Blondes, Books, and Bourbon: A White Dragon Black Anthology

White Dragon Black

by R.M. Ridley

In this collection of short stories, Jonathan Alvey continues to battle the unraveling world of the White Dragon Black.

Interview: A rare sit-down with paranormal private investigator Jonathan Alvey.

The Play’s the Thing: When a blonde woman shows up in Alvey’s office, seeking protection, he uncovers more than a murder attempt.

The Cost of Custody: Alvey helps estranged parents rescue their daughter from a terrible fate.

Sins of the Father: A pawn shop owner risks it all by asking Alvey to recover property that is more than meets the eye.

Legerdelivre: There’s nowhere Richard Tomlin can hide when it comes to the controlling powers of a dusty grimoire, but can Alvey truly help him?

What a Nightmare: Little old ladies do deceive, and secretaries come dear, in Jonathan Alvey’s office.

Do As I Say, Not As I Did: Alvey must air a CEO’s dirty laundry before a company ghost destroys too much.

The Ties That Bind: Can Alvey control a poltergeist and maintain his promise to not fall victim to the Dragon Black?

Bindings and Spines: A first chapter sneak peek of the second White Dragon Black novel.

200 pages, Paperback

First published March 13, 2015

About the author

R. M. Ridley lives in Ontario, Canada and, from his front porch, can see the middle of nowhere. His yard is filled with fowl and, despite having a green thumb, not much else.
Married to a woman patient enough to listen about plot ideas over morning coffee, he is truly blessed. He carries a flashlight with him to the bathroom as to not trip over when his St. Bernard who always sleeps in the most inconvenient places, and to avoid the four cats who fling themselves between his legs, for the shear joy of watching him fail his arms wildly against gravity.
Currently, R. M. Ridley is working on writing the sixth novel in the White Dragon Black world, and has a few short stories in various states of completion making him feel guilty that they are unfinished.
When not writing a fictional world, Ridley lives in one, by being a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism – a historical recreation group. His hobby with-in this hobby, is spending time building calluses on his fingers, in the hopes of producing pretty things for people to wear. Never satisfied with really knowing how to do one thing, when he can know a little of everything, he flings himself into new challenges constantly. He has never quite mastered the following skills; blacksmithing, bone carving, jewelry making, and lapidary work – and is still looking for more things he can dabble in.
The SCA also helps allow Ridley try to keep a physical a shape that isn’t pear. He accomplishes this by spending a number of hours every week, widely flailing a rapier about, picturing himself as D’Artagnan while appearing more as a ten year old with a stick. But the sound of steel clashing on steel gets his blood pumping and, with a sword in one hand, and a dagger in the other, there is always a wide grin on his face.
To those who call Ridley an escapist from reality – he has only one response, ‘From what?’ Reality isn’t always kind to Ridley, as he suffers from severe bipolar disorder – that is thankfully well controlled due to proper medication. R. M. Ridley believes wholeheartedly in being open about his mental health issues because myths should be kept to stories.

Reviews

[Heena Rathore Rathore-Pardeshi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

PLOT | STORY
B3 is an anthology with some great stories and experiences of one of my favourite protagonist, Mr. Jonathan Alvey, a private investigator who is also a magic practitioner. I loved this book even more than Mr. Ridley’s previous one, Tomorrow Wendell, which BTW is also about Jonathan Alvey and is super awesome! I absolutely loved all the stories and will re-read them very soon (yes, it’s that good!) All the stories are unique and adventurous. They are sure to give any reader an ultimate paranormal-high. There are a lot of new monsters, magical-books and unique concepts that’ll keep you gripped to the very end. What really impressed me is that Mr. Ridley has used so many different languages and religious signs for spells, that it makes the reader feel that all this is real and there’s actually a science behind all the magic used by Jonathan Alvey.

