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Servant of the Muses
Jake Conrad is a two-bit detective in the city by the bay. For twenty dollars a day - plus expenses - he'll take your case. When his assistant Clio vanishes one foggy San Francisco morning, Jake finds himself on his hardest case yet. A mysterious redhead wants Clio found, but some people want to make sure she stays lost forever. Everyone's got a motive, and everyone's playing their own game. If Jake can't figure it out, his hero's journey may be over before it begins in this noir mythical mystery.
74 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 10, 2012
4 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 18, 2025
This novella was reviewed during the first round of SFINCS3.
This review may contain minor spoilers.
Worldbuilding: I'll admit that I don't often read stories inspired by Greek mythos and it's not my preferred form of fantasy (outside of when I devoured the Percy Jackson series in middle school). But in spite of my lack of knowledge, I thought the inclusion of the muses and some background information about various Greek gods made for an interesting twist on a classic noir mystery.
Emotions: This story didn't evoke a ton of emotions in me, but it was a very fun read! I did appreciate Jake's genuine concern for Clio as the investigation to find her progresses. Though he had unknowingly bound her to himself, it was clear that he cared deeply about her. I think for some the climax would definitely be emotional, but I didn't quite make a strong enough connection to the characters.
Intrigue: White crafted a very interesting mystery with a twist I genuinely didn't see coming (but thought was well planned out). I've also never read a noir greek mythology mystery and I think it makes for a very unique and fun story.
Relationships: The relationship between Jake and Erato didn't quite hit for me. I know that she's the muse of passion/love but Jake's constant lusting after her and describing her body left a somewhat sour taste in my mouth. I did find the relationship between the three muses we meet in this story to be interesting (Erato, Clio, and Urania). White does a good job at depicting the messy family dynamics of greek gods.
Descriptions: This is the aspect where this story shines the brightest. White has perfectly captured the feel of a classic noir mystery, from the way Jake speaks, to the types of villains he faces, to the metaphors use, this story is absolutely steeped in the heavy smoke and whiskey of a good noir mystery.
Engagement: The pacing of this story was very well done. Jake picks up on clues at just the right times, there's a few dramatic show downs with some minor villains sprinkled in throughout to keep the tension high, and the final clue slots into place at just the right moment.
Final thoughts: I enjoyed reading this novella and thought the execution of blending the two genres to be well done.If you like greek mythology and noir mysteries, this is the perfect combination of the two.
This review may contain minor spoilers.
Worldbuilding: I'll admit that I don't often read stories inspired by Greek mythos and it's not my preferred form of fantasy (outside of when I devoured the Percy Jackson series in middle school). But in spite of my lack of knowledge, I thought the inclusion of the muses and some background information about various Greek gods made for an interesting twist on a classic noir mystery.
Emotions: This story didn't evoke a ton of emotions in me, but it was a very fun read! I did appreciate Jake's genuine concern for Clio as the investigation to find her progresses. Though he had unknowingly bound her to himself, it was clear that he cared deeply about her. I think for some the climax would definitely be emotional, but I didn't quite make a strong enough connection to the characters.
Intrigue: White crafted a very interesting mystery with a twist I genuinely didn't see coming (but thought was well planned out). I've also never read a noir greek mythology mystery and I think it makes for a very unique and fun story.
Relationships: The relationship between Jake and Erato didn't quite hit for me. I know that she's the muse of passion/love but Jake's constant lusting after her and describing her body left a somewhat sour taste in my mouth. I did find the relationship between the three muses we meet in this story to be interesting (Erato, Clio, and Urania). White does a good job at depicting the messy family dynamics of greek gods.
Descriptions: This is the aspect where this story shines the brightest. White has perfectly captured the feel of a classic noir mystery, from the way Jake speaks, to the types of villains he faces, to the metaphors use, this story is absolutely steeped in the heavy smoke and whiskey of a good noir mystery.
Engagement: The pacing of this story was very well done. Jake picks up on clues at just the right times, there's a few dramatic show downs with some minor villains sprinkled in throughout to keep the tension high, and the final clue slots into place at just the right moment.
Final thoughts: I enjoyed reading this novella and thought the execution of blending the two genres to be well done.If you like greek mythology and noir mysteries, this is the perfect combination of the two.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 14, 2018
I really enjoyed this bit of Mythological/Hard Boiled fun. Brad A. White has a great voice for the post-WWII, hard bitten detective, and the blending of mythological elements is handled surprisingly well. I have to admit, I snagged this on a whim, trying to support some independent authors. I wasn't really expecting much and I was iffy on the subject. But I liked it a lot, and I'm definitely going to check out more. The book is short, but it's tight and well crafted. Highly recommended.
January 28, 2021
You won't want to myth this!
A literal inspiration!
The language is more luscious than seduction incarnate.
Follow our Ulysses investigator, Jake, battle mystery and myth.
A literal inspiration!
The language is more luscious than seduction incarnate.
Follow our Ulysses investigator, Jake, battle mystery and myth.
December 21, 2025
I read this novella as part of round 1 of the SFiNCS3 contest. I am withholding my rating until after the round is complete. My review is honest and my opinions are mine.
Servant of The Muses is the noir detective story of a hard working gumshoe living in San Francisco who finds himself embroiled in a kidnapping case involving the Muses of Ancient Greece, Nazis and ultimately the vengeance of the Furies. A short novella, I found it unputdownable.
Unbeknownst to him, Jake Conrad has invoked the Muse of History, Clio and enslaved her to work for him as his secretary. When she goes missing and her sister, Erato, the Muse of Love comes to Jake for help, his world gets turned upside down as his baser instincts kick in, provoked by a goddess whose existence is meant to inspire love. The stereotypical pairing of a middle aged private detective and a drop-dead gorgeous client with curves to die for was compelling and the case became more and more interesting as the story progressed. I really enjoyed the melding of the detective noir genre with well-known characters from Greek mythology.
Servant of The Muses is the noir detective story of a hard working gumshoe living in San Francisco who finds himself embroiled in a kidnapping case involving the Muses of Ancient Greece, Nazis and ultimately the vengeance of the Furies. A short novella, I found it unputdownable.
Unbeknownst to him, Jake Conrad has invoked the Muse of History, Clio and enslaved her to work for him as his secretary. When she goes missing and her sister, Erato, the Muse of Love comes to Jake for help, his world gets turned upside down as his baser instincts kick in, provoked by a goddess whose existence is meant to inspire love. The stereotypical pairing of a middle aged private detective and a drop-dead gorgeous client with curves to die for was compelling and the case became more and more interesting as the story progressed. I really enjoyed the melding of the detective noir genre with well-known characters from Greek mythology.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews