The Small Hands of Chokedamp

by

English language

Published Jan. 1, 2023 by Subterranean Press.

4 stars (1 review)

In “The Small Hands of Chokedamp,” Josiah Bancroft gives us the first glimpse of the world of The Hexologists, his upcoming novel.

Isolde Wilby, captain of the newly minted Office of Ensorcelled Investigations, is on a merry chase when she happens upon an unlikely suspect: a potter smuggling a doll’s arm that radiates magic. Captain Wilby’s investigation is soon derailed by wealthy interests who underestimate her resolve. Finding herself far from help or the light of day, Isolde has little choice but to rely upon her wits, her hexes, and her bag of charmed relics to help her unravel the potter’s plot.

2 editions

reviewed The Small Hands of Chokedamp by Josiah Bancroft

A detective who investigates with the help of charms and hexes.

4 stars

A fascinating detective story involving Isolde Wilby, a police captain with the ability to cast hexes, during her line of work at the Office of Ensorcelled Investigations. During an unrelated investigation, she stumbles upon an unusual magical item: a doll's arm. But she is then forced to release it to a very highly paid lawyer, which makes her curious. Her investigations into the purpose of the arm, and how it might be related to a dispute between a union and a company over high-classed watches, who lead her to discover a form of slavery. And it would need all her wits to finish the investigation.