Characters
Like his last book, Mr. Ridley has created something more than just a likeable character, he’s created a character sensation. Jonathan Alvey is an extremely well developed and an amazingly crafted character. His moods, his attitude, his problems, his dislikes, his paranoia, his sufferings, his system for using magic (like his bag which he always carries in his car) and his procedure whenever a new client comes in (the silver cigarette case), as a reader I know them all. I’ve become really attached to Jonathan Alvey and I’m waiting eagerly for Mr. Ridley next book. For me Jonathan Alvey, as a character, is at par with Bilbo Baggins. All this really shows the amount of hard-work the author has put in.

Kills
Kills were moderate in this book. One monster-kill for each story, which was only fair for our one-man-army! I really liked the way Alvey killed those monsters, always in a new way using hell loads of different magical techniques and more often than not pure common sense!

Writing
Mr. Ridley’s writing is really simple and amazingly relatable. No unwanted fancy words, which for me is really good writing. Though while reading the book I leaned a lot of new and impressive magical words for magic-books and monsters. The flow of sentences was really good and overall it was a nice and easy read. For me it was a “cozy mystery.”

Beginning
This book began perfectly with an interview of Jonathan Alvey. If you’ve read Tomorrow Wendell, then you’ll know why it is so. The interview couldn’t have been better and is the perfect example of what Mr. Ridley’s refers to as his creative muse! (hehehe! What say Mr. Ridley?) The first story was a great start to such an awesome book. It’ll grip you right from the start. The pace of the book in the beginning is good, which continues till the ending.

Ending
The ending was also great. I really liked it. The only thing I didn’t like was, WHY THE HELL DID IT END! I would have enjoyed a couple of more stories (even more than that) and even those wouldn’t have been enough! I’m eagerly waiting for Mr. Ridley’s next.

Blurb
There’s no blurb for this book yet as I received an ARC (Advance Reader’s Copy). Will fill this section once the book is released.

Cover Art
I loved the cover art and in one word, it is simply AWESOME!

Read the original review at The Reading Bud

[Hellvis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since reading Tomorrow Wendell , I've been fascinated with R.M. Ridley's Jonathan Alvey, and his unique brand of magic - his unique everything in fact, from the bleak depravity of New Hades, to the myriad characters dwelling deep within its ghoulish core.

Oh to be a fly on the wall of Alvey's office! To see what transpires within his private sanctum of sacred texts, scrolls, skulls, and whiskey. But what if you could do one better? What if you could dip into Alvey's very brain? Not just for a day, but for an entire week?

Welcome to Blondes, Books, and Bourbon, or, as you could call it, a week in the life of Jonathan Alvey.

Beginning with Interview, Alvey's caustic personality and lack of patience for the inane, along with his distaste for unwelcome prying comes through loud and clear as Interview raises more questions than it gives answers.

The Play's the Thing is a twisting tale of double-crossing, manipulation, and extravagant lies, reintroducing us to one of Alvey's old enemies. If you've not yet read Tomorrow Wendell,

The Play's the Thing is a great introduction to some of Alvey's allies, and the complexities of the magic he wields.
In The Cost of Custody Alvey's hopes for a mundane explanation go unfulfilled, and we learn that sometimes, blood is the only currency.

Sins of the Father is packed full of Voodoo, and ancient curses - in R.M. Ridley's writing, there is always a strong theme of balance - every action has a price, sometimes you choose to pay it, sometimes you don't, but it's there, and that price can trancend generations. Sins of the Father demonstrates Alvey's willing to skirt around morals in order to do what is expected of him, while reaching a resolution which is as painless as possible for those involved.

Legerdelivre is straight up creepy, mainly because it's hard to find something that will make Jonathan Alvey balk, but he's not infallible, and balk he does. Nevertheless, magic is a powerful thing, and cannot be allowed to fall in to the wrong hands.

What a Nightmare is exactly that - both literally, and figuratively. Alvey's finally got himself a replacement secretary, but keeping her in his offices and out of his business is going to be, well, a nightmare!

Do As I Say, Not As I Did - that's something we've all heard from our parents, right? See, pur parents have been there, done that, and they have the power of hindsight. Sometimes though, the lessons they try to impart get lost in translation, or fall on deaf ears even with the greatest of persistence.

