Customer Reviews

Bitter Gold Hearts (Garrett, P.I., Bk. 2)

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4 star:		(2)
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Bitter Gold Hearts


Bitter Gold Hearts is the second book in the Garrett Files collection. Garrett is a tough ex-marine, private investigator in the mold of Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer. The series is set in a fantasy world that is quite amusing. His advisor is "the Dead Man" who is really not a man at al and isn't dead exactly, but, oh never mind, buy this book; you'll want to read it several times. In this book Garrett foils a diabolical plot to kidnap the Storm Warden's son for a fortune in ransom, falls for a beautiful Elf, fights some Ogres, and much, much more. Oh just read the book. You'll enjoy it.

Highly recommended for fans of Cook and high adventure.

Gunner Octobert, 2007


1. Sweet Silver Blues (1987)
2. Bitter Gold Hearts (1988)
3. Cold Copper Tears (1988)
4. Old Tin Sorrows (1989)
5. Dread Brass Shadows (1990)
6. Red Iron Nights (1991)
7. Deadly Quicksilver Lies (1994)
8. Petty Pewter Gods (1995)
9. Faded Steel Heat (1999)
10. Angry Lead Skies (2002)
11. Whispering Nickel Idols (2005)
Science Fiction Book Club omnibus editions:
1. The Garrett Files (collects Sweet Silver Blues, Bitter Gold Hearts, and Cold Copper Tears; 2003)
2. Garrett, P.I. (collects Old Tin Sorrows, Dread Brass Shadows, and Red Iron Nights; 2003)
3. Garrett Investigates (collects Deadly Quicksilver Lies, Petty Pewter Gods, and Faded Steel Heat; 2004)

Second, as I recall, in the "Garrett" series of cross-genre mystery/fantasy novels "Bitter Gold Hearts" gives us a hard-bitten, independent, and highly ethical private eye in the mold of Philip Marlowe...in a world of Wizards, Giants, Trolls, Grolls (A breed between Trolls, Giants, and the Thing That Dares Not Speak), and other traditional fantasy staples thrown together in the medieval equivalent of '40's Los Angeles.

Far from the clash you would expect, in Cook's capable hands over a series of six novels and counting, the Sword'n'Sorcery and "Hard-bitten Detective" complement and renew each other, making "everything old, new again". Highly reccomended.

Bitter Gold Hearts (1988) is the second fantasy novel in the Garrett Files series, following Sweet Silver Blues. In the previous volume, Garrett freed Kayean Kronk from the vampire nest. Afterward, he helped deliver a shapeshifting spy to the authorities. Then he filed his report and escorted Kayean to the Tate compound, where she became an honored guest.

After the probate paid his fee, Garrett bought the Dead Man's house and refurbished it as his home and office. He left the Dead Man in the newly refurnished parlor. When the Loghyr woke up, the news that Garrett was his new landlord left him speechless.

In this novel, the Dead Man is working on the tactics of Glory Mooncalled in the Cantard. He has bugs moving around on the wall map in the pattern of past campaigns. The grumblings and mutterings are trying Garrett's patience.

Garrett had been drinking heavily the night before, so the pounding on the door aggravates his hangover. Some lackeys in the colors of Stormwarden Raver Styx are hanging around outside guarding a half-fairy named Amirantha Crest. She has come down from the Hill to offer him one hundred gold marks to accompany her to the Stormwarden's residence.

After some typical verbiage to establish his importance, Garrett collects the money and then goes back with her to the household. The Stormwarden's secretary -- Domina Willa Dount -- wants Garrett's advice on the kidnapping of the Stormwarden's son. The Stormwarden is in the Cantard and her secretary would prefer that her son is released before she returns. Willa Dount describes the circumstances and shows him the ransom note. He provides her some useful tips and concurs in her thinking on the matter.

The Stormwarden's consort interrupts their discussion and Willa Dount handily brings him to heel. Then she dismisses Garrett, explaining that his very presence would be enough to warn the kidnappers to stick to the rules. As he leaves, Amirantha intercepts him in the hallway and asks about the interview, then she makes a date to meet him at the Iron Liar. Garrett notices a black-haired looker in the hallway -- she also notices him -- and learns that she is the Stormwarden's daughter Amber.

In this story, Garrett reports the meeting to the Dead Man, then he leaves for his date with Amirantha. Five ogres try to beat him on the street outside his door, but Garrett manages to get in the first and last licks. He learns more about Amirantha and the household during dinner. Afterward, Garrett takes her to Morley's place and they discuss the abduction. On the way out, Saucerhead Tharpe invites them sit down and have a beer; although Garrett declines, he tells Amirantha that she should hire Saucerhead if she needs any protection.

The Stormwarden's son returns home unharmed, but Amirantha disappears. Later, Saucerhead Tharpe staggers into TunFaire and admits himself to Bledsoe Hospital. He has been severely wounded. Garrett and Morley bribe the doctors to treat his wounds. When he regains consciousness, they listen to his story.

Ogres had attacked Amirantha at her rendezvous at a rural crossroads. Saucerhead is a big surprise for them, but they take him down anyway from sheer numbers. Yet Saucerhead manages to pick up Amirantha and stagger off to the home of a witch friend. Then he comes back to Bledsoe; he had been born there and figured that he might as well die there.

