Dread Brass Shadows
Encyclopedia
Dread Brass Shadows is the fifth novel in Glen Cook
's ongoing Garrett P.I.
series. The series combines elements of mystery
and fantasy
as it follows the adventures of private investigator
Garrett.
detective
living in the city of TunFaire, a melting pot of different races, cultures, religions, and species. When people have problems, they often come to Garrett for help, but trouble has a way of finding Garrett on its own, whether he likes it or not.
-wielding band of hooligans. The only clue as to the villain's motive is mention of a book. Meanwhile, a woman named Winger visits Garrett; she is also looking for a book. When a third individual, a young woman named Carla Lindo Ramada, comes by in search of a book, at least she can shed some light on the mystery. They are looking for the Book of Dreams (or Book of Shadows), a magical tome that allows the user to take on a hundred different identities.
As word gets out about the power of the Book of Shadows, several parties become involved, each trying to obtain the book before the others. Among those involved are Gnorst Gnorst, head of Dwarf Town, Chodo Contague, Kingpin of TunFaire, Lubbock, a fat wannabe wizard and Winger's employer, and The Serpent, a witch partially responsible for creating the Book of Shadows.
As his desire for the Book of Shadows grows, Chodo Contague turns on Garrett, and in an attempt to save their own lives, Garrett, Winger, Crask, and Sadler strike an uneasy alliance to overthrow Chodo. In a confused battle at Chodo's mansion involving all the parties, Crask and Sadler manage to take over from Chodo, and Garrett and Winger escape alive.
When Garrett returns home, he finds that Carla Lindo Ramada has escaped with the Book of Shadows, which had been hidden at Garrett's home the entire time. He and Winger manage to track Carla down, take back the book, and destroy it before any more evil can be committed in its name.
Glen Cook
Glen Cook is a contemporary American science fiction and fantasy author, best known for his fantasy series, The Black Company. Cook currently resides in St. Louis, Missouri.-Biography:...
's ongoing Garrett P.I.
Garrett P.I.
Garrett P.I. is a series of books by author Glen Cook about Garrett, a freelance private investigator. The novels are written in a film noir-esque style, containing elements of traditional mystery and detective fiction, as well as plenty of dialogue-based humor. The Garrett P.I...
series. The series combines elements of mystery
Mystery fiction
Mystery fiction is a loosely-defined term.1.It is often used as a synonym for detective fiction or crime fiction— in other words a novel or short story in which a detective investigates and solves a crime mystery. Sometimes mystery books are nonfiction...
and fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
as it follows the adventures of private investigator
Private investigator
A private investigator , private detective or inquiry agent, is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private detectives/investigators often work for attorneys in civil cases. Many work for insurance companies to investigate suspicious claims...
Garrett.
Plot introduction
Garrett is a hardboiledHardboiled
Hardboiled crime fiction is a literary style, most commonly associated with detective stories, distinguished by the unsentimental portrayal of violence and sex. The style was pioneered by Carroll John Daly in the mid-1920s, popularized by Dashiell Hammett over the course of the decade, and refined...
detective
Detective
A detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...
living in the city of TunFaire, a melting pot of different races, cultures, religions, and species. When people have problems, they often come to Garrett for help, but trouble has a way of finding Garrett on its own, whether he likes it or not.
Plot summary
Tinnie Tate comes to visit Garrett at home and is stabbed in the middle of the street by an unknown assailant. Garrett and Saucerhead run down the would-be assassin, but before they can interrogate him, he is killed by a crossbowCrossbow
A crossbow is a weapon consisting of a bow mounted on a stock that shoots projectiles, often called bolts or quarrels. The medieval crossbow was called by many names, most of which derived from the word ballista, a torsion engine resembling a crossbow in appearance.Historically, crossbows played a...
-wielding band of hooligans. The only clue as to the villain's motive is mention of a book. Meanwhile, a woman named Winger visits Garrett; she is also looking for a book. When a third individual, a young woman named Carla Lindo Ramada, comes by in search of a book, at least she can shed some light on the mystery. They are looking for the Book of Dreams (or Book of Shadows), a magical tome that allows the user to take on a hundred different identities.
As word gets out about the power of the Book of Shadows, several parties become involved, each trying to obtain the book before the others. Among those involved are Gnorst Gnorst, head of Dwarf Town, Chodo Contague, Kingpin of TunFaire, Lubbock, a fat wannabe wizard and Winger's employer, and The Serpent, a witch partially responsible for creating the Book of Shadows.
As his desire for the Book of Shadows grows, Chodo Contague turns on Garrett, and in an attempt to save their own lives, Garrett, Winger, Crask, and Sadler strike an uneasy alliance to overthrow Chodo. In a confused battle at Chodo's mansion involving all the parties, Crask and Sadler manage to take over from Chodo, and Garrett and Winger escape alive.
When Garrett returns home, he finds that Carla Lindo Ramada has escaped with the Book of Shadows, which had been hidden at Garrett's home the entire time. He and Winger manage to track Carla down, take back the book, and destroy it before any more evil can be committed in its name.
Characters in "Dread Brass Shadows"
- Garrett
- The Dead Man
- Dean
- Morley Dotes
- Saucerhead Tharpe
- Tinnie Tate
- Winger
- Carla Lindo Ramada
- Crask and Sadler
- Chodo Contague
- Gnorst Gnorst
- Lubbock (Fido Easterman)
- The Serpent