The Tainted Cup: an exceptional fantasy mystery with a classic detective duo

Robert Jackson Bennett

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A peculiar crime. A brilliant investigator. A mystery of epic proportions.In an opulent mansion at the borders of the Empire, an Imperial officer lies dead - killed when a tree spontaneously erupted from his body. Even here, where contagions abound and the blood of the Leviathans works strange magical changes, it's a death at once terrifying and impossible.

Called in to solve the crime is Ana Dolabra, an investigator whose reputation for brilliance is matched only by her eccentricity. At her side is her new assistant, Dinios Kol, an engraver, magically altered to possess a perfect memory.

Soon, the mystery leads to a scheme that threatens the safety of the Empire itself. For Ana, all this makes for a deliciously thorny puzzle - at last, something to truly hold her attention. And Din? He'll just have to hold on for the ride.

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Praise for The Tainted Cup: an exceptional fantasy mystery with a classic detective duo

  • Robert Jackson Bennett deserves a huge audience - Brent Weeks, New York Times bestselling author of The Way of ShadowsBennett's world is engrossing and fascinating - Mur Lafferty, Campbell Award winning author of Playing for KeepsAbsolutely riveting . . . I went to bed late reading it and woke up early to finish it - Amal El-Mohtar, New York Times Book ReviewI loved this. A twisty detective story, a weird fantasy, a thrilling adventure-The Tainted Cup is a masterstroke. I want Bennett to write a dozen of these, and send them to me yesterday - Max Gladstone, New York Times bestselling co-author of This Is How You Lose the Time WarOriginal, imaginative, and suspenseful, The Tainted Cup superbly blends mystery and fantasy in this vivid, complex novel. I couldn't put it down. Give me more of this world and these characters ASAP! - Meg Gardiner, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the UNSUB seriesPart Sherlock Holmes murder mystery, part Through the Looking-Glass, The Tainted Cup is one of the wildest, most original stories I've ever had the privilege to explore - Wesley Chu, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The War Arts SagaThe Tainted Cup is a true fantasy mystery, with a leading duo who stand with Holmes and Watson among the greats. And Bennett sets it all in a squishy, fascinating, biopunk worldI'm dying to find out more about. Bring on the next one! - Django Wexler, author of the Shadow Campaigns seriesA riveting murder mystery wrapped in a twisty conspiracy, set in a vivid fantasy world terrorized by eldritch monsters. If you love unique, genre-bending, boundary-pushing fantasyas much as I do, look no further than Robert Jackson Bennett - Fonda Lee, author of the Green Bone Saga

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Robert Jackson Bennett

Robert Jackson Bennett

Robert Jackson Bennett is the author of the Hugo Award winning novel The Tainted Cup, its sequel A Drop of Corruption, The Divine Cities trilogy and The Founders Trilogy.

His work has received the Edgar Award, the Shirley Jackson Award, and the Phillip K. Dick Citation of Excellence, and he has been shortlisted for the World Fantasy, British Fantasy, and Locus Awards. He also dug a very good french drain in his backyard back in 2019.

He lives in Austin with his wife and two sons, one of whom is very large and one of whom is very loud, and he focuses on writing and not maintaining his website.

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