A Drop of Corruption

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The eccentric detective Ana Dolabra matches wits with a seemingly omniscient adversary in this brilliant fantasy-mystery from the author of The Tainted Cup.

“Wonderfully clever and compulsively readable . . . another winning blend of fantasy and classic detection.”—Publishers Weekly

In the canton of Yarrowdale, at the very edge of the Empire’s reach, a Treasury officer has disappeared into thin air—vanishing from a room within a heavily guarded tower, its door and windows locked from the inside.

To solve the case, the Empire calls on its most brilliant and mercurial detective, the great Ana Dolabra. At her side, as always, is her bemused assistant Dinios Kol.

Ana soon discovers that they are investigating not a disappearance but a murder—and one of surpassing cunning, carried out by an opponent who can pass through warded doors like a ghost.

Worse still, the killer may be targeting the high-security compound known as the Shroud, where the Empire harvests fallen titans for the volatile magic found in their blood. Should it fall, the Empire itself will grind to a halt, robbed of the magic that allows its wheels of power to turn.

Din has seen his superior solve impossible cases before. But as the death toll grows and their quarry predicts each of Ana’s moves with uncanny foresight, he fears that she has at last met an enemy she can’t defeat.

“Utterly addictive . . . Great fantasy detective stories are too rare, but Bennett . . . more than delivers.”—The Washington Post

“A thoroughly satisfying delight from start to finish.”—The New York Times Book Review

“Superb . . . [Bennett] writes the kind of fun, propulsive work that kept my teenage self scouring the shelves for the next installment.”—Locus

“A genre-spanning mystery masterpiece.”—Reactor

“A Drop of Corruption lives up to, and . . . surpasses, the high bar The Tainted Cup set last year . . . once again delivering a tantalizing mystery that will leave you guessing to the very end.”—Polygon

“This Holmes and Watson–like investigative duo are compelling to follow, and the truly epic fantasy world where the series is set, with its falling empire, corrupt politics, and magic pharmacopeia engineered from monster blood, takes the familiarity of mystery and creates a truly fantastic fever-dream of a world and a story.”—Library Journal, starred review

“While criminal masterminds are too often limited by the imaginations of their creators, author Robert Jackson Bennett has crafted a plot that’s impossible to predict but perfectly believable once all the pieces come into clear view . . . A labyrinthine mystery supported by a compelling cast, A Drop of Corruption is a strong second entry in the logbook of Ana Dolabra.”—BookPage, starred review

“Fans of the . . . series will be pleased to reenter this fantastical mystery world and to explore more of Ana’s confounding abilities and Din’s personal struggles.”—Booklist, starred review

“Bennett’s wonderfully clever and compulsively readable sequel to 2024’s The Tainted Cup offers another winning blend of fantasy and classic detection. . . . Bennett skillfully integrates humor and magic into the complex puzzle plot and plays fair with planting clues for the reader.”—Publishers Weekly

“A grand entertainment, as ever with Bennett’s richly imaginative yarns.”—Kirkus Reviews

Robert Jackson Bennett's novels include the Founders Trilogy and the Divine Cities Trilogy, which was a Hugo Award finalist in the Best Series category. His books have received the Edgar Award, the Shirley Jackson Prize, and the Philip K. Dick Citation of Excellence, and been finalists for the World Fantasy, Locus, and British Fantasy Awards.

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