The Official Private Eye Handbook - Book Review

The Official Private Eye Handbook: Featuring Brick Stone, Private Eye
by Phoenix

What is it about:
It was a dark and stormy night in The City and a hard-nosed gumshoe who wanted nothing to do with the unbalancing, unpredictable ways of magic found himself drawn ever further along strange paths. Babes, bullets, murder and mayhem were all part of the usual mix for Brick Stone as he worked to unravel the tangle of lies and mysteries brought to him by one client after another. That was all he wanted. As far as Brick was concerned, all magic ever did was make cases more complicated and make it take longer for him to figure out who he needed to shoot.

What did I think of it:
This book consists of several short stories which are related with each other. As I didn't know this when I started the book it threw me a bit when I reached the second story which took off at a completely different moment than where the first story ended. That confusing surprise aside this is a pleasant read. Phoenix's writing is solid, although the format he chose leaves little room for character developement. Speaking of characters: I did think that Brick was a bit gullible at times, especially where women were involved and I felt like kicking some sense into him. I'm not sure yet if I would read more books by Phoenix, it would depend on the story I think, but all in all this book is a nice read for anyone who loves hard boiled detective stories.

Why should you read it:
If you like hard boiled detectives with a hint of magic, you should try this book.