The Spiral Tattoo [Kindle Edition]

Michael J. Parry (Author)

Book Description

Law comes in two sizes: six inches and eight feet.

Elanore, the eight-foot tall troll, and Gurt, the six-inch tall (don't you dare call me a fairy) Eleinu, both guardsmen in the city of Delvenport, tackle their most baffling case yet. When they find a dead waitress, naked except for an intricate tattoo in a spiral across her body, they're launched into an adventure in the seedier side of Delvenport, filled with rogue mages, prostitution, and narcotics.

But can they solve the case before madness and riots take over the city?

Product Details

• File Size: 439 KB
• Print Length: 279 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Sky Warrior Book Publishing, LLC. (June 26, 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0058DUKOU
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #481,346 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Compelling New Fantasy/Mystery Series January 15, 2012

By Janet Samuels

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I would rate this 4.5 to 5 stars. The description sounded a bit "off beat" but I decided to give it a try. I typically don't like "epic fantasy" (takes place on another world where the characters go on a big quest). I DO read a lot of urban fantasy, paranormal romance and mystery books. This is an unusual genre that combines fantasy with mystery. Eleanore (an 8-foot green troll) and Gurt (a 6-inch winged Eleniu) are guardsmen (similar to police) in a bustling port city on a world with 6 "peoples" (humans, elves, dwarfs, Kobolds, Eleniu and Trolls). Both characters have some some issues in their backgrounds that are hinted at but not revealed. It flows with the story, so that was intriguing more than annoying. While walking their rounds, they discover a dead girl and most of the book concerns the investigation of who killed the girl. There is a secondary issue of a drug being brought into the city and all of the guardsmen needing to deal with this. The story wraps up nicely at the end (rather than with a cliffhanger). While this appears to be the start of a series, it doesn't force the series on you by ending in a cliffhanger!

It was a nicely told story - told from the point of view of Gurt. While I guessed some of the major plot points, I didn't skip ahead as the story still held my interest. There were a few clunky sentences, but other than those few, the writing, grammar and formatting were all polished (something I always watch for in an independent book which I think this is). I never felt lost in this new world that the author created but understood terminology based on context (e.g. guardsmen are police and a "bell" is an hour). The author introduced some interesting side characters. We learned a little of them (I wish we had seen more of "Mac" so I better understood him). However, there were not so many of these as to become overwhelming.

The only complaint I had (and maybe this is because I am geographically challenged) is that when the author described the layout of the city (e.g. the arches and the four areas down by the harbor), I had a really tough time envisioning it and was a bit lost on the city layout. I'm not sure if it would work for a kindle, but when I've read some fantasy books, they sometimes include a map at the start to give you a feel for the layout of the land. That would have been helpful here. It didn't really detract from the story, but several times when they made reference to location (e.g. "up-city" or the 5th arch or where Gurt lives), it would have been nice to be able to visualize this.

All-in-all, I enjoyed this book a lot. I am looking forward to reading about more adventures of Elanore and Gurt (and learning more about their backgrounds).

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I've fallen in love with a duo! January 7, 2012

By jane austen

Format:Kindle Edition

I came across this by accident, the podiocast version, and, although it took awhile for me to sit down and just listen (visitors, holidays, etc, etc.) it was worth the wait to have a fun thing to do to calm down after the flurry of activity was over. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and ended up listening to see what happened next when I really should have been doing something else. Hey, you have to have priorities and good books come first. I especially enjoyed how the personalities and world building developed throughout the book without long explanations. Gurt, especially, really progressed as the book unfolded. At first you get the impression he is just "helping" Elinor, but, no, you see how it is a real partnership as he contributes more and more to the equation. He and Elinor are good together and I am truly looking forward to some more Fursk and Gurt mysteries. Keep up the good work Mr. Parry. They are truly a dynamic duo.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A strong fantasy detective novel November 15, 2011

By Scott

Format:Kindle Edition

The Spiral Tattoo by Michael J. Parry was a unique fantasy detective story following Elanore, an 8 foot tall troll and Gurt, the 6 inch tall Eleinu (a pixie/fairy character). Instead of completely redefining trolls, Elanore is a bit of a standout for her race. She is still very tough and you don't want to make her mad, but she is mostly calm and cerebral when investigating. Gurt is a bit of an enigma as well. Born into nobility he chose to leave it all behind when he got tired of all the politics that accompanied his birthright.

The two characters form a strong bond and a very effective team utilizing each others strengths. Elanore is large and very powerful, while Gurt is unobtrusive and fairly skilled with magic. The combination enables them to deal with most threats that they run into, as well as giving them a very wide point of view when dealing with the leads they are chasing down.

I felt that this book was very well done. I enjoyed the interactions between the two main characters and the extra helper that Gurt gets along the way was amusing at times. The pacing was also well done, there weren't any spots that I felt were overloaded with needless descriptions. The villain wasn't that hard to figure out, but I'm not sure how well hidden it was supposed to be. The system of magic seemed to be fairly well done, though if more books with these characters are coming out I would enjoy a little bit more explanation. Overall this book is definitely a good addition to the library if you are a fan of fantasy or crime books. The mix of action, character development, comedy, and mystery worked very well. If more books come out involving these characters I will be following them for sure.

More About the Author

I write fantasy and science fiction, mixed in with the occasional piece of contemporary fiction. I hope that people will enjoy my stories.

When I am not writing, I live on a small block of land in the Tararua district of New Zealand, where me and my partner grow trees and our children. To earn a crust I work in a University library as the Digital Initiatives Librarian. I love social media, and use it as a tool for our library.