Whispering Nickel Idols A Garrett by Glen Cook

This excerpt introduces Garrett, a private investigator in the city of TunFaire, as he navigates a complex world filled with supernatural beings and criminal underworld figures. He is reluctantly drawn into a web of intrigue surrounding Chodo Contague, a powerful but comatose crime boss, and his ambitious daughter Belinda. Garrett's investigations are aided by his Loghyr partner, the Dead Man, who can read minds, and hindered by various factions including the secret police (Relway's Runners), religious gangsters (the Green Pants Gang), and the sorcerers on the Hill. The narrative centers on unraveling a conspiracy involving a mysterious cult from Ymber that seeks to spread despair, and the firestone artifacts connected to strange human combustions. Amidst these escalating threats, Garrett juggles the demands of his eccentric household, including his rat-person associate Singe and her brother, John Stretch, a street urchin named Penny Dreadful who possesses unusual kittens, and his loyal housekeeper Dean.