Fun short read but a bit odd at times. The conscious beings were a…choice. So was the statement that the protagonist hates cats (grrr). But still an entertaining 47 pages.

I’m so glad I picked up this sci-fi/fantasy detective mystery novella. I quickly read it and came to a number of conclusions. First I loved it, especially the very perceptive subconscious cat. Second, you don’t need a four hundred page novel to produce a book that is complete story, and very engaging. Thirdly, I want more novella’s or, to be contrary possibly, a book with these characters. Thank you to Daft Notions (this publishers name suits this book down to the ground) and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

Great detective case; not so much a whodunit as a howdunit.

An open and shut case that seems impossible to close since there is no evidence at the scene, to convict.

No murder weapon or bullet, nothing beyond gunshot residue on the victim and the suspect’s hand.

A ‘locked room’ scenario where the presence of witnesses just outside meant the perpetrator was the only person in the room when the ‘shot’ was fired.

I loved the investigation and the inviting mystery to be solved. Made more critical by a legal time frame to secure the confession or obtain sufficient evidence to take to court.

What marked this novella out for me however were two factors beyond the usual murder scenes in this genre.

Firstly, there is a sci-fi angle to the crime which is cleverly expounded and marks it out as different.

Secondly, each character has a visible, talking subconsciousness that interacts with its owner and everyone else around them. This raises matters further and provides the writing as both original and brilliant. At times it becomes spooky; almost like a ventriloquist dummy taking control. "Here's Johnny" or rather “Here’s Chucky!” vibes.

The protagonist here is private eye, Jim Carpenter. His ‘Ultra Ego’ cum ‘subconscious factum’ bears no resemblance to him, it is a cat. Others have a James Bond henchman and one of the Fab Four as company.

The additional question is: Will the cat be a help or a hindrance in solving matters?

Original, entertaining and quite magnificent!