Who killed Ambassador Bloodarrow?

When the Lord of Tarsis finds himself with a politically volatile murder on his hands, he turns to the three most expendable inhabitants of the city of a solution. A mercenary, a poet-assassin, and a thief might not be everyone's first choice for detectives. But they find they're quite good at bringing murderers to justice.

Perhaps a little too good . . . Who killed Ambassador Bloodarrow?

When the Lord of Tarsis finds himself with a politically volatile murder on his hands, he turns to the three most expendable inhabitants of the city of a solution. A mercenary, a poet-assassin, and a thief might not be everyone's first choice for detectives. But they find they're quite good at bringing murderers to justice.

Perhaps a little too good . . .

Murder in Tarsis, the first volume in the Dragonlance Classics series by John Maddox Roberts, offers a departure from the high-fantasy epics typically associated with the Dragonlance world. Instead, it delivers a self-contained mystery wrapped in political intrigue, set against the backdrop of a once-proud city now in steep decline.

The story takes place in the city of Tarsis, which was once a thriving coastal metropolis. However, since the Cataclysm shifted the seas and left the city landlocked, Tarsis has decayed into a shadow of its former self. Its crumbling infrastructure, rotting ships stranded in a dry harbor, and a government teetering on the edge of collapse reflect the moral and political decay within its walls.

When Ambassador Bloodarrow is found murdered, the city’s already fragile political situation threatens to spiral into open conflict. To prevent disaster, the Lord of Tarsis must solve the murder quickly—but cannot trust anyone within his corrupt bureaucracy. Desperate, he turns to three of the city’s most expendable and unlikely residents: Ironwood, a hardened mercenary cursed by a dragon; a mysterious poet-assassin with a hidden past; and a sharp-witted thief who knows the city’s darkest corners.

This mismatched trio is given just five days to solve the murder and uncover the forces seeking to destabilize the city. Their investigation takes them deep into Tarsis’s decaying underbelly, where they encounter smugglers, corrupt guards, political conspirators, and ancient grudges. Along the way, they must face their own past sins and personal demons as they navigate a city that seems determined to devour itself.

The mystery unfolds in a noir-like fashion, with layers of deception, betrayal, and shifting allegiances. Tarsis itself becomes a character—bleak, broken, and unpredictable—providing a gritty stage for a tale of survival and redemption. As the group unravels the conspiracy behind the ambassador’s murder, they find themselves drawn into a larger game, one that could decide the future of the city.

Murder in Tarsis is a rare kind of Dragonlance novel, grounded in urban decay and moral ambiguity rather than quests and dragons. It explores themes of decline, corruption, and the flickering hope of justice in a world that has lost its way. With tightly woven plotlines, flawed but compelling protagonists, and a mystery that keeps the tension high, the book offers a refreshing and thoughtful look at life in Krynn beyond the battlefield and the battlefield hero.