When I got the widget for Catchpenny, I almost didn’t accept it. I wasn’t looking for another book to review (I have been actively trying to get my NetGalley ARCs down to a manageable number). But then I read the blurb, which made me pause on deleting the email. After rereading the blurb (several times), I decided to accept the widget. I am glad that I did because I did enjoy reading Catchpenny.
I do want to give you guys a heads-up. There is a lot of lore and backstory thrown at you at once, and that might cause you to go, “Well, no. Not for me.” Trust me, get through the first few chapters, and the author will explain things.
The main storyline in Catchpenny was different. Sidney Catchpenny is a depressed thief who hasn’t left his bed in weeks. He gets pulled, kicking and screaming, out of bed and into the world when an old friend asks him to help him with a personal matter. That personal matter ends up being the disappearance of a teenage girl. As Sid investigates the case, he finds ties to a doomsday death cult, his old manager, a video game, and his dead wife. Sid needs to figure out what is going on and who is to blame before something awful happens, like the end of the world.
Sometimes, first impressions can be wrong, which was the case with Sid. When the book began, I doubted if he could help his friend-he was that depressed. I also noticed that he was a very unreliable narrator. His take on things was slightly different from what other people remember (like the death of his pregnant wife). But, as the book went on and as his depression subsided, I began to see Sid in a different light. Yes, he was significantly damaged, but he was a good person. And the good person in him wanted to find Circe (the teenager) and bring her home.
I enjoyed the magic system in Catchpenny. The magic was called mojo, and it was infused everywhere. Sid was a thief who stole items infused with mojo (an example used in the book: a rug that a beloved dog slept on until it died). The stolen mojo was then used by other parties to help themselves out (politicians were used as an example in the book). Sid also had a different sort of magic. He could travel by mirror to various places. Manikins and other magical beings are also mentioned throughout the book.
Catchpenny did make me feel like I was reading a script out of a fever dream for most of the book. Usually, that is something that I don’t like, but in this case, it suits the book. The fever dream feeling intensified towards the end (once Sid started putting the puzzle pieces together).
The only thing that I didn’t like about this book was who the bad guy ended up being. It was a twist that I didn’t see coming. I had it pegged on the defacto head of the doomsday cult/game developer. So, I was shocked when it was revealed who was behind everything and why. My mouth dropped open, and a “No shit” came out. There wasn’t a hint of this person being the bad guy or why this person did what they did. It is a huge surprise.
The end of Catchpenny was different. While the author wrapped up the main storylines (and made Sid face some facts about himself), much remained unanswered. I hope that the author addresses that in a second book.
Many thanks to Knoph, Panteon, Vintage, and Anchor, Vintage, NetGalley, and Charlie Huston for allowing me to read and review this ARC of Catchpenny. All opinions stated in this review are mine.