Dread Brass Shadows

Dread Brass Shadows
Author(s)	Glen Cook
Country	United States
Language	English
Series	Garrett P.I.
Genre(s)	Fantasy, Mystery
Publisher	Roc
Publication date	May 1990
Media type	Print (Paperback)
Pages	256
ISBN	0-451-45008-6
OCLC Number	21578410
Preceded by	Old Tin Sorrows
Followed by	Red Iron Nights

Dread Brass Shadows is the fifth novel in Glen Cook's ongoing Garrett P.I. series. The series combines elements of mystery and fantasy as it follows the adventures of private investigator Garrett.

Plot introduction

Garrett is a hardboiled detective living in the city of TunFaire, a melting pot of different races, cultures, religions, and species. When people have problems, they often come to Garrett for help, but trouble has a way of finding Garrett on its own, whether he likes it or not.

Plot summary

Tinnie Tate comes to visit Garrett at home and is stabbed in the middle of the street by an unknown assailant. Garrett and Saucerhead run down the would-be assassin, but before they can interrogate him, he is killed by a crossbow-wielding band of hooligans. The only clue as to the villain's motive is mention of a book. Meanwhile, a woman named Winger visits Garrett; she is also looking for a book. When a third individual, a young woman named Carla Lindo Ramada, comes by in search of a book, at least she can shed some light on the mystery. They are looking for the Book of Dreams (or Book of Shadows), a magical tome that allows the user to take on a hundred different identities.

As word gets out about the power of the Book of Shadows, several parties become involved, each trying to obtain the book before the others. Among those involved are Gnorst Gnorst, head of Dwarf Town, Chodo Contague, Kingpin of TunFaire, Lubbock, a fat wannabe wizard and Winger's employer, and The Serpent, a witch partially responsible for creating the Book of Shadows.

As his desire for the Book of Shadows grows, Chodo Contague turns on Garrett, and in an attempt to save their own lives, Garrett, Winger, Crask, and Sadler strike an uneasy alliance to overthrow Chodo. In a confused battle at Chodo's mansion involving all the parties, Crask and Sadler manage to take over from Chodo, and Garrett and Winger escape alive.

When Garrett returns home, he finds that Carla Lindo Ramada has escaped with the Book of Shadows, which had been hidden at Garrett's home the entire time. He and Winger manage to track Carla down, take back the book, and destroy it before any more evil can be committed in its name.

Characters in "Dread Brass Shadows"

• Garrett
• The Dead Man
• Dean
• Morley Dotes
• Saucerhead Tharpe
• Tinnie Tate
• Winger
• Carla Lindo Ramada
• Crask and Sadler
• Chodo Contague
• Gnorst Gnorst
• Lubbock (Fido Easterman)
• The Serpent