Garrett P.I.

Cover of Whispering Nickel Idols, depicting Garrett at a bar, surrounded by some of the denizens of TunFaire.

Garrett P.I. is a series of books by the author Glen Cook about Garrett, a freelance private investigator. The novels are written in a film noir-esque style, containing elements of traditional mystery and detective fiction, as well as plenty of dialogue-based humor. The Garrett P.I. novels are set in a fantasy universe; the protagonist Garrett, during his adventures throughout his home city of TunFaire and across Karenta and the Cantard, meets elves, vampires, centaurs, trolls, gods, wizards, witches and more. Unlike most fantasy series, the Garrett P.I. novels focus more on the detective aspects of the story and less on the fantastic and magical aspects.

From the files of Garrett, P.I.

The Garrett novels, in order, are:

  1. Sweet Silver Blues (1987)
  2. Bitter Gold Hearts (1988)
  3. Cold Copper Tears (1988)
  4. Old Tin Sorrows (1989)
  5. Dread Brass Shadows (1990)
  6. Red Iron Nights (1991)
  7. Deadly Quicksilver Lies (1994)
  8. Petty Pewter Gods (1995)
  9. Faded Steel Heat (1999)
  10. Angry Lead Skies (2002)
  11. Whispering Nickel Idols (2005)
  12. Cruel Zinc Melodies (2008)
  13. Gilded Latten Bones (2010)
  14. Wicked Bronze Ambition (2013)
Short stories
Science Fiction Book Club omnibus editions
  1. The Garrett Files (collects Sweet Silver Blues, Bitter Gold Hearts, and Cold Copper Tears; 2003)
  2. Garrett, P.I. (collects Old Tin Sorrows, Dread Brass Shadows, and Red Iron Nights; 2003)
  3. Garrett Investigates (collects Deadly Quicksilver Lies, Petty Pewter Gods, and Faded Steel Heat; 2004)
  4. Garrett On The Case (collects Angry Lead Skies, and Whispering Nickel Idols; 2005)
Roc Trade softcover omnibus editions
  1. Introducing Garrett, P.I. (collects Sweet Silver Blues, Bitter Gold Hearts, and Cold Copper Tears; 2011)
  2. Garrett Takes the Case (collects Old Tin Sorrows, Dread Brass Shadows, and Red Iron Nights; 2012)
  3. Garrett For Hire (collects Deadly Quicksilver Lies, Petty Pewter Gods, and Faded Steel Heat; 2013)

Major recurring characters in Garrett P.I.

Garrett finds himself in a sticky situation against an ogre on the cover of Faded Steel Heat while Linda Lee watches.

Garrett

Garrett is the protagonist of the Garrett P.I. series, and as the series name would indicate, he is a private investigator.

Garrett—the only name he is known by (though his mother called him "Wart" as a boy[1])—is an ex-marine with a knack for figuring things out. He is described as handsome, 6'2" tall, with red hair and blue eyes. He is in his early to mid 30s and is physically fit but struggling to maintain his physique. Garrett spent five years in the marines before being discharged and allowed to return home to TunFaire, where he began his freelance investigative service.

Garrett avoids work as much as possible, trying to work just enough to make ends meet. At the beginning of the series, he is not very well off. However, he comes into some money at the end of Sweet Silver Blues which allows him to buy a house (with a room for the Dead Man) and hire a retainer (Dean). He initially has one constant source of income, a contract with Max Weider, who retains him to check on corruption at his breweries. Later (in Angry Lead Skies), he is given a small ownership share in Amalgated (for his efforts which lead to its formation).

Garrett has an affinity for beer. He is involved romantically with several women over the series, the most prominent being Tinnie Tate. He has a self-declared preference for redheads. However, he ends up seriously involved with the Windwalker Furious Tide of Light at the end of Gilded Laten Bones. Garrett's adventures often involve rescuing women from trouble, while avoiding getting killed. His conscience and inherent goodwill towards others often make his cases more difficult, as he does not believe in killing others unless they are truly evil.

Despite the fact that Garrett is consistently shown wearing a hat and long coat on the covers of most of the Garrett P.I. novels, within the novels he does not dress in this anachronistic fashion, and he very rarely wears any form of hat, even when it rains.

