Ghostly Force was interesting for several reasons, the first being it let many of the other terrific characters play the main roles in the murder mystery investigations, allowing for character development and more independence of character exploration for each of these people.
Our series main couple, Lance and Angus, end up sidelined due to a horrific event at the beginning of the story. It basically takes both out of the plot for most of the time, especially Lance. Although thereâs a very interesting dramatic side aspect to this that involves Angus and Betty thatâs threaded throughout the plot. I wonder if that will have further impact going forward.
Lanceâs brother, Jackson returns from his deployment with his ghostly friend, Kel. A new addition to the ongoing series since heâs here permanently as is Kel.
The mystery is sad, and not very complicated. Two murders actually. Each has a realistic plot, and an unfortunate ending for the families that feels believable .
Ghostly Force has Lance and Angus taking an important step forward in their relationship. And, indeed, Leya seems to be setting in motion so many elements for new aspects of the series, that Iâm looking forward to seeing what happens next.
This isnât your typical high suspense plot but one based on character driven development and overall community dynamics, even though some characters are ghostly.
When life explodes for Lance and Angus it’s up to Detectives Franks and Burns to find answers.
What started off as a celebration ends in an explosion that will change lives. Lance and Angus just wanted to welcome Jackson back to town, but the night is a catastrophic failure when everything goes wrong, leaving everyone wondering what happened.
With people dead and many others injured, it’s up to Detectives Franks and Burns to put the shattered pieces back together and figure out how an evening out ended in tragedy for so many of Fairway’s residents.
This case is personal, and Franks will do all he can to find answers and bring justice for those he is closest to.
âGrief is a squatter. You can’t evict it or reason with it, and it keeps touching your things.â
This is a story I want to share, underline, have quotes made into bumper stickers, and just absolutely love.
But itâs not an easy story to read at times. Itâs emotionally draining, raw, heartbreaking, funny, full of truth and tragedy, and for many women who are struggling with their bodies, trauma, and grief, this story can only be described as a tale of recovery and healing.
Lara McKenzie always manages to balances darkness with humor in her writing, and thatâs especially true here in Kiss My Ash.
Charlotte Marelli, ex-lawyer, now owner of a supernatural coffee shop in the realm of Umbrafore. Charlotte is a character weâre familiar with if youâre a reader of the connected series, Mayaâs Blogs, written in the similar style.
Charlotte has been a wonderfully steady force in the lives of many beings around her but here itâs Charlotte who is in need as her life begins to shatter.
Careful to keep complete control of her life, reasons for which become apparent as the story develops, her past life begins to invade her current situation and her physically changes of perimenopause and hot flashes are making her everyday life even more difficult.
This is truly such a powerful read as Charlotteâs struggles through her tragic history, current dangers and watch as she grows into a survivor and warrior.
A remarkable book thatâs relevant, quotable, and heartfelt. I highly recommend both the author , Kiss My Ass, and Mayaâs Blogs too.
Forty-seven, perimenopausal, and armed with a lethal wit, ex-barrister Charlotte Marelli runs a supernatural coffee shop.
Her small and carefully controlled life shatters when someone from her past reappears just as her no-strings-attached relationship becomes complicated.
Thrust into a web of surveillance and old traumas, Charlotte must unravel a conspiracy tied to her own kidnapping, forcing her to decide whether trusting anyone is worth the risk of being broken again.
February 2, 2026
Language
âEnglish
Print length
312 pages
Womenâs fantasy fiction, fantasy fiction,
Kiss My Ash contains depictions of: Mild PTSD and panic attacks Past captivity and human trafficking (not depicted on page) Alcohol as a coping mechanism Death of a parent Trauma responses Menopause and perimenopause experiences Violence and threats of violence (non-explicit) Please, take care of yourself.
Note; written for neurodivergent readers, with shortish chapters, accessible prose, and minimal filler.
Banshee Cries was originally released in an anthology and Iâve included the publisher/authorâs notes about this below. Itâs a good story with some interesting magical elements to this tale. However, its brevity also highlights some of the more irritating or worst aspects of the main character, Joanne Walker. Sheâs in her late thirties, but her personality is often more of a whiny juvenile, which she admits but does nothing to correct.
Sheâs a reluctant Shaman, a reluctant police officer, and really, a reluctant adult. And given all the mystical powers sheâs empowered with and guidance by Coyote which she doesnât follow through on, the serious lack of development in her characterâs growth is slowly eroding any interest I have in her and the series.
