ARC Review: A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett

A Trade of Blood
Author: Robert Jackson Bennett
Series: Ana and Din (Book 3)
Publication: Del Rey (August 4, 2026)

Description: Detective Ana Dolabra must prove a condemned man’s innocence and confront a terrifying magical technology in this fantasy-mystery from the bestselling author of The Tainted Cup, winner of the Hugo and World Fantasy awards.

The heir to one of the Empire’s most powerful families sits in jail, accused of murder. His hands are covered in the victim’s blood, and he can neither deny his guilt nor explain his actions.

But if the great detective Ana Dolabra cannot save him from the noose, the farming canton of Sapirdad will explode into war, threatening to plunge the whole Empire into starvation and chaos.

As Ana investigates—her assistant Dinios Kol, as ever, acting as her eyes and ears—she fears her task is even more daunting than it seemed. For this murder is just the latest in a deeper, subtler web of death, woven by a mastermind with an ancient weapon at his disposal.

With their customary skill, Ana and Din pursue their adversary through the canton’s wild ranges, sprawling ranches, and reeking slaughterhouses. Yet even they are not prepared to learn the horrifying secret behind their opponent’s powers.

My Thoughts: Ana and Din's next case takes them into the third ring to investigate a murder that could lead to a revolt. It's a Romeo and Juliet kind of thing. The only remaining heir to one of the great agricultural families is found running away from a room where the daughter of the other major family lies butchered. 

The boy says he doesn't remember what happened and Ana and Din believe him. As they investigate, they find that a number of other deaths in the boy's family were also suspicious. The more they look into things the more confusing things get for Din. It seems a common agricultural tool which compels cat-like creatures to harvest crops seems to have been adapted to make humans also compelled to do things - like commit murder.

This fantasy mystery is set in a well-developed fantasy world. I enjoyed both the mystery and the world it was set in. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy copy here.