Review: Turns of Fate

Turns of Fate by Anne Bishop
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Welcome to the Isle of Wyrd.

The Isle of Wyrd is ruled by the Arcana, humans are allowed to visit Destiny Park for entertainment, a brush with the uncanny, to have their palms read, or to eat at the restaurant or sleep at the hotel. Some come to make a bargain with the Arcana, out of love, fear, desperation, or hate. But a bargain with the Arcana doesn't always end up the way that you planned and their idea of justice can be brutal.

Detective Beth Fahey has recently joined the local police district responsible for incidents that occur on Wyrd, she has her own burdens having been abandoned by her parents as a child and brought up by an ultra-religious aunt with addiction, Beth is drawn to art featuring the uncanny and her aunt often berated her for her unnatural interests.

Beth's first case is to investigate the case of a thirty-five year old man who bought a gun from Wyrd to shoot his girlfriend, his ex, and his daughter. Unbelievably, despite shooting at point-blank range he didn't kill any of them, but himself died of what looks like extreme old age. Beth's boss wants her to ask the leader of Wyrd whether the weapon was a ghost gun, and whether it has returned to Wyrd. Such questions require her to pay the Ferryman his price in silver or gold coins and cross to Wyrd to meet the three sisters who will answer questions ... for a price.

Little does Beth know that she is one-quarter Arcana herself and the inhabitants of Wyrd are happy to share more information with her than they would with others, making her both the ideal liaison between the humans and the Arcana, but also ostracising her from her colleagues.

As an introduction to a new series we see variously: someone running from an abusive relationship seeking sanctuary on Wyrd; a bully getting his just desserts; a businessman trying to welch on an agreement and paying the price; a kidnapping; and what happens to visitors who don't remember that words and intentions have meaning.

I loved every page of this, couldn't get enough, can't wait for the next book.

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