Tuesday, December 11, 2007

The Outlaw Demon Wails-Kim Harrison

The Outlaw Demon Wails
Kim Harrison
Eos, Feb 2008, $24.95
ISBN 9780060788704

Cincinnati based bounty hunter Rachel Morgan remains in shock following the unsolved murder of her boyfriend (see FOR A FEW DEMONS MORE). She plans to solve the case, but neither her mundane hunting skills nor her witchcraft abilities have helped her achieve her objective.

Meanwhile Elf politician Trent Kalamack presses her to perform a special mission in the spiritual realm. Master vampire Rynn Cormel makes demands on her too. Finally her friend Ceri is pregnant; something that never happens to former demons unless the partner is of a certain species. Finally with her failure to track the killer, Rachel begins to doubt her witch magic rationalizing dating and living with a vampire cost her everything; though deep down she knows using demon magic even in a good cause is the probable reason as the means never validates the end. Mom and Rachel’s pixy partner Jenks help her cope with the mortal and paranormal crisis tossed at her.

The latest Hollows fantasy is an exciting entry as Rachel is facing a series of calamities in her usual amusing sexual innuendo manner. The story line is filled with several subplots in which none stand out as prime yet coherently come together centering on her investigating the homicide while the demands of the paranormal leave the heroine without a respite. Although lacking the dramatic climax of the previous stunner (Kim Harrison will have a difficult time topping the end of FOR A FEW DEMONS MORE), fans will enjoy Rachel’s escapades as THE OUTLAW DEMON WAILS is an entertaining tale.

Harriet Klausner

No comments: