Another Dead Intern by Joel Spriggs

Do you love urban fantasy, private detectives and mismatched duos? If so, you won’t want to miss out on Another Dead Intern by Joel Spriggs, published today.

Hemlock Connal, daughter to the fae Fand, queen of the Shadow Court, has been stripped of her sidhe powers and banished to the human realm, where she inherited her father’s preternatural detective agency upon his death. However, one of her mother’s rules of banishment stipulates that Hemlock be accompanied in her business by an intern. Unfortunately for Hemlock, or her interns, the sidhe sent to keep an eye on her don’t survive for very long on the human side of the barrier. Step in Morgan Burns, country boy fresh to the city of Boston, and magic ingenue. Will he manage to succeed where the fae have failed, or will he turn out to be just another dead intern?

Written in third person past tense, there is no particular point of view character, although the narrative stays close to Hemlock and Burns. The magic Hemlock uses, and the fantastical creatures she encounters on the streets of Boston, are suitably imaginative and interesting, providing a delightful, immersive world. Hemlock and her mother, Queen Fand, are particularly well drawn. The main plot, or case as it may be, is well thought out and provides an intriguing mystery that packs surprising weight for a book so quick witted and amusing.

I am taking a break from horror today as I was fortunate enough to get an ARC of this book, and I wanted to post my review on the day of its release.

I really enjoyed this book. I’m partial to private detectives, the fae and any story that shows a magical side to our own world (you may have noticed this if you’ve read some of my stories), so this book was an absolute joy for me. I got excited every time Hemlock reached in her pocket, or opened her wardrobe door, to see what new magical item she would produce. The humor was dry and sharp, just how I like it, and the case had a dark, realistic edge to it that helped ground the whole story and strengthen the world building.

The only negative for me was that I felt very distant from the characters. I was listening to them, but I wasn’t stuck into the action with them. Some scenes were well described, but there were others where I couldn’t picture the characters and their surroundings. I would liked to have a more sensory experience, and to have been privy to at least one characters thoughts and emotions.

With this in mind, I award Not Another Dead Intern…

Click here to buy Not Another Dead Intern on Amazon.