Morley Dotes

Morley is a half-dark-elf assassin and entrepreneur who owns his own restaurant and bar, originally called The Joy House but later renamed The Palms. Morley has a reputation as being the best street fighter in TunFaire, and he suffers none of the pangs of guilt that Garrett does when dealing with his opponents. He is vain and conceited, a dedicated vegetarian and health nut who constantly chases after women, married or otherwise. With his charm and exotic good looks, he usually gets them, yet he still claims that Garrett has an easier time attracting young ladies than he does.

Morley Dotes acts as a foil to Garrett in that killing does not bother him, as it does Garrett. In several of the novels, this difference is highlighted, not so much to shed light on or vilify Morley, but to expose Garrett's dark nobility.

Morley and Garrett, despite their differences, are best of friends. As the series progresses, we see their friendship grow even stronger, although neither one would readily admit it. As Morley matures, he seems to take more of a role managing his restaurant and less of a role in the world of crime, although he is always up for an adventure with Garrett when the time comes.

Morley Dotes first appears in Sweet Silver Blues.

Saucerhead Tharpe

"Saucerhead" Tharpe, given name Waldo, is a professional thug and bodyguard. He is a friend of Garrett and Morley, and his line of work lies somewhere between theirs—he will beat people up for money, but will not kill for hire. He is a bit slow of thought, but has a deeply ingrained sense of nobility, and once he accepts payment for a job he will see it through or die trying.

Physically, Saucerhead is a remarkably large and ugly human. He is much taller than Garrett's 6'2", incredibly strong, and almost impossible to kill. Though these qualities may imply a bit of ogre or giant blood in his background, Tharpe claims to be of pure human stock.

Although he is typically attracted to small, feisty women, late in the series he falls for Garrett's friend Winger.

Saucerhead Tharpe first appears in Sweet Silver Blues.

The Dead Man

Garrett's partner, known only as the Dead Man, is a member of a very rare species called the Loghyr. About four hundred years before the events of Sweet Silver Blues, he was stuck with a knife and killed. However, the Loghyr spirit prevails long after death, so his minds (plural) are still functional, as are his formidable mental powers.

Within a certain range of his corpse, the Dead Man is telepathic and telekinetic. He is able to communicate through direct mind contact, as well as read and control the minds of unwilling subjects. He can lift physical objects up to the size of a small person, perhaps larger. The full extent of his powers is uncertain, and Garrett suspects he can do far more than he normally lets on.

The Dead Man is also a deductive genius, often helping Garrett solve cases, though he prefers to give limited advice and force Garrett to think for himself. He entertains himself by running military simulations, using "armies" of mind-controlled insects that go through maneuvers on the walls of his room.

The Dead Man's body weighs about four hundred and fifty pounds and spends all its time in an oversized chair in Garrett's house. He is a little ragged around the edges where the vermin have pecked at him, but Loghyr flesh corrupts extremely slowly. Despite being dead, he does have to "sleep" from time to time, apparently abandoning his body for weeks and even months at a time while he rebuilds his energy.

The Dead Man and Garrett are friends as well as business partners. Garrett has been known to refer to the Dead Man as Chuckles, Smiley, Old Bones, and His Nibs.

The Dead Man first appears in Sweet Silver Blues.

Tinnie Tate makes an appearance on the cover of Dread Brass Shadows.

Dean

Dean Creech is Garrett's housekeeper and cook. Dean is elderly, around 70 years old, and he watches the house while Garrett is away. Dean dislikes cleaning the Dead Man's room, and is somewhat unnerved by the presence of the Dead Man in general. Dean is generally critical of Garrett's lady friends, with the exceptions of Tinnie Tate and Maya Stump, whom he adores.

Dean acts as a sort of loving but harsh wife/mother to Garrett. He cooks and cleans, but also snipes and grumbles about how much Garrett is or is not working, how he is eating, who he consorts with, or how late he sleeps in the morning. Dean hopes that Garrett will someday settle down with one of his many spinster nieces.

Dean first appears in Bitter Gold Hearts.

