Limelight
#5
A Blast-Happy Bank Robber
When a madman starts robbing banks the really old fashioned way, by blowing holes in them with magical explosives, the police want Alex to catch him before he kills and robs again. There are two problems with that, however, first as far as Alex knows there’s no such thing as a blasting rune, and second his friend Danny Pak is up for a promotion and that’s not Danny’s case.
Alex splits his time between chasing the homicidal bomber and helping Danny figure out what happened to a dead writer who was basing her book on Broadway’s most famous murder. While the bomber continues to elude Alex, he becomes convinced that the writer was killed by someone who wanted the old murder to remain unsolved. Before he can pursue either case further, however, the feds show up, wanting Alex’s take on a series of bizarre magic related deaths.
Now Alex must solve the fifteen year old Broadway murder, catch a blast-happy bank robber, and figure out how average people are being killed by a mysterious, untraceable magic. All the while he has scant leads, even fewer suspects, and the inescapable feeling that he’s being played.
Limelight
The Fifth Book in the Arcane Casebook Series
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9 reviews for Limelight (Signed Copy)
Dead Letter
In Plain Sight
Ghost of a Chance
Allison Moss –
Reading till you can’t stay awake!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
these books are spectacular, superb. Very well plot and characters lots of action a fusion of alchemy, sorcery and runeship in a world which while it’s not exactly steampunk definitely took a different path than the one you and I inhabit. People on street corners might sell you a room that keeps your clothes dry or men’s your socks. The young detective who is a runewright slowly from book to book involves himself in world politics history current politics engineering electronics and the complex world of human emotion and motivation. I don’t want to give away the plot selfish to say that if there is an eighth book I will be buying it and the 9th would be a gift. The first seven I finished in less than a week and they’re about 350 pages apiece. Thoroughly engaging story wonderfully complex three-dimensional characters.
Carolyn Blake –
Lockerby is the man women want, and the man men want to be
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I just finished book 5 in the series. I am worried because there are only 2 more. What will I do when I have read them all? Every character is completely developed, complex and real. Lockerby is ethical, moral, decent and grows with each experience. He is the hero our world needs. Dan Willis has created a thoroughly workable and believable world of magic as technology, unique from anything I have read before. His writing is flawless, punctuation perfect, and the vocabulary is rich. Every book in the series has been a sleep stealer. I am trying to portion them out because once they are finished…it will be a loss. But once I start a new Lockerby novel, I can’t stop reading until the last page. Advice…please do yourself a favor and read this book!
Stephen H. –
Better and better
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Just when you think things cannot possibly get more complicated and scarier for Alex they most certainly do. An old murder and a new one. Bank robberies using “impossible” runes. An addictive drug that increases your intellectual powers but tears at the fabric of your mind. In the background a shadowy organization of power hungry unknowns
Thing move quickly throughout this book, but the last 50 or so pages shift to warp 9.Read these in order but READ them. I would love to see the mini-series
JadaReads-a-lot –
This series rocks!!!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Wow. This series keeps building to a higher level of suspense and fantastic magic with each book! I just devoured books 2 through 5 this past week and I must say I feel like the author has given me the best present ever. They were so engrossing that I read them with Kindle Unlimited, then immediately bought my own copies so I will always have them at hand.
I love Alex’s character truly, but I love the author’s magic system even more. You know when you read someone’s great idea and you think, Damn! I wish I’d thought of that? That is this series and the way the author carefully orchestrated the gradual reveal of the rising stakes, the secret antagonists, and the beautiful complexity of the magic system. Damn, Mr. Willis! Well done.
Pros- great characters, plot, and suspense. Cons-The first books are weaker than the later books but still really good fictional escapes. It definitely has a bit of that noir detective feel so it helps if you enjoy a good mystery (but I think that if you get into the character you’ll enjoy it even if mystery is not your thing). You should check these out.
R. Zeuner –
Like a really good cup of coffee…
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I started reading this series on a recommendation and have thoroughly enjoyed each book. This one really delights! Dan Willis sets a stage for many more storylines ahead and I eagerly await what is to come. The character development between his heroes and heroines has just gotten better with each story. The noir setting is well framed and Mr. Willis’ style creates fantastic imagery of the alternate world. I highly recommend it! It’s like a great cup of coffee, rich, warm and satisfying… so much so, that you can’t wait for another!
Kindle Customer –
Just As Good As I Hoped
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
For months now I’ve been constantly re-checking the bookstore for the newest installment of the Arcane Casebook. An irrational frustration with the author, Dan Willis, had me mentally berating him for taking so long in supplying me the literary fix I needed. “We’re all in quarantine, surely he has nothing but time to write!? If he pulls a George R.R. Martin on me, I’ll lose my mind.” Such were my thoughts.
Having absolutely tore through book five I find myself satiated again. Just as gripping and fun as the previous entries, the plot moves forward compellingly and has me dreaming about what comes next. Besides some niggling typos, I’m happy to report my itch has been scratched. ….for now. 5/5
Mark McConnell –
Do you think Alex Lockerby could spare some from his vault?
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I love the integration of the series regulars. Alex, Sorsha, Dan, the various detective lieutenants, Sorsha and of course, Iggy. Alex has things in common with most series protagonists, in that he’s not usually THE best at many things, but he knows the ones that are, and they work with him, in spite of his sarcastic manner. Limelight is a book showing how well a book can get once it’s reached the 5th (and a half) in a series. We don’t have to reteach everybody to every reader anymore, we can just get deep into the story. This story, well worth the money to buy.
Dan Willis has an annoying habit of writing books that keep you up at night… reading the next chapter.
Jared –
Phenomenal
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
If this series does not get adapted into films one day and get it’s own board game and or tabletop RPG, I will be incredibly miffed, put out, and upset.
Dan Willis’ series, The Arcane Casebooks, sounds like a humble detective series at first glance (technically correct). What you find upon reading it however, is a very thoroughly built world and setting that pulls you in. Add Dan’s ability to blend multiple threads of plot together at once and you suddenly find yourself in a high budget A-list of a movie/rollercoaster and wondering how in the world Dan manages to keep doing this.
These books are of a humble type yes, they’re down to earth and very well contained, they’re not like stuff you would expect reading something from marvel or some high fantasy work where multiple dimensions of existence rest on the heroes shoulders.
They’re detective novels. But Dan is an excellent author, one of the best, because he elevates these books to the same level (higher in my opinion) and does so without disappointing, without it being convoluted, and without losing the flair, flavor and charm inherent to detective novels.
Dan if you’re reading this, you did great. Again.
Couple of spelling mistakes in places ;p
But the book was fantastic.
I could go on for ages about how much I enjoyed the plot, the characters, the twists, how well this world is built and how much I need The Arcane Irregulars to become a follow up series or something (minor spoiler, I apologize).
TL;DR – This series is one of the best currently out there and this new addition does not disappoint it. There is always something new, something old, and something unexpected around the corner or in the next chapter of this series. I sincerely and eagerly look forward to the next one.
DC –
Best book in a great series
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
It has been interesting to see the authors skills expand as he continues this series. Book 1 was good, but clearly somewhat amateurish in character development.
As the series has progressed, he has clearly improved his character development and the series arc becomes clearer with each book.
I even enjoy going back to reread all the earlier books when he releases a new one, as it is like the series together makes a complete book, one that is itself great.