Lilith Saintcrow, Working for the Devil

Working for the Devil

Lilith Saintcrow

Warner, Mar, 2006, $6.99, 416 pp.

ISBN 0446616702

Interrupting the soaps, Tierce Japhrimel, a demon, visits highly regarded necromancer Dante Valentine to meet his Prince or die. Put that way, the tough Dante agrees to go along with the gun toting demon to a meeting with Lucifer to learn what the Prince of Darkness wants from her. They catch the subway to Hell where Lucifer offers Dante a contract that she cannot refuse or she dies; of course what the Prince wants her to do probably means she dies anyway.

Dante is to capture a rogue demon accompanied by Japhrimel, who is more than a kick butt demon; he is a demon assassin. Accepting the kind offer made in good faith, Dante begins to search for the rogue, though she is distracted by other items not directly related to her investigation. Japhrimel somewhat keeps her focused as they argue over everything, especially when she spins into sidebars.

WORKING FOR THE DEVIL is a fun urban noir paranormal thriller that stars a bristly courageous loner, a no nonsense demonic sidekick, and a horde of paranormal and human cretins, who make the mundane things like riding a train, into a supernatural event. As the glue to the plot, Dante turns the storyline into a fine investigative tale, though her inquiries do not go into first gear until the latter half of the novel, but her capers occur throughout. Fans will want more starring this acerbic street tough necromancer.