Tinnie Tate

Tinnie Tate is Garrett's on-again off-again girlfriend. She is a short, fiery redhead in her mid 20's with long, straight hair, green eyes, a few freckles, and an attractive body. She lives in the Tate family compound with her cousin, Rose Tate, and her uncle, Willard Tate, among others. Her relationship with Garrett is often strained by Garrett's promiscuity, but when push comes to shove, Garrett and Tinnie truly love each other, and a marriage between the two is a distinct possibility, although neither one is ready for such a commitment just yet. Tinnie Tate first appears in Sweet Silver Blues.

In Cruel Zinc Melodies, Garrett introduces Tinnie as his fiancee (primarily to stop her from insulting an attractive sorcerer from the Hill who was showing an interest in Garrett), without talking it over with her first. Though Tinnie criticizes Garrett for this later, they avoid a discussion about it until the end of the book. At the beginning of the subsequent novel Gilded Latten Bones, Tinnie and Garrett have been living together some time without marrying. However, their relationship is strained because Garrett feels that Tinnie is excessively controlling his life. Subsequently during the novel, they agree to have Tinnie's mind modified (by the Dead Man) to get rid of her obsession for control. However, their relationship goes through an informal breakup and the proposed modification is not carried out.

Playmate

Playmate is a black man close to seven feet tall, though Garrett often exaggerates his height as closer to nine feet. He also has colored scars on his face. Despite his fierce appearance, he does not have a mean bone in his body. Playmate owns a stable close to Garrett's house, and he often provides horses and carriages to Garrett when he needs them. Garrett thinks Playmate would make an excellent preacher, but Playmate's dedication is to his stable, first and foremost.

Playmate first appears in Sweet Silver Blues.

Winger

Winger is a country bumpkin turned thug-for-hire. She is tall (roughly Garrett's height) and attractive, though strong and built like a brick outhouse. Garrett likens her to Saucerhead, but with better teeth and long blonde hair. Winger has a tendency to act before she thinks, and she has a penchant for schemes that get her and everyone around her into hot water. Her taste in clothing is atrocious, and she is something of a kleptomaniac. She has about as much of a conscience as Morley Dotes.

Garrett and Winger have a history together. Garrett is not entirely sure why he and Winger are friends, but they are, and he counts Winger as one of the few people who would rise up to defend him under any circumstances.

Winger first appears in Dread Brass Shadows.

Chodo Contague

Chodo Contague is the Kingpin of the Outfit, TunFaire's organized crime syndicate. He rose to the position following the assassination of the previous Kingpin, which came at the end of Sweet Silver Blues and was orchestrated by Morley Dotes.

Although he is about 60 years old and wheelchair-bound by an unspecified condition, Chodo is still a very menacing figure; there is a ruthlessness about him that makes even his henchmen seem kind by comparison. As head of the Outfit, he is one of the most powerful men in TunFaire.

Due to several of Garrett's actions in the first few novels of the series, Chodo feels that he owes him a number of favors. Being a mafia don, Chodo has his own personal sense of loyalty and respect, but at the same time, Chodo only favors Garrett as long as their goals coincide. At the end of Dread Brass Shadows, Chodo suffers a stroke that seemingly turns him into a vegetable. At the end of Whispering Nickel Idols, he is on the road to recovery.

Chodo Contague first appears in Bitter Gold Hearts.

Crask and Sadler

Crask and Sadler are Chodo Contague's bodyguards and right hand men. They are cold, ruthless killers who follow Chodo's directions to the letter, and both are vicious fighters on a par with Saucerhead Tharpe and Morley Dotes. Although Crask and Sadler often team up with Garrett on raids and stakeouts, it is always an uneasy truce between the parties. Crask and Sadler would as soon kill Garrett as help him if Chodo Contague gave the order.

In Dread Brass Shadows, Crask and Sadler turn against Chodo Contague and, with the aid of Garrett and Winger, they attempt to assassinate him. When Chodo suffers a stroke, Crask and Sadler take over as heads of the Outfit, under the pretense that Chodo is still giving them orders. At the end of Red Iron Nights, Belinda Contague snatches power back from Crask and Sadler, and the two flee TunFaire.

Crask and Sadler first appear in Bitter Gold Hearts, and they die at the end of Faded Steel Heat.

Belinda Contague

Belinda Contague can be seen on the cover of Angry Lead Skies.

