Book Review: Pieces of Eight by Peter Hartog
Genre(s): Science Fiction / Urban Fantasy
Book Synopsis:
How do you stop a killer who’s already dead?
Some secrets never die. When the mutilated corpse of an ex-con is found in the bowels of an old church, haunting Biblical verses scrawled at the crime scene speak of divine retribution, and a killer hellbent on revenge. For Special Crimes detective Tom “Doc” Holliday doesn’t need his fickle clairvoyance to see that a murder like this is only the beginning.
With few leads and fewer suspects, Holliday and his quirky team of paranormal specialists embark upon an investigation that will lead them down a dark and twisted path, and test the bonds of family and friendship. From the frozen streets of Little Odessa to the diabolical wealth of Park Avenue, Holliday will need more than his Insight to hunt down an unstoppable killer.
But when Holliday suspects the killer might not be what it seems, he’ll have to unravel a twisted web of greed and lies to save an innocent soul, or lose his own, and watch his world die.
Review:
I enjoyed the first book in this series, Bloodlines, when I read it, but this second book takes everything to a whole new level. I didn’t just enjoy Pieces of Eight, I loved it.
It’s a blend of science fiction and paranormal fantasy, set on a future Earth where magic has made a comeback, creatures from other dimensions have found their way to our world, and society has become relatively fragmented. Cities govern themselves and each has its own set of