A Terrible Fall of Angels (Zaniel Havelock #1), By Laurell K. Hamilton ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, LGBTQ, Mystery, Religion, Romance, Supernatural Fiction, Suspense, Urban Fantasy

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest honest review.

Release Date: August 17th, 2021

560 Pages

Synopsis: Angels walk among us, but so do other unearthly beings in this brand new series by #1 New York Times Bestselling author Laurell K. Hamilton.

Meet Detective Zaniel Havelock, a man with the special ability to communicate directly with angels. A former trained Angel speaker, he devoted his life to serving both the celestial beings and his fellow humans with his gift, but a terrible betrayal compelled him to leave that life behind. Now he’s a cop who is still working on the side of angels. But where there are angels, there are also demons. There’s no question that there’s evil at work when he’s called in to examine the murder scene of a college student—but is it just the evil that one human being can do to another, or is it something more? When demonic possession is a possibility, even angelic protection can only go so far. The race is on to stop a killer before he finds his next victim, as Zaniel is forced to confront his own very personal demons, and the past he never truly left behind.

The first in a new series from the author of the Anita Blake and Merry Gentry series. (Goodreads)

Way back in 1993 a friend recommended the first Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter book, Guilty Pleasures, and I was immediately hooked. That is until several books later when the series grew more and more into soft porn featuring way too many orgies, which turned me off completely. I haven’t been tempted to pick up a Laurell K. Hamilton book for years, but then I began hearing some rumors about this new series she was working on about angels, and even better, early reviews were overwhelmingly positive. So, I took a deep breath, contacted the publisher and requested an eARC, and I’m thrilled to say after reading A Terrible Fall of Angels that LKH is BACK!

My main critique concerns the massive amount of information and world building relayed here, especially in the first half of the book. Added into this heady mix is the introduction to a large cast of characters. Needless to say it slows things down a little as you acclimate yourself to a world with deities, angels, demons, and other magical and supernatural creatures. But it’s worth reading through everything, because in my opinion, this storyline and its disparate cast of characters are better than even the early Anita Blake books. Zaniel is a fabulous hero, who as a creation of Hamilton is of course a kick-ass gorgeous tough guy, but he’s got a sweet vulnerable side as well. While he’s dealing with angels and demons, etc… he’s also trying to save his marriage and reunite with his estranged wife Reggie and three-year-old son. Although some of Zaniel’s background is revealed, including a little of his childhood in the cultish College of Angels and what caused him to leave it, I’m looking forward to learning even more in subsequent novels. The same is true of all the characters. There are so many of them and while we get a brief introduction to each and their backgrounds (Zaniel’s lieutenant is a voodoo priest, another character is a wiccan priestess and so on), I’m craving more.

The main focus of this first book though is setting up this fantastical world and balancing that with an intriguing, exciting, and at times, somewhat gruesome mystery involving a demon serial killer. Despite some of the less action-filled parts of the book, I was completely enthralled and found myself increasingly reluctant to pull myself away when real life intruded. Despite it being well over 500 pages, I easily finished this in two days and was a tad disappointed when I came to the end. I am excitedly looking forward to the second book.

For readers who, like me, gave up on Hamilton due to the overwhelming sexcapades that eclipsed everything else in her books, I urge you to give her another chance and pick up A Terrible Fall of Angels. For anyone new to her storytelling, this is a wonderful and imaginative introduction to a world filled with wondrous beings, where it’s not always discernible exactly which side is the right one. I will be shocked if this doesn’t make it to the top of the bestseller lists.

 

The Library of the Dead ( Edinburgh Nights, #1) By T.L. Huchu ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Diversity, Edinburgh, Humor, Mystery, Post-Apocalyptic Fiction, Supernatural Fiction, Suspense, Urban Fantasy, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: June 1st, 2021

336 Pages

Synopsis: “Sixth Sense” meets “Stranger Things” in T.L. Huchu’s “The Library of the Dead,” a sharp, contemporary fantasy, following a precocious and cynical teen as she explores the shadowy, magical underside of modern Edinburgh.

When a child goes missing in Edinburgh’s darkest streets, young Ropa investigates. She’ll need to call on Zimbabwean magic as well as her Scottish pragmatism to hunt down clues. But as shadows lengthen, will the hunter become the hunter?

