A Barricade in Hell by Jamie Lee Moyer

This book is set in San Francisco in 1916 time frame, shortly before the US entered WW1.   A evangelical peace protestor is involved in occult occurrences and possibly serial murders.  Super natural aspects impact the police investigation which is impacted by ghosts.

Isadora Bobet and Delia Martin return as the resident ghost busters while Captain Gabe and Lt. Jack are the law enforcement personnel of choice.   The plot includes Chinese Tongs, sorcery, demons, spies, espionage, treason, treachery and murder.  If that isn't enough there is also a feisty kitten.  

The setting is post San Francisco earthquake and that somber experience carries through the book.   The exuberance of the time period is also featured.   The author does a superb job in painting the time period.

This mystery like Delia's Shadow was well crafted with plenty of twists and turns.  I enjoyed it as much as the first book. 

I highly recommend the book.

Web site: http://www.jaimeleemoyer.com/

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

The Department of Magic by Rod Kierkegaard Jr.

This book appears to be a satire on government.  The Department of Magic responsibility is to protect “America” the goddess from any harm. 

The premise of the book was very attractive.   It prefaced each chapter with satirical definitions that were often quite funny.   I found the main protagonists hapless and clueless which most likely was intentional.

There was plenty of action and gore.  I just couldn’t get into the story.  I didn’t find it captivating.   I suspect it will find a fervent audience such as Adam’s Hitch Hiker which I also couldn’t get into. 

Body of work of Body of  work of <a type="amzn" > Rod Kierkegaard Jr. </a>

Web Site: http://rodkierkegaard.blogspot.com/

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

Every Which Way But Dead by Kim Harrison

This is the first book of Harrison’s that I have read. I expected a Jim Butcher level of entertainment. I didn’t get it. I gave it a good effort but I just couldn’t get into the story, the characters, the setting, nothing. I wanted to like the book, I have already got a couple more of her books, assuming I would like it but alas, I didn’t. The book had too much soap opera overtone for my taste. Now I am not foolish enough to suggest that it may be more suited in the romance category of vampire loving teens but maybe… Rachel Mariana Morgan is a witch, rooming with a living vampire and a bunch of pixies and she is the familiar of a demon. Sounds like it should be page turner and obviously from Harrison’s sales for many people her books are page turners, just not for me. I do not recommend it.

Body of work of Kim Harrison

Review: http://www.sfsite.com/10a/ew209.htm

Web site: http://www.kimharrison.net/Every%20Which%20Way.htm