Unholy Magic - Stacia Kane

Unholy Magic (Downside Ghosts #2) - Stacia Kane

Grade: Adult - UF

Rating: 5/5 stars

ENEMIES DON’T NEED TO BE ALIVE TO BE DEADLY.

For Chess Putnam, finding herself near-fatally poisoned by a con psychic and then stopping a murderous ghost is just another day on the job. As an agent of the Church of Real Truth, Chess must expose those looking to profit from the world’s unpleasant little poltergeist problem—humans filing false claims of hauntings—all while staving off any undead who really are looking for a kill. But Chess has been extra busy these days, coping with a new “celebrity” assignment while trying on her own time to help some desperate prostitutes.

Someone’s taking out the hookers of Downside in the most gruesome way, and Chess is sure the rumors that it’s the work of a ghost are way off base. But proving herself right means walking in the path of a maniac, not to mention standing between the two men in her life just as they—along with their ruthless employers—are moving closer to a catastrophic showdown. Someone is dealing in murder, sex, and the supernatural, and once again Chess finds herself right in the crossfire. (Description from Goodreads)

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I want to start by saying I have never read a book where the main guy is described as “ugly”. I want to applaud Stacia Kane for going against the grain and creating Terrible “heavy, jutting brows; the crooked nose that looked as though the bones were trying to break out through the skin; the scars; the jaw like a prow of a ship”. Stacia Kane has made him so unbelievably awesome that you forget his “ugliness” and instead find yourself falling for the man inside.

Yes, I have a crush on Terrible!

Ok, with that said on with the review…

I’m not sure when it happened or even how it happened, but I seem to have become used to Chess’s drug problem. It doesn’t seem to bother me as much as it did in the first book. I was able to look past it and just enjoy the storyline of yet another dark and gritty Downside Ghosts novel.

Following from the success of Chess’s last case with the Church, she has been handed a very important investigation. A celebrity has informed the Church that his home is haunted. Being a multi-millionaire, Chess can’t seem to figure out why he would lie about a haunting, but something is “off” about this family and Chess is determined to figure it out.

But things aren’t easy for Chess. Bump has requested she investigate a string of murders that, if the rumours circulating are true, were committed by a ghost.

And if these mysteries weren’t intriguing enough, add to it a gut wrenching love triangle, and you have yourself one very interesting novel.

We also find out a bit more about Chess’s dreadful childhood. My heart broke for Chess. No wonder she turns to drugs to help numb the memories of all the horrific things that were done to her.

This book grabbed me from the start and wouldn’t let me go. Watch out for the ending, and have book 3 handy- you’ll want to start it straight away.

Kerrie

(Originally posted on Goodreads)