be improved significantly. It is the softest installment so far as there is some fighting action and the usual grittiness, but less than previous installments. The narrative was spot on, but the conclusion was rather disappointing as the narrative seems to dissolve near the end.

All in all, Whispering Nickel Idols is written rather well and is a rather good continuation to what would hopefully be a wonderful series, which I plan to continue in the very near future.

[Kirby Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one feels like a more traditional noir book, and is the better for it. Definite step up from its predecessor.

[Ben Duerksen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. Cook has thankfully dropped most of the overwhelmingly annoying and overused tropes that dominated the last couple of novels. I just still didn’t find this storyline as engaging as the capers earlier in the series. The overarching background narrative of the law and order movement isn’t as engaging nor does it feel it has as much potential as the cantard narrative (granted, that culmination was a letdown), and things just feel largely chaotic. The novel is not so much Garrett solving a mystery, as Garrett getting dragged along for the ride and flung this way and that by the Dead Man until we’re finally told what all was happening. The series has just lost something at this point, which is too bad.

[Keith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good not great Garrett adventure. There's trouble with the town's underworld crime family. There's a cult from upriver trying to harvest the worst pain and terror the town can supply. And our man Garrett is down in the middle of it getting stomped, stomping right back. The book moved along but at a meandering pace.

[Pye Josephus Joestar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome, I really liked this one. Lots of interesting things happening in this one and it doesn't get too convoluted that I can't understand what's happening anymore. Belinda needed more parts but she was great as always. Temisk was an interesting client however he doesn't reappear for such a long time that I completely forget who he is later in the book. There was a character that poisons garret; unfortunately I can't remember his name but he ends up being a strange reoccurring character that just didn't interest me in the least. There was some neat backstory about Chodo, Crask, and Sadler. I loved the nickle dogs, ALRIGHT! Jackals. They were another interesting concept that is used later for even more interesting investments. but all in all I thought the story was fun and it felt a lot more like a crime mystery than some of the other books. Garret being an adult and not going around humping every girl he sees is super refreshing too. I'm liking Tinnnie more and more and Her and Garrett's banter is pretty amusing. I loved this book and I would totally read again.

[Gail Daley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lot of subplots finished off

This one always feels like it’s wrapping up loose ends instead of an original story. It is an original story—but the plot is odd. We spend a lot of time with Garrett down sick 😷 (he gets poisoned early in the book), Tinnie playing ministering angel, Morley, Saucerhead and Dean, drifting around the edges of the action, mysterious cats and and an equally mysterious girl who turns out to be Chodo’s other daughter, and a bunch of really stupid thugs who don’t seem to have any real purpose except to cause Garrett trouble. At the end, I wasn’t sure if the story had actually ended. Garrett did end up solvent, Belinda and family ended up sane (I think).

[Roger M Kolaks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Garrett is always a fun read

I read most of these when they first released. It has been a pleasure to adventure with Garrett, Morley, Saucerhead, Doris, Marsha & the whole gang again.

[John Victory · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books in the series

One of the best books in the Garrett series. Cook is a master of the genre and Whispering Nickel Idols is a great example of his storytelling ability.

[Claudette Gabbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lot better than the few previous books. Not as slow moving. All your usual characters are in this & as usual, a few new ones. The story moved. Garrett found out things, but not without help from The Dead Man. All in all, a good Garrett PI story.

[Genna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun to read but kind of wanders. Of course, then, so does Raymond Chandler.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Garrett does it again

Another fun entry in the Garrett canon. Snark, sass, and surprises -- what else ya need? If you're a Garrett fan, you won't be disappointed.

[Brandon Mehl · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ending was a bit confused, but the whole story was just as confused and great as possible.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall good, but surprisingly dull ending.

[Carl Palmateer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always fun but the ending did have a deus ex machina feeling.

[Felix Zilich · Rating 3 out of 5]

Есть популярное мнение, что Глен Кук уже давно спекся. Поставив точку в летописи Черного Отряда и изгнав Слави Дуралейника за пределы Танфера, писатель собственноручно приговорил себя к творческому саомубийству, нищете и голоду. Из-за этого мнения и его молчаливых сторонников появление в текущем декабре на моей полке нового романа про Гаррета было воспринято как самый настоящий привет с того света.

Вы не ослышались. Новый роман про Гаррета. Одиннадцатый. Понятно, что на Западе книга вышла еще пару лет назад, но я узнал о ее существовании только на прошлой неделе. И узнал случайно. Просто стоял в очереди перед кассой и от безделья сканировал взглядом полки. Досканировался.

Тут стоит заметить, что цикл про Гаррета всегда был на самой вершине зиличевских топов. Достаточно упомянуть, что в своей весовой категории он до сих пор значится у меня едва ли не выше “Принцев Амбера” и прочей пограничной фэнтези. Нуар, понимаешь. Уже только по этой топовой причине одиннадцатая книга доставила мне не только массу удовольствия, но и легкое разочарование. Кук по-прежнему умело развивает свою вселенную, но только в этом развитии уже давно стала появляться определенная доля вымученности. Слишком много героев, слишком много условий и при этом слишком мало места для лихого гусарского маневра. На протяжении 400 страниц Гаррет всего лишь пару раз выходит из торпора, предпочитая вместо активных действий спать, бухать и умирать от тяжелых ранений.

Но поводов для активных действий у детектива хватает. От мелких и до просто титанических. Мелкие проблемы – это пара дюжин котят, которые оставила у Дина странный подросток Пенни Мрак. Котята обладают сильной сакральной магией, поэтому за ними охотится целая толпа понаехавших в Танфер сектантов. Проблемы посерьезнее – это исчезновение парализованного биг-босса Чодо Контагью. Преступный мир города наконец узнал об его недуге и мгновенно погряз в борьбе за власть. И теперь большой друг Белинды по имени Гаррет легко может оказаться разменной монетой в этой мясорубке. Ну и самая титаническая проблема – война закончилась, и спецслужбы решили взять страну в ежовые рукавицы. Говорят, Танфер больше никогда не будет таким, каким мы его знали лет десять назад. (2007,12,20)

[astaliegurec · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 11th in Cook's Garrett series ("Sweet Silver Blues," "Bitter Gold Hearts," "Cold Copper Tears," "Old Tin Sorrows," "Dread Brass Shadows," "Red Iron Nights," "Deadly Quicksilver Lies," "Petty Pewter Gods," "Faded Steel Heat," "Angry Lead Skies," and "Whispering Nickel Idols"). And, thank goodness, this is a good one. The previous book, "Angry Lead Skies," was a stinker that was filled with inconsistencies and errors and didn't really go anywhere. This one has most everyone back on track with fairly good direction and pacing. There are still a few minor inconsistencies in this one, but they're ignorable (Doris and Marsha described as being 12 feet tall instead of the 20 feet tall they are (though they're not even present in the book), Playmate not being the simple soul he was (and I think this is permanent), and a couple of cases of cut-and-paste redundancies and slips). This book sits very firmly in the universe Cook created in his previous books. It's very entertaining and engrossing. I really only have one significant problem with it. About half way through, the Dead Man essentially takes over everything and Garrett is relegated to a mere observer. I LIKE the Dead Man. But, I prefer Garrett to figure things out because he's the point of view Cook is writing from. With the Dead Man doing everything, it feels more like I'm watching from afar than participating. But, because the plot is so entertaining, it's forgivable. I've read rumors that this is supposed to be the last of the Garrett series that Cook's going to write. Since Cook's gotten back on form with this book and done such a good job with it, I certainly hope that's wrong. I guess time will tell. I rate this book at a Very Good 4 stars out of 5.

[Mei · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I've taken a lot longer to finish these Garrett books, and I think I've enjoyed them a lot more as a result. Think Krispy Kreme doughnuts, everyone, and no matter how much you like them, eat them one at a time, one at a time, or you're going to feel a little queasy and regretful, and there's nothing sadder than a regretted doughnut. Seriously.

