Search - City of Ghosts (Downside Ghosts, Bk 3)

I'm still a little dazed after reading all three books of this series back to back. I picked them up on a recommendation from a friend and although I was hesitant to start another urban fantasy series, for some reason so many of them seem to mirror each other, I pushed aside other books in my TBR stack and dove in. This world Stacia Kane has built is gritty and dark and at times painful to witness. The heroine is a junkie churchwitch with a messy life and her relationship with another character, Terrible, is almost traumatic. I loved it. I couldn't help but root for Chess, couldn't help but fall a little bit for Terrible. Okay, maybe alot. I can't recommend this series enough. Go get these books. I promise you won't be bored, you might not even get any sleep until you finish all three. This series, especially the third book, are now on my all time favorite read list.

My review is going to be short and sweet. Stacia Kane is detail crazy-to the extreme. After awhile, I did not care about tatoos, witches, ghosts, etc., way TMI! It takes away from the characters and that is the series downfall. Now to the good stuff- when she takes the time to develop her characters, she is brilliant at it. And you fall for her characters. Considering I am now a Terrible addict, I will continue the series. But, if this series did not have Terrible, I wouldn't even consider book 4

The third book in a terrific new series. Each book has just gotten better and better. The complex world building, the morally ambiguous characters, and a plot that really moves add up to a book that kept me riveted. Set in a world where there are no longer any governments or religion - there is only the Church of Real Truth, the only protection against ghosts bent on the murder and destruction of the living.
The heroine, Chess, is a church witch who investigates reported hauntings and either debunks them (there is a significant financial settlement if a person is found to have ghosts in their home) or banishes the ghosts if it turns out to be a true haunting. Chess is also a hardcore drug addict and the choices she makes are often cringe inducing but the character is so well written that her behavior is always believable. There are reasons why Chess is as screwed up as she is but the author is smart enough to use those reasons to explain without ever trying to excuse the heroine's behavior. The supporting characters are also well drawn, not stock characters but unique three dimensional people.
The author has taken a lot of risks with this series, it is not the typical UF, and I think it really pays off. This is a gripping, thrilling, vivid story that pulls no punches.
A hard to put down read.