Jak Barley Private Inquisitor And The Case Of The Cursed Golden Muskrat

Private Inquisitor Jak Barley hates adventures, and with good reasons after barely surviving past cases involving vicious piss dragons, vengeful necromancers, annoying assassins, cranky goblins, gruesome ghouls and angry old gods—and that’s not even including having a terrifying witch as a future mother-in-law. It’s about to begin again. How is Jak to find the heir to a throne missing since an infant—and find the prince before foreign agents do? And why are Ghennison Viper Mages trying to blast Jak into oily smoking scraps of charred meat and bones? Then there’s the rampaging thirty-foot tall idol that can only be stopped when its faraway wand (remote) is found. Lucky for Jak he has help from his alchemist and half-brother Olmsted Aunderthorn; Morgana, his intended, a witchling in training; and Lorenzo Spasm, a mysterious friend from another world where magic does not exist.

Jak Barley, Private Inquisitor, was looking for a long overdue break after solving which of the new and exotic exhibits at the Duburoake Royal Menagerie of Astounding Beasts was a covert assassin with the King of Glavendale as its intended victim. But malspell attacks upon the crystal ball network of the country’s witch covens and the mysterious theft of a pixie gold shipment draws him into a tangled web of intrigue, danger and the deadly ire of viper mages. Once again he counts upon the aid of his friend Lorenzo Spasm, an enigmatic visitor from an alternative universe where magic does not exist. As such, any curse cast against Spasm rebounds upon the spell caster. Also aiding him is his intended, the adroit and beautiful Morgana, a witch-in-training.

Private Inquisitor Jak Barley needs a break after a string of perilous investigations involving evil viper mages, rampaging dragons, stolen fairy gold and very annoyed assassins. So what could go wrong with helping a kindly old woman find her missing pet wyvern? Plenty. His search takes a deadly turn when it leads him to a secret society and the survivor of an ancient race of malevolent beings. And once again Lorenzo Spasm, a friend who claims to be from an alternative world where magic does not exist, pulls him into a tangle of conspiracies involving a palace coup, deadly magical artifacts and a kidnapping. Luckily for Jak, he also has the aid of his intended, the young witch Morgana.

Private inquisitor Jak Barley is ready for some down time after battling Ghennison Viper Mages, being attacked by piss dragons, and fighting off priests of Dorga the Fished Headed God of Death. That is why Jak was not a bit amused to have a scruffy mage insist that he is to be one of a group of questers decreed in an ancient prophecy that must cross the icy Alf Mountains to foil the return of the Old Gods. To do so meant using a map all too heavily dotted with "Here Be…" warnings that read like an "Idiot's Guide to Monsters." And why are Westian Lizard Wizards targeting young red-headed maidens and who is behind the numerous and bizarre attacks upon Jak? Once gain Jak finds himself saying, "I hate adventures."

Jak Barley, Private Inquisitor, is tired of adventures and is ready to take on only hum-drum cases offering no drama–those of missing husbands, unfaithful spouses, or fat merchants paying well for outing thieving employees–anything not involving traveling, swords, or the darker magics. Yet once again his otherworldy friend, Lorenzo Spasm, drags him into cases involving corrupt CIA (Clandestine Information Authority) agents, murderous bank robbers, nasty goblins, furious dragon chases, demonic foes, and going uncover at an elders’ RW (recreational wagon) park set atop a butte overlooking a harsh desert floor. To top it off, Jak finds himself the quarry of the Assassin’s Guild after an anonymous adversary takes out a whack contract on him. Helping him get through this will be his intended, the beautiful witchling in training, Morgana.

Private Inquisitor Jak Barley wonders if his drinking cohorts at the King's Wart Inn are playing an elaborate prank on him. What else is he to think when seven dwarves want his help against a wicked witch they blame for poisoning an innocent young maiden staying with them named Frost Ivory? But it is anything but a joke when Jak finds himself the target of deadly Reverian Assassins and malevolent Viper Mages - and again facing the darkand sinister forces of Dorga, the Fish-Headed God of Death. Along the way he tangles with voracious Blackwatch Goblins, vampires, angry piss dragons, and the most dangerous of all: a beautiful young witch s daughter."

"Private inquisitor Jak Barley wonders if his drinking cohorts at the King's Wart Inn are playing an elaborate prank on him. What else is he to think when seven dwarves want his help against a wicked witch they blame for poisoning an innocent youg maiden staying with them called Frost Ivory? But it is anything but a joke when Jak finds himself the target of deadly and sinister forces of Dorga, the Fish-Headed God of Death. Along the way, he tangles with voracious Blackwatch goblins, vampires, angry piss dragons, and the most dangerous of all, a beautiful young witch's daughter"--Cover.

Originally published: London: Marion Lloyd Books, 2010.