So time moves on, this is another complicated and intertwined set of facts, but strangely the Loghyr is becoming more accessible and human (fallible, even!) while Morley is less visible and I feel poorer for it. Still I enjoyed this.

Does this mean that all book reviews are now the property of Amazon who can use them as market-testing and for publicity purposes to get all of us to part with our hard-earned dosh? Sad. Not that anyone particularly cares what I have to say, necessarily, but at least I was saying it for me, to get it off my chest. It's like wondering why Bon Jovi have released a new album, after all this time - the music must just be bubbling out of them, waiting to be written. 'Nuff said.

[Nicholas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like this one. Decent story, solid writing. And while it too could use a strong editor's hand, it didn't have nearly as much of the Every Woman Wants My Dick syndrome that the last few have had. Though I have to admit that I'm starting to suspect I might like the series just as much, if not more, if Garrett were not around. Increasingly, he's not the character that's interesting. Which feeds into why I liked this one.

At this point in time, it's like Garrett is essentially an assistant manager to the Dead Man's manager. And the Dead Man is busy putting together a solid crew to handle the cases that are his, with Garrett acting as his representative out in the world. But we're slowly learning more about Morley, Playmate, and Saucerhead, which is good, because I like them. I'm particularly fond of Saucerhead; we have similar approaches to life (for all that is both good and bad). So I hope this novel represents a trend for the future novels to further develop.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I guess I’ve finally caught up with recent reading. PI Garrett is back in action, along with his housekeeper Dean, Pular Singe, and, of course, the Dead Man. Once he wakes up, the Dead Man is pulling everyone’s strings, Garrett is getting his ass kicked and giving a little of what he’s getting, all to learn why an underworld boss is in a coma and what a basket of odd kittens may have to do with it. As usual, author Glen Cook pens a wild fantasy noir novel that’s difficult to put down.

Published in mass market paperback by Penguin.

[Leon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 11 in the Garrett PI series tackles the Contague question: the Kingpin's status as well as that of his daughter, Belinda. It's not one of the best in the series but it's definitely better than Petty Pewter Gods. Which is not saying a lot about it. Incidentally, like Petty Pewter Gods, there is also a god involved. Make of that what you will, this is still a can't miss book since it's part of an awesome series.

[Chetta · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very good Garrett excursion. It's an easy, go along for the ride, adventure that kept my interest with the well formed characters and witty, well-turned humor splashed throughout. Poor Garrett was sick much of the time but even that was well done. There was a layer of sensitivity you knew he had but didn't reveal, possibly even to himself, about Tinnie. Not too much - just enough. Nice easy read.

[Michael Hall · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very fun Garrett PI installment. Somewhat unusual is that some of his more unbelievable amorous antics have been toned down letting us see a deeper maturity that was not always easily seen in Garrett and his debaucherous lifestyle. The Dead Man also plays a larger role than usual. Unfortunately the bulk of the mystery is solved off-stage which is a bit of a let down. Overall, still a fun read, and one that can stand alone on it's own merits.

[Steven Burt · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was nice to get back to this series of books from Glen Cook. They've always been a good read. Quick and easy. Nothing to exciting in this book. Once again, Cook's inside humor with this characters is on par with what his written in the past. Highly recommended if you've read any of the Garret files. If you haven't start with a few books prior.

[Nathan Balyeat · Rating 4 out of 5]

11 books into it and I'm still a fan of Glen Cook's Garrett files. The self-depreciating first person style is fun to read, the characters are interesting, his plot lines are unique. Like all books in the series, this one can stand alone without bringing too much recap of people, places, and past events.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Out-of-towners bring mischief to Garrett's life, particularly in the form of kittens, their urchin owner, and a group of men intent on killing them all. On top of this chaos, Chodo Contague may finally, inadvertently, kill Garrett before he can unwind the mystery of the crimelord's continued ill health.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Since I am a recent fan of hardboiled detective stories and a fan of fantasy and humorous writings, I expected to enjoy this more. It was good, no doubt about it. But the story did meander more than I liked.

Overall, good story and fun divergences with an alcoholic pixie and surprisingly well mannered kittens.