Three mercenaries, who have been working together, are hired to safeguard a nobleman.

However, they continuously find themselves coerced into taking on more duties. The situation becomes even more tense and tempers flare during a massive blizzard that forces barons and soldiers to huddle in cramped quarters.

The three mercenaries, though, manage to keep their focus on the important things - namely, the money they are being paid and getting out of LaMut as quickly as possible.

As they navigate the complex and often dangerous politics, and deal with murderous noblemen, they must remain vigilant and resourceful.

Their skills and experience are put to the test as they try to survive in this hostile environment and complete their mission without getting caught up in the power struggles and intrigues that are unfolding around them.

Will they be able to succeed and escape with their lives and the money intact? Only time will tell.

3 stars with an average of 6.175/10

My rating system:

1 star: 1.0 - 2.9/10

2 stars: 3.0 - 5.4/10

3 stars: 5.5 - 7.0/10

4 stars: 7.1 - 9.0/10

5 stars: 9.1 - 10/10

Rating based on plot, characters, and writing (2x)

Characters: 7.3/10

Plot: 5/10

Writing: 6.2/10

General enjoyment: 7/10

Review

The title and summary on the back of the book insinuated a thrilling murder mystery. However, I was left disappointed. I can hardly consider two murders in the same place at the same time as a string of murders. Moreover, the way it was'solved' was absurd. No sane person would take it seriously or allow it to happen. In fact, it didn't even uncover the real culprit; he was revealed later on, almost half a chapter before the end of the book. The murders occurred probably between 2/3 and 3/4 of the way through the book. The so-called political tension could have been explored and developed more fully. Overall, the plot of this book just didn't feel well-executed (or perhaps it was marketed incorrectly). As always with Feist, the characters were a pleasure to read about, and the writing was easy to follow. But this plot was incredibly underwhelming.

It is truly very disappointing. When the title of your book is "Murder in La Mut", one naturally anticipates that the murder would occur before the twelfth chapter of a sixteen-chapter book. I have recently delved into a significant number of Feist's Midkemia novels, so I like to believe that I am well-acquainted with the world he has crafted. However, I discovered that the story was frequently perplexing and somewhat deficient in captivating scenes. The characters seemed to spend an inordinate amount of time brooding and sulking, which does not result in a thrilling read. The resolution to the murder was also rather straightforward to figure out, and the supposed twist was not particularly twisty. I can only surmise that the book was predominantly written by Feist's co-author, as I noticed that the tone was quite distinct from Feist's typical work, with only a few action sequences offering a glimmer of what might have been.

Slow, obvious murder-mystery.

The story unfolded at a glacial pace, with the mystery of the murder being presented in a way that was far too transparent from the start.

The characters within the narrative seemed completely indifferent to the events that were transpiring around them. They lacked any real emotional investment or sense of urgency, which made it difficult for the reader to become engaged.

Frankly, I found myself equally uninterested. There was nothing about the story or the characters that compelled me to keep reading or to care about the outcome.

The slow pacing and lackluster characters combined to create a rather dull and forgettable experience. It was a murder-mystery that failed to capture my attention or my imagination.

Perhaps with a bit more creativity and a faster pace, this could have been a more engaging and enjoyable read. But as it stands, it simply didn't do it for me.

For a book that is supposed to be centered around a murder, it truly takes an incredibly long time to actually reach the part where the murder occurs.

It's rather frustrating, to be honest. One would expect a more timely and engaging build-up to such a crucial event.

Fortunately, there is another author who is also involved in this series. So, I find it convenient to simply lay the blame on him for penning what I believe to be the worst book in the entire series up until now.

Perhaps his writing style or pacing didn't quite mesh well with the overall tone and expectations of the series.

It's a pity, as the potential for a great story was there, but somehow it got lost along the way.

Hopefully, the next installment in the series will redeem itself and bring back the excitement and intrigue that fans have come to expect.

An entertaining book on the whole, it has its merits. However, it is somewhat let down by the way the authors revealed the identity of the murderer. The key factor required to solve the mystery was repeatedly flaunted and made overly obvious to the reader. This is a significant drawback as it undermines the element of surprise and suspense that a good mystery novel should have. What's more, it seems rather implausible that none of the characters thought of this obvious clue while they were discussing the mystery. Even though they weren't experienced investigators, one would expect at least one of them to notice such a blatant hint. Overall, while the book has its entertaining aspects, the way the mystery was resolved leaves something to be desired.

