a strange detective book i read maybe 20 years ago with dwarves and a community where humans are enslaved

[Elliot]

Sadly, I don't remember much more about the book, I read it when I was in my teens or 20s, I just recently described it to someone and they were like what was the book called and I was like I don't remember.

Here's what I vaguely remember about the plot, if somebody knows what it's called I would appreciate it. Basically there is a detective who lives in the human world which is above ground someone is murdered maybe it's a dwarf I don't remember, he ends up having to take the case, there's a "hot female" femme fatale type dwarf who plays his love interest in the book, he ends up having to go underground to the dwarf lands as part of his investigation, where he ends up getting enslaved by the underground dwellers who enslave humans and make the human beings carry them around on their shoulders. humans are also expected to perform for the amusement of their masters. That's all I can remember except that he's somehow escapes and then solves the mystery and returns to above ground.

[David]

Hi, Elliot.

We don't know when you were in your teens, could you translate it to how many years ago?

Any details about the cover?

[Elliot]

i dont know any details about the cover. i am 40 now, so 20-25ish years ago.

i remember there was a whole subplot of human-dwarf relationships being forbidden.