Guest Review- Unholy Magic

Ok, so since I had already devoured the Downside Trilogy by the time I started this site I ask my friend Carrie if she would write a review and I love her objective approach to my favorite books this year.

In Unholy Magic, Chess Putnam is thrown into yet another mystery in the depths of Downside.  With her recent conquest of the Dreamthief case, Chess finds herself more renowned then she would like among her fellow Church witches. Her new esteem with the Church grants her higher paying Debunker cases-which is always good- but focuses more attention on her then she would like.

Her new case with the church just happens to be with the famed actor

Roger Pyle who has been experiencing a haunting in his newly built mansion. While back on the streets of Downside, the hookers in both Slobag's crew and Bump's crew are being murdered, and once again Chess finds herself in the precarious position between two battling drug lords who both require her assistance. Meanwhile, Chess is trying to keep her relationship with Lex under wraps from Bump and more importantly from Terrible, the man she is falling in love with.

I have to say the plot of the story is thick, and the characters are dark. If you are looking for a happy-go-lucky novel, this is definitely not it. The heroine has a steady addiction to drugs, and cannot function without them. She follows a stream of self destructive behavior that wreaks havoc on her personal life. She continuously denies her affection and growing love for Terrible, while maintaining a sexual relationship with Lex. This sets her on a course for disaster where she ultimately needs both men to resolve both her Debunker case and the Downside Murders.

At heart I usually prefer heroines who are not so self destructive, but the more I read the less I could put these books down. The story moves and flows to it's conclusion as you wait for a bomb to drop and watch as things fall apart for Chess. She is not a soft girl who rolls over, and she fights for everything she can. Additionally, I like the premise of this trilogy as it is a new perspective I have not seen in this genre.

4 out of 5 stars