It’s hard to fight wizards and demons when all you have is a gun and a badge.

The use of magic in the sovereign city of Dracoheim is regulated by the Lord Mayor's Committee for Public Safety. From the licensing of magi, to the health and safety requirements for magical manufacturing, to the import and export of goods to the Realms of Nightmare, dedicated civil servants ensure that the metropolitan area stays safe from magical mayhem.

Most of the time, anyway.

My name is Erik Rugar. I’m an agent of the Criminal Investigation Division of CPS. We operate outside of the authority of Parliament and are answerable only to the Lord Mayor himself. We get involved when the regular beat cops are out of their depth. If a magic shop gets robbed by junkies, or someone gets vaporized by a fireball, or shapechanging creatures start infiltrating the city, I get the call.

But I’m not a mage; I’m just a cop. I face down magical threats with my keen investigative skills and a trusty revolver. Welcome to my world.

Includes the short story “In the City of Dreadful Joy”, third-place winner of the 2019 Baen Fantasy Adventure Award!

About the author: Misha Burnett has been writing poetry and fiction for around 40 years. His first four novels Catskinner's Book, Cannibal Hearts, The Worms of Heaven, and Gingerbread Wolves comprise a series The Book of Lost Doors. Major influences include Tim Powers, Samuel Delany, William Burroughs, and Phillip K. Dick.