The Final Garrett Omnibus

I just finished with Glen Cook's Garrett on the Case, which is the last of the Garrett omnibuses (unless Cook writes more Garrett books).

As usual, I loved it. I'm not really sure why I love the Garrett books. It's probably the combination of fantasy and mystery. The first novel in the omnibus, Angry Lead Skies is actually a science fantasy mystery,, I suppose, as it features aliens in flying saucers causing Garrett all kinds of trouble. The second novel, Whispering Nickel Idols, has Garrett trying to save Chodo Contague, the local crime boss, while simultaneously fighting off an evil cult that has really bad taste in pants.

That's another thing I like about the Garrett books: the humor. Where else would you find a cult that's easily identifiable because it's members all wear green plaid pants? There's also lots of wise cracks, and Garret's often comical first person narration. And then there's his problem with women.

I'm not really sure how a man who's getting on in years, who's out of shape, and who gets beat up so regularly that he can't possibly be handsome anymore gets so many women to fall in love with him. He's got Tinnie Tate, the vivacious red head, Belinda Conague, the psychotic crime lord, Pular Singe, the rat girl, a trio of ETs, a pixie, and dozens more in the previous books. I wish I had those kinds of problems. Sigh.

I wasn't completely satisfied with the ending of the second novel, and I kept getting the various groups of ETs confused in the first one, but other than that I had no complaints. I give this one 4.5 yo-yos.

The Garret Files

Okay, you probably know how much I like omnibuses, and if you've read my other posts, you know that I've liked the other Garrett books I've read. The Garrett Files, by Glen Cook, is no exception. I'm especially pleased with this one because it's the first three books in the series, so now I'm finally filled in on the back story from the other novels.

They novels are fantasy mysteries. While the fantasy elements are important, Garrett hangs out with a lot of non-human types, they don't use the "standard" fantasy plot elements. There are no quests to find the magical thingamajig needed to defeat the evil Lord Whatshisname. There are no valiant knights, though Garrett does like to play the knight errant. Basically, if all the fantasy elements were removed, the books could still stand as mystery.

I'm not particularly into mystery. Don't get me wrong; I've read Arthur Conan Doyle, and I like G. K. Chesterton's mysteries, and I've read a few others. It's just that for years fantasy (and to a lesser extent science fiction) has been my primary reading material. That said these novels were enough to keep me guessing, especially the second one.

I would definitely recommend this book, though I must admit the ending of the third novel was somewhat disappointing. I give The Garrett Files 4.5 yo-yos. Though, if you do buy it, I also recommend joining Zooba or the Science Fiction Book Club so you can save money on the omnibus. Up next, I'm reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl.

An Omnibus of Redheads, Blonds, Brunettes, Goddesses, Ratgirls...

I recently finished reading Glen Cook’s Garret Investigates an SFBC omnibus edition containing Deadly Quicksilver Lies, Petty Pewter Gods, and Faded Steel Heat. These novels are part of that fairly rare genre, the fantasy mystery.

These mysteries are set in the city of Tun Faire. The main character, Garrett, is one of those hard boiled detective types. He tends to not want to work, preferring to drink beer, chase redheads, and sleep in till noon. His partner is called the Dead Man, who is a sort of psychic, non-human corpse. He spends much of his time with beautiful women—who always seem to fall for his charms—and with an assortment of oddball friends.

In Deadly Quicksilver Lies, Garret battles a cross-dressing crime boss. In Petty Pewter Gods, the gods of Tun Faire are fighting over the last available temple, and Gerret is right in the middle of it. Faded Steel Heat is the story of various human0rightist groups and a bunch of shape shifters.

All of these Garrett stories are great. The setting is wonderfully though out. Garrett is a remarkable character, who does an admirable job of narrating his adventures. Overall, I’m not sure whether I like this series or Randall Garrett’s Lord Darcy series better. I also wonder if Cook named his character after Randall Garrett. But that’s really beside the point.

The Garrett series is a really great, engrossing read. I give these volumes a 4.5 yo-yos. Up next, Orson Scott Card’s Magic Street.