-HARDBOILED FANTASY-
STORIES OF SWORDS & SORCERY SET AGAINST A VIVID, BUT SOMETIMES SORDID, MEDIEVAL BACKDROP
M.R. COOK
LATEST BOOK
OUT OF THEIR DEPTH
The Dowager Duchess of Chalmers, Vicar General of the Church of Arathan Lightbringer, has a problem. In the small town of Narbeth, someone has dug up seven graves and taken all the contents; why? The locals suspect necromancy. To make matters worse, one of her extended family is a suspect, and the secular authority is a bullying jackass.
With the goal of plausible deniability, Lady Chalmers hires a group of freelancers to investigate. Almost from the moment her mercenaries set foot in town, bodies begin to pile up—and won't stay dead. Will the hired swords realize what is going on before it's too late?
Reviews
My thanks to those who took the time to both read and review the book.
Mr. Cook cites Agatha Christie as one of his influences, and in structure and clarity of presentation this is good guidance for perspective readers.
But, Out of Their Depth is much more than an homage to Dame Agatha. The setting is a familiar, seemingly medieval one, gradually revealed to have fantastic underpinnings. Society, history, and scenery are all three richly, and thoughtfully portrayed. Action and exposition are well balanced. The pacing of the story and the structure of it build nicely to a nerve-wracking climax and a rewarding twist.
NEWS & EVENTS
19-20 March 2020: Amazon promotional offer available