Mixing high fantasy and mystery, the third book in the Maradaine Constabulary series follows Inspectors Satrine Rainey and Minox Welling as they track down a dangerous murderer. The city of Maradaine is vexed by the Gearbox Murders: a series of gruesome deaths orchestrated by a twisted mechanical genius. With no motive and no pattern, Inspectors Satrine Rainey and Minox Welling--the retired spy and untrained mage--are at a loss to find a meaningful lead in the case. At least, until the killer makes his most audacious exhibit yet: over a dozen victims in a clockwork deathtrap on the floor of the Druth Parliament. The crime scene is a madhouse, and political forces conspire to grind their investigation to a halt. The King's Marshals claim jurisdiction of the case, corruption in the Constabulary thwarts their efforts, and a special Inquest threatens to end Minox's career completely. Their only ally is Dayne Heldrin, a provisional member of the Tarian Order, elite warriors trained in the art of protection. But Dayne's connection to the Gearbox Murders casts suspicion on his motives, as he might be obsessed with a phantom figure he believes is responsible. While Satrine and Minox struggle to stop the Gearbox from claiming even more victims, the grinding gears of injustice might keep them from ever solving these murders, and threaten to dismantle their partnership forever. Praise for the Maradaine universe: “Maresca’s debut is  smart, fast, and engaging fantasy crime  in the mold of Brent Weeks and Harry Harrison. Just perfect.” —Kat Richardson, national bestselling author of  Revenant “Veranix is Batman, if Batman were a teenager and magically talented....  Action, adventure, and magic in a school setting  will appeal to those who love  Harry Potter  and Patrick Rothfuss'  The Name of the Wind .” ― Library Journal  (starred)  "Marshall Ryan Maresca is some kind of mad genius….  Not since Terry Pratchett’s Ankh Morpork  have we enjoyed exploring every angle of an invented locale quite this much." —B&N Sci-fi & Fantasy Blog "Another exceptional book from MRM and adds yet another layer of vibrancy and depth to the ever expanding city of Maradaine.  The Holver Alley Crew  will  appeal to fans of Scott Lynch or Leigh Bardugo’s  Six of Crows ." ―Powder & Page “Take the  caped avenger of Batman, the teenage-superhero angst of Spiderman , the street-gang bravado of  West Side Story , and toss in the magic of  Harry Potter , and what have you got? Marshall Ryan Maresca’s  The Thorn of Dentonhill .” —Kings River Life Magazine “Maresca brings the whole package, complete and well-constructed. If you’re looking for something fun and adventurous for your next fantasy read, look no further than  The Thorn of Dentonhill ,  an incredible start to a new series , from an author who is clearly on his way to great things.” —Bibliosanctum  "Not many books make me want to jump inside the pages and live among the characters.  The Holver Alley Crew  was  an addicting read ." —Night Owl Reviews (top pick) “ The Thorn of Dentonhill  was  a fast-paced read with action from start to finish . I loved every minute of it.” —Short and Sweet Reviews “ Definitely   a fun read , and one classic fantasy fans will likely enjoy.” —Bibliotropic Marshall Ryan Maresca 's work has appeared in Norton Anthology of Hint Fiction and Rick Klaw's anthology Rayguns Over Texas . His novels The Thorn of Dentonhill , A Murder of Mages , The Holver Alley Crew , and The Way of the Shield each begin their own fantasy series, all set in the port city of Maradaine. Chapter 1 Satrine Rainey would never have guessed that she would make a habit of waking up before sunrise to go to Absolution at Saint Limarre's Church. In her nearly forty years, she hadn't ever bothered with the ritual. Her soul was probably beyond salvation; she had accepted that. But she needed to talk, and she was filled with secrets too terrible to hold in, but too dangerous to entrust to anyone. Anyone but Sister Alana, under the silence guaranteed by the rite of Absolution. Sister Alana would never tell her secrets. The ritual was taken very seriously by both the government and the church, so nothing said under Absolution could ever be used in persecution or prosecution. Even the secrets of a not-so-former spy turned Constabulary Inspector. Of course, Sister Alana was more than just a Cloistress of the Blue in the Church of Druthal. She was an old friend-the only person left from Satrine's childhood on the streets of Inemar who could be called that. Most others from those days were dead, jailed, or wasted. Hardly any of them were someone she would have considered a friend even back then. Her own mother-that waste of flesh named Berana Carthas-had abandoned her when she was twelve. Just left to live with some man who didn't want to deal with a daughter. Sister Alana was the only person who knew everything about who she was, who she had to become, and who she was now. She