When ghosts talk, she will listen…

Ropa dropped out of school to become a ghostalker. Now she speaks to Edinburgh’s dead, carrying messages to the living. A girl’s gotta earn a living, and it seems harmless enough. Until, that is, the dead whisper someone’s bewitching children—leaving them husks, empty of joy and life. It’s on Ropa’s patch, so she feels honor-bound to investigate. But what she learns will change her world.

She’ll dice with death (not part of her life plan…), discovering an occult library and a taste for hidden magic. She’ll also experience dark times. For Edinburgh hides a wealth of secrets, and Ropa’s gonna hunt them all down. (Goodreads)

The Library of the Dead didn’t succeed in hooking me until I was almost 100 pages in, but once I passed that point, I couldn’t stop reading.

There’s a lot going on in this post-apocalyptic Edinburgh, that I think is slightly in the future. The exact time period is never really made clear, but given the technology and references to the not too distant past, I’m guessing it’s not that many years ahead of 2021. There’s been an unknown “Catastrophe” which has definitely made a huge impact, but it’s never explained what happened. And characters keep referring to the “King” which likewise remained a mystery throughout the story. I’m assuming more information will be given in subsequent books.

This first book’s focus is on fifteen-year-old Ropa, with her green dreadlocks, black lipstick, and um, extremely colorful language. Ropa is also half Zimbabwean and half Scottish, which is an intriguing mix. She’s smart, sarcastic, has a pet fox and can outswear a sailor, sometimes to hilarious effect. Outwardly, she’s a tough cookie and is stubborn as well as courageous. She determinedly takes care of her Nan, who is blind and has diabetes, and makes sure her younger sister goes to school. Once she’s introduced into the world of the Library, by her friend Jomo, she opens her heart more and lets in new friends. The secondary characters are interesting and include Priya, a young herbologist and healer who is confined to a wheelchair due to a spinal injury.

The world building is intriguing, but as I said, incomplete. Thankfully, knowing that this is the beginning of a series, ultimately made this more tantalizing than annoying for the most part. I loved the blend of magic, science, and supernatural, which added to my eagerness for more. Except for the first 1/3 of the book, the rest is extremely fast-paced and the ending wrapped up the mystery neatly.

The Library of the Dead is a promising beginning to Huchu’s Edinburgh Nights series. It’s a unique urban fantasy that stands out from other books of the genre, with a colorful heroine I guarantee readers will love. While Ropa is only fifteen, because of some of the darker imagery and at times sexually risqué language, I’d recommend this for older teens and adults. Otherwise, it’s a highly entertaining read, and I can’t wait for the next book!

The Best Thing You Can Steal (Gideon Sable #1), By Simon Green ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, London, Mystery, Suspense, Urban Fantasy

Thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: April 6th, 2021

192 Pages

Synopsis: Welcome to London, but not as you know it. A place where magics and horror run free, wonders and miracles are everyday things, and the dark streets are full of very shadowy people…

Gideon Sable is a thief and a con man. He specializes in stealing the kinds of things that can’t normally be stolen. Like a ghost’s clothes, or a photo from a country that never existed. He even stole his current identity. Who was he originally? Now, that would be telling. One thing’s for sure though, he’s not the bad guy. The people he steals from always have it coming. Gideon’s planning a heist, to steal the only thing that matters from the worst man in the world. To get past his security, he’s going to need a crew who can do the impossible…but luckily he has the right people in mind. The Damned, the Ghost, the Wild Card…and his ex-girlfriend, Annie Anybody. A woman who can be anyone, with the power to make technology fall in love with her. If things go well, they’ll all get what they want. And if they’re lucky, they might not even die trying… (Goodreads)

