A peculiar crime. A brilliant investigator. A mystery of epic proportions.'Part Sherlock Holmes murder mystery, part Through the Looking-Glass, The Tainted Cup is one of the wildest, most original stories I've ever had the privilege to explore' WESLEY CHUIn an opulent mansion at the borders of the Empire, an Imperial officer lies dead - killed when a tree spontaneously erupted from his body. Even here, where contagions abound and the blood of the Leviathans works strange magical changes, it's a death at once terrifying and impossible. Called in to solve the crime is Ana Dolabra, an investigator whose reputation for brilliance is matched only by her eccentricity. At her side is her new assistant, Dinios Kol, an engraver, magically altered to possess a perfect memory. Soon, the mystery leads to a scheme that threatens the safety of the Empire itself. For Ana, all this makes for a deliciously thorny puzzle - at last, something to truly hold her attention. And Din He'll just have to hold on for the ride.An eccentric detective and her long-suffering assistant untangle a web of magic, deceit, and murder in this sparkling fantasy reimagining of the classic crime novel - from the bestselling author of The Founders Trilogy.PRAISE FOR ROBERT JACKSON BENNETT'Engrossing and fascinating' MUR LAFFERTY'A masterstroke. I want Bennett to write a dozen of these, and send them to me yesterday' MAX GLADSTONE'Original, imaginative, and suspenseful' MEG GARDINER'Riveting' AMAL EL-MOHTAR'If you love unique, genre-bending, boundary-pushing fantasy as much as I do, look no further than Robert Jackson Bennett' FONDA LEE

Robert is the author of American Elsewhere, The Troupe, The Company Man, Mr. Shivers, as well as The Divine Cities trilogy and The Founders Trilogy. The final installment of The Founders Trilogy, LOCKLANDS, is in stores June of 2022.His work has received the Edgar Award, the Shirley Jackson Award, and the Phillip K. Dick Citation of Excellence, and he has been shortlisted for the World Fantasy, British Fantasy, and Locus Awards.He lives in Austin with his wife and two sons, one of whom is very large and one of whom is very loud.