BookBrowse Reviews The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

BookBrowse:

An absorbing mystery-fantasy crossover from the award-winning author of The Divine Cities trilogy

Speculative fiction author Robert Jackson Bennett makes his first foray into mystery novels with The Tainted Cup, a top-notch police procedural set in an unnamed world little like our own. On this planet, plants have been genetically modified to serve all sorts of functions (kirpis mushrooms cool and filter air, fernpaper is used to construct walls, poisonous vines guard entryways). They're also used in suffusions and grafts to physically alter the inhabitants of the world; for example, giving some superhuman strength or genius-level mathematical ability. And, we soon discover, the augmented plants can be used to commit murder.

Dinios Kol is a newly-minted Sublime – one of the "cerebrally suffused and augmented" who "planned, managed and coordinated everything" for the Empire. Din's suffusion turned him into an engraver, someone who can remember everything they see and hear. He's been assigned to assist Immunis Anagosa Dolabra, Iudex Investigator of the Daretana Canton – aka Ana – a brilliant but irascible, foul-mouthed recluse tasked with looking into a death occurring on the property of the Empire's wealthiest and most influential clan. Din is dispatched to the estate and discovers a grisly scene: the body of a man killed by a tree that apparently grew out of his torso. He relays the details to Ana, who quickly determines the death is a murder, and as the pair investigate, the mystery deepens and the bodies pile up. Increasing the tension, the planet is entering the "wet season," when enormous creatures known as leviathans try to breach Daretana Canton's sea walls, causing massive death and destruction.

The plot is a seamless blend of fantasy and mystery. Bennett's world-building is exquisite, creating an environment at once familiar and completely new. Although the author immediately throws foreign terms at the reader (e.g., princeps, mai-lantern), any words that aren't clear from context are explained a bit later in the story; a map and chart of ranks in the book's preface are helpful here. Bennett doesn't paint a complete picture of this world by any means, but there's enough to fascinate readers without overwhelming them with its strangeness.

Exceptionally impressive, though, is the mystery at the heart of the novel. In many respects it's a standard police procedural – a crime is committed, the authorities collect evidence and interview suspects, the criminal is caught. Every other aspect, however, is wholly unexpected, from the choice of murder weapon to the deductions made by Din and Ana to the ultimate revelation of the guilty party. Bennett liberally peppers the story with red herrings, too, keeping readers guessing from start to finish. And, of course, there's the intriguing pairing of the book's two protagonists. Some have compared them to Holmes and Watson, and while there's rationale for that (Ana certainly has that Sherlock Holmes vibe about her), I find Din a much more interesting and more active participant than Watson ever was.

There are a few things about Bennett's novel that are less than stellar. The secondary characters aren't as developed as I would have liked, with most coming across as one-dimensional. And some stylistic choices should have been rethought, in my opinion, such as repeatedly writing that Ana was "grinning" about something (surely there's another verb that could have been employed for some variety) and the overuse of shocked stuttering during dialogue ("I…I have nothing to say," "Then…then what reason," "But…but just being here," etc.). Certainly, these flaws grated at times, but I enjoyed the mystery so darned much that it still earns my highest recommendation. The book does contain strong language (lots of f-bombs) but otherwise is appropriate for older teen audiences.

The Tainted Cup is the first entry in the proposed Shadow of the Leviathan series, and while its plot wraps up very satisfyingly, Bennett leaves plenty of room for sequels. I, for one, can't wait to read what he dreams up next. Fans of Isaac Asimov's Robot series and John Scalzi's Lock In books will likely enjoy this procedural, as will those who would like to encounter an outstanding yet different mystery novel.

This review first ran in the March 6, 2024 issue of BookBrowse Recommends.