A FAIR KNIGHT SLAIN

In LeBlanc’s mystery, one of the enthusiasts at a Florida Renaissance fair may be guilty of murder.

Detective Sara Lansing’s latest homicide case involves a dead knight in a dragon—more specifically, a dragon swing. Someone has fatally stabbed Gunnar the Undefeated, a “rennie” in attendance at a Renaissance fair in the city of Reunion Heights, Florida. As the two-month event slowly wraps up, Sara has just over a week to identify the killer before the fair closes. Her boss, Chief McBride, has stuck her with NYPD detective Ryker Harris; the “big city cop” is actually down south looking into Corbin Foster, a suspected drug lord and murderer now campaigning to become Reunion Heights’ mayor. Foster’s opponent is none other than McBride, who needs Ryker’s help in ensuring he doesn’t lose to a criminal. Meanwhile, the detectives have a murder case with evidence to sift through, including DNA, signs of a tattoo on Gunnar’s body, and 800 fair-going suspects to question. The investigation is barely underway when Foster’s thugs threaten Sara; they claim to have dirt on her estranged father that they threaten to release to the media unless she stalls the investigation and convinces the police chief to exit the mayoral race. Sara, however, is determined to find the killer, who is likely hiding among the rennies. If she works quickly enough, Sara may be able to solve the homicide and, with a little luck, take down Foster as well, all while keeping her dad safe.

LeBlanc’s hero detective is a winner. Sara has endured an abusive, alcoholic mother, doesn’t question helping a father who abandoned her when she was only 10, and chases down a gunman twice her size with ease. She leads a solid mystery; the fair teems with suspects, as Gunnar wasn’t a particularly wholesome guy, and Ryker even suggests Foster is behind the murder simply to discredit his electoral rival by publicly criticizing the investigation. The author sets this story in a memorable place, rich in such Renaissance village sights as era-appropriate tunics, an array of weapons, and festival foods. Diverting reminders of the modern day pop up at amusing moments: “Four knights were engaged in mock battles wearing sweats rather than armor or chainmail. The only vestiges of weekend attire were sheaths and scabbards attached to their belts.” Readers also catch glimpses of Florida’s less well-known wildlife (including boars and an aardvark) along with the gators and snakes encountered in a terrific scene that unfolds in a swamp. Unfortunately, while punchy dialogue gives this murder mystery a hearty boost, characters too often voice heavy-handed metaphors in describing themselves or past circumstances. Sara, for example, continually references a figurative locked broom closet like the literal one she hid in as a child—a repetitive and too on-the-nose expression of her mother’s traumatic abuse. Still, an engrossing final act leads to a worthy denouement and the possibility of more adventures with Sara and/or Ryker.

A sensational gumshoe and vivid setting elevate this whodunit, notwithstanding a few stumbles.