#Sorcha Kinkade

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Book Recommendation: Arcane Casebook Series by Dan Willis

In an alternate 1930’s New York there are three known types of magic. The wonderous spells of sorcerers, the amazing concoctions of alchemists, and the intricate designs by runewrights. Runewright Detective Alex Lockerby uses his talents to solve crimes, expose murderers, end conspiracies concocted by secret organizations, and stopping spy rings all while wooing bombshell sorceress Sorcha Kinkade. Along the way, Alex meets famous historical figures like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Paschal Beverly Randolph; takes on versions of legendary figures such as Heckyll/Jekyll/Hyde, the mummy, Jack the Ripper/Dracula, and the wolfman; and encounters everything from blood magic and Legion to Nazis and the Mafia. Written by Dan Willis, this series has proven to be an exceedingly entertaining mix of the Harry Potter Series with The Maltese Falcon, Indiana Jones, and the magic lore of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. What follows is my personal ranking of each current book in the series excluding the prequel Dead Letter as of July 2021. The dates are rough estimates based on statements in the books. If you haven’t previously read this series, I highly recommend it. You know within reason all hell is about to break loose with WWII around the corner.

Unranked:

Book 0: Dead Letter (2018) – Set in April 1930 (though it sometimes fits better with the rest of the series in 1927), see how Alex Lockerby came to know his secretary Leslie Tomkins, Japanese-American policeman Danny Pak as he runs across a deceased John Doe who possessed clothing way too expensive for the homeless. Why is the NYPD so determined not to investigate and what does it have to do with a woman who died twenty years ago? This one served as nice establishing novel, but is shorter than the rest of the series while free is only available digitally.

Ranked:

7. Book 2: Ghost of a Chance (2019) – In a steamy August 1934, Alex takes on a series of locked-room murders committed by a figure the police have labeled “The Ghost.” Can Alex find the culprit and what ties each victim together? Will he find sorcerer Andrew Barton’s (this world’s version of Howard Hughes) prototype engine? Each book is great, but this one appeals to me the least.

6. Book 3: The Long Chain (2019) – A dense, seemingly unnatural fog as descended on New York in October 1935, and Sorcha wants Alex to solve the case. What does it all have to do with a recently found Nobel-Prize winning Chemist with a case of amnesia? Will Alex be able to find a missing alchemist for his friend, Dr. Killian? I found the inclusion of science to be an interesting addition and the twist ending of the missing alchemists to be thrilling.

5. Book 5: Limelight (2020) – May 1937, a mysterious new drug has appeared on the streets of New York granting users extraordinary and previously thought impossible abilities such as a blast rune used in a string of bank robberies plaguing Manhattan. Will Alex Lockerby find the culprits before it’s too late? In the meantime, can he help Danny find out what happened to a dead mystery writer looking into Broadway’s most famous murder from fifteen years ago? I happened to run into an advertisement for this book which got me interested in the series in the first place.

4. Book 1: In Plain Sight (2018) – The first book in the series introduces us to Alex Lockerby in September 1933 as his brought by Sorcha Kinkaid into the search for a legendary runebook called the Archimedean Monograph. Will Alex find the legendary book or vanish under mysterious circumstances like so many before him? Meanwhile, can Alex stop a magical plague from being unleashed on New York like it was at a local soup kitchen. This was a brilliant introduction to the series, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

3. Book 4: Mind Games (2020) – It’s time again for the Mayoral Elections in October 1936, people are strangely committing or attempting to commit murders of people they don’t know, larger portions of the homeless population are missing, and runewrights are being driven out business by cheap, mass produced runebooks. Can Alex get to the bottom of this mystery before it’s too late? Has a wayward heiress also been affected? Yes, in the real world the election was in 1937, but it wasn’t too hard to accept the slight adjustment in time. I enjoyed the drama as this book plaid out and appreciated the long-term rising tensions.

2. Book 7: Capital Murder (2021) – For the first time, Alex Lockerby is brought out of New York to Washington, DC in December 1937 by Andrew Barton to help consider expanding Barton’s electric grid to city. While there is roped into investigating the death of US Senator Paul Young, by the late senator’s wife. Can he solve the murder when DC Police and the FBI are largely uninterested? Why did someone break into the Smithsonian to steal a seemingly worthless artifact and maul a guard to death? Where is Lucky Tony’s nephew? I loved the callbacks in this book and the exposure to new and, in some cases, unexpected locations.

1. Book 6: Blood Relation (2020) – Young, female prostitutes have been found dead, exsanguinated, and surrounded by strange symbols that deteriorate the crime scene at alarming rates in September 1937. Will Alex Lockerby be able stop this madman before the ritual is complete? Can Alex find the connection between a dead woman who worked with government secrets and seemingly unconnected variety of thefts at local warehouses by a gang of expert thieves? Looking back, this one is easily my favorite of the series and I look forward to seeing the story continue to unravel in coming books.