Thereâs really terrific content here, a magical system that Jo decides her gateway into it is her love of car mechanics. So she envisions how her magic powers works the way most cars and their mechanical systems do. Thatâs exciting. And unique.
But then thereâs the rest of the story. And the reader is left to deal with her waffling thoughts about her life, not wanting to admit sheâs a shaman whose powers will âsave the dayâ or whatever. This is only the second book and itâs tiresome.
I wonât even mention the ghost of the mother plot with ginormous holes in it.
So while I appreciate the potential here, and some of the other characters, as well as the unique magic system, the character herself is becoming progressively less interesting. On book 2. Thatâs an issue.
Havenât decided yet whether Iâm going forward or not. You can decide if youâre willing to chance it.
Like the covers.
Cover Art & Design: G&S Cover Design Studio
Cover Model: Marissa Turcotte
Authorâs Note:
Banshee Cries was originally published in the anthology Winter Moon as ‘Book 1.5’ of the Walker Papers. With the reissuing of the series, it has been promoted to a full Book Two status, and the numbering of the books going forward will reflect that. Aside from the numbering, there are no changes from the original release of Banshee Cries to this one.
The last thing reluctant shaman Joanne Walker wants is to be assigned to a case of ritual murders. Itâd be creepy enough all on its own, but her boss, already trusting her magic more than Jo does herself, suspects thereâs more to it than just a serial killer. As Joanne is pulled more deeply into the bloody mire, she begins to realize this is a murderer with a deadlineâthe changing winter moon seems to be key to the power theyâre building.
But Joanne’s not the only one entangled in the increasingly dangerous magic raised by the killer: she has a protector, someone who has already given up their life to keep Joanne safeâŚand who may be the only person able to stand between Joanne and a dark power far greater than sheâs ready to handleâŚ.
Publisher’s Note: Banshee Cries was originally published as part of the Winter Moon anthology, and was fondly numbered ‘1.5 of the Walker Papers.’ With the reissue of the series, Banshee Cries has been elevated to book two, and the series numbering henceforth reflects that change.
Urban Shaman brought me not only another great book but a new prolific author and series to explore. Love it when this happens.
In Urban Shaman, Murphy introduces a mixed race (Cherokee and Irish ancestry) Seattle police mechanic Joanne Walker, who on a flight home from a funeral, discovers not only is there mystical layers to her world but sheâs a shaman as well.
In trying to save a woman from a threats from a Celtic god and the mythical Wild Hunt, Jo has to accept that sheâs got shaman powers sheâs not even close to understanding. And she needs them in order to survive the gods and the threats they have brought into her world.
The author combines Seattle location, a mechanicâs love for her cars, a middling law enforcement presence and two different types of mythology, Celtic and a broader spectrum of The People to this urban fantasy novel.
Thereâs murder, a race to understand the mystery behind the what the Wild Hunt and gods are doing, and most of the time, itâs spent in a dream scape of a urban fantasy world where Jo and Coyote are trying to heal her and lead her to knowledge.
This aspect of the story is where some readers will find themselves having issues. The magic isnât well defined, especially Joâs powers and how sheâs developing them. And that so much of the story isnât set in the real world of Seattle where the drama is occurring.
Perhaps future books will change that.
Jo is a really good and traumatized character (thereâs a very sad, past history revealed here). And her relationship with the cab driver and her boss in the SPD have potential.
Looking forward to reading more of the series.
A winner here with the potential for a great series.
Joanne Walker has no use for the mystical, and up until this morning, the mystical had no use for her.
But an ancient god has reared his head, and the all-too-real riders of the mythical Wild Hunt are menacing the streets of Seattle. Caught in the middle of an age-old grudge, Joanne is forced to choose between accepting an unexpected magical heritage and facing this immortal enemy, or…dying.
(Look, nobody said it was a good choice.)
Guided by a cryptic coyote who visits her dreams and armed with magic she doesn’t know how to use, Joanne is befriended by a nosy cab driver who wants to tag along for the adventure as she hangs on to the desperate hope that she might survive the next few days.
Joanne’s journey from police department mechanic to urban shaman begins here…whether she likes it or not!
Ghostly Interests (A Harper Harlow Mystery Book 1) by Lily Harper Hart has so many issues, and I think many (but not all) might have to do with the year that this book was published in.
Written in 2015 and itâs showing its age. I almost feel like I should list the issues and be done with it.
Main characters in their late twenties whose dialogue is more characteristic of someone much younger than themselves. Even with the colloquialism of the times and references of that specific decade.
