The King's Daughter [Paperback]

The synopsis for this novella really does not reliably indicate what kind of story it is and spends a lot of time talking about stuff that isn't even mentioned in the actual book. I was expecting something akin to an urban fantasy thriller. It's not that at all.

Frank Tuttle has done something really different and interesting in Dead Man's Rain. The story is told in the first person and in many ways reads like a traditional mystery novel. It has a lot of the same style and pacing. At the same exact time it also reads a lot like historical fiction set in the class-conscious England of bygone days. And yet, the setting is actually a fictional fantasy world in which magic, ogres, trolls, and half-elves exist. (Though as it is just a novella, they're all only mentioned in passing.) To top it all off, near the end the story turns into something of a gothic haunted mansion tale.

Normally all of that would make for a disaster of a story that ends up not working well on any of those levels. Yet somehow Tuttle has managed to weave all those different styles and elements together into one seamless, believable whole. At no time did anything seem out of place nor was the flow of the story stunted.

I don't want to say anything about the plot or characters because it's short and doing so would ruin all the fun. The only reason I didn't give this story 5 stars is because it would have been more fun if the whodunit aspect had been a bit more mysterious.

Dead Man's Rain is very different, I really liked it, and I'm thrilled I was able to read it while it was available for free. I will definitely be looking for other work from Frank Tuttle and happily paying for it.

Kindle Note: Either I was too absorbed in the story to notice or there are no glaring formatting problems. So far Samhain Publishing seems to be doing a fine job on their Kindle ebooks.

If Terry Pratchett's Samuel Vimes and Dashiel Hammett's Sam Spade ever had a love child, he would be finder Markhat. Sardonic, embittered, suspicious, but at heart a gentleman and an honorable ex-soldier, he expects the worst from everyone and brings out the best in many.

Tuttle's world is very reminiscent of Terry Pratchett's Ankh-Morpork. Very reminiscent - to the point where it bothered me quite a bit. Not only is there the same mix of fantasy and urban reality, you have Trolls playing a very large part in the story - and they're identical to Pratchett's trolls. Even the opening reminds one of the start of 'Guards, Guards'. The character names are very similar, as are the details of shops and the city and the river. Not identical, mind you, just a bit too close an imitation at times. As 'Dead Man's Rain, progresses, however, it finds its own unique voice and setting, and I stopped thinking this was Pratchett noir.

'Dead Man's Rain' is a horror story and a narrative about venal instincts, greed and guilt. The set up is a little Maltese Falconish, and Markhat's weary cynicism is pure Spade as he deals with the snobby Widow Merlat and a incredible tales of ghosts and hauntings. But then, just as Tuttle sets you up thinking the plot will be resolved one way, he takes you down another. We learn more about Merlat's family, and her, and her servants, and Markhat reveals the qualities that kept him alive through a bitter and destructive war, in order to save the good and punish the wicked. This is not a romance - there's no pairing in this at all - and that's how it should be for our tarnished hero.

Tuttle's writing is delightful, and even if he's borrowed some settings a little too heavily, Markhat's his own memorable creation, as are the plots and the dialogue. He's funny, in a very Bogartian sort of way, but like Pratchett, there's a deeper thread to his narrative than simple humour, with many a wry observation on human and non-human behaviour, populating his stories with vivid characters who continually surprise the reader.

Really, there's nothing not to like here, if you like this genre, and aren't put off by the lack of romance. Finder Markhat is someone I want to read more about, and I hope Mr Tuttle revisits him.

This was a lot shorter than I expected but it was good. Too bad Amazon doesn't allow one-half stars because this was better than three stars but not quite a four star book.

Goodman Markhat is a finder. The Widow Merlat wants him to find her deceased husband and put him to rest. It seems Ebed Merlat has been rising from his grave and appearing at her window. Several people have seen him and most of her servants have quit on the spot. Rumor has it that the dead walk again because they have a grudge to settle. Nobody wants to be there when he collects. The Widow insists her husband died of a nasty fever and couldn't possibly have a grudge against anybody. Even though Markhat has never seen an animated corpse, he accepts the widow's money because it's too good to pass up. He believes there are human hands responsible for the so called walking dead. When he meets her three good for nothing children, he believes he has found the responsible parties. The widow is very rich and holds the purse strings.
Worse things have been done for the love of money.

Dead Man's Rain was very atmospheric and tightly written. No words were wasted or characters introduced who didn't further the storyline. If you don't mind the low page count, I recommend this to all who love a little supernatural with their mysteries.