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THE TAINTED CUP

Robert Jackson Bennett

A Holmes and Watsonstyle detective duo take the stage in this fantasy with a mystery twist, from the Edgar-winning, multiple Hugo-nominated Robert Jackson Bennett
In Daretana's greatest mansion, a high imperial officer lies deadkilled, to all appearances, when a tree erupted from his body. Even here at the Empire's borders, where contagions abound and the blood of the leviathans works strange magical changes, it's a death both terrifying and impossible. Assigned to investigate is Ana Dolabra, a detective whose reputation for brilliance is matched only by her eccentricities. Rumor has it that she wears a blindfold at all times, and that she can solve impossible cases without even stepping outside the walls of her home. At her side is her new assistant, Dinios Kol, magically altered in ways that make him the perfect aide to Ana's brilliance. Din is at turns scandalized, perplexed, and utterly infuriated by his new superiorbut as the case unfolds and he watches Ana's mind leap from one startling deduction to the next, he must admit that she is, indeed, the Empire's greatest detective. As the two close in on a mastermind and uncover a scheme that threatens the Empire itself, Din realizes he's barely begun to assemble the puzzle that is Ana Dolabraand wonders how long he'll be able to keep his own secrets safe from her piercing intellect. By an "endlessly inventive" (Vulture) author with a "wicked sense of humor" (NPR), The Tainted Cup mixes the charms of detective fiction with brilliant world-building to deliver a fiendishly clever mystery that's at once instantly recognizable and thrillingly new. Robert Jackson Bennett is the author of THE TAINTED CUP (Del Rey, 2024), The Founders trilogy, and The Divine Cities trilogy, which was a Hugo Awards finalist in the Best Series category. The first book in the series, CITY OF STAIRS (Crown, 2014), was also a finalist for the World Fantasy and Locus Awards, and the second, CITY OF BLADES (2016), was a finalist for the World Fantasy, Locus, and British Fantasy Awards. His previous novels have received the Edgar Award, the Shirley Jackson Award, and the Philip K. Dick Citation of Excellence.
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Published 2024-02-06 by Del Rey

Comments

Bennett's fantasy spin on Sherlock Holmes will dazzle readers with both its imaginative world building and perfect pacing.

Sherlock Holmes meets Game of Thrones.A rousing adventure for alt-fantasy fans.

Bulgarian: Studio of A; Czech: Host; French: Editions Albin Michel; Polish: Mag Jacek Rodek3 book deal; Turkish: Nemesis2 book deal; UK/BC: Hodder & Stoughton/Hachette UK3 book deal; Ukrainian: Apriori

The Tainted Cup is a true fantasy mystery, with a leading duo who stand with Holmes and Watson among the greats. And Bennett sets it all in a squishy, fascinating, biopunk world I'm dying to find out more about. Bring on the next one!

Part Sherlock Holmes murder mystery, part Through the Looking Glass, The Tainted Cup is one of the wildest, most original stories I've ever had the privilege to explore. I am in awe of Bennett's creativity, the intricate plotting, and this immersive world filled with mushroom air conditioners, killer trees, and giant leviathans that stretches the imagination. I loved every second of it. This is a book that has planted roots in my head for the rest of my life.

A riveting murder mystery wrapped in a twisty conspiracy, set in a vivid fantasy world terrorized by eldritch monsters. If you love unique, genre-bending, boundary-pushing fantasy as much as I do, look no further than Robert Jackson Bennett.

Introduces readers to a conspiracy of murder and skullduggery as seen through the eyes of a naive junior investigator as his boss and mentor, the rather Sherlockian Ana, threads her way through a complex conspiracy of murders. Highly recommended for lovers of fantasy and steampunk mystery and readers searching for magically engineered combinations of alchemy and corruption.

Original, imaginative, and suspenseful, The Tainted Cup superbly blends mystery and fantasy in this vivid, complex novel. I couldn't put it down. Give me more of this world and these characters ASAP!

I loved this. A twisty detective story, a weird fantasy, a thrilling adventureThe Tainted Cup is a masterstroke. I want Robert to write a dozen of these, and send them to me yesterday.

Inspired by Nero Wolfe with a bit of Hannibal Lector added to his prime investigator, Bennett kicks off the Shadow of the Leviathan series, which will delight fans of fantasy-infused mysteries.

Bennett brilliantly melds genres in this exceptional mystery-fantasy. The worldbuilding is immediately involving, Bennett's take on a classic detective duo dynamic feels fresh and exciting, and the mystery itself twists and turns delightfully. Readers will be wowed.

Great fantasy detective stories are too rare, but Bennett[a] rising star of fantasymore than delivers.

A thoroughly satisfying delight from start to finish.

A classic murder mystery set against dazzling worldbuilding and sly social commentary. Robert Jackson Bennett doesn't miss.