Visionary Investigations, book 1.5 of Dead and Back Again series by C. Rae D’Arc, is a short collection of three novellas set in the world of Novel. Novel was introduced in the Haunting Romance trilogy, and Inspector Specter was the first in this new series.
Visionary Investigations details the mysteries of three private detectives: Truth Locke, Nita Incog, and Aeron Spade. The narrative is from Truth’s perspective. Rather than being adjunct tales that support the novels, the plots continue the events of the initial book. In Novel, the three detectives live in a noir-ish county, and Truth and Aeron both have magical abilities. Their talents and logic help them solve mysteries.
The first novella is Sole Searching, a Case (in Novel, Cases are capitalized as they are central to what the country does) about a murderer who overdoses their victims with cocaine and steals their shoes. Though bizarre, the situation is treated seriously by all involved and the conclusion follows Novel’s logic. This offering has the most outlandish premise and sets up an arc for Detective Locke.
The second entry is Death in the Family. The middle story concerns itself with a friend of our three main detectives being murdered. All suspicions point to an abusive husband at first, but reader beware! Do not jump to conclusions. A trespasser who hates art and another close friend play a significant part in this mystery. This novella is a slow build with a creative payoff and the closest to a classic mystery.
Last we have Undead Murder in which a member of the undead community is seemingly murdered by impossible means—impossible to kill the undead, that is. The setting is a party at an immense, gloomy mansion with a mysterious host. Outside, a vicious crowd has gathered, surrounding the building. Undead Murder is wildly conceived: a chilling setting, a “locked-room” type of murder, and a reveal about one of our detectives. This story ensures the trilogy of novellas ends on a strong note.
The characters and the setting of this collection are bursting with creativity. The method Truth uses to read her victims in the first story, the clever who-could’ve-dunnit-next pace of the second entry, and the supernatural impossible crime of the third—and best—tale are imaginatively designed. The pacing, humor, and surprises are all top-notch. If you want to read a set of novellas unlike any other, read Visionary Investigations.