The Eddie LaCrosse Series
In down-and-dirty Neceda, above Angelina’s Tavern, you’ll find the office of sword jockey Eddie LaCrosse. For twenty-five gold pieces a day, plus expenses, he’ll find the skeletons or make sure they stay in the closet. Once he’s hired, he stays until the end, no matter what’s on the line: love, gold, or entire kingdoms.
The Sword-Edged Blonde
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It should have been a case like any other: a missing princess, a king willing to pay in gold for her return. But before he realizes it, sword jockey Eddie LaCrosse is swept up in a web of mystery and deceit involving a brutally murdered royal heir, a queen accused of an unspeakable crime, and the tragic past he thought he’d left behind.
In order to uncover the answers he seeks, Eddie must delve into the dark underbelly of society while digging deep into his own private history, drawing past and present together. Vast conspiracies, women both beautiful and deadly, and a centuries-old revenge scheme are only a few of the pieces in a lethal puzzle.
Orson Scott Card: “Bledsoe has written a compelling story with fascinating characters who are so witty and whose attitude is so wry that I laughed and cared.”
Library Journal: “[A] well-crafted gem of a tale.”
Virginia Baker, author of Jack Knife: “Sam Spade with a sword.”
Publishers Weekly (Starred Review): “Incorporating elements from both hard-boiled mystery and heroic fantasy, Bledsoe’s genre-bending first novel is both stylish and self-assured: Raymond Chandler meets Raymond E. Feist.”
Charles de Lint: “The Sword-Edged Blonde has all the finesse and depth of a great hard-boiled mystery, but takes place in a fully realized heroic fantasy setting. From start to finish, it’s a treat for readers of either genre, and easily one of the better books I’ve had the pleasure of reading this year. Don’t miss this one.”
Burn Me Deadly
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Eddie’s riding back from a routine investigation when he nearly tramples a half-naked blonde who runs in front of his horse. The frightened young woman is clearly in serious trouble. Against his better judgment, Eddie promises to protect her, only to find himself waylaid by unknown assailants and left for dead beside her mutilated body.
Eddie isn’t the kind of guy to let this pass. But who killed Laura Lespertitt? Eddie’s quest for payback soon leads him to a tangled mystery involving a notorious crime lord, a backwoods dragon cult, royal scandals, and a duplicitous femme fatale who has trouble keeping her clothes on. As bodies pile up, attracting the unwanted attention of the king’s own men, Eddie finds that life is cheap compare to “the fire that dreams are made of….”
Publishers Weekly (Starred Review): “Proving that 2007’s The Sword-Edged Blonde was no fluke, this sequel gives every evidence that Bledsoe’s combination of sword and sorcery with hard-boiled detection will have a long and successful run. Bledsoe effortlessly draws readers into his created world and manages to stay true to both fantasy and mystery traditions.”
Kirkus Reviews: “Afficianados of tough-guy mysteries will find much to enjoy, and fantasy fans will appreciate the swordplay and the fully-realized medieval society Bledsoe has constructed. Best of all, it’s not necessary to have read the first installment to enjoy this one.”
Ekaterina Sedia, author of The Alchemy of Stone: “This hard-boiled high fantasy with its clever, twisty plot and smart-alecky protagonist is a worthy literary successor to both Fritz Leiber and Rex Stout.”
The Dragon, BookLove: “Alex Bledsoe treats us to another adventure where he blends hardboiled detective fiction with heroic fantasy and somehow makes it all come together.”
Gail Pruszkowski, Romantic Times: “This superb who-dunnit takes place in an action-packed fantasy world. The hard-bitten hero has a wit that’s as sharp as his sword and he doesn’t mind killing the bad guys.”
Dark Jenny
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For twenty-five gold pieces a day, plus expenses, Eddie LaCrosse will take on most any case. But the unexpected delivery of a coffin in the dead of winter forces LaCrosse to reflect on a bygone chapter in his past…and the premeditated murder of a dream.
Ruled by the noble King Marcus Drake, the island kingdom of Grand Braun is an oasis of peace and justice in an imperfect world. At least until the beautiful Queen Jennifer is accused of adultery and murder. In the wrong castle at the wrong time, Eddie finds himself drafted at sword’s point to solve the mystery. With time running out, and powerful nobles all too eager to pin the murder on Eddie himself, he must untangle a web of palace intrigues, buried secrets, and bewitching women before the entire kingdom erupts into civil war.
