**WINNER OF THE 2025 HUGO AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL!** 'Part Sherlock Holmes murder mystery part
Through the Looking-Glass The Tainted Cup is one of the wildest most original stories' WESLEY
CHU 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. A peculiar crime. A brilliant investigator. A
mystery of epic proportions. In 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. READERS LOVE ROBERT JACKSON
BENNETT 'This is that rare thing - a book so good that you are bereft when you reach the
final page . I loved this and would spend much more time in its world' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ' Utterly
riveting read from beginning to end. Another mind blowing innovative world-build' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ' I
couldn't put this one down and read waaay into the night to discover who did what to whom - and
came away with a massive book hangover that had me dreaming of Bennett's world for the rest of
the week' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ' I adored this book! Can't recommend it enough . Murder mystery in a fantasy
setting with botanical murder weapons augmented humans and leviathans threatening to breach
city walls! It was such a wonderful exciting book !' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'This book destroyed those
expectations. This was fantastic ' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ AUTHORS LOVE 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
