A torrid, atmospheric fantasy that satisfies on all fronts.
A detective with strange powers takes on a client whose touch is deadly in this romantic fantasy.
The year is 1933, and Mark Van Ryn is Chicago’s only albino private eye. But his most unusual feature is his ability to melt into and travel within shadows. His reputation for solving supernatural crimes brings Elizaveta Karlova to his doorstep. She hires him to dig up dirt on five wealthy men, one of whom she plans to marry. Mark tries to decline the case, but Eliza insists. She doesn’t tell him that she’s a Lamia, possessing a scent that ensnares men and a touch, if she chooses, that can kill. No sooner does Eliza leave than one of Gabriel “Scarface” Camonte’s thugs arrives. The mobster hires Mark to find out what’s dissolving his men from the inside out. Later, Mark tries to inform Eliza that he’s quit her case, but she won’t accept his decision. She uses her cursed scent to tame the detective, ensuring that he becomes obsessed with her. Mark crashes a party at which Eliza hopes to woo her potential husbands, including Lionel Duke of Duke Chemical. Does the industrial waste created by his company have anything to do with mobsters dying near sinks and drainage systems? In Curry’s series opener, a Chicago between world wars provides a moody backdrop for superpowered individuals to fight crime and enjoy steamy sex. Mark is like a “Greek statue come to life,” and he isn’t above using his shadow powers to spy on Eliza. “Wouldn’t you like to touch me?” she asks, knowing he’s somehow watching her undress. Duke is thoroughly villainous in saying, “War will never be over.” A tentacled monstrosity grants the narrative horror bona fides, and a rooftop tryst fulfills the inevitable Batman homage. The author’s secondary characters shine, including Frasier Robinson, Mark’s Black best friend. In one scene, Eliza shakes his hand and causes an “audible gasp” from White partygoers. But stealing the show is the sustained, high-resolution carnality of the protagonists. Rabbits seem lazy compared to Mark and Eliza, giving this entertaining tale a striking erotic polish.
A torrid, atmospheric fantasy that satisfies on all fronts.Pub Date: Jan. 23, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-73279-002-5
Page Count: 470
Publisher: Arcanic Media LLC
Review Posted Online: Feb. 5, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
PERSPECTIVES
Through palpable tension balanced with glimmers of hope, Hoover beautifully captures the heartbreak and joy of starting over.
The sequel to It Ends With Us (2016) shows the aftermath of domestic violence through the eyes of a single mother.
Lily Bloom is still running a flower shop; her abusive ex-husband, Ryle Kincaid, is still a surgeon. But now they’re co-parenting a daughter, Emerson, who's almost a year old. Lily won’t send Emerson to her father’s house overnight until she’s old enough to talk—“So she can tell me if something happens”—but she doesn’t want to fight for full custody lest it become an expensive legal drama or, worse, a physical fight. When Lily runs into Atlas Corrigan, a childhood friend who also came from an abusive family, she hopes their friendship can blossom into love. (For new readers, their history unfolds in heartfelt diary entries that Lily addresses to Finding Nemo star Ellen DeGeneres as she considers how Atlas was a calming presence during her turbulent childhood.) Atlas, who is single and running a restaurant, feels the same way. But even though she’s divorced, Lily isn’t exactly free. Behind Ryle’s veneer of civility are his jealousy and resentment. Lily has to plan her dates carefully to avoid a confrontation. Meanwhile, Atlas’ mother returns with shocking news. In between, Lily and Atlas steal away for romantic moments that are even sweeter for their authenticity as Lily struggles with child care, breastfeeding, and running a business while trying to find time for herself.
Through palpable tension balanced with glimmers of hope, Hoover beautifully captures the heartbreak and joy of starting over.Pub Date: Oct. 18, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-668-00122-6
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Atria
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2022
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
A wallowing, emotionally wrenching family drama that leaves little time for romance.
Two people with bad luck in relationships find each other through a popular Reddit thread.
Emma Grant and her best friend, Maddy, are travel nurses, working at hospitals for three-month stints while they see the country. Just a few weeks before they’re set to move to Hawaii, Emma reads a popular “Am I the Asshole” Reddit thread from a Minnesota man who thinks he’s cursed—women he dates find their soulmates after breaking up with him, and the latest one found true love with his best friend! Emma has had a similar experience, which inspires her to DM the man and commiserate. She’s delighted by her witty, lively interactions with software engineer Justin Dahl, and is intrigued when he suggests that if they date each other, maybe they’ll each find their soulmate afterward. Emma upends the Hawaii plan and convinces Maddy to move to Minneapolis for the summer so she can meet Justin in person. The overly complex setup brings Emma and Justin together and the two hit it off, with Justin immediately falling head over heels for Emma. Jimenez then pivots to creating romantic roadblocks and melodramatic subplots centering on each character’s family of origin. Justin’s mother is about to serve six years in prison for embezzlement, which means Justin must move back home to care for his three much younger siblings. Emma was traumatized by her own mother for much of her childhood, left to fend for herself and eventually abandoned in the foster system. When her mother shows up in Minnesota, Emma must face her traumatic childhood and admit that she has prioritized her mother’s well-being over her own. There is little time devoted to Emma’s painful efforts to heal herself enough to accept Justin’s love, which leaves the novel feeling unsatisfying.
A wallowing, emotionally wrenching family drama that leaves little time for romance.Pub Date: April 2, 2024
ISBN: 9781538704431
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Forever
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2024
SEEN & HEARD
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