
Tasked with solving an impossible double murder, detective John Finch searches for the truth among the war-weary ruins of the once-mighty city of Ambergris. Under the six-year rule of its inhuman gray cap masters, Ambergris is slowly crumbling into anarchy. The remnants of a rebel force are dispersed, their leader, the mysterious Lady in Blue, missing. Citizens are being interned in camps. Collaborators roam the streets keeping brutal order. But Finch also has to contend with new forces rising, like the enigmatic spymaster Ethan Bliss, and the contamination of his partner, Wyte, who is literally disintegrating under the strain.
In this powerful and poignant novel, the past and the future, the cosmic and the gritty, collide. What will happen if Finch solves the case? What will happen is he doesn’t? And will Amergris ever be the same?
“Chinatown meets Naked Lunch with a sprinkling of Tetsuo II: Body Hammer. A must for fans of fantasy, noir, and great writing.” – Joe Abercrombie, author of Best Served Cold
“Finch just blew me to hell and gone. I loved the meeting of the grime and the sublime and the oh-so-beautifully crafted prose. Rarely has a novel got it all. Think Corman McCarthy, via David Goodis, with an amazing nod to Lovecraft.” – Ken Bruen, author of London Boulevard
“A noir tale with flashes of Raymond Chandler and The Thing, Finch is gripping from the first page to the last. Stark and moving – it’s amazing.” – Meg Gardiner, Edgar-winning author of The Memory Collector
“Heavy with shadows and dark as sin, detective, fantasy… I loved it. In fact, I’m a little jealous.” – Joe R. Lansdale, author of The Drive-In and the Hap and Leonard series
Jeff VanderMeer is a writer and editor whose fiction merges elements of science fiction, fantasy, and the weird. His stories frequently examine the intricate connection between humanity and the natural world, uncovering strange and sometimes unsettling phenomena. He is widely recognized for the Southern Reach trilogy, which delves into the enigma of Area X, a cryptic and potentially extraterrestrial zone. Beyond this series, his novels such as Borne, Hummingbird Salamander, and Dead Astronauts depict futures shaped by biotechnology, environmental collapse, and the rise of unusual new lifeforms. VanderMeer has also co-edited several notable anthologies, including The New Weird, The Weird, and The Big Book of Science Fiction, often working alongside his wife, Ann VanderMeer.

Tasked with solving an impossible double murder, detective John Finch searches for the truth among the war-weary ruins of the once-mighty city of Ambergris. Under the six-year rule of its inhuman gray cap masters, Ambergris is slowly crumbling into anarchy. The remnants of a rebel force are dispersed, their leader, the mysterious Lady in Blue, missing. Citizens are being interned in camps. Collaborators roam the streets keeping brutal order. But Finch also has to contend with new forces rising, like the enigmatic spymaster Ethan Bliss, and the contamination of his partner, Wyte, who is literally disintegrating under the strain.
In this powerful and poignant novel, the past and the future, the cosmic and the gritty, collide. What will happen if Finch solves the case? What will happen is he doesn’t? And will Amergris ever be the same?
“Chinatown meets Naked Lunch with a sprinkling of Tetsuo II: Body Hammer. A must for fans of fantasy, noir, and great writing.” – Joe Abercrombie, author of Best Served Cold
“Finch just blew me to hell and gone. I loved the meeting of the grime and the sublime and the oh-so-beautifully crafted prose. Rarely has a novel got it all. Think Corman McCarthy, via David Goodis, with an amazing nod to Lovecraft.” – Ken Bruen, author of London Boulevard
“A noir tale with flashes of Raymond Chandler and The Thing, Finch is gripping from the first page to the last. Stark and moving – it’s amazing.” – Meg Gardiner, Edgar-winning author of The Memory Collector
“Heavy with shadows and dark as sin, detective, fantasy… I loved it. In fact, I’m a little jealous.” – Joe R. Lansdale, author of The Drive-In and the Hap and Leonard series
Jeff VanderMeer is a writer and editor whose fiction merges elements of science fiction, fantasy, and the weird. His stories frequently examine the intricate connection between humanity and the natural world, uncovering strange and sometimes unsettling phenomena. He is widely recognized for the Southern Reach trilogy, which delves into the enigma of Area X, a cryptic and potentially extraterrestrial zone. Beyond this series, his novels such as Borne, Hummingbird Salamander, and Dead Astronauts depict futures shaped by biotechnology, environmental collapse, and the rise of unusual new lifeforms. VanderMeer has also co-edited several notable anthologies, including The New Weird, The Weird, and The Big Book of Science Fiction, often working alongside his wife, Ann VanderMeer.