"A wonderful paranormal private investigative tale"

After being given crap cases that she felt were below her talent, witch Rachel Morgan broke the cardinal rule by resigning from the human managed federal government's Inderland Security. EEO and merit promotion fail when it comes to the glass ceiling for witches and other assorted ilk. Rachel opens up a firm with Jenks the Pixie and Ivy Tamwood the ill-tempered Vampire, but though she loves the independence worries about the rent.

Her former agency contracts out an assignment to Rachel. In Cincinnati, a serial killer is murdering witches, which makes Rachel the perfect witch to stop the culprit. The preliminary evidence points towards Trent Kalamack, who would cherish feeding his black magical soul with the prowess of his victims. With her helpers not much help as Ivy still needs to cut her teeth and Jenk is stuck in polyester and her boyfriend is tied up with demons that he conjures up, Rachel patrols the night by herself knowing that she risks her life to stop an evil from feeding on her sisters.

This sequel to the delightful DEAD WITCH WALKING is a wonderful paranormal private investigative tale that in many ways will remind readers of the works of Kelly Armstrong and Charlaine Harris. The story line is terrific as Kim Harrison displays insider knowledge to the workings of a bureaucracy when they force Rachel to quit, but hire her back as a contractor for more money and full use of her skills. The key to the tale is the cast who will turn believers of skeptics that vampires, pixies, witches, and an assortment of other supernatural beings exist. That is the magic of Kim Harrison.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted February 1, 2005

Summary

It's a tough life for witch Rachel Morgan, sexy, independent bounty hunter, prowling the darkest shadows of downtown Cincinnati for criminal creatures of the night.

She can handle the leather-clad vamps and even tangle with a cunning demon or two. But a serial killer who feeds on the experts in the most dangerous kind of black magic is definitely pressing the limits.

Confronting an ancient, implacable evil is more than just child's play -- and this time, Rachel will be lucky to escape with her very soul.