Genre: Fiction, Fantasy
Released: December 2015
Publisher: CreateSpace
Available Formats: Paperback, Kindle E-Book
The soul of a serial killer has somehow done the impossible--escaped from Hell. Both Heaven and Hell are extremely embarrassed and want the situation solved as soon as possible, so they have collaborated to hastily assemble a team of souls to catch him.
This team consists of two from each realm who have been gifted with special abilities in order to complete this mission. From Hell comes Virgil, a US Marshal who was killed in the line of duty, and Lisa, a rouge cop also killed by a criminal. From Heaven there is Sara, a forensics specialist, and Alfred, a psychologist.
FIRST CIRCLE CLUB was a riveting tale, and I appreciated the way in which both the plot and the actions of the characters didn't always go in the direction I assumed it would. I read a lot of urban fantasy, and this one avoided many of the cliches and pitfalls that I've come across in the genre.
For instance, Alfred started off seeming like too much of a goody-two-shoes, but he grew on me with his evident strong conviction that the right thing should always be done. Even when there were situations for which the more violent Virgil and Lisa seem to have carte blanche to give in to their bloodier, Hell-influenced instincts, Alfred kept his cool without coming across as the typical holier-than-thou sort of character who is often meant to embody goodness in a novel.
Contrary to my admiration for Alfred, I did also love that both Lisa and Virgil seemed to feel little to no guilt for indulging in the type of behavior for which they had been created.
It was with deep reluctance that I tore myself away from reading the (also wonderful) sequel PARADISE HACKED in order to write this review.
Fans of authors like A. Lee Martinez and Carrie Armstrong will appreciate the humor and depth of detail which went into building the "universe" of this novel; once this book grabs you, it holds fast.
There were some minor editing issues, but nowhere near enough to distract or detract from the utterly engaging storytelling.
--Assena V
A version of this review originally appeared on the Dog-Eared Dragon Facebook Page and on Goodreads.com on February 15, 2016.
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