RAVEN'S EDGE

A fictional detective, set loose in the real world, must track down a mythological sword in this third installment of an urban fantasy series.

Bram “the Raven” Farrell is a supernatural private investigator in a series of books by Calista Amberson. Thanks to Calista’s witchcraft, Bram is also a gumshoe (albeit unlicensed) in real-world Detroit. He’s currently living with the adorable and brainy Naomie Enright, who helps him operate Raven Corp. While he’s hoping to concoct some Raven novels (Calista, now possessed by a dark spirit, no longer writes them), Bram is approached with two cases. The first is presented by Naomie’s brother, Mack, who would like his missing friend, Seth Rayburn, located. The second comes from the Celtic goddess Danu, who needs Bram to find the Retaliator, a sword belonging to the Tuatha Dé Danann, Ireland’s ancient race of supernatural beings. Both cases intertwine when Bram investigates Seth’s apartment and learns that it’s been robbed of a collection of swords—and that the man is a sword-fighting instructor. Bram also catches the scents of “vampire, ghoul, and blood” in the apartment. To find his quarry, Bram must use every otherworldly resource at his disposal, including two police detectives: Hal Styles, a vampire; and Dave Dawes, a werewolf. Along the way, Bram will hunt for the dangerous ghoul Solomon Prisk, likely masquerading as a human, whose trail has nearly gone cold. Dane’s latest adventure juggles the numerous details of its urban fantasy landscape with caffeinated glee. The narrative’s meta aspect is played to the hilt when Bram questions the nature of his blood in the line “I’m still worried it’s magenta ink.” Another fantasy element centers on Dane’s copious pop-culture references; a clue in Seth’s apartment involves Game of Thronesand its sword-slinging hero Jon Snow. Though monsters abound in Dane’s Detroit, the proceedings are suitable for both teens and adults. Bram acts knightly toward Naomie, and there’s no gratuitous gore. In the story’s final third, the true villain comes into focus, and one character’s sacrifice pushes Bram to renew his commitment to his large network of helpers. But it’s Beelzebub, a hellhound dachshund who can morph into a Great Dane, who steals most of the scenes.

A cleverly conceived and hyperdetailed supernatural tale.