Title: Unholy Ghosts
Author: Stacia Kane
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Downside Ghosts #1
When a book starts out with a sentence like this:
"Had the man in front of her not already been dead, Chess probably would have killed him. Damned Ghosts." You just know it's going to be good. Stacia Kane did not disappoint. I think that this book should have come with a do-not-read-before-going-to-bed-or -you-will-be-up-all-night disclaimer. I didn't want to put this book down once it got going. There were so many twists and turns! There just aren't any boundaries in this book.
In 1997 something happened that the world religions, governments and people weren't prepared for-ghosts awoke and went on a killing rampage on a scale that no one was prepared for or could stop. The governments and religions failed to protect the people-in fact the only thing that was able to control the ghosts was the Church of the Real Truth. Before the uprisings from the ghosts began was just a little cult-but now because they were able to stop the killings and get the ghosts under control they are the ones the people turned to for help and just control everyone and everything. They have sworn to protect the people from ghosts, and if they have a haunting the church will pay them money because they failed to protect them. This created a new position in the church-De Bunkers. (Think of the show Ghost Hunters on the SyFy channel) The Debunkers are responsible for finding out if people are really being haunted like they say they are.
The church also outlawed magic expect for a select few-Chess Putnam is both a Church Witch and a De Bunker which makes her pretty powerful. Here's the thing that gets Chess into trouble-she also happens to be addicted to drugs. She owes a lot of money to her drug dealer Bump, but he makes a deal with her: Prove that his airport isn't being haunted (because the ghost stories are costing him money) and he'll forgive her debt to her. However Chess didn't expect both her private and work worlds to collide, or feel attraction to a rival drug dealer that wants to put her dealer out of work, or run into some very nasty black magic and a mystery to solve with the Church that might just have to do with her work case and personal case.
If you like your Urban Fantasy light and sweet, this isn't the book for you...in fact I can't believe I liked it as much as I did because I normally love light and sweet and stay away from the dark and gritty. I read so many great reviews on this book that I knew I had to give it a shot. I'm glad I did, because this book is utterly compelling.
The characters shouldn't be likable, but they are. I kept saying to myself: "Chess isn't doing that-*gasp*she is so going there! Terrible is well, terribly likable. He's one of those guys who aren't nice-he's an enforcer to Bump, Chess's drug dealer. He's assigned to follow Chess around to make sure she does her job, and the two sort of become friends, and I loved the tug of war with Chess over letting someone into her life. Then there is Doyle-a guy from work who won't leave her alone, whom sadly I kept picturing like Doyle on the Gilmore Girls (even though his description was nothing like that characters) There's also Lex the rival gang leader from her dealer-who is so not very nice, but brings some hot scenes along with him. I just loved Chess's worlds colliding with each other, and how the good aren't so very different from the bad. I also liked how Chess's problems weren't solved in one fell swoop to make for HEA. (Happily Ever After) Which tells how good the writing is, because I normally don't like books without a HEA, but it just wouldn't have worked with this one. I got this one from the library, and I so didn't want to give it back. I can't wait for the next book in this series to come out! This was another outstanding debut author book.
Crush Meter: Low (I loved Terrible, but he wasn't exactly crushworthy material just yet)
Sigh Meter: Low (No gushy hero words in this book!)
Sleep Meter: Low-Seriously, I'm glad that SpazP on twitter told me to start reading this book now when I was tempted to book hop!
Tv Meter: Low-I turned the thing off.
Sizzle Meter: Medium. There were a few really good hot scenes!
