The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

Source: Netgalley – Thank you so much to the publisher for reaching out to me!
TL;DR: Such a slow build but I really think it was worth it. A Holmesian mystery with lots of fantasy and plant magic/science!

Plot: This was slow. It started with a single gruesome murder and evolved to a bigger, empire risking conspiracy. Loved the ending on this so much, I can’t even begin to explain.
Characters: Our PoV, Din, is dry and funny. And I loved him as our vessel. While Ana our investigator is over the top and funny. Everyone else was fairly well fleshed as well and I was attached to quite a few by the end!
Setting: Very well realized, I really enjoyed this wet and terrifyingly dangerous locale. I can’t wait to see more.
Magic: This magic has that feel of science that makes it VERY satisfying and distinct.

Thoughts:

The Tainted Cup is not the book for people who get weirded out by plants and mushrooms. I’ll just open up with that one. The whole premise of the mystery here is that a government official is murdered by means of a giant plant erupting from his body and devouring it whole. And that isn’t the only time it happens.

Our primary PoV is Din, a newly assigned assistant to a quirky and exiled investigator named Ana. Din Encodes memories, recalling them with a smell assigned to each memory. This means he can recall with exact precision the way something looks, feels, tastes, smells, etc at a prompt. Ana uses Din to review crimes and she solves them (think Sherlock and Watson with a much more involved Watson). Ana herself is odd, insisting on living mostly blindfolded though she’s not blind, and with augments that allow her to read ink through her fingertips.

These two odd characters begin small, investigating the murder of a visiting government official and end up moving to a military border town. This border town keeps out the leviathans that come from the ocean, a fascinating and deeply unnerving backdrop to even more gruesome plant deaths.

This was a slow mystery, building in tension and parts till an INTENSE ending. I genuinely had the thought a few times ‘Perhaps I should DNF’ but I kept going and it was so worth that build. If you don’t mind a slower start, I can’t recommend this enough.

5 out of 5 giant air conditioning mushrooms