Good Guys

In this underwhelming paranormal procedural, a trio of investigators working for the Foundation, a secret organization that regulates and monitors magic, set out to find a magic-using hit man. Donovan, Marci, and Susan must figure out the connection among the victims while dodging attempts on their own lives and contending with the Foundation’s bureaucracy and a possible traitor somewhere in the organization. Brust (the Vlad Taltos series) has a clever and complicated take on urban fantasy. The use of multiple viewpoints, including a first-person thread from the killer’s perspective, livens things up somewhat, and the plot takes some unexpected turns, leading to a satisfying if vague conclusion. But the story is hampered by a focus on the mundane details of the investigatory process, including lengthy Skype chats and requests for reimbursement. The detached, almost dispassionate narrative voice and the clichéd nature of the Foundation and the serial killer give the impression that Brust might be intentionally drawing out the details to deconstruct genre tropes, but the book doesn’t succeed either as commentary or as a mystery. (Mar.)