The lack of any broader understanding between the other characters of the idea of a found family or strong female and male friendships/bonds that act like a sibling relationship without any blood relationship so itâs spelled out like one would in general terms in the book.
While itâs a given understanding these days.
How the main character and those characters around her see her body and their bodies in different aspects of attractiveness. And the terminology thatâs used. The idea of body positivity is no where near here but 1950 is.
The male/female dynamics are annoying and toxic, depending upon the relationship. The men tend to talk over the women, dismiss their complaints and comments. At one point, Zander actually told Harper to shut up while he spoke to the cop about whether he thought he could date her.
Funny? Not particularly. Although Iâm sure the author meant it as a humorous comment. Same Iâm sure when Harperâs mom called Zander a derogatory word for a gay man and itâs shrugged off as being ok because itâs her mother. No, again not ok.
This sort of casual bigotry and sexism is written throughout the book.
While the main woman character, Harper, has a gay best friend, Zander, whoâs also a partner in their ghostbuster business, how every day sexism and sexual harassment is handled here is seriously outdated.
One of the younger men who works for them is outright engaged in verbal sexist remarks towards Harper, making remarks about her body, as well as marking disparaging comments about their younger intern whoâs crushing on him. Zander himself makes crude remarks towards women thatâs insulting. But itâs noted heâs a masculine gay.
Thereâs the issue with the entire point that the men often defer to the roommate, Zander, for information that they will believe. Even though Harper has just told whoever the same story. Even though sheâs the main character. More sexism.
And itâs taken as a joke or commentary, in the fatherâs case, as situation normal.
âI do want the divorce.â âWhy are you calling Mom âyour womanâ then?â Harper asked. âBecause weâre not divorced yet and I donât like anyone taking whatâs mine before Iâm ready to give it up,â Phil said. âThatâs not the way things work.â
Thatâs the kind of relationship/dynamics written and dated tone thatâs displayed here by all the characters, at every level.
Itâs old at page one.
Then thereâs just things that make you stop and think:
A young American woman who says âBleeding tragic â which no one would say at her age and situation, even as a ghost.
And the fact that a victim who is SA has that element totally glossed over as well as a predatory college professor.
In the words that Zander would understand and say. âEwww.â
Harper Harlow lives in a world of ghosts. She sees them. She talks to them. She investigates them. She sends them on their merry way. Sheâs not embarrassed by her abilities, and sheâs not afraid to be who she is. Sheâs also not looking for a relationship. Enter Jared Monroe, a smooth-talking police detective who sees things in black and white and ignores any shades of gray. He doesnât believe in ghosts, and while heâs intrigued by the feisty blonde ghost detective, heâs not interested in the paranormal. When twenty-one-year-old Annie Dresdenâs body washes up on the beach of Whisper Cove, Harper and Jared collide. Sparks may be flying, but so is confusion and mistrust. Harper calls on her loyal band of ghost hunters to solve the crime, and Jared relies on his training to tackle the same problem. It doesnât matter what approach they take because all paths are destined to intersect. Can Harper and Jared learn to work together? And, more importantly, can new ghosts let go of the past and give in to an obscure future? Itâs anyoneâs guess when big personalities go to war and find they might have more in common than they think.
Death Waits at Dead Rock was actually so different because the reader became familiar and fond of the victim, as did Claire. Which made what follows so personal and upsetting. A very different experience from every murder and investigation prior.
When a invitation to a weekend at a vineyard for influencers and potential clients turns into a murder investigation the story ventures into a new realm of acceptance of Claireâs abilities from those closest to her and an investigation into someone sheâd grown close to.
Death Waits at Dead Rock ends with a new paranormal mystery rising about the land and Claire, an old mystery solved sort of about the town, and on moment for all that was both moving and bittersweet depending upon what character was the focus.
A wine tasting. A viral treasure hunt. A body at the base of Dead Rock.
Claire Caldwell thought sheâd seen every kind of weird the desert could throw at her. Ghosts in her kitchen, omens from a spirit fox, and the occasional town scandal that required a very large cup of coffee. What she did not expect was a swarm of influencers descending on Perdido Springs for a luxury âDesert Vines Weekend,â complete with ring lights and sponsored smiles.
The big gimmick is supposed to be harmless fun. Collect the special labels, piece together the artwork, and you get a treasure map to a legendary stash hidden near Dead Rock.
Content gold. Tourist bait. Everyone wants in.
Then the weekendâs headliner turns up dead at sunrise.
