Shadows of Desperation. Arcanea, #5

Shadows of DesperationIn the neon-soaked sprawl of Arcanea, where magic hums through the shadows and corruption stains every cobblestone, Elridar Moonwhisper scrapes by-a half-elven detective drowning in whiskey and regret. His cluttered office is his last refuge, until Detective Venn storms in. Once a rival who'd sooner see El rot in a cell than breathe free, Venn now needs the one man he despises most.
Blackmail letters threaten to unravel his career, and only El's knack for navigating Arcanea's dark underbelly can save him. With Ella, a wizard whose spells and sharp tongue cut deeper than steel, and Brimstone, a slobbering hell hound with a nose for trouble, El dives into a maze of secrets and betrayal. The city's pulse quickens with every step-neon-lit alleys hide assassins, and magic crackles with deadly intent.
What starts as a grudging favor spirals into a fight for survival, pitting El against a foe who knows his every move. In this gritty fantasy detective noir, Arcanea is a beast that devours the weak, and El's only edge might be the allies he can't afford to lose-or trust.