Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released. It’s based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine.
This week’s Can’t-Wait offering – Dead Man in a Ditch – Book 2 of the Fetch Phillips Archives by Luke Arnold – release date 22nd September
#urban fantasy #crime noir #private investigator
BLURB: A former soldier turned PI solves crime in a world that’s lost its magic in this brilliant sequel to actor Luke Arnold’s debut The Last Smile in Sunder City.
The name’s Fetch Phillips — what do you need?
Cover a Gnome with a crossbow while he does a dodgy deal? Sure.
Find out who killed Lance Niles, the big-shot businessman who just arrived in town? I’ll give it shot.
Help an old-lady Elf track down her husband’s murderer? That’s right up my alley.
What I don’t do, because it’s impossible, is search for a way to bring the goddamn magic back.
Rumors got out about what happened with the Professor, so now people keep asking me to fix the world.
But there’s no magic in this story. Just dead friends, twisted miracles, and a secret machine made to deliver a single shot of murder.
Welcome back to the streets of Sunder City, a darkly imagined world perfect for readers of Ben Aaronovitch and Jim Butcher.
I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in this series – see my review of The Last Smile in Sunder City – so I’m looking forward to reading this one to see where the story goes next.
Brainfluff 
Ah, I wish I had started this series! I remember how much you loved the first book. I hope you can get your hands on this one😁
Thank you, Tammy:)) And the great news is that I have this one already stacked up in my TBR, all ready to go!
The cover – holy moly! And with that summary I guess I have another series I need to read *sigh* Oh my … Thank you for sharing.
My Pick
I know that feeling, Vi! So many books, so little time…
I’ll have to look for the first one. This looks like a really interesting read. I’m all for anything that involves covering a gnome with a crossbow while he does a dodgy deal!
I hope you manage to track down the first book, Katherine:)). I thoroughly enjoyed it and I was delighted when I saw this one was available!
Yes, looking forward to this one too! The first one really impressed me 🙂
It was a really interesting take on the crime sub-genre, wasn’t it? Though I’m glad I didn’t realise the author was a well-known actor, as I probably would have avoided it if I’d known!
I wish I’d started this series – alas, woe is me! Hope you love it.
Lynn 😀
Thank you, Lynn – I never know how you manage to read so many books with your judging duties, anyway! Perhaps at some stage you’ll be able to get to it?
Fetch sounds like a hilarious character. I hope you’ll enjoy this next book in the series.
Thank you, Suzanne:). Yes – it is quite dark, in the best traditions of noir crime. But very well done:).
I’m liking the sound of this one, too!
Hm… I got mightily fed up with Fetch. And lost patience with the plot, too… In fairness, however, a number of bloggers whose opinion I respect thoroughly enjoyed it. So it could just have been me!
After that–what was it, Afterland?–I don’t blame you! We do need a certain mindset for certain reads. Heaven knows I have no patience for LOTR most days, and DUNE keeps glaring at me and I KNOW I should give it a try and yet I don’t know if I’m in the right mood this fall for it…
I do get a tad fed up with overly whiny protagonists. Fair enough if they struggle a bit – but he seemed to whine throughout – to the extent that even other characters were calling him out on it!
And was that supposed to make him relateable, or flawed, or…I don’t get it. No no no. No! You stop that writers, you stop that right now 🙂
That’s how I feel about it, too! And shame on the editors for not reining them in…