The Tainted Cup - Robert Jackson Bennett

An eccentric detective and her long-suffering assistant untangle a web of magic, deceit, and murder in this sparkling fantasy reimagining of the classic crime novel--from the bestselling author of The Founders Trilogy. nIn Daretana's greatest mansion, a high Imperial officer lies dead--killed, to all appearances, when a tree spontaneously 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.

n nAssigned 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. n nAt her side is her new assistant, Dinios Kol.

Din is an engraver, magically altered in ways that make him the perfect aide to Ana's brilliance. n nDin finds himself at turns scandalized, perplexed, and utterly infuriated by his new superior--but as the case unfolds and Ana's mind leaps from one startling deduction to the next, he must grudgingly admit that she is, indeed, the Empire's greatest detective. n nAs the two close in on a mastermind and uncover a scheme that threatens the safety of the Empire itself, Din realizes he's barely begun to assemble the puzzle that is Ana Dolabra--and wonders how long he'll be able to keep his own secrets safe from her piercing intellect.

n nFeaturing an unforgettable Holmes-and-Watson style pairing, a gloriously labyrinthine plot, and a haunting and wholly original fantasy world, The Tainted Cup brilliantly reinvents the classic mystery tale.n