Now I know why Steven Brust recommends Emma Bull's work so
much! They have very similar styles. It's hard to describe, but
I will try: When the vast majority of writers try to sound "hip"
or "cool", they end up sounding just awful (Gentry Lee) or weird
and confusing (William Gibson). [A big "IMHO!" for Gibson fans,
but no such courtesy for Lee fans, since there are none.] Bull
pulls it off. This story reads much like Glen Cook's "Garrett"
books, a detective story set in a fantasy world, though I find
Bull's characters and the world she and other authors have
constructed (Bordertown, Nevernever, etc) much more compelling.
This book centers around a human named "Finder" who has an innate
ability (almost magical) to have his body act as a compass if he
knows what he's looking for. He gets recruited by a cop and
eventually, caught up in the case. The plot is strictly standard
fare for detective-novel readers, but the world and the characters
are definitely a cut above. If you like the characterizations
and dry humor of Brust, you'll like Emma Bull.