{"product_id":"her-subtle-investigations-9798231523115","title":"Her Subtle Investigations","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eA Tired Blade\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Knife has long been the Warrior Guild's invisible answer to complicated problems-silent, sharp, and gone before her enemies even notice. She loves the work, loves helping people no one else will, but the years of endless travel-of lonely assignments, empty beds, and temporary allies-have worn her thin. Every new mission feels heavier, and Southport's nostalgic foods and familiar heat stir a deeper ache: the yearning not just for a solid home, but for a shared life with someone to whom she's just \u003cem\u003eKia, \u003c\/em\u003e not the Knife...\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eA Collision Course\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eChasing down a string of kidnappings, the Knife crosses paths-and blades-with two surprising Southport natives, both hunting for missing family. Masako wields nature magic with steely fury, but knows almost nothing about Southport's criminal underbelly. Nukunya carries an encyclopedic knowledge of the city along with a dry wit that cuts as deep as any blade. After a violent first meeting the trio form an uneasy alliance, then a true team as their search leads them closer to their quarry... and each other...\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eA Branching Path\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePinned down and hiding out in a brothel's back room, the Knife finds the lines between partnership, friendship, and romance blurring. Southport-and the people in it-has started to feel dangerously like home, but the Knife's Guild assignments never let her stay anywhere for long. With duty pulling her to one path and the temptation of Masako and Nukunya pulling her to another, she'll have to decide: Is it time to walk away again, or finally lay down roots?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eGale, Scarlett:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - \u003cp\u003eScarlett Gale is the author of \u003cem\u003eThe Warrior's Guild\u003c\/em\u003e series and the fairy-tale retelling \u003cem\u003eRed, the Wolf, and the Woods.\u003c\/em\u003e Long ago, under another name, she was the co-author of Needles and Artifice (Cooperative Press; 2012), featuring a rollicking romantic steampunk adventure novella and associated knitting patterns, of which she also designed several. She writes and produces fringe theatre plays based on B-movies, such as \u003cem\u003eBodacious Barbarian Babes vs. The Indigo Empress\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eShowgirls of Beast Island\u003c\/em\u003e. She is a co-producer of the Alison-Bechdel-approved \u003cem\u003eBechdel Test Burlesque\u003c\/em\u003e, which in 2017 was included in the Women and Gender Studies curriculum at the University of Oregon. She lives in Seattle with her wife where she gardens, knits, reads, and drinks warm beverages. Unsurprisingly, she also has cats.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Unnatural Redhead Creations","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51615531467026,"sku":"9798231523115","price":22.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_382014f2-d5ad-4213-9419-3f35c65463f1.jpg?v=1758101536","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/her-subtle-investigations-9798231523115","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}