The Ties That Bind once again harks back to Tomorrow Wendell, and Alvey's friend, Mary. There always seems to be a slight suggestion that there could be more between them, if only each of them would change, because there's a connection there which hints at more than friendship, and sometimes, a connection like that can save your life. In The Ties That Bind, the stakes are high, and no one will emerge unscathed from this battle without paying a toll of some kind.

In the midst of sometimes crooked morals, Jonathan once again displays the humanity he could so easily discard. Alvey, it seems, is willing to pay the ultimate price.

Another 5 out of 5 for R.M. Ridley

[P.S. Winn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing read, although short stories, all the stories are linked through Mr. Jonathon Alvey and this is a unique collection that reads like an amazing novel. The reader follows Private investigator Alvey as he takes on paranormal cases. I won't go into each one but just know they are interesting and compelling cases that will have the reader glued to this amazing anthology. I love all the different paranormal characters in the book and private investigator Jonathon Alvey is a bit paranormal himself and a character everyone will want to hear more from. This is an amazing book and the author has done a wonderful job creating a special story. Believe me this is a do not miss story! Great job!

[Maddalena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from the author, in exchange for an honest review.

Having greatly enjoyed the first book of the White Dragon Black series, I was thrilled when the author contacted me to read and review this short story collection: in my review about Tomorrow Wendell I wrote about the many shadowed corners of this world I would have liked to explore, and this looked like the perfect opportunity to do so.

The tone of this collection starts in a somewhat lighter note than the first novel, at least judging by the Q&A interview with Jonathan Alvey himself: a fun, irreverent exchange of sentences that had me laughing out loud in many places. Given the darker mood of Tomorrow Wendell, this was a welcome change of pace, even though I later discovered that the vein of the individual stories goes from the light and humorous to the darkly dramatic, with many in-between nuances touching on different subjects like voodoo and message-delivering zombies or haunted houses hiding dangerous secrets.

The first story has a marked noir feel, with Alvey’s narrative recalling the voice-overs of genre movies and the arrival of a darkly alluring lady with a mysterious agenda completing the picture: this tale does not lack humor, though, and carries on in the playful tone of the introductory interview, leaving some threads hanging for what might be a continuation of the events in the future.

The illusion of lightness does not last long, though, since the second tale veers in a different direction, starting with a distraught and weeping father and continuing with a kidnapped child. There is no room for fun in a story where ghouls and blood are involved and in this one I had to re-assess my vision of the city of New Hades, especially in the description of the worst part of town where Alvey and the kidnapped child’s father go to retrieve the little girl: “where [..] dead men eked out a life stealing the dreams washed into the gutters (…) There, you stop to taunt death or dump the body”. That’s when I realized that not even the better parts of New Hades are left untouched by the darkness that lurks in every corner, from the evil glimpsed in the periphery of one's vision: they might look cleaner, more ordered and peaceful, but they are not safe.

New Hades is both fascinating and scary, and I keep picturing it in my mind as a black and white background (again the comparison with noir movies from the ‘40s comes to the fore), a place where the days are short and nights last longer, a place where rain falls harder and the cold seeps right through your bones. What’s interesting is the way that magic has infiltrated the very fabric of the city, popping up in the most unlikely places, as it happens in one of the stories where a powerfully dangerous grimoire appears in the public library: that’s what makes New Hades so fascinating, because the events that involve Alvey and his clients give the city a Twilight-Zone-like quality that makes it unique.

Yet it’s in this kind of circumstance that Jonathan Alvey shines through, with his determination to save the innocents and those who can’t defend themselves, with his willingness to pay any price, no matter how steep, to succeed in his mission. That’s what made me like him in the first book and what reinforced that feeling in this one.

Jonathan Alvey is indeed a peculiar character wearing an outer shell of cynicism that hides his true nature: he’s more similar to the proverbial knight in shining armor than to the scruffy, heavily drinking and smoking individual the world sees. The price he pays for practicing magic is a costly one – addiction in the truest sense of the world, and a slow but certain erosion of his life force – but he’s prepared to pay it if it means keeping the world safe from the terrible things most people are unable to perceive or see.