If you’re a fan of the prolific Simon Green, you know that one thing you can count on when picking up one of his novels, is his delightfully quirky characters. I’m happy to say that in that regard, you will definitely not be disappointed in this first entry in his new Gideon Sable series. I absolutely loved Gideon and his crew and was thoroughly entertained by their backstories and antics. Although Gideon himself is a bit of a mystery, he’s clever and confident, yet self-deprecating. I’m looking forward to learning more about him. The world building as usual, is fantastic with London having this seedy underbelly filled with wondrous and horrifying beings and objects. What isn’t quite as good is the heist itself. Most of the book leads up to Gideon’s grand plan, and the execution of it only plays out in the last 1/4 of the story. I found it a little disappointing and anticlimactic to be honest. Overall though, The Best Thing You Can Steal was a fun, frothy read that took me all of 1 1/2 hours to polish off. I think fans of Green’s Nightside series will be especially pleased by this. I’m looking forward to the next book in which hopefully Gideon and his friends will have a quest that gives their skill sets a little more of a challenging workout.

Of Wicked Blood (The Quatrefoil Chronicles #1), By Olivia Wildenstein and Katie Hayoz ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adventure, France, Mystery, New Adult Fiction, Romance, Suspense, Urban Fantasy, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Twig Publishing for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: February 2nd, 2021

424 Pages

Synopsis: 

Slate

I didn’t mean to steal the Bloodstone from the De Morel’s crypt. Scratch that, I did mean to steal it. Until I realized it was a curse-magnet that only comes off if I, along with a jolly trio, successfully defeat four curses. If any of us fail, I’m dead. I’ve never been a glass half-empty sort of person, but my glass, but my glass looks in dire need of a refill about now. The only highlight of this wicked treasure hunt: feisty, entitled Cadence de Morel.

Cadence

I was raised on tales of magic, in a small town reputed to be the birthplace of French witchcraft. Did I believe all the stories I heard? Absolutely not. I mean, if magic existed, Maman wouldn’t have died, and Papa wouldn’t be stuck in a wheelchair, right?

Wrong.

The night Slate Ardoin waltzes into my life, wearing a ring he stole from my mother’s grave, I call him a monster. But then I meet real ones, and Slate, well…he becomes something else to me. Something frustrating to live with, but impossible to live without. Something I will fight for, no matter the cost.

Of Wicked Blood is a fantastic start to Quatrefoil Chronicles, and it’s going on my list of favorite books of 2020. I absolutely LOVED the characters, even though there’s an annoying love triangle. Thankfully though, that resolved itself in the final half of the book. While Slate and Cadence seem complete opposites, they actually wind up bringing out each other’s better qualities. The secondary characters are equally enjoyable, and my favorite is Cadence’s father, Rainier, simply because he’s such an enigma. The atmospheric setting of Brume, a small university town in France where the sun doesn’t visit often, struck me as eerie yet cozy at the same time. This will sound odd, but if it weren’t a fictitious town, I’d want to live there. The magic realism is quite inventive and gives an entirely new twist to the ubiquitous magic quest trope. And finally, try as I might, I couldn’t tell the difference between the two authors’ writing. The chapters were completely seamless, which cemented my enjoyment of the book. While the ending isn’t a cliffhanger, it leaves many questions unanswered and has me frantic to get my hands on the sequel, which is definitive proof on what a fascinating story this is. Needless to say, I HIGHLY recommend Of Wicked Blood, especially to anyone looking for an exciting urban fantasy filled with marvelous world building, intriguing mystery, and complicated yet relatable characters.

Battle Ground (The Dresden Files #17), By Jim Butcher ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Thriller, Urban Fantasy

Thanks to NetGalley and Ace for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: September 29th, 2020

432 Pages

Synopsis: Harry Dresden has faced terrible odds before. He has a long history of fighting enemies above his weight class. The Red Court of vampires. The fallen angels of the Order of the Blackened Denarius. The Outsiders.

But this time it’s different. A being more powerful and dangerous on an order of magnitude beyond what the world has seen in a millennium is coming. And she’s bringing an army. The Last Titan has declared war on the city of Chicago, and has come to subjugate humanity, obliterating any who stand in her way.

Harry’s mission is simple but impossible: save the city by killing a Titan. And the attempt will change Harry’s life, Chicago, and the mortal world forever.

