Sirgrus Blackmane Demihuman Gumshoe & The Dark-Elf

Sirgrus Blackmane is a demihuman. Not just any demihuman: Sirgrus is a Dwarf, “a species, not a size.” Returning from the Great War to Prohibition America, Sirgrus and his war buddy Miller open up a detective agency. Miller’s body is found at a rum bust, and Sirgrus picks up a client with a case about her dead sister. Now, Sirgrus has murders to solve and both investigations lead him to the Dark-Elf, the most exclusive speakeasy in town. He must figure out who killed a Dark-Elf singer, his partner, and if the two cases are related. That doesn’t give Sirgrus much time to sleep but at least he has time for a Bacardi and Coke, neat.

This off-beat action novel will thrill fans of fantasy detective and urban fantasy genres. William Schlichter weaves a noir-style crime drama that takes place in the 1930s prohibition era. The crime drama is peppered with social commentary, while also describing encounters and battles with trolls, ogres, baby rock giants, and even a half-dragon. Characters speak in 1930s lingo. Schlichter has an interesting take on the “private-eye” genre. As lighthearted as this novel can be at times, the author manages to point out the inequities of species segregation, drawing parallels to racial inequalities in 1930s America.