Ravenous: The Dark Forgotten
Sharon Ashwood
Signet, Feb 2009, $6.99
ISBN 9780451226174
In Fairview, Registered Witch Holly Carver of the Three Sisters Agency is a house cleaner who rids homes of haunting, poltergeists and other paranormal varmints. She is having a tough time with Steve Raglan’s Victorian better known as the dangerous Flanders place. If she didn’t need tuition money she would never take on the job of kicking the butt of a haunt from this Amityville-like abode especially since she realizes the house is hungry and she does not want to be fast food. However, six people including kids are trapped inside as lunch if not rescued. She succeeds with the help of her undead business partner Alessandro Caravelli but the haunted house almost dined on her.
Soon afterward her boyfriend dumps her and she learns a demon escaped from a portal her ancestors failed to shut properly. Holly feels responsibility since her family failed to do their job. She is not a highly regarded spellcaster, but vows to kick the demon in the butt back to the other side and shut the gateway. Her grandmother advises her and police detective Conall Macmillan helps her though he suffers from “psychic flu” he caught from kissing a siren in a bar. Alessandro tries to to help the love of his life Holly, but knows to do so will alienate his vampire Queen Omara, who demands total loyalty from her vamps. Besides everyone knows vampires are like chocolates; tempting to keep biting but too much can prove a sweet death.
This tongue in cheek, action-packed jocular urban fantasy hooks the reader from the opening moment when the audience sees Holly’s business card and never slows down as she becomes popular, as the most sought after individual in the area from hordes who want her dead before she can close the portal. Well written with Fairview seemingly real as coming acrsss as the paranormal capital of the world and the supernatural feeling natural, the sub-genre audible will relish the adventures of Holly Carver, Registered Witch.
Harriet Klausner
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