Angry Lead Skies: A Garrett, P.I., Novel

by Glen Cook

Book Overview

A series far ahead of its time, now back in print Anyone else would have learned by now: when trouble comes knocking, don't open the door. But there's a reason why Garrett's still in the P.I. business after all these years-he's not one to learn his lessons. Maybe that's why he lets himself get roped into being a bodyguard for Kip Prose, an obnoxious kid being threatened by creatures that can't quite be described. But before Kip Prose has a chance...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0451458753
• ISBN13: 9780451458759
• Release Date: April 2002
• Publisher: Ace Books
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 4.2" x 6.8"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Funny and Good

Just read Angry Lead Skies and thought it was funny and interesting couldn't put it down , was very easy reading . I wish Cook would more of these books Garrett and Co. step in it every time and have to do back flips to get out .

Don't be frightened by the reviews....

After reading what had been posted here, I was expecting to be disappointed by the latest Garrett novel. 'Petty Pewter Gods' was the weakest in the series to date, in my opinion, and the trend toward ever more far-fetched storylines made me nervous. However, in spite of an initial "Oh, no...." reaction to what is afoot in Tunfaire this time, (which will be obvious to the reader early on) I forged ahead in spite of my misgivings. Ultimately, this is far from being one of the darker entries in the series. Instead, it is both satiric and romantic in outlook, with a surprisingly upbeat denouement.Part of me worried that this might be a final installment, since it seemed throughout to be heading for a conclusion in which loose ends are tied up and the hero goes riding off into the sunset. And having finished it, I can still see that. At the same time, there are enough potential new set-ups that a new addition to the series would fit in quite smoothly.I seriously doubt that fans will be disappointed, as long as they can indulge the author in an admittedly over-the-top storyline. While the book is largely without the gritty, harsh realism of the Black Company novels (which is exactly what I love about Cook's work), it works quite well as a sort of opera buffa a la Chandler-- in its own way, it's the most loving tribute to hard-boiled fiction to emerge from the series. It's all in good fun, and most highly recommended to those already familiar with the series-- especially those who don't object to a playful take on the characters.

Not All the Lights in the Skies are Stars

Set in TunFaire, a city that was corrupt before dinosaurs ever learned to count, P.I. Garrett's adventures among the magical, the crooked, and the nasty (often at the same time) have been entertaining readers since 1997. TunFaire is the gem of the Karentine, a city where magic is generally bad news, racial violence between species is a commonplace, and you can find or buy anything if you have the wherewithal to acquire it. There Garrett has set up shop with his partner, the Dead Man - who is a Loghyr (think 500 pound telepathic elephant) who has been dead for 400 years and alternates between messing with Garrett's mind and taking naps.Garrett does not lack for friends, if friends are what you would call them. There's Morley the full time restaurateur and part time crook, Saucerhead Tharpe, Dojango, Martha and Doris (the last three are all guys... guy grolls, that is). Then there in Playmate, a ministerial blacksmith who gets people like Garrett involved in plots like the one in 'Angry Lead Skies.' Ostensibly, Playmate wants Garrett to keep an eye on young Kip Prose, who has suddenly developed the ability to invent things. Things like tricycles, lead pencils, and weird gadgets with gears. It seems like Kip has befriended some strange silver elves and, suddenly, his head is full of ideas.It doesn't take Garret too long to find out that the strange silver elves and the saucers and lights whizzing around the TunFaire skies are somehow related. And that too many people are interested in Kip's sudden rush of inventiveness. Soon Gerrett is neck deep in a chase that seems guaranteed to get him knocked out every four hours. Soon, the attention of TunFaire's regular cast of politicians and wizards turns to Garret's antics, and to the ever-increasing numbers of a new kind of elf that shoots back with a vengeance. The P.I. finds that there is always somebody spying on him, visible, invisible, parrot or pixie. The good side of the case is that Garrett finds himself surrounded by the kind of women he likes best. Possessive and adorable. There are his regular ladies, Tinny, Alyx, and Katie. Then his new partner is the rat woman Singe, who can out track everyone else, and think circles around most of what TunFaire considers human. Rat people are on the bottom of the social scale in TunFaire, but Singe is well on her way to prove that there is much more to the story of the Rat people than most are willing to admit.And so, once again, Glen Cook has managed to write a science fiction story from the viewpoint of those that live in a fantasy world, begging the question of what is magic, and what is not. He takes this heady concoction and turns it into the kind of tough guy mystery tale which would appeal in whatever setting it found itself. With titles that mimic John D. MacDonald. All of Cook's stories in this series combine a sarcastic sense of humor with a slightly bent set of morals (on everyone's part). But, mixed in are reflections of curre

wild science fiction mystery

On TunFaire, Playmate visits private detective Garrett in order for the sleuth to protect a kid Cypres "Kip" Prose from abduction attempts. Apparently thugs hired by bounty hunter Bic Gonlitt are to snatch the kid so that his clients can use Kip to find his weird pals Lastyr and Noodles. Kip offers very little in terms of what is happening and even Dead Man with his multiple minds has trouble understanding the lad who seems more footed in his own reality than that of society. Garrett struggles to comprehend what Kip tells him about his two pals. A frustrated Garrett is ready to drop the case as a waste of his time even with Playmate pushing him to stay on. However, it turns personal when assailants snatch the lad. Garrett begins a search to find Kip and learn exactlt what is going on. ANGRY LEAD SKIES is a wild science fiction mystery that never slows down for a moment. The who-done-it plays second banana to the weird ensemble representing some of the craziest "sentient" beings to ever grace a novel. Garrett is a wonderful lead protagonist keeping the tale grounded as if he is the nucleus and everyone else is the electrons revolving around him. Glen Cook cooks up a gritty novel that will provide much gratification to those sub-genre fans who appreciate a strange but cohesive ride.Harriet Klausner

Welcome Back, Garrett!

"Angry Lead Skies" is another wild, weird, wonderful ride up and down the fertile hills of Glen Cook's imagination. In this most recent of the Garrett Files, we meet again nearly everyone with whom we've become familiar. And it's a pleasure to see them again. The plot is astounding in its strangeness. What starts out as a simple favor to a friend quickly becomes an adventure unlike any other in the Metal Series. What a shame we had to wait so long for this one. (This was not the author's fault; blame the publisher.) Unlike the previous books, "Skies" does not feature an mystery to be solved, and only minor feats of detection to be performed. It is sheer adventure in wacky weirdness and fans of the series will break speed-reading records. Let's hope the next book (already written) will not be the last in the series, as Mr. Cook has hinted. Clearly, his interest in the characters has not waned and his imagination remains unmatched.Note: Newcomers might be better served by reading one or two of the previous books before this one.