Shady Lady by Ann Aguirre

Roc, 2011
ISBN: 0575093994
Available: New & multiformat digital

The third book in Ann Aguirre’s Corine Solomon series, Shady Lady expands the world setting (a curiously vampire-and-werewolf-free universe that still has plenty of magical conflict to spare) tenfold in this one volume. Home after defeating the demon that ran the town she grew up in (and had a hand in her mother’s death), Corine is ready to settle back into her role as a thrift shop owner and explore the new extent of her powers, gifted to her by mother postmortem. Then Kel, the mysterious killer who claims to be the Hand of God, shows up and tells her he’s there to protect her from a notorious Mexican cartel leader who is out for Corine’s blood.

Aguirre pulls no punches with this book. Her characters pop off the page, making the conflict all the more real, and her style brings so many places, from the streets of Mexico to the depths of the jungle to vivid life. (And the classic macho movie addition of a gun-laced chase scene shows girls can play with action tropes as well.) Aguirre’s books are the place to go for raw action and grit, threaded through with a sense of human tenderness. Highly recommended for public and private collections, especially those oriented toward paranormal or urban fantasy tastes, but this series also holds a strong appeal for readers who love a good action flick.

Contains: sex, violence, language