Claire would love to let law enforcement handle it, but Buster is… Buster. Rosaâs ghost has opinions, Rusty is tracking something no living person can smell, and the closer Claire gets to the truth, the clearer it becomes that the âtreasureâ isnât just old wine and a cute story. Someone in town has been protecting what Dead Rock is hiding for a long time, and theyâll do anything to keep it buried.
Now Claire has to sift through secrets, suspects, and a trail of clues disguised as a party favor, before the killer strikes again⌠and the next toast becomes a death sentence.
How Not to Kill a Hellhound is the fifth book in the Hellhounds of Paradise Falls series by Shannon Mae, a fated mates paranormal/urban fantasy series set in Paradise Falls, a location where several of her interconnected series take place.
Maeâs actually working towards an overall universe storyline that encompasses all her series and characters Iâm guessing, and one of the ultimate main characters has an impactful role here.
I appreciate that it was left to Sebbie , mostly, to decide when he was emotionally ready for the next step in his quest to remember everything that happened and move forward. This is 90 percent Sebbieâs journey. Who he is, the past and how those characters around him support this journey. Heâs a sweet, engaging person and I loved reading his story.
Itâs a good tale with many creative elements, including mythological aspects, but leaves the Hellhounds mostly removed from this even as Corbin is a major player as Sebbieâs fated mate and Hellhound. The Crow familiar is on the same level with Corbin here. Except for the many sex scenes with the emphasis on Sebbieâs appendage size being âcuteâ.
I ended up wanting more exposition, less sex, more exploration of their developing relationship and each personâs history as opposed to their body parts.
When things get interesting, things get misty. I did like the interpretation of Charon and the boat ride. Amazing.
And loose ends were tied up finally from Aidenâs story while setting up Jude and the Sheriff for their fated mates romance. That should be interesting!
Cover design by Morningstar Ashley
Hellhounds of Paradise Falls: (Paranormal Romance)
How to Flirt with a Hellhound #1
How to Hack a Hellhound #2
How to Tame a Hellhound #3
How to Trust a Hellhound #4
How NOT to Kill a Hellhound #5
How To Catch a Hellhound #6 – Oct 1,2026
The Revenge Playlist: A Collection of Afterlifer Revenge Stories (Hellhounds of Paradise Falls)
Linked series:
Demonic Disasters and Afterlife Adventures (8 book series) fated mates romance set in Paradise Falls
Lifeâs pretty good. I love my job, I feed the crows in my yard, and I have some awesome friends. Sure, I was kidnapped by a cult recently, but my friends rescued me, so no harm done. And, okay, people do tend to die around me, but I work in a hospital. Thatâs normal⌠right? Death isnât scary anywayâitâs just another beginning. Unfortunately, most guys I date donât see it that way. My love life has been pretty empty, but I just met someone new. Heâs ridiculously cute and even likes crows. I just hope heâs not scared off when he learns about my job.
Corbin
I take great satisfaction in removing hellbound souls from the worldâespecially the ones who prey on the weak. With my pack and my familiar, Crow, at my side, life is steady and peaceful. At least, it was until Sebbie. The cute, bubbly man is far more than he realizes, and heâs about to turn everything upside down. Thereâs just one little problem: he doesnât know the supernatural exists⌠or that heâs a supernatural being. I want to help him harness his powers, but thereâs a catchâif Iâm not careful, Sebbie might end up killing me in the process.
Tags: Crows hold grudges; Death is actually cheerful; Corbinâs as obsessed with shiny things as his birds; The pack shows up to create chaos; Thea is determined to be Sebbieâs new bestie; Jude doesnât get arrested (or maybe he does?);
This is a harrowing excellent short story by Alix Harrow, an author I associate with imaginative, thoughtful fiction.
Set in a dystopian world, hundreds of years after a catastrophic event has permanently changed earthâs environment as well as humans beings themselves, Harrow has intriguingly narrowed down the location to a dying community of outsiders, the Appalachian community of Iron Hollow.
They, like other struggling poor people, live outside the walled compounds of the rich. High in the Mountains, living in the hollers near the poisonous streams and changed vegetation, they live life hard, dying young and often, sometimes from the very monsters emerging from the mountains itself.
Harrow creates, in the richly colored, sometimes horrifying world, a tale of love lost, love deeply mourned, and finally, love changed and found again.
Itâs not a romance. Each main character has lost their wives. Both Shrike the Secretary, the young mountain woman and the legendary Knight whoâs come to slay the monster.