At some point, someone asks him: “You really think you can save the world?”, to which Alvey replies: “No—just one person a day.” This is indeed Alvey in a nutshell – a person whose measure is given not by what meets the eye, but by the profound respect and care he enjoys from those he has befriended or helped. These people are the mirror that reflects the right image, the truest nature of this peculiar man.

I will certainly welcome more from this background and this character.


https://spaceandsorcery.wordpress.com...

[TC Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a certain special place in my heart reserved for detective fiction, and as such I jumped at the opportunity to get my hands on an advanced copy of RM Ridley’s new White Dragon Black Anthology, his latest addition to the growing case files of his paranormal PI Jonathon Alvey. Brooding, cantankerous, and so deeply flawed he’s almost on the verge of shattering completely, Alvey is a fantastic homage to the hardboiled detective fiction of old with a fresh insertion of the mystical and arcane.

Conjuring images of rot-gut bourbon, duplicitous dames and dangerous foes, Ridley manages to channel some of the best traditions left over from the old school of detective fiction, long before the current obsession with forensic scientists, psychoanalytic profilers and savant anthropologists polished the genre to a fine gloss and (sadly) caused it to lose its trademark, rust-pitted edge. Thankfully Alvey, however, is detective made purely of rust-pitted edges, the kind of man more content to have a beer for breakfast and leave his office unlocked to save him having to pay for the repairs caused those seeking to break in. What truly sets Alvey apart though, is his unique field of expertise. A practitioner of the arcane arts, Alvey’s typical case load involves a hefty amount of hex and spell work, along with dealing with the odd reanimated corpse, poltergeist and mysterious tome. And amongst all of this, the biggest danger Ridley has made his character face is his insatiable addiction to the magic he barely controls – an addiction Ridley potently describes as making “heroin look like chewable children’s aspirin”.

Full of intrigue, danger and bleak humour – the stories in Blondes, Books and Bourbon not only expand on the world Ridley introduced us to in his debut novel Tomorrow Wendell, but rather supersede it. To me, detective fiction has always been best captured in the form of the short story, and I relished the opportunity to learn more of Alvey in this format. Whilst I’m excited to see more of Ridley’s PI in his forthcoming second novel, I also sincerely hope to see more of Alvey in future anthologies – to me the short story is where he really shines.

Overall a great read, particularly suited to be enjoyed on a dark night with a cheap bourbon sloshed into a dirty coffee cup.
I whole heartedly rate this anthology five fingers of the finest, cheap bourbon you can stomach.

[Penny · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the editor-in-chief of Xchyler Publishing, I refrain from giving star ratings, as a general rule. I prefer readers to be confident that the ratings on any one of our books are from honest and unbiased sources. While that is true of all my reviews, including this one, with the White Dragon Black series, the spot-on work of R. M. Ridley, I feel well justified in adding the weight of stars to my public reviews. The following is an excerpt of my review. The full review can be found at http://bit.ly/1Boeg4T.

I don't do horror. It's just not my thing. Almost universally, after a few pages of quasi-effort, I put the book down and step away. However, Ridley's skill in all these areas make his work a temptation not to be resisted.

However, Ridley's stories in the White Dragon Black universe are more about his protagonist, Jonathan Alvey, and his battle with his own inner demons than they are about the smorgasbord of pantheons from which he draws Alvey's enemies. His acerbic wit and black humor laces his writing and his meticulous attention to detail bespeaks hours of extensive research. This, and his deft hand with the gory bits, make the WDB world feel real.

In "The Cost of Custody," the first story that introduced me to Ridley's creation, Alvey is hired by a father whose estranged wife abruptly denies him access to his daughter. Classic private detective work, but Alvey is a student of the human condition and realizes this is more than a simple custody case (or a simple divorce). He prepares for the worst before ever leaving his office, and ultimately his perceptions pay off.

