Randall Garrett (1927–1987)

I think I might be in love with Lord Darcy, although I feel I am cheating on both Sherlock Holmes and Lord Peter Wimsey. The time is the mid-1960s; the place, the Anglo-French Empire, ruled by John IV, by the Grace of God, King and Emperor of England, France, Scotland, Ireland, New England, and New France; Defender of the Faith, et cetera. Yes, it is an alternative history where the Plantagenet dynasty of England never fell and magic works! So while it is science fiction, the collection show more feels much like fantasy.

The four stories in this collection play fair with the reader. Magic reveals clues, just as forensic science does in our world. Lord Darcy uses his intellect, clues, and observations to ferret out the wrongdoer in each story. I thoroughly enjoyed the collection.

Highly recommended for fans of science fantasy and mystery. show less

Alone and adrift on a spaceship, Alfred must find a way to return to earth or mankind will be doomed.

I'll admit the plot sounds corny, but it was quite an interesting short story about a man facing an impossible situation and a devastating choice.

Start with a base of Sherlock Holmes, add a drop of Lord Peter Wimsey, stir in a healthy serving of Brother Cadfael, and season with Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell—it all adds up to the highly satisfying diet of Lord Darcy stories by Randall Garrett.

Lord Darcy is the Chief Forensic Investigator for the Duke of Normandy, in an alternate history where the British Empire in the 1960s consists of England, Scotland, Ireland, France, and the New World. The Plantagenets are still in power, and the show more Church is still a visible and integral part of the culture.

The four stories that make up this collection are enjoyable not only for the mysteries that have to be solved, but also for the sheer pleasure of exploring this world that might have been. Elevators and guns exist alongside gas lamps, carriages, sorcery, and sword-play. I loved the mixture of medieval and Victorian England, and the way the Church was such a significant part of daily life.

This is exactly the kind of book I love reading for pleasure: quick moving, intelligent, imaginative, and filled with personable characters.

I look forward to reading the full length Lord Darcy novel, Too Many Magicians, and the final collection of stories, Lord Darcy Investigates. show less

Enjoyable collection of murder mystery stories rehashed as fantasy tinged with an SF flavor -- which is how some of these stories managed to appeared in Bova's Analog. An alternate universe where King Richard ruled and eventually an Ango-French empire founded in magic settled in for the long haul. The first mystery, A Matter of Gravity (Analog 1974), while contrived, is the most clever. A locked room mystery where Lord Darcy early on announces he knows who did it but not why or how -- and show more that makes perfect sense at the end. The Ipswich Phial (Analog 1976) is more of a spy story with a rising Poland as the nemesis. An OK adventure but nothing that clever. I'm convinced that the The Sixteen Keys (Fantastic 1976) was meant to be printed with a floor plan. It's the weakest story with a resolution that is the kind of puzzle normally seen in one of those one-page Minute Mysteries. The Napoli Express (Asimov's 1979) announces its intentions up front. In terms of background it's a pretty direct sequel to the Sixteen Keys.

Recommended as lightweight entertainment. show less