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  • The Art of Madness

  • The GearWitch Investigations
  • By: A. J. Mayall
  • Narrated by: Nicholas Patrella
  • Length: 13 hrs and 55 mins
  • 3.8 out of 5 stars (4 ratings)
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The Art of Madness cover art

The Art of Madness

By: A. J. Mayall
Narrated by: Nicholas Patrella
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Summary

Being the GearWitch means Phoenix McGee can bend time, save the day, or find your missing dog. Because cosmic powers don't pay the bills.

Phoenix McGee became a detective to show the world he was mature, reliable, capable of running his own life and business. It’s just a shame he can’t adult his way out of a paper bag.

On the verge of losing everything, he takes on a simple case of suspected adultery, something to keep the lights on and the creditors at bay. Little did he suspect his life would become a chaotic whirlwind of false leads, uneasy alliances, mob ties, and a woman who punches with a sedan.

Bodies pile up as he struggles to keep things normal for himself and his assistant, Suzette DiMarco. In Rouge Mal, Nevada, unusual is normal. Being a haven for the supernatural and superpowered, it’s common to see a vampire on the street while a psychic informs you your bus will be late. Just present your Black Card for proof of powers. That’s not to say there are no normal people, far from it.

Then there is Phoenix McGee, the GearWitch. Being attuned to the clockwork nature of the universe and able to bend the fundamental laws of reality comes with the bonus that his powers show up under no scans, leaving him in a loophole where he can use his powers without legal restriction...or protection.

Phoenix will need his wits if he plans to solve the case and save himself, his livelihood, and everyone around him....

Fans of Seanan Mcguire, Kevin Hearne, Jim Butcher, superhero stories, and comics will love the first installment of the GearWitch Investigations!

Ask A. J.:

Q: What inspired the series?

A: A lot of things, and the best way to sum it up is this: It's like if Terry Pratchett wrote a series set in the world of Buffy staring the cosmically powered lovechild of Doctor Strange and Star-Lord. Phoenix is quirky, peppy, hilarious, and packs enough of a metaphysical punch to knock the bad guys on their butts.

Q: Why should we listen to them?

A: Because the GearWitch Investigations is a superpowered, fast-paced foray into an all new Digitalpunk world. Magic, superpowers, technology, and crime. How can you pass that up?

Start this cosmically-powered action roller-coaster!

©2017 A. J. Mayall (P)2019 WordFire, Inc.

What listeners say about The Art of Madness

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Fantastic listen

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

I am hoping there are more Gearwitch books to come as I really enjoyed listening to this.
There were lots of twists and turns and it ended making you think there was more to come.

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Listener received this title free

You do not insult the racoon.

This strange, but appealing, mix of science fiction fantasy, super hero and detective is, apparently, not the first title in a new series, just the first one published, with each book devised to be a stand alone read in any order. The main protagonist is a sincere but immature man, still sleeping with and talking to his best friend, a stuffed animal named Bouncer, trying to prove he's a 'functional adult', and, with the assistance of the formidable Suzanne, his secretary, running a badly in debt private investigations agency. Desperate to pay off the huge sum before foreclosure envelopes him, he delightedly accepts a lucrative adultery case, which brings him notoriety but not the anticipated fee. Instead, he is plunged into something much deeper...

Written from a profusion of points of view, The Art of Madness is very fast moving, incident and ideas packed, violent - and great fun. Just when it seems that the mystery is solved, it isn't, and the roller coaster ride begins again. Right down to the very last sentence. Some nice turns of phrase, too, as in the description of one character's voice as sounding 'like sausages being fried to a crisp in old cooking oil'. And the whole is enhanced by Nicholas Patrella's outstanding performance, his reading fast paced, his emotional delivery shadowing and enlightening the text. His sinister laughter is something special. Excellent.

I was very fortunate to have been freely gifted with a complimentary copy of The Art of Madness, at my request, by the rights holder. Thank you so much. It is a long book and could have easily become tedious: I have a low tolerance for many super hero type stories. But this book balanced the fantasy and crazy crime investigation with unexpected revelations and character interchanges well, which, combined with Patrella's narration, made this a fun read throughout. Recommended

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