Mind Games (Arcane Casebook Book 4)

Sam Spade and Harry Dresden all wrapped up into one great series my good friend and I talk about books all the time and how there is only so many things to write about but the way you use them in a new way makes for a great story elves or elves orcs are orcs ice queens or ice queens this is well written and a great read

Fun storylines, well developed characters.

Just finished the 4th book in this unique series. Fun reads. A combination of noir detective plus magic plus alchemy plus sorcery all taking place in an alternate reality New York City. Great characters, complex plots, good sense of time and place. And surprises. Keep writing this series, Mr. Willis! I’m pacing my reading or I’d binge read one after the other!

I found Dan's books by accident almost. A friend's recommended them to me, I forgot about them, and then saw the first one on was on sale. I bought the book and, having never read a detective novel beyond Sherlock Holmes stories, I wasn't sure what to expect. These books are amazing. Each one has it's own tempo and style, each with their own unique additions to the cast, to the world of the books, and to the twists in the plot. Last time, I thought that nothing could improve on book 3, the ending note was too good. This book is a new verse in the music; book four is entirely it's own speed, different yet part of the complete whole that is this series. It is a turning point in the series and while I wish I knew all the answers to all the questions I have, now, I know that I will just have to wait for the next book. So not fair. I have to wait? >< Dan Willis has managed to raise the bar and up the anty, yet again. Truly sir, thank you for this book. I eagerly await the next one. TL;DR: Read these books. They are spectacular.

I really enjoy the time frame the book is set in. Then Mr. Willis throws in some off the wall magic. The cases of our illustrious detective are intriguing and at the same time rather difficult to figure out. If you enjoy detective novels with a magical fun twist, this series is for you!

Can't begin to say how intricate and complex these stories are. Characters are complex and deep, with back stories of their own that slowly are revealed. Threads of stories are woven together with expertise and masterful language that suddenly come together right before the readers eyes. Highly recommended!

So, for anyone who likes a bit of fantasy blended into their other genres, this is a fun series that reads quickly. I also appreciate that while the protagonist advances in power, out of the 11 related books - they have not gotten totally out of hand, despite a bit of "chosen one" mixed into the narrative. There is a spin-off series, the Arcane Irregulars which brings some of the protagonist's supporting characters to the front. This is a relatively recent development, and they are on the same timeline, so the justification for spinning it off into a different series is to highlight which character will be the protagonist. The one thing for new readers is that the associated series, The Arcane Irregulars, makes the reading order as follows: Arcane Casebook, Books 1 through 8, Arcane Irregulars Book 1, Arcane Case Book 9, Arcane Irregulars Book2.

The detective mystery is much better plotted, and all the treads weave together at the end. Well, almost. Pieces are missing. The magic is firming up. The various practitioners of the various kinds of magic are becoming interested in magics not their own. Everone will gain from this. Mr Willis has studied the period a bit, and the glaring anachronisms are getting fewer. For instance, someone has told him that calling women "Ms" wouldn't be invented for decades. Too bad the same person didn't tell him that people in 1936 just weren't on first name basis until they knew each other well. Certainly not in business. Mr Willis very much wants us to believe that racism, sexism was frowned upon. In reality, most people didn't notice. Something I find a bit disturbing is Mr Willis's ageism. He calls a lot of people old, elderly. And then tells us they are in their fourties. In their fifties even. This is not what people thought in the '30s. Mr Willis was born in 1967. He is 54. Over the hill, according to what he writes. Maybe he is in denial? I still want more history of this world. Magical, of course. But also some kind of explaination of how this alternate Earth has almost the same history as ours. Magic should make it more different. I would also, dearly, like to know something about the heredity of magic. If it is not inherited, where does it come from?