Ridley continues on this vein throughout the Blondes, Books & Bourbon. Each story presents its own unique problems, its own unique and unexpected beastie to vanquish—or at least contain—and its own human monster to put in their place. There is not a story in this collection I would not hardily recommend. Indeed, the WDB series is one that helps bolster Xchyler's reputation as publishers of quality work.

Bottom Line:
Ridley's turn of phrase is as refreshing and unexpected as the foes his protagonist battles. His perceptions into human nature and his ability to bring them out in his writing make him a talent to watch. This is just the beginning of a stellar career.

[Jane Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

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This anthology is the first book I have read in the White Dragon Black series. I instantly liked the main character Jonathan Alvey and soon became fascinated in his extraordinary life.
An interview with Jonathan sets the scene perfectly for new readers. Linked short stories follow, the first is nostalgic and reminiscent of a private eye detective story but with an interesting paranormal twist. The remaining stories are progressively dark, full of magic and supernatural characters and incidents.
Jonathan Alvey is a complex character, whose cynical sense of humour makes amusing reading and provides necessary light against the background of dark adventures he participates in. Through Jonathan's experience, the reader meets many disturbing creatures in a realistic way. I easily imagined what they would look like and the world created is vivid and believable.
These stories do not glamorise magic and supernatural skills, Alvey suffers greatly for his gift, the fact he perseveres makes him a worthy protagonist.
These stories give the noir detective story an interesting contemporary twist and will interest lovers of mystery and the paranormal.
I received a copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.

R.M. Ridley

[Matt Ely · Rating 5 out of 5]

original review @ JC's Book Haven.

"Uh-huh." She nodded her head, dabbed her eyes. "Or maybe..." Her eyes flicked away. "Or maybe it was cursed."
"Cursed." Cursed milk was a new one for Jonathan. He'd run into cursed books, remains, rooms, and even once a silk tie, but milk -- not so far. "Go on."

The Good

Ok so I want to start out by saying I have a strong dislike for short stories in general. But I really enjoyed the time I spent with each one of these. Alvey is an awesome main protagonist that is easy to get along with and root for. Well, unless your his secretary, but hey it's more the weird shit then Alvey that drives them off. I never felt lost reading these stories, and I was never just wanting to get onto the next one either. I can honestly say I like each and every one of them. Even if you haven't read Tomorrow Wendell you'll have no problem keeping up or getting to know Alvey.

The Bad

I have no complaints. I'm really looking forward to more Alvey stories.

The Romance

There is one story in which Mary is involved. If you read Tomorrow Wendell, you'll know she is the closest thing he has to a romantic relationship. His magic use, being their biggest obstacle. She hates the toll it takes on him but he refuses to stop helping people.

Conclusion

If you like magic and the supernatural in your stories, then Blondes, Books, and Bourbon: A White Dragon Black Anthology is for you. If you've never really tried out a detective story, then this is the one I would recommend finding out with. Great writing, amazing characters and fun yet creepy new monsters you don't normally run into.

[Galit Balli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely love it.

Blondes, Books and Bourbon is a collection of wonderful stories. Mr. Alvey is a private investigator who is also a magic practitioner. I loved all the stories and I love the writing style of the author as well.

The author introduces us to new and unique creatures, spells and the overall magical uses. Ridley made the world, the characters and the overall magic in such a real way, which made me feel extremely immersed into the book more than other paranormal books out there.

The author’s (Ridley) writing style is so relatable and fun. The simple things and characters are shown in the stories in such a unique way that you know that this is Ridley’s style.

Mr. Alvey is such a well written main character, that I truly enjoyed his attitude and how he deals with the problems he faces. Even the magic and the way Mr. Alvey uses it makes Mr. Alvey even more unique and exciting to follow.

From the beginning you get really invested in the character, the story (stories) and from there on you are all in ;) The book ends in a very satisfying way, but you are still left with the feeling of “I want more”.

From the beautiful cover, the well written characters and the wonderfully told stories, the book leaves you wanting more – much more!

