Straddling hard boiled mystery and fantasy, Bledsoe’s debut novel is absolutely engrossing.

Eddie LaCrosse is a middle-aged successful investigator at the end of a case when he is called back to his home from self imposed exile. His childhood friend, former prince now King Philip, asks Eddie to investigate the apparent cannibalistic murder of his infant son. The only suspect is the Queen, found unconscious in a locked room with what appears to be the remains of the infant. The situation gets murkier when Eddie recognizes the Queen as someone from his past, yet she denies knowing him and anything else before meeting the King. Eddie must relive his past to solve the present mystery, unfolding parallel storylines.

Orson Scott Card praised this book and rightly so. I had assumed that when he called it a “real comedy”, Card meant laugh out loud funny. It seems more like black comedy. Bledsoe gives us humor and wit, with violence and cynicism. When Eddie returns to his hometown, he finds that his friends have married and settled down. He is constantly asked if he has married, if he has children. By the end of the story, their questions seem like torture.

Bledsoe rewards close readers, so don’t skim.

One complaint may be that the way things get out of hand so quickly, and then Fortune’s wheel turns and everything goes Eddie’s way. This, however, does not hinder the story. It is acceptable in fantasy, even commonplace, because heroes must survive. God may open a window when a door is shut, but fantasy writers can solder the door shut, brick up the windows and somehow, the hero still makes it.

A minor complaint is the title, which makes no sense even with context. A major complaint is the cover. Though it is beyond the author’s control, it’s still notably bad. Six out of the fourteen reviews currently posted on Amazon.com mention the horrible cover. That seemingly peg legged man with a skin disease is not Eddie LaCrosse. That badly dressed radiating blonde is simply distracting. Wisely, Tor will be re-releasing this in paperback with a new cover that very correctly conveys the sense of adventure and danger. High praise for this book made me pick it up. After seeing the cover, I nearly put it back. I’m glad I didn’t.

Bledsoe introduces us to characters we want to meet again or run away from, or both. Some characters we meet in a flick of a lash with promises of more encounters. The sequel, Burn Me Deadly, will be published by Tor this year.

“The Sword Edged Blonde”
By Alex Bledsoe
256 pp.
Night Shade Books.