A simple Agatha Christie pastiche. The book follows three Lego knights. Due to their role as the king's swords without loyalties, they are tasked with maintaining order in a city that fears siege. This makes it impossible and frees them from their previous task of escorting a noblewoman who is participating in a council. She and her lover are murdered, and the Lego soldiers blame an innocent person for it. Before they discover the actual murderer - of course, it's the butler, who is wrongly named a house servant instead of a valet.

Not really worth the time, but at least it's easy to read, and random enough that it's not entirely easy to see through in advance.

Overall, it's a light-hearted and somewhat predictable story. It may appeal to those who enjoy quick reads or have a soft spot for Agatha Christie-style mysteries, but it doesn't offer much in terms of depth or originality. However, it can still provide some entertainment value for a short period.

I actually don't really know what to think of this book. I couldn't really get into it. I had no clear idea of who and what was in this story. So I also took longer to read it than the other books in this series.

Essentially, it was a book about a mystery/murder/tenants. However, the murder was committed about 80 pages before the end of the book, and then the necessary pages were devoted to unraveling and solving the murder. The rest of the book (about 250 pages) was mainly devoted to building up the story. Minimal action.

Why this book falls under the fantasy label is a mystery to me. It would rather be placed under mystery/suspense, but then it also falls too far outside the other books of Feist.

This book was written in collaboration with Joel Rosenberg, and perhaps that's where the problem lies.

Overall, I was rather disappointed with this book. It didn't have the same charm and excitement as the other books in the series. I hope that the next book in the series will be better.

Raymond Feist is a well-known author, and among all the books of his that I have read, this particular one was the slowest to evolve into a decent story.

It felt as if an eternity had passed before anything of significance occurred. The beginning was rather sluggish, and it took a considerable amount of time for the plot to gain momentum.

However, towards the end, everything came together very rapidly. It was almost as if the author had suddenly decided to rush and tie up all the loose ends.

Despite the slow start, the story was interesting enough to keep me engaged until the end. Nevertheless, in comparison to all his other books that I have read, this one falls short.

If this is the first Raymond Feist book you have picked up, I would highly recommend trying another one. Any other book of his is far superior to this particular one. You will be able to experience the true depth and brilliance of his writing in those other works.

This work is not Feist's finest effort.

Actually, it gives the impression of being rather cumbersome.

I fail to see how it contributes in any meaningful way to the overall series.

There seems to be only a tangential connection at best.

This is by far the most disappointing book bearing Feist's name.

As a result, I have no intention of actively seeking out Joel Rosenberg's books to read.

I had high expectations given Feist's reputation, but unfortunately, this particular work has left me thoroughly disillusioned.

It lacks the depth and excitement that I have come to associate with his other works.

Perhaps it was an off day for the author, but whatever the reason, it has definitely fallen short of my expectations.

I hope that future works by Feist will return to the form that made him so beloved by readers in the first place.

For me, this was a rather mediocre entry into the riftwar cycle.

It didn't quite capture the magic and excitement that the empire trilogy had managed to achieve. So far, nothing in this cycle has come close to the excellence of those previous works.

However, I am determined to get through the rest of the riftwar cycle. I hold onto the hope that it will eventually find its form and return to the high standards that I have come to expect from this author.

Maybe there are hidden gems yet to be discovered, or perhaps the story will take an unexpected turn that will rejuvenate my interest. Only time will tell, but I am willing to give it a chance and see where this journey leads.

What this book does very right:

It's almost a three musketeer's kind of tale without the humor. A close-knit band of mercenaries makes their way across Feist's world. But then they get trapped by circumstance, some nasty Baronial politics, and a snowstorm. Much later on, it does become a murder mystery. However, the title is misleading. It masquerades as a big plot point but is not actually the reason for the novel.

It is, nonetheless, a really delightful novel. It is full of great details, has very well-developed characters, and a slow burn that reminds one of an enormously entertaining backstory for a series yet to come. If given the chance, one would read a lot more about these guys.

The murder mystery does make sense. After all, being a mercenary and keen on keeping one's skin can indeed be a job for someone bright and analytical. And this was clearly seen throughout the novel. One might say that this is the beginning of a great mystery series set in a fantasy world.

The genre mix was really pleasing. It just might not have been packaged correctly. Or perhaps readers expected something more like the other Feist novels.

The bad, assuming one thinks it is bad:

This is almost nothing like the other Feist novels. There is no big magic, no big battles, no demon invasions, and no recognizable characters... except in passing conversation. If one wanted nothing but Feist, they might be disappointed.

However, if one wanted good fantasy with a careful and slow progression of characterization and depth of story, then they really didn't need to look any further. :)