Thank you so much for reading <3
Read at: coffeennotes.wordpress.com

[Danielle Shipley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC of the collection in exchange for a read and review of one of the stories therein. Jonathan Alvey and I have crossed paths before, via his adventures in the “Shades and Shadows” and “Legends and Lore” anthologies. In BBB’s “Legerdelivre”, I hover by our magic-wielding detective’s shoulder, sharing his impatience for his latest client to spit out exactly what’s got him so spooked. Turns out, it’s a particularly evil book of spells, along with an aggressive antagonist who wants the book for himself. With some professional know-how, evocative turns of phrase, and the obligatory cigarettes and alcohol, Alvey just might be able to get his hapless client out of a bind – provided the grimoire’s sick power doesn’t take them both down.

And because I’m a compulsive overachiever, I couldn’t resist reading another of BBB’s offerings: “The Interview”. An anonymous reporter sits down with Alvey to get the scoop on his professional and private lives. It’s a super quick dialogue (with fluctuating levels of cooperation on the detective’s part), so there’s little I can tell you without giving it all away. Let’s just say that by the end, the line of questioning took quite a turn.

Fans of Ty Burdin (Beasts of Burdin), Laslo Kane (Fallen on Good Times), and other private investigators up to their necks in the paranormal, the White Dragon Black series is for you.

[Shelly Hammond · Rating 5 out of 5]

These short stories are absolutely terrific! If you like detective stories, especially of the paranormal kind, you should get yourself this book right now because it's really good.

All of these stories are based on Jonathan Alvey, detective extraordinaire of the things that go bump in the night or will eat your face and spit you out then eat it again! He's a pretty cool guy even if he does like a little bourbon in between, during, and after his jobs. In these short stories you meet a handful of well written characters including clients and unearthly baddies that will have you excitedly turning the pages wanting to know what could possibly happen next. The author does an exceptional job of bringing each and every character to life with their very own distinct personalities and issues that go beyond the regular everyday issues (hopefully) most of us face.

I really enjoyed this book of short stories and am anxious to read other books by this author (since this was the first I'd read thus far). Great book!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a short story anthology of the White Dragon Black series that I had the privilege to devour in advance. A must-read for any WDB fans! Ridley opened this anthology with an interview that will make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up and an even bigger reaction in your brain to continue on reading.
If you haven’t read the first book in the series, Tomorrow Wendell, you’ll still enjoy this collection and get to know Jonathan Alvey, as well as a few other recurring characters. If you HAVE read Tomorrow Wendell, then you already know Alvey and can expect all of his quirks you’ve grown to love! Of all of the shorts in here, The Ties That Bind is my personal favorite. In this story, more so than the others, you get a great sense of what the White Dragon Black truly means by Ridley’s vivid descriptions. He also brings in one of my other favorite characters, Mary. Included at the end of this anthology is the first chapter of the second book in the series, Bindings & Spines.

[A.F. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blondes, Books and Bourbon, is a gritty, witty, and downright entertaining series of short stories. The character of Jonathan Alvey, and indeed the whole White Dragon Black series, reads as if the author mixed Harry Dresden and Phillip Marlowe in an acid bath and then etched the page in the peerless prose that resulted.
The stories in the anthology vary in tone and temperament, some irreverent and funny like What a Nightmare (which reminded me a bit of a slapstick comedy), others darker and more foreboding such as The Cost of Custody, or The Ties That Bind. I enjoyed this anthology greatly, and every enchanting story was a treat to read. In addition, there’s a fun character interview with a twist, and a tantalizing sneak peek at the next novel the White Dragon Black series. I highly recommend Blondes, Books and Bourbon.

[Andrew Hess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sins of the Father was a new take on the classic private investigator story. Alvey tends to take on cases that go from strange to the seemingly bizarre, and this case was no different. He was brought on to investigate a burglary where a rare and mysterious set of cufflinks have been stolen from a pawn shop.



I thought Sins of the Father was a good stand alone story, but felt that there could have been a lot more added to really make the story stand out. The dialogue felt genuine to the plot, the characters and to the setting. However, I felt that the story itself was too short. I would have preferred a bit longer and for the P.I. to check into one or more suspects before zeroing in on the culprit.

[Galit Balli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review will come soon :)