Folks there are reasons I own every book Brust has written.

In the spirit of Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, a solid Swords n Sorcery backdrop - but essentially the tale of good guy, as screwed up and conflicted as the rest of us trying to get by in a rough and weird town.

Lot of Andre Dumas! Raymond Chandler / Dashiell Hammett sprinkled around, maybe a hint of Rex Stout.