Murder and Magic (Lord Darcy Book 1)

Writing a detective story in a science fiction or fantasy setting can be a hazardous undertaking because there is the temptation for the writer to cheat by having his hero pull out some gadget that will destroy the suspect's alibi by showing everyplace he's been for the last twenty-four hours or casting a magic spell that shows the blood on his hands, literal or not. In order for the mystery writer to play fair with the readers and write a whodunit worth reading, he has to set out the rules and limitations of the advanced technology or magic that his world uses to solve crimes. He need not make the rules explicit in the story, but they have to be there in the background, and they have to be reasonably consistent.Randall Garrett did an excellent job of combining the mystery and fantasy genres in his Lord Darcy series of stories. Set in an alternate world in which Richard the Lion Hearted managed to survive the accidental crossbow shot that killed in real life. Instead, the near death experience prompted King Richard to settle down from fighting and crusading and seriously try to govern the lands he ruled, resulting in an Angevin Empire that survives into the twentieth century. Richard also patronised scholars and scientists which led to the discovery of the laws of magic. By the time of Garrett's stories, the Angevin Empire of England and France, along with the Americas and other colonies is the leading world power and magic is used in everyday applications, much as science and technology are used in ours. Magicians can cast spells to preserve food, secure homes, communicate over long distances, and help solve crimes.In this world, Lord Darcy is the Chief Forensic Investigator for the Duke of Normandy. In the course of his duties, Lord Darcy solves crimes and untangles international intrigues, assisted by the forensic sorcerer Sean O' Lochlainn. Despite the fantasy setting, the cases Lord Darcy investigates are mostly the sort that can be found in any mystery story. Magic is not often used to commit the crimes and Sean O'Lochlainn's techniques are rather like the more scientific procedures that might be familiar to a viewer of a show like CSI. Magic is a substitute for science in Lord Darcy's world and a forensic sorcerer can no more solve a crime by magic in that world than a crime scene technician can "magically" solve a crime in our own.Murder and Magic is Randall Garrett's first collection of Lord Darcy stories. The collection includes four short stories with cases involving a supposed suicide, mistaken identities and blackmail, and a plot by the King of Poland, England-France's chief international rival, to disrupt the Atlantic trade. I found each of the stories to be entertaining and finished the book wanting to read more. I think that anyone who enjoys reading either mysteries or fantasies will find the stories that combine the two genres to be worth reading.

Secret passages. Carefully studied rules of magic. Twisted plots. Keenly observant detective. Fun magic. What's not to like. A pleasure to rediscover them.

I think I might be in love with Lord Darcy, although I feel I am cheating on both Sherlock Holmes and Lord Peter Wimsey. The time is the mid-1960s; the place, the Anglo-French Empire, ruled by John IV, by the Grace of God, King and Emperor of England, France, Scotland, Ireland, New England, and New France; Defender of the Faith, et cetera. Yes, it is an alternative history where the Plantagenet dynasty of England never fell and magic works! So while it is science fiction, the collection feels much like fantasy.The four stories in this collection play fair with the reader. Magic reveals clues, just as forensic science does in our world. Lord Darcy uses his intellect, clues, and observations to ferret out the wrongdoer in each story. I thoroughly enjoyed the collection.Highly recommended for fans of science fantasy and mystery.

I enjoyed the first few stories in the collection but after a while they began to seem the same. Reason? I think it was the character development (or lack thereof). The main character, Lord Darcy, seemed too Mary Poppins-like (i.e. practically perfect in every way) for my taste. No self doubts, no personal demons, no interest in interpersonal relationships. No passion about much of anything. He had, evidently, a wife and son, but apart from a faint reference to them, they played essentially zero role in the stories. He merely did his job and, through a combination of keen observational skills and talented assistants, he solved murders.The collection wasn't all bad, however. I thought the writing was more than competent. I found the background interesting and fun: an alternate reality where royalty governed a fairly modern (albeit w/ somewhat Victorian social conventions) society. And of course the addition of magic, licensed practitioners thereof, etc. also caught my attention.So I felt mixed about this one. As always, your mileage may vary.

I love this series, the alternate universe with King Richard the Lionheart living is great. You could pick up almost any of the books and still understand what is going on. The negative, is he repeats information as if this was the only book you read of the series. Love this alternate version of Sherlock Holmes and Watson but with a magical twist.

Witty and entertaining. Like many modern mysteries does not reveal all the clues.

Long before science fiction and magic merged to create the genre of modern fantasy, there was Randall Garret. Equally at home in the worlds of sci-fi and magic, his Lord Darcy series is a superb example of alternate history and world building.

Very well written. I started reading it as a way of taking a break from the military history rut I was in at the time. Good flow to the stories, characters were well developed. The right mix of mystery/who-done-it and sci-fi fantasy. Started it on a Friday evening and finished it Saturday evening. I already got Book 2.

Randall Garrett's alternative Plantagenet universe is always a joy to re-discover. I had these collected stories when they were first published decades ago, and am delighted to havebeen able to add them back to my Library again.