Six Gun Tarot and Shotgun Arcana

The Six-Gun Tarot and Shotgun Arcana by R.S. Belcher, 762 pages

Beyond the pitiless 40-Mile Desert lies Golgotha, a cattle town that hides more than its share of unnatural secrets. Some say the Sheriff he is a dead man whose time has not yet come. His deputy is kin to coyotes. The mayor guards a hoard of mythical treasures. A banker's wife belongs to a secret order of assassins. And a shady saloon owner, whose fingers are in everyone's business, may know more about the town's true origins than he's letting on. A haven for the blessed and the damned, Golgotha has known many strange events.

This is Belcher's debut series, and so far it is coming along into what will hopefully become an interesting series. While the first book was little slow, and focused a little to much on getting characters introduced it easily mad up for it towards the end. With most of the character introduction done in the first book the second book was able to explore some of the characters a bit deeper. Overall this could become a good supernatural western series that I look forward to reading.

Witches Protection Program

Witches Protection Program by Michael Phillip Cash          238 pages

I’ve read two other novels by Michael Phillip Cash (The After House  and Stillwell: A Haunting on Long Island) and loved them both. With Witches Protection Program Cash moves from the paranormal/thriller genre to the suspense/comedy genre.
 

Wes Rockville is a police officer in Manhattan. Not sure if he is federal or local, but itreally doesn’t matter. He has blown his first case and is now being re-assigned to a top-secret governmental agency, The Witches Protection Program. This organization has been in existence for 232 years. Its job: to protect the good witches who live among us.
 

At first, Wed was reluctant to believe in witches, good or bad. He reports to Alastair Verne, a man who knows a thing or two about protecting the good. His first assignment is to help Alastair uncover a plan by a wealthy cosmetic mogul, Bernadette Pendragon, (a bad witch) to achieve world domination. He also has to protect Bernadette’s niece Morgan (a good with) from her aunt’s evil plans.
 

Cash spoofs the whole witch’s genre with his clever plot. Very well written with well-developed characters. Also, there wasn’t a whole lot of over-the-top witch weaponry used. One thing I didn’t like was the way Cash tacked on how Wes blew his first case. I sure hope this is the first in a series.

 I give Witches Protection Program 5 out of 5 stars.

 

 

Eighth Grave After Dark

Eighth Grave After Dark by Darynda Jones
352 Pages

"Charley Davidson has enough going on without having to worry about twelve hellhounds hot on her trail. She is, after all, incredibly pregnant and feeling like she could pop at any moment. But, just her luck, twelve deadly beasts from hell have chosen this time to escape onto our plane, and they've made Charley their target. And so she takes refuge at the only place she thinks they can't get to her: the grounds of an abandoned convent. Of course, if hellhounds aren't enough, Charley also has a new case to hold her attention: the decades-old murder of a newly-vowed nun she keeps seeing in the shadows of the convent. Add to that the still unsolved murder of her father, the strange behavior of her husband, and Charley's tendency to attract the, shall we say, undead, and she has her hands full...but also tied. While the angry hellhounds can't traverse the consecrated soil, they can lurk just beyond its borders like evil sentries, so Charley has been forbidden from leaving the sacred grounds. Luckily, she has her loyal team with her, and they're a scrappy bunch who won't let a few thirsty hellhounds deter them. While the team scours the prophesies, searching for clues on the Twelve, for a way to kill them or at least send them back to hell, Charley just wants answers and is powerless to get them. But the mass of friends they've accrued helps. They convince her even more that everyone in her recent life has somehow been drawn to her, as though they were a part of a bigger picture all along. Their presence is comforting. But the good feelings don't last for long because Charley is about to get the surprise of her crazy, mixed-up, supernatural life...."

The latest book of this series wraps up a lot of storyline and plots but ends with a cliffhanger and possibly a new direction to take the series.  

The Getaway God

The Getaway God by Richard Kadrey
387 Pages


James Stark, also known as Sandman Slim has spent time as Lucifer, fought the forces of good and evil and is once again called upon to save the world as the gods who originally owned it try to come back into the universe.  If he fails it will be the end of humanity. 

The sandman slim series is okay, it was originally recommended as a possible substitute for people who couldn't wait for the next Jim Butcher Harry Dresden book to come out.  While there are some similiarities, it is a poor man's substitute.

The City

The City by Dean Koontz
398 Pages


Dean Koontz's latest is set in the late sixties and is narrated by a young african-american boy.  As we follow the narrative the boy relates his life with his mother, estranged father and grandparents.  He is visited by a mysterious woman who describes herself as the city and sends him prophetic dreams of the future.  Soon the boy is on a course leading to a battle of good and evil.

While I was reading this book I found the writing to be very similar to Stephen King.  It is an enjoyable tale.

Skin Game

Skin Game by Jim Butcher
454 Pages


Harry Dresden is back and in his role as the Winter Knight he is being forced to aid a group of former foes by Mab.

There are a lot of books that claim to be similar to the Harry Dresden series but once you read an original you are reminded that they don't quite live up.  What Butcher does well is to create a character that isn't perfect finding his inner strength to continue to learn and develop.  Over the course of the series the wizard Harry Dresden has become a more complex character rather than a one dimensional fixture.  Add to the mix a cast of compelling and likeable allies and unlikeable foes and you get a books that will keep attracting new readers.