Necrospect: Chronicles of the Wizard-Detective by J. B. Markes

by MK French

Isabel Ives is an apprentice at the Academy Magus, a school for all kinds of magic and is a city unto itself. The Archseer was murdered, but is more focused on her own difficulties in the beginning, because using magic will kill her slowly. She looks for Gustobald Pitch, the necromancer on campus, who is occupied with discovering who murdered the Archseer. She is drawn into his search without really meaning to be, putting her academic future into jeopardy.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

April 2017; 978-1544139029;
ebook, print (248 pages); horror, dark fantasy

I was more drawn into the characters and the atmosphere than the mystery, so I didn't do a good job of guessing who the killer was.

I liked Isabel, even in her sulky moments, though she certainly had good reason to snap at her friends. She's dying, is caught up in the prejudice and anger directed at Gustobald, and is disillusioned with the superiors at the Academy. We meet her just as her entire world has been upended, whereas Gustobald has his eclectic behavior more or less as a shield. He is rude and difficult to like most of the time, but like Isabel is interested in the search for truth and justice.

The concept of a wizard detective is a great one to play with, and we certainly get the feel of their investigation as they search the crime scenes for clues, follow up on leads, and magically look for evidence. That never gets old, and the dramatic finale was fun to read.

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Born and raised in New York City, M.K. French started writing stories when very young, dreaming of different worlds and places to visit. She always had an interest in folklore, fairy tales, and the macabre, which has definitely influenced her work. She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, three young children, and golden retriever.

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