Private investigator Nick Moss doesn’t know what a missing tween, a stolen toad familiar, a kidnapped lovely lady with a gill man admirer, and a fifty-foot giantess with a potential vampire admirer have in common, but he knows he has a serious problem. As the hairiest (and only) human PI left in Los Angeles after the Night War, Moss’ access to…certain sectors…of society is a little limited unless he embraces his inner figurative wolfman and pals around with the lycanthropic cops; however, as his cases become more entwined, the intrepid detective explores the parts of the City of Devils after dark that he never wanted to go. Will he find answers to his missing individuals’ cases, and, if he does, will Moss or his clients want the full details?
It’s no secret that I find *Justin Robinson’s irreverent humor hilarious, so I jumped at the opportunity to review his latest novel, Fifty Feet of Trouble, the second novel in his City of Devils series. PI Nick Moss is back with another monster-filled case, and his friends and foes from the original story show up in droves. If you love old monster movies and ’50s-era Hollywood, the references and various spooky creatures dancing across the pages will bring a smile to your face. More modern monster fans aren’t left behind; critters like gremlins and pumpkin heads also grace the story with Robinson’s unique blend of whimsy, humor, and scares.
Fifty Feet of Trouble’s plot is a basic detective story with Nick Moss struggling to track down various missing (or secretive) individuals; however, in classic Justin Robinson fashion, the story meanders until finally tying together magnificently in the final chapters. In my opinion, while the City of Devils books read like classic mystery/detective novels, the real focus is the wacky world building and crazy cast of characters. If you can get behind a human PI who could masquerade as a wolfman, a siren secretary, a witch with a missing toad, a giantess who thinks she might have a vampire admirer, and many more, you’ll fall in love with the hard-boiled detective story in an LA turned on its head.
I’m not going to describe the plot in detail because at least half of the fun of a Justin Robinson story is watching what absurd places it takes you. Is it fun? Yes. Is it sometimes ridiculous? Of course. Did I laugh reading it? Absolutely. And a sequence that showed the beautiful bond between a mother and child brought some tears to my eyes. If my review intrigued you at all, check out Fifty Feet of Trouble! It’s an incredible whirlwind ride that adds a fresh take to the classic PI adventure.
5 Cats to Protect from Jaguar People out of 5
*Please note that Justin Robinson is a Contributor of Fanbase Press.