Murder, mystery, and magic; just another day on the job for Eddie LaCrosse.
Publishers Weekly (Starred Review): “Bledsoe skillfully combines humor, action, deduction, and emotion to make the material fresh and engaging for fans of both fantasy and noir.”
Booklist (starred review): “Fans of Bledsoe’s other blends of fantasy and noir will love his latest, and new readers will be able to jump right in.”
The Literary Omnivore: “Bledsoe’s blending of hard-boiled detective fiction and fantasy remains unique and funny.”
SciFi Chick: “Full of suspense, intrigue, and humor – readers of both mystery and fantasy will enjoy this surprising tale. I was hooked from the start, and was kept guessing to the very end.”
Wake of the Bloody Angel
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Twenty years ago, a barmaid in a harbor town fell for a young sailor who turned pirate to make his fortune. But what truly became of Black Edward Tew remains a mystery, one that just has fallen into the lap of freelance sword jockey Eddie LaCrosse.
For years, Eddie has kept his office above Angelina’s tavern, so when Angelina herself asks him to find out what happened to the dashing pirate who stole her heart years ago, he can hardly say no–even though the trail is two decades old. Some say Black Edward and his ship, the Bloody Angel, went to bottom of the sea, taking with it a king’s fortune in treasure. Others say he rules a wealthy, secret pirate kingdom. And a few believe he still sails under a ghostly flag, with a crew of the damned.
To find the truth, and earn his twenty-five gold pieces a day, Eddie must take to sea in the company of a sexy former pirate queen in search of the infamous Black Edward Tew . . . and his even more legendary treasure.
Publishers Weekly: “Action-packed and witty…the lead’s sardonic narrative voice will amply entertain readers.”
Kirkus Reviews: “Another independently intelligible outing for freelance sword jockey Eddie LaCrosse…Series fans certainly won’t be disappointed.”
Booklist: “Bledsoe cleverly combines noir motifs with familiar piratical elements, creating a lighthearted adventure with a dark, serious core.”
The Founding Fields: “A great pirate/detective mashup set in a unique, magic-lite fantasy world is what this novel has to offer, in addition to a really memorable cast of characters.”
Bookgasm: “Bledsoe is getting better with each and every book.”
Tiffany’s Blog: “…it’s like Philip Marlowe, but with more swords.”
He Drank, and Saw the Spider
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After he fails to save a stranger from being mauled to death by a bear, a young mercenary is saddled with the baby girl the man died to protect. He leaves her with a kindly shepherd family and goes on with his violent life.
Now, sixteen years later, that young mercenary has grown up to become cynical sword jockey Eddie LaCrosse. When his vacation travels bring him back to that same part of the world, he can’t resist trying to discover what has become of the mysterious infant.
He finds that the child, now a lovely young teenager named Isadora, is at the center of complicated web of intrigue involving two feuding kings, a smitten prince, a powerful sorceress, an inhuman monster, and long-buried secrets too shocking to imagine. And once again she needs his help.
They say a spider in your cup will poison you, but only if you see it. Eddie, helped by his smart, resourceful girlfriend Liz, must look through the dregs of the past to find the truth about the present—and risk what might happen if he, too, sees the spider.
Publishers Weekly: “Bledsoe’s fifth novel featuring “sword jockey” Eddie LaCrosse continues to play with the conventions of hard-boiled mystery and cod-medieval epic fantasy. Another winner.”
Booklist: “The blending of medieval-fantasy and private-eye tropes—Eddie’s fee is “twenty-five gold pieces a day plus expenses”—proves thoroughly entertaining for fans of both genres. Think of it as The Rockford Files with some swords and sorcery.”
Library Journal: “Snarky humor and the great bantering between Eddie and Liz combine with a fun puzzle plot that is only slightly implausible. Fans of the lighter end of fantasy and smart-alecky heroes such as Harry Dresden might want to give this series a try.”
Kirkus Reviews: “Another independently intelligible outing for freelance sword jockey Eddie LaCrosse.”
The Founding Fields: “Downright fun, entertaining and very light-hearted.”