Review-Rosemary And Rue By Seanan McGuire

Singer-songwriter McGuire adeptly infuses her debut with hardboiled sensibilities and a wide array of mythological influences, set against a moody San Francisco backdrop. October Toby Daye is half-human, half-faerie, a changeling PI with a foot in both worlds. After spending 14 years as a fish following a botched assignment, she's desperate to avoid magic, but the dying curse of a murdered elven lady forces her to investigate the killing, with the price of failure being Toby's own painful death. Toby struggles with court intrigue, magical mayhem, would-be assassins and her own past, always driven by the need to succeed and survive. Well researched, sharply told, highly atmospheric and as brutal as any pulp detective tale, this promising start to a new urban fantasy series is sure to appeal to fans of Jim Butcher or Kim Harrison. (Sept.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

I read about Rosemary and Rue on Erin's blog. When I read the part at the end where she recommended it to fans of paranormal fiction and sarcasm, I went to add it to my library queue.  Immediately I liked Toby. She was exactly who I'd be in her situation. She's not trying to be the hero, the good guy. She's trying to make it through the day as a changeling, half fae, half human. She lives on the edge of the human world, trying to fake human. But she is pulled back into fairy land, despite her efforts to stay away. The writing is sharp and the story is well crafted. There are no "just go with it" parts (unless you don't believe in fairies and other magical creatures), no random twists. The plot is solid. You'll enjoy following the story and finding out details when Toby does and when McGuire intends you to find out. It's well paced. Excellent book. I recommend it to those who enjoy good stories and enjoy faeries and other magical creatures.  It's  a fairy detective novel with a changeling detective.
Other reviews can be found at A Working Title, Robots and Vamps, and Random Reading.