This story gets rather complicated. Garrett checks out the scene of the ambush and finds Saucerhead's friendly witch. Unhappily, Amirantha is dead, but well preserved. Garrett starts to do some investigating on his own. Other things are happening in addition to the kidnapping and murder.

Morley does Garrett a few favors and then hires out some of his thugs to help the investigation. Morley hates to appear soft, but Saucerhead is a friend, so what is a half-darkelf to do. Then Saucerhead recovers enough to join in the case and the Stormwarden returns to TunFaire.

Highly recommended for Cook fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of political intrigue, magical powers and family affairs.

-Arthur W. Jordin

Laughs and Jokes, along with intriquing characters makes this a wonderful series. I hope it comes back in print. The book follows the adventures of Garrett, a private eye, in a world that has elves, dark elves, Trolls, and Centuars. I read and re-read this series for enjoyment.

This is the 2nd in Cook's Garrett series ("Sweet Silver Blues," "Bitter Gold Hearts," "Cold Copper Tears," "Old Tin Sorrows," "Dread Brass Shadows," "Red Iron Nights," "Deadly Quicksilver Lies," "Petty Pewter Gods," "Faded Steel Heat," "Angry Lead Skies," and "Whispering Nickel Idols"). It's a very good book, but isn't quite as good as the first in the series. The deficiency isn't anything major: it's just that I noticed a couple of the secondary characters whose personalities drastically changed from scene to scene (more so than the variability of human nature would allow). The additional role Cook gives to the Dead Man makes up for it, though. I rate it at a very good 4 stars out of 5.

BTW: At the time of this review, this book is long out of print. It's tough to find anywhere. As an alternative, look around for the SFBC's "The Garrett Files." This book is part of that collection.

This is a reissue of the long out of print second book in the series. I hope that this reissue does not mark the end of the series.

Garrett is hired by a storm warden's secretary (the storm warden is a powerful sorceress) to advise her on ransoming the storm warden's son before she gets back from the war. But the whole thing seems rather fishy from the get go as you would normally hire someone like Garrett for the whole operation not just for some advice and appearances. This is where the plot gets involved and interesting with various bad guys trying to out smart each other. Good characters some humor and a very good plot overall. The one rough spot is what happens to the ransom. We are talking about a total of 8,000 lbs of gold here and that doesn't get moved fast or easily without a crew or magic.

Overall an outstanding read though.
BTW I notice that there are none of the editorial flaws that seem to be cropping up in books recently.

Stormwardens are the battle mages of Glen Cook's fantasy world of Karenta. They are the deadliest citizens of Tun Faire and exactly the kind of people Garret doesn't want to work for. First of all, he would probably have to work hard for his money, and if he got it wrong that would be too high a percentage chance that he might finish his life as a frog. But Garret is a sucker for a beautiful woman and Amarinda Crest, a half-elf and gorgeous, is the bait on Stormwarden Raver Styx's hook. The result is Garrett in trouble again.

First Styx's son disappears, then he reappears but Amarinda is gone. And Styx's secretary is a genius at stonewalls and dirty tricks, who has eyes only for the Stormwarden's husband. And there's a daughter, a mistress, and just a few dozen trolls. This story has more rotten characters than a hive has bees, even if you are only counting the good guys. And there aren't too many of them. From the moment Garrett gives Amarinda his first long and loving glance he is in deep water.

Glen Cook continues to write what is one of the better 'fixer' series in the market, pitching Garrett and the Dead Man into a plot that makes noir detective stories look like self-help books. This is a dark story, one where there aren't any 'good,' just shades of bad and ugly. But Garrett endures the snipes of the Dead Man and his cohort in crime, Morley Dotes, while delivering a few of his own, and this provides a lot of the charm of the story -- the underlying relationships that give the tale its underlying humor and keep the reader comfortable and interested.

I've liked all the Garrett novels, but this is my favorite. It's got everything a good, hardboiled detective novel should without succumbing to boilerplate and an ending as bitter as day-old coffee. Cook is always a writer worth reading, but here he goes beyond himself.

Bitter Gold Hearts is the second volume in the Garrett PI series, and unlike Sweet Silver Blues, largely takes place in TunFaire, and Garrett's case is a missing person...or two. Garrett is hired by a Stormwarden, one of the more or less crazy wizards who live on "the Hill", the nicer part of TunFaire, to find a missing heir. There are a few pretty girls to complicate matters, of course. Through all of this, Garrett has to manage dealing with criminal kingpin Chodo Contague, who feels he owes Garrett a favor.

This a much more of a true detective story than the first Garrett novel Sweet Silver Blues. There are mysteries aplenty, and the Dead Man is starting to shine here, with his collection of bugs re-enacting military campaigns on old maps. And in the background, Glory Mooncalled is starting to shake up the long stalemate in the Cantard, which can only be good...can't it?

Luckily, Garrett is on hand to deal with things, be they pretty girls needing a place to sleep, a jug of beer that needs drinking, or, if all else fails, solving the damn case. As usual, the book starts with Garrett waking up hungover and opening the door to the wrong person: as he tells it "I'd had a chance to give her the up and down, and she was worth a second look. And a third and a fourth. There wasn't a lot of her, though nothing was missing, and what was there had been put together quite nicely." If all that sounds interesting...well, it is: Bitter Gold Hearts is Glen Cook at his best, with humor, witty dialogue and a plot that never stops until the bitter end.