Holy guacamole! After two days of being fully immersed in Battle Ground, I’m exhausted. Unsurprisingly given the title, the majority of the story careens from one pulse-pounding, bloody, and at times, heartbreaking battle scene to another. To those of you who love The Dresden Files, let me give you fair warning, no one is safe. The good news is that just about every fan favorite who has ever played a part in this seventeen book series, makes an appearance. The bad news is that not all of them make it to the end, and one loss in particular had me reaching for the tissue box. Most of the previous plot threads are tied up by the end, but there are a few new tantalizing ones that will leave you wondering what’s to come. If I were to come up with one word to describe Battle Ground, it would be EPIC! Honestly, it’s absolute perfection from beginning to end and I guarantee fans are going to be thrilled by what Jim Butcher has done. Now let’s just pray it’s not another six years before the next book!

 

Peace Talks (Dresden Files #16) by, Jim Butcher ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Chicago, Mystery, Romance, Supernatural Fiction, Suspense, Urban Fantasy

Thanks to NetGalley and Ace Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: July 14th, 2020

352 Pages

Synopsis: When the supernatural nations of the world meet up to negotiate an end to ongoing hostilities, Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only professional wizard, joins the White Council’s security team to make sure the talks remain civil. But can he succeed, when dark political manipulations threaten the very existence of Chicago—and all he holds dear?

So, six years I’ve been waiting. SIX years and three months since the last Harry Dresden book came out. Was it worth the wait? Well, let me just say that “Mr Butcher, if you happen to ever stumble across this review, all is forgiven and you’re back on my Christmas list!”

I know I’ve been nagging some of you (Fraggle!) to try this series, and you’ve been hesitant because it’s now 16 books in and that’s a lot to catch up on. With Peace Talks you can easily jump in without being confused, although I still recommend reading the previous books because they’re that good.

As usual, Harry’s life is complicated, and it’s about to get more so. Juggling his adorable daughter’s safety, his developing romance with Karrin, wheeling double-dealing politics, he needs more than twenty-four hours a day. Adding to that is the new trouble Harry’s brother Thomas has gotten into, and his grandfather’s interference, well, let’s just say life is messy for Chicago’s favorite wizard. The storyline is interesting and it moves very quickly despite there not being a lot of action. Some reviewers have complained about this and the lack of any meaningful resolution at the end, but I’m willing to cut Mr. Butcher some slack as this is the first of a duology within the series, and the second book, Battle Ground is coming out in October.

Overall, Peace Talks is a welcome return to the world of Harry Dresden, and I felt as though I was meeting up with old friends. I’m excitedly awaiting Battle Ground and I can’t wait to see how Harry extricates himself from the multiple jams he’s in.

 

Ink & Sigil (Ink & Sigil #1), by Kevin Hearne ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Humor, Mystery, Mythology, Suspense, Urban Fantasy

Thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: August 25th, 2020

336 Pages

Synopsis: New York Times bestselling author Kevin Hearne returns to the world of his Iron Druid Chronicles in a spin-off series about an eccentric master of rare magic solving an uncanny mystery in Scotland.

Al MacBharrais is both blessed and cursed. He is blessed with an extraordinary white moustache, an appreciation for craft cocktails—and a most unique magical talent. He can cast spells with magically enchanted ink and he uses his gifts to protect our world from rogue minions of various pantheons, especially the Fae.

But he is also cursed. Anyone who hears his voice will begin to feel an inexplicable hatred for Al, so he can only communicate through the written word or speech apps. And his apprentices keep dying in peculiar freak accidents. As his personal life crumbles around him, he devotes his life to his work, all the while trying to crack the secret of his curse.

But when his latest apprentice, Geordie, turns up dead in his Glasgow flat, Al discovers evidence that Geordie was living a secret life of crime. Now Al is forced to play detective—while avoiding actual detectives who are wondering why death always seems to follow Al. Investigating his apprentice’s death will take him through Scotland’s magical underworld, and he’ll need the help of a mischievous hobgoblin if he’s to survive.

I was a little disappointed with Scourged, the last book of the Iron Druid series, however, it was one of my favorites in the genre of urban fantasy, so when I heard that Hearne was returning to that world, I was quite excited.