What follows is an amazing story. One of anger, ruthless determination, dedication and finally, deep love.
I absolutely love that ending.
Highly recommended, both story and author.
Cover design by Tree Abraham Cover illustration by Colin Verdi
In this dystopian fairy tale from the New York Timesbestselling author of Starling House, a small townâs storyteller struggles to protect a local demon from the knight hired to kill it.
Hundreds of years after the end of the world, the Appalachian community of Iron Hollow finds itself beset by demons. Such horrors are common these days in the outlands, where most folks die youngâif they donât turn into monsters first.
When a legendary knight is summoned to hunt down the latest unearthly beast to haunt their woods, the townâs new oral historian, Shrike, has more reason than most to be concerned. Because that demon was her wife. And while Shrike is certain that May still recognizes herâthat May is still herself, somewhere beneath it allâshe canât prove it.
Determined to keep May safe, Shrike stalks the knight and his demon-hunting hawk through the recesses of the forest. But as they creep through toxic creeks and overgrown kudzu, Shrike realizes the knight has a secret of his own. And heâll do anything to protect it.
I had seen this series before but not read any of the books. But the description of How Not To Woo Your Human Warrior included a rage filled main woman character, one who when kidnapped by demons used her anger to fight to reach her sister.
That sounded promising and it also stated it could be read as a standalone, so I picked it up.
I mostly enjoyed the story. Not having read the preceding novels, I donât know how much of the missing world building is to be found there. What I did find was a story that dealt with some sensitive issues (parental abuse,DV,control issues and anger issues) yet framed them with some comedic humor that is a bit jarring. Or perhaps just odd that it feels out of place.
At least to me.
The storyline is good. A pair of sisters, already at odds, are kidnapped by slavers. And then rescued. By demons.
Kalypso or Kaly, the older sister has lived a tough life. Her history is slowly revealed over the course of the book, the reason sheâs so excellent at fighting, so filled with rage, so quick with her anger. With her younger sister as her only focus. As one can imagine, none of those reasons are good.
Her sister, Kat, is an enigma for the most part, separated from Kaly, used as to keep Kaly compliant with the rules of the place they are living in.
That damaged dynamic is a realistic twist of the book.
Ozirax, the demon warrior in charge of Kaly getting settled into her new environment is an interesting character. This is the first time Iâve seen dyslexia written into a demon in this manner, and itâs a very successful element. Same for how itâs a part of Kalyâs story. This bridge is just one that makes their journey to a relationship work.
Other aspects of the story I think are well written are the various paranormal creatures that are battled or just met as part of this new world. The teams and political factions are very similar to an earth similar system and/or structure so thereâs nothing new to explore.
What I find irksome about this and any other book is where the author has given a element of their series a name thatâs either silly or odd enough that just seeing it, throws you out of the narrative. Example. The current storyline is dealing with a serious issue, then one of the characters mentions that they are living in Heck.
SMH. Demons in Heck.
Which would be funny if this was a comedy. And not a book dealing with child abuse, rage, anger management, and other sensitive topics.
Yes, I took rating points away because of that.
And because that wasnât well written. You can have humor and traumatic experiences within the same novel but the writing has to be exceptional. This isnât it.
Itâs engaging at times. Downright awkward reading at times. Oz calls Kaly spicy immediately because sheâs filled with rage over being kidnapped and drugged by slavers and separated from her sister. Anyone see a problem here?
Itâs that sort of thing that occurs regularly throughout that makes this a ok read but not one where Iâll seek out the other books.
Falling for Demons-6 books:
âSix human women, betrayed by their own only to be rescued by the very demons they were taught to fear, find themselves trapped in a harrowing, magical city.
But the cautionary tales were wrong, and theyâre quick to learn demons donât inspire terror but temptationâŚâ
âŞď¸How Not to Court Your Human Captive #1 by A. K. Caggiano
âŞď¸How Not to Charm Your Human Colleague #2 by Laura Winters
âŞď¸How Not To Woo Your Human Warrior #3 by Laura Winters
âŞď¸How Not to Tame Your Human Tease #4 by A. K. Caggiano
âŞď¸How Not to Pursue Your Human Perfectionist #5 by Laura Winters
âŞď¸How Not to Mesmerize Your Human Muse #6 by A. K. Caggiano
Kalypso has a long list of things to be angry about, starting and ending with a spiky purple demon who reluctantly rescued her and five other women from the Dreadmoor. Trapped in the demon realm, Ozirax is the final barrier standing between her and her sister, so sheâll play nice for now. The only issue is⌠sheâs never been nice, and when she drives away the one person sheâs dedicated her life to, Kalypso is left without a purpose. Until she finds a demon warrior whose simmering anger calls to her own.