Belinda Contague is the daughter of Chodo Contague. She has black hair, very pale skin, and prefers to wear all black clothing. Despite her choice of attire, she is very attractive.

Belinda suffers from conflicting emotions. Part of her wishes to be normal, so she could be carefree and spend time with Garrett, for whom she has a tender spot in her heart. However, for the most part, she is just as ruthless and cruel as her father. Although she confesses to Garrett often that she wishes she could get rid of this part of herself, she knows well enough that she never will.

Belinda Contague first appears in Red Iron Nights.

Westman Block

Westman Block is first the Captain, then Colonel of the city Watch. Unlike previous, corrupt heads of the Watch, Block is a true champion of law and order, and along with Deal Relway, he establishes the Guard, an offshoot of the Watch that governs the TunFaire secret police. Block can usually be found at the headquarters of the Watch, in the Al-Khar. By the time of Gilded Latten Bones he has become General of the renamed Civil Guard.

Westman Block and Garrett have a mutual respect for one another, although they are not necessarily friends. Block is often willing to overlook some of Garrett's more unseemly actions in exchange for his help in solving difficult crime cases plaguing TunFaire.

Westman Block first appears in Red Iron Nights.

Deal Relway

Deal Relway, referred to simply as Relway, is a pioneer and advocate of a New Order, where law, order, and justice will reign supreme. He starts out working for the Watch and quickly works his way up to being the Director of the TunFaire secret police. By the later novels in the series, Garrett fears that Relway's influence is starting to approach that of Chodo Contague's, just on a different side of the law. The relationship between Relway and Garrett is tenuous, at best.

Relway is what is known in TunFaire as a "unique", meaning that his ancestry can be traced back to several different races of humanoid. He is short, ugly, and easily overlooked, particularly when in disguise.

Deal Relway first appears in Red Iron Nights.

Pular Singe

Pular Singe is a ratgirl, renowned as being the best tracker in the city of TunFaire. She is incredibly smart for her species (making her a little smarter than the average human), speaking Karentine (though she has a problem with sibilants) and learning how to read and write. She has a voracious appetite and has a great fondness for stewed apples. She had a huge crush on Garrett, though it seems to have ended. Some ratpeople clans, hers included, list family name first, so her actual given name is Singe. Garrett, though he has no interest in Singe romantically, enjoys having her around, as she is a huge help in his cases and she constantly amazes Garrett with her ability to learn and mature. She lives in his house and maintains his accounts along with other duties.

Pular Singe first appears in Faded Steel Heat.

Minor Recurring Characters in Garrett P.I.

Mr. Big is shown on a number of covers in the Garrett P.I. series, including Deadly Quicksilver Lies.

The Goddamn Parrot (Mr. Big)

The Goddamn Parrot, whose real name is Mr. Big, is a gift from Morley Dotes and his nephew Spud, who claimed they gave it to Garrett to keep Dean from bringing in stray cats. Mr. Big, while not quite intelligent, has a vocabulary to make a sailor blush. He also has a knack for mimicking small children calling for help.

The Dead Man quickly discovered that he could use the bird from a distance—connecting to its sensory systems, and speaking through its mouth, thus enabling him to bug Garrett from miles away. At the end of Angry Lead Skies, Mr. Big is missing, presumed kidnapped by aliens, although he reappears at the end of Whispering Nickel Idols.

Besides calling him The Goddamn Parrot or "The Jungle Chicken," Garrett has been known to refer to Mr. Big as The G.D.P., or just T.G.P. Mr. Big first makes an appearance at the very end of Red Iron Nights.

Puddle and Sarge

Puddle and Sarge are two of Morley Dotes' henchmen. Former soldiers turned head-knockers, Puddle and Sarge are now middle-aged, fat, and out of shape. Mainly, they work the bar and serve the customers at the Joy House, but when Morley needs muscle for a fight, Puddle and Sarge can still get it done. In Angry Lead Skies, Sarge is revealed to have been both a field medic and a recruit-trainer during the war; when one of Morley's crew gets injured, it's Sarge who patches them up.

Puddle first appears in Bitter Gold Hearts. A previous henchman of Morley's, also called Sarge (a common nickname in war-torn, veteran-filled Karenta), dies in the same novel; the current Sarge first appears in Red Iron Nights.