First, it was refreshing having the main character older and not in his prime, although Al certainly doesn’t let age slow him down. He’s a great character who’s easy to like which I did immediately. The dialogue and story are full of Hearne’s trademark humor which helps move things along. The one issue I had was I found the villain to be rather ho-hum, but the other characters are engaging and I loved their interactions with Al. Hearne does a wonderful job building upon the mythology he created in his previous series, and this new magic that’s introduced is quite intriguing.

Overall, I quite enjoyed Ink & Sigil and I’m looking forward to seeing where this spin-off series goes. Do be warned that Hearne uses authentic Scottish dialect unsparingly, but there’s a helpful guide at the beginning. I unhesitatingly recommend this to fans of urban fantasy and mythology who like colorful characters, rich world building, and plenty of humor.

 

David Mogo, God Hunter, by Suyi Davies Okungbowa~ 2.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Diversity, Nigeria, Urban Fantasy

Thanks to NetGalley and Abaddon for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: July 9th, 2019

360 Pages

Synopsis: Nigerian God-Punk – a powerful and atmospheric urban fantasy set in Lagos.

Since the Orisha War that rained thousands of deities down on the streets of Lagos, David Mogo, demigod, scours Eko’s dank underbelly for a living wage as a freelance Godhunter. Despite pulling his biggest feat yet by capturing a high god for an Eko wizard, David knows his job’s bad luck. He’s proved right when the wizard conjures a legion of Taboos—feral-godling-child-hybrids—to seize Lagos for himself. To fix his mistake and keep Lagos standing, David teams up with his foster wizard, the high god’s twin sister, and a speech-impaired Muslim teenage girl to defeat the wizard.

David Mogo, Godhunter, attracted my attention because it looked reminiscent of authors I love like Neil Gaiman and Jim Butcher, and having it set in Nigeria just clinched it for me. Unfortunately, this wound up being the epitome of a “meh” book, for several reasons. 

First, this isn’t one cohesive novel. It’s actually three novellas with major time jumps between them. If I had known this going in, it may not have bothered me as much, but as it was, I found this made the pacing strange and awkward, and the world-building and character development incomplete. In addition to this glaring structural problem, there were some fairly large info dumps which further slowed down the pace and disrupted the execution of the storyline. 

Despite these issues, there were flashes of brilliance that have me thinking Okungbowa has the potential to be a talented addition to the field of urban fantasy authors. He uses “code-switching” throughout the story which I loved. When David Mogo was speaking with other wizards he spoke English, but when to his adopted father he used the indigenous vernacular. While this took a little getting used to at first, it really added to the book’s multicultural setting. I also loved the gods themselves and how the reader is shown the way they impacted Lagos. And finally the diversity portrayed definitely lived up to what the synopsis promised.

Although David Mogo, Godhunter didn’t live up to my expectations, it had enough elements that I enjoyed that I will definitely try another book by Suyi Davies Okungbowa. If you’re intrigued by the sounds of this, I encourage you to check out other reviews on sites such as Goodreads. 

American Magic, by Zach Fehst ~ 3.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Thriller, Urban Fantasy

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review. 

Release Date: August 20th, 2019

320 Pages

Synopsis: In this fast-paced, international thriller, chaos erupts after a shadowy figure with ties to an elite society posts incantations on the dark web that allow people to perform real magic.

When an enigmatic message uploaded to the dark web turns out to contain an ancient secret, giving regular people the power to do impossible things, like levitate cars, or make themselves invisible, American government officials panic. They know the demo videos on YouTube and instructions for incantations could turn from fantastical amusement to dangerous weapon at the drop of the hat, and they scramble to keep the information out of the wrong hands.

They tap Ben Zolstra, and ex-CIA field operative, whose history with the Agency is conflicted at best, to lead the team that’s racing to contain the dangerous knowledge—and track down the mysterious figure behind the leak who threatens that even more  dangerous spells will be released one by one until the world as we know it will no longer exist. 

This sweeping, globe-spanning thriller explores the dark consequences of a question mankind has been asking for centuries: What if magic were real?

