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Tricks of the Trade by Laura Anne GilmanMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Tricks of the Trade is the third of the Paranormal Scene Investigations, as the publisher calls the urban fantasies about Bonita Torres, Talent (that’s a human magic-user to you) and now a PUPI, a Private Unaffiliated Paranormal Investigator. That unaffiliated part is important, because Bonnie, her teammates and two bosses are trying to create something that has never existed before – people who evaluate the Facts of a magic crime, taking no side.
Less than a year into this grand experiment, there are a few people who grudgingly admit their skills might be useful, people (and I use the word loosely) who are deeply suspicious of the idea, and people who bitterly oppose their venture and are doing everything they can to undermine it.
This time out we have several things being worked on – a theft at a rich man’s estate, a murder for the NYPD, and a fantastic creature who most certainly exists and will not be easy to stop. On the personal front, our team works at knitting their group together, dealing with prejudices from neighbors who aren’t wild about weirdness in their burg, and the fact that whatever magical stuff is going on between Bonnie and her boss Ben Venec cannot be ignored or suppressed. Stosser and his angry sister are seen in action as the powerful, charismatic magicians they are, reckless yet solving problems, willing to lay their lives on the line for answers. We understand why Stosser cuts her such slack in their ongoing battle over PUPI’s existence.
Bonnie and her cohorts are all twenty-somethings, and the things they learn about magic, and about human nature, hit with force because the first lessons are often the hardest. This time is no different – sometimes justice does not come from a court, and the group is both uncomfortable with that solution and accepting of their part in it.
If you enjoy the CSI style of story, if you like urban fantasy, if you like strong characterization, chances are you’ll like this book. Don’t read it as a romance (although a strong attraction is being fought in here) and don’t expect the crime to be tied up in a bow. Nothing is that simple in a Gilman novel, and her fans wouldn’t have it any other way.
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