Phoenix Precinct is the latest book in the Cliff’s End Castle Guard series. Cliff’s End is a teeming port city with humans, elves, dwarves, gnomes and wizards all living and doing business together. The Cliff’s End Castle Guard is tasked with keeping law and order. Their job has been made more complicated by the sudden influx of refugees from the neighbouring city-state of Barlin. The arrival of the Barlin refugees has been accompanied by an increase in hate crimes directed at them. Lieutenants Danthres Treyllione and Torin ban Wyvald are assigned a murder that looks like another refugee beating that has gone too far. Soon, however, the detectives find the case is more complicated than it seems, leading to the discovery of corruption in the guard, and among the nobles of the court.
The Cliff’s End Castle Guard series are basically police procedurals which take place in a mediaeval fantasy world. Phoenix Precinct is the sixth book in the series. While it would be helpful to have read the earlier books, the author does a good job filling in the history of the city and the characters. This book reminds me of the Fisher and Hawk series by Simon R. Green, another fantasy/mystery series. As a police procedural it also reminds me of the Yellowthread Street Mysteries by William Marshall. It is similar in its humour, as well as the cast of characters, detectives and beat cops, and their trials and tribulations as they try to solve crimes amidst the poor, criminals and the rich and powerful. The Yellowthread Mysteries are set in Hong Kong, and like Cliff’s End, the city itself becomes an important character in the story. I would recommend this series to readers who enjoy fantasy and police procedurals. ( )