A remarkable blend of genres, funny and clever

I'm a big fan of the Annals of the Black Company Glen Cook and yet I only just read this first part of Garrett's adventures, private detective. I am often quite resistant to mixing genres, and from what I had gleaned information as it was a series in which leading humorous police investigations in a medieval world filled with all the bestiary fantasy. Well, that's exactly it, except it was fun! The talent of the author there is obviously no stranger. As always with Cook, there is a lot of intelligence and malice in this book. And the tone is remarkably balanced, you never pay in full or broad farce in the classic thriller, it's very surprising and very successful.
This is one reason why this médiévalo fantasy thriller is also nice. It also included a plot never went through profit and loss and the quality of the characters. Garrett and his band are all very well turned, we recognize indeed the paw of the author of the Black Company. Besides, in some ways, especially cynicism and military past hero or some hysterical female characters and hilarious, there are many similarities between the two universes. For the protagonist Garrett include such obvious reference Cugel the clever, it is in the same spirit, a hustler who comes out of the worst trouble through luck and malice.
If the reading is fun, if the book is cleverly completed, the fact remains that certain facilities in the management of intrigue me a little disappointed. The author has often used the option of "we include anything," sometimes overload (as usual) with voluntarily nebulae subplots. By dint of too much free mysteries, too many unexpected revelations, the book ends up having a manipulative side that can win the player.
But the humor of the whole, a very off final and addictive, fantastic triplets (including unpayable Doris and Marsha!) Make this first part of Garrett's adventures great entertainment.

A small note in passing: the illustration of Michael Welply (large format edition) is very pretty, but where did the idea of ​​him dress up an outfit Garrett private detective of the 50s? This is one reason that prevented me from reading this book for years, and unless big mistake on my part, this is totally wrong, there is no effect of time lags in this book, which is totally rooted in typical Fantasy universe. Only certain codes of the classic thriller inserted therein. Let those who like me flee like the plague works like "teleportation of a private New York in Tolkien's world" are reassured, this is not the issue. The paperback edition of the illustration is even worse, she still returns less Garrett universe by passing for a big farce, it is absolutely not.