Spud

Spud, whose real name is Narcisio, is Morley's nephew. He starts working at the Joy House after he gets to be too much for Morley's sister to handle. Like Morley, he is part dark elf, making him short, lithe, and handsome. Spud is a fair fighter, and he tags along with Morley, Puddle, and Sarge when muscle is needed.

Spud first appears in Red Iron Nights.

Dojango Roze

Dojango Roze is one of the Roze Triplets, born of different mothers. Dojango is about 5'6" tall, and seems to be of a mixed elvish breed, some distant relation of Morley Dotes. Although small, he is a fair fighter, and he is rather plucky. He has a minor speech impediment, always using the word "actually", and like his brothers, he has a drinking problem.

Rose Tate can be seen posing on the cover for Sweet Silver Blues.

Dojango Roze first appears in Sweet Silver Blues.

Doris and Marsha

Doris and Marsha are two of the Roze Triplets, born of different mothers. They are Grolls, a mixture of troll and giant, roughly 20 feet tall, with pale lime-green skin and wide, frog-like mouths. Their weapons of choice are enormous clubs, so large that only they can wield them. Names to the contrary, both are male.

Though they look simple, they are not dumb. They can initially speak only in trollish, although by their appearance in Angry Lead Skies they have managed to learn Karentine. Like their brother Dojango, they have trouble handling their alcohol.

Doris and Marsha first appear in Sweet Silver Blues.

Rose Tate

Rose Tate, daughter of Willard Tate and cousin to Tinnie Tate, is a black-haired beauty, short but well-built. She is also cruel and self-serving, with a shrewish temperament. Garrett and Rose do not particularly get along, but Morley and Rose appear to have a tryst in Sweet Silver Blues.

Rose Tate first appears in Sweet Silver Blues.

Willard Tate

Willard Tate is the patriarch of the Tate Shoe Company and a cobbler at the very peak of his trade. He is old and bent with the weight of years, but he has a powerful will and a shrewd business sense. The Tates, who tend to be short and claim a hint of elvish in their blood, are master craftsmen who have worked hard to become one of the wealthier families in TunFaire. The Tates, a very large, extended family, live in an enormous compound that is part home, part factory.

In Angry Lead Skies, Willard Tate helps fund a manufacturing project spearheaded by Garrett.

Willard Tate first appears in Sweet Silver Blues.

Maya is featured on the cover of Cold Copper Tears.

Maya Stump

Maya Stump was an abandoned street child whom Garrett treated kindly. She became a member of the Sisters of Doom, a street gang made up exclusively of girls who were abused as children. In Cold Copper Tears, she was the Warchief of the Doom but was forced to resign from the gang when she used her influence to have the gang help Garrett during a case.

Garrett and Maya are good friends, and Maya is one of the few women that Dean approves of as a match for Garrett, although he is uncertain due to her age (about 19). Maya eventually broke off her and Garrett's relationship because Garrett was unwilling to commit to her. In Cruel Zinc Melodies, it is mentioned that Maya has settled down and gotten married.

Maya Stump first appears in Cold Copper Tears.

Max Weider

Max Weider is the owner of a vast brewing empire that supplies TunFaire with its best beer. Since the start of the series, Garrett has been on a permanent retainer by Max Weider, occasionally stopping by the brewery to make sure that no one steals funds or beer from the Weider enterprise. Max has suffered the loss of much of his family, and dotes on his surviving daughter, who performs at Max's recently constructed theater.

Max Weider is mentioned throughout the series, but he makes his first appearance in Faded Steel Heat.

Linda Lee

Linda Lee is an attractive librarian and friend of Garrett's who works at the Royal Library. She is just over five feet tall, with brown hair and big brown eyes. Although there is some attraction between the two, Linda mainly just helps Garrett when he's in need of historical information.

Linda Lee first appears in Deadly Quicksilver Lies.

Glory Mooncalled

Glory Mooncalled is a general first for the Venageti army and then for the Karentine army, who eventually turns rogue and seeks to establish his own republic in the Cantard. The Dead Man is fascinated by Glory Mooncalled, and he often tries to predict Mooncalled's next move by playing wargames in his room using hordes of small bugs as markers for Mooncalled's forces.

