… tremendously satisfying urban fantasy …

fantasy fiction British wilderness

The detective is one of the Wild Folk, hurting and lonely in the city of an Olde London where magic reigns. Her apprentice is a Bird Shaman. They need to solve the murder and work out how the justice system can be corrupted before an innocent man is executed. They have five days.

Fallible Justice is a joy to read: intriguing characters and deft world building whirl around a strongly plotted whodunit. I did find myself grabbing moments here and there over these holidays to plunge back into the world of of Private Investigator Yannia and her side kick, Karrion.

Laura‘s Finnish background brings a satisfying depth to her alternative Old London world where paranormal races live alongside humans; and the intricate weaving of relationships between the characters is smoothly done. She also allows us to have some fun with secondary characters such as Lady Bergamon with her extraordinary garden and Wishearth sitting at his usual table in the pub.

My only, very slight, quibble is with the prologue. I would have preferred to plunge straight into the action and I did wonder whether the slower pace of this opening would put people off. Hopefully not – the rest of the book is a cracker.

Highly recommended.

Laura Laakso is a Finn who has spent most of her adulthood in England. When she is not writing or working in her day job as an accountant, she is training and competing with her two dogs. As she says on her website : “With two degrees in archaeology, she possesses useful skills for disposing of or digging up bodies, and if her internet search history is anything to go by, she is on several international watch lists.”

Cover design moment : The cover design is by Jennie Rawlings. I love the typeface which complements the book’s themes. You can see more of her work here.

Fallible Justice was published on 8 November 2018 by Louise Walters Books. It’s the first in the paranormal crime series, Wilde Investigations. The next, Echo Murder, is due to be released in June 2019.

I was sent a proof copy by Louise Walters in return for an honest review. I think it is worth saying I often get approached to write reviews. I refuse most offers because  of other commitments and, quite frankly, because they don’t appear to be “my thing”. When I do accept an ARC, many get a thoughtful but apologetic email back explaining why I will not be posting a piece – I do not publish negative reviews. So for Laura to get a review from me is some kind of accolade in itself!