As soon as I read the synopsis for American Magic, I knew I had to try to get my hands on an eARC, so I was thrilled when Atria granted my wish via NetGalley, but as you can guess from my rating, this wasn’t a perfect read for me. This is mainly because of the stereotypical, flat characters, although there was a female president, so yay. What kept me reading though was the interesting plot and fast pace. American Magic is a quick read that I believe fans of Jim Butcher and Simon Green will like. Although this debut didn’t quite meet my admittedly high expectations, I think Zach Fehst has the potential to become an exciting new voice in urban fantasy, and I’m interested in seeing what he comes out with next.

 

 

Summoned to Thirteenth Grave Blog Tour

Tags

Adult Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Suspense, Urban Fantasy

I can’t tell you how excited I am to be participating in this blog tour (Thank You St. Martin’s Press!). At the same time I’m crushed that Summoned to Thirteenth Grave is the final book in the Charley Davidson series. Seven years ago, the first book in this fantastic series was published and I immediately became a fervent fan. As part of this tour I chose to reread First Grave on the Right and review it.

Synopsis:

This whole grim reaper thing should come with a manual.

Or a diagram of some kind.

A flow chart would have been nice.

Charley Davidson is a part-time private investigator and full-time grim reaper. Meaning, she sees dead people. Really. And it’s her job to convince them to “go into the light.” But when these very dead people have died under less than ideal circumstances (like murder), sometimes they want Charley to bring the bad guys to justice. Complicating matters are the intensely hot dreams she’s been having about an entity who has been following her all of her life…and it turns out he might not be dead after all. In fact, he might be something else entirely. But what does he want with Charley? And why can’t she seem to resist him? And what does she have to lose by giving in?

With scorching-hot tension and high-octane humor, First Grave on the Right is your signpost to paranormal suspense of the highest order.

I was still working as a librarian back in 2011, and I remember how reading this on my breaks caused a few embarrassing moments for me because it had me laughing out loud so many times. Charley may be the reaper, but you can take the “grim” out of the equation. She’s sassy and sarcastic, but these are a front for her vulnerability. Having to grow up with abilities that she didn’t understand while being ostracized by friends and family wasn’t easy. And now, having to balance her P.I. job with her Grim Reaper duties, further complicates her life. Thankfully she has her Uncle Bob and her BFF, Cookie to help her out. And she truly needs all the help she can get especially when the mysterious, smokin’ hot Reyes enters the picture!

I found First Grave on the Right to be just as entertaining as the first time I read it. My one critique is that Charley at times comes across as a little immature, but, having read the other books, I know how she grows and develops. I’ve read many urban fantasy series over the years and in my humble opinion the Charley Davidson series is one of the best. I cannot recommend this highly enough to fans of this genre. With its memorable characters, intriguing mystery, steamy romance, and snarky humor, it’s an addictive read that will have you reaching for the next book.

 

~ About the Author ~

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Darynda Jones won a Golden Heart and a RITA for her manuscript First Grave on the Right. A born storyteller, she grew up spinning tales of dashing damsels and heroes in distress for any unfortunate soul who happened by, annoying man and beast alike. Darynda lives in the Land of Enchantment, also known as New Mexico, with her husband and two beautiful sons, the Mighty Mighty Jones Boys.

Website ~ https://www.daryndajones.com

Twitter ~ https://mobile.twitter.com/Darynda

Facebook ~ https://m.facebook.com/darynda.jones.official

~

Here’s a peek at the epic conclusion to this exciting urban fantasy series.

Summoned to Thirteenth Grave (Charley Davidson #13), by Darynda Jones

Release Date: January 15th, 2019

304 Pages

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Synopsis: Grim Reaper Charley Davidson is back in the final installment of Darynda Jones’ New York Times bestselling paranormal series!

Charley Davidson, Grim Reaper extraordinaire, is pissed. She’s been kicked off the earthly plain for eternity—-which is exactly the amount of time it takes to make a person stark raving mad. But someone’s looking out for her, and she’s allowed to return after a mere hundred years in exile. Is it too much to hope for that not much has changed? Apparently it is. Bummer.

She’s missed her daughter. She’s missed Reyes. She’s missed Cookie and Garrett and Uncle Bob. Now that she’s back on earth, it’s time to put to rest burning questions that need answers. What happened to her mother? How did she really die? Who killed her? And are cupcakes or coffee the best medicine? It all comes to a head in an epic showdown between good and evil in this final smart and hilarious novel.