Although Glory Mooncalled is referenced throughout the series, he only makes a brief appearance in Faded Steel Heat.

John Stretch

John Stretch, whose given name is Pound Humility, is Pular Singe's half-brother. Although he and Garrett start out on the wrong foot, John Stretch helps out Garrett in his later cases. John Stretch is a community leader of the rat people, and has the unique ability to get into the heads of ordinary rats, communicate with them, see and smell what they do, as well as possibly control them.

John Stretch first appears in Angry Lead Skies.

Mrs. Cardonlos

Mrs. Sofgienec Cardonlos is a police informant and Garrett's neighbor across Macunado Street. She was never legally married. Although she has never had an active role in any of the novels, she can often be seen leaning out her window, giving Garrett the evil eye. It is later revealed that she passes on reports about Garrett to the city watch.

Geography and Locations

TunFaire

TunFaire is the capital of the kingdom of Karenta. It is a large, sprawling city, home to people and creatures of all types. Some of the areas of TunFaire include:

The Joy House (The Palms)

The Joy House is a bar and restaurant in the Safety Zone, owned and operated by Morley Dotes. Morley's henchmen can often be found working the bar. The establishment serves only vegetarian and non-alcoholic fare. Morley lives in an apartment suite on the second floor, reached by a set of stairs near the bar; a speaking tube allows the bartender to communicate with him.

In Petty Pewter Gods, Morley decides to renovate the Joy House, turning it into The Palms, a more upscale establishment that caters to TunFaire's elite.

The Bledsoe Infirmary

An imperial charity, the Infirmary is supposed to provide medical care for the indigent population of TunFaire. Due to lack of funding, few patients at the Bledsoe receive any medical attention at all. The Bledsoe is also the city's insane asylum. It has been said that the poor conditions are not as much due to financial problems but the corrupt administration. The hospital workers even make money by providing the insane patients for home entertainments.

The Al-Khar

The Al-Khar is an old, decrepit building that serves as the main jail in TunFaire. It is also the headquarters for the city Watch.

Karenta

Karenta is the kingdom in which TunFaire is located. Karenta has been at war with another kingdom, Venageta, for over a hundred years. Part way through the series, this war will abruptly end, leading to unrest in the city of TunFaire.

The Cantard

The Cantard is a huge geographical region eight hundred miles to the south of TunFaire. The Cantard contains the majority of the world's silver mines (in Garrett's world silver is a necessary material for the working of magic), which has led to the Cantard Wars between Karenta and Venageta. Most of the countryside is desert, while the coastal fringe is hemmed by swampy islands where Garrett once fought as a Marine.

Many human residents of TunFaire have a shared history of fighting the war in the Cantard, because of the mandatory five years of service required of all male citizens. Soldiers could then enlist with a voluntary two years which few took up, followed by another voluntary twenty year that very few survived. As only humans were subject to such conscription, many non-humans moved to TunFaire to make up for this labor shortage, and racism against these immigrants flared up when the troops returned home and found few jobs waiting for them.

Law and Disorder

The Watch

The Watch is the police force of the city of TunFaire. The Watch is notoriously slow to respond to incidents and is extremely corrupt. Later in the series, the Watch undergoes a major overhaul as Westman Block and Deal Relway take over, turning it into a well-oiled machine for law and order over the course of a few novels. Block and Relway are supported in their efforts by Prince Rupert, bringing further legitimacy to the unit, which is renamed the Civil Guard by the time of Gilded Latten Bones.

The Outfit

The Outfit is a name for the organized crime syndicate in TunFaire. Although the individual in charge of the Outfit changes over the course of the series, the Outfit as a whole always retains significant power. The Outfit owns the entire Tenderloin, and they have business ventures in various other parts of the city, as well.

Races

Intelligent

Semi-Intelligent

Animals

Allusions

Allusions to other works

Allusions/references to actual history, geography and current science

Allusions in other works

Garrett's ladies

As with many other stories of this type, the main character is a bit of a ladies man, and frequently loves the women he interacts with on his cases. Throughout the series, his list of girlfriends has added up to quite a few:

References

  1. ↑ Red Iron Nights: A Garrett. P.I., Novel

External links

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