On the cusp of promotion in the demon guard, it must be a cruel joke from the gods that Ozirax ends up saddled with the rage-filled human woman. Kalypso is stubborn, vicious, and unafraidâthe kind of distraction he doesnât needâbut she holds the key to his rise in rank. Work together, keep her in line, and the captainâs position is his. But thereâs a cunning mind behind the spicy human fighting him at every turn with fists and blunt teeth, and with danger lurking in the Dreadmoor, she might be the very warrior their realm needs.
Theyâve found their match, a mirror to the anger burning within. Kalypso has shown her colors, sharpened her defenses, but Ozirax is filling in the cracks of her broken pieces, and sheâs not sure how to separate them again. Love has always been her weakness, but loving a demon? It might very well be her downfall.
The world has taught them to flare their spikes, but when passion blurs the lines of fury, can they walk away with their hearts intact?
For fans of fantasy monster romance, cozier fantasy, and queer stories, join Laura Winter and AK Caggiano in the Falling for Demons series of interconnected standalones, set in the same fantasy world. Follow six humans and their budding romances with the demons they once feared in a cozy, spicy setting.
Selena ,with her dog, Copper, has fled an abusive relationship after the death of her mother. Broken and desperate with dollars to her name, sheâs bought a train ticket and traveled days to a small desert town of Quartz Creek in search of an aunt she barely knows.
Kingfisherâs novel pulls us immediately into the character of Selena, as itâs her voice thatâs telling her story. Quietly contained, tense, and worried as we watch through her eyes, her journey to a town so dry , so small that thereâs nothing to see when sheâs deposited at her final destination with her few belongings and gentle old lab, Copper.
Weâve no idea exactly how broken Selena is or how horrific a relationship and past sheâs fled. That is slowly revealed throughout the narrative as she starts to find her own way and new foundation in this quirky community.
Snake-Eater by T. Kingfisher is a richly woven, beautifully written tale of a broken woman who finds in small dusty desert town full of secrets, small Gods both frightening and dangerous and some benign a refuge and home, along with a found family. People who are ready to support her, give her comfort and the space she needs to recover and develop her own strengths.
Itâs a remarkable journey. Full of humor, compassion, joy and yes, horror.
All the characters are remarkable in their design and detail, human and otherwise. The mythology and mystical elements are incredible.
And I appreciate that even in the âhorror â aspect of this tale, there is a grey area attached to the âvillainâ here. Yes, its actions now are wrong but all the characters can see their origin came from a very different place. I really like having a broader perspective on subjects like this. Nothing is ever black and white.
T. Kingfisher or author Ursula Vernon is a writer whose work is quietly thoughtful and insightful. Her love for this desert and its beauty is apparent here, it flows through the landscape of the narrative in every sentence.
As does her approach to life and wildlife. Roadrunners are indeed far more than the cartoon characters would have you believe. Authors notes are a delight. Check them out.
Highly recommended. Both author and book.
Exquisite cover that carries major themes of the story.
Cover design by Logan Matthews Cover illustration by Tristan Elwell
From New York Times bestselling and Hugo Awardâwinning author T. Kingfisher comes an enthralling contemporary fantasy seeped in horror about a woman trying to escape her past by moving to the remote US desertâonly to find herself beholden to the wrath of a vengeful god.
With only a few dollars to her name and her beloved dog Copper by her side, Selena flees her past in the city to claim her late auntâs house in the desert town of Quartz Creek. The scorpions and spiders are better than what she left behind.
Because in Quartz Creek, thereâs a strange beauty to everything, from the landscape to new friends, and more blue sky than Selenaâs ever seen. But something lurks beneath the surface. Like the desert gods and spirits lingering outside Selenaâs house at night, keeping watch. Mostly benevolent, says her neighbor Grandma Billy. That doesnât ease the prickly sense that one of them watches too closely and wants something from Selena she canât begin to imagine. And when Selenaâs search for answers leads her to journal entries that her aunt left behind, she discovers a sinister truth about her new home: Itâs the haunting grounds of an ancient god known simply as âSnake-Eater,â who her late aunt made a promise to that remains unfulfilled.
Snake-Eater has taken a liking to Selena, an obsession of sorts that turns sinister. And now that Selena is the new owner of his home, heâs hell-bent on collecting everything heâs owed.
