«Welcome to Deep Cove» by Grant T. Reed

At thirty-one, Garrett Willigins has finally earned his private investigator's badge. Unfortunately the bills haven't stopped coming and building a solid reputation won't happen overnight. Forced to take employment wherever they can, Garrett and his miniature dragon partner, Merle, must dirty their hands any way possible to make a buck. Shoveling manure, chasing cats, and dock duty seem to be the order of the day. Working off back rent for a notorious gangster isn't the safest of jobs on a good day, but when the other dock workers begin disappearing, Garrett finds himself elbow deep in a mystery that might spell a quick end to his short P.I. career. 'Reed has a wonderful way with descriptions, and much of his book is just fun-to-read silliness, especially the parts featuring ogres and minotaurs. Before ogre Maury's ukulele performance, he asks the crowd, 'What do you call a minotaur with no legs? Ground Beef!' More levity, mystery and fantasy are in store; this is only the first of the Vellian Mysteries trilogy.' -Kirkus Reviews 'Take a dose of Christopher Moore, mix in a P.I.'s personality and struggles with a dash of fantasy ala Tanya Huff, and flavor the pot with a talking dragon ala Anne McCaffrey, and there you have it: a quasi-mystery and fantasy blend that is ripe with intrigue, investigations, and action.' -D. Donovan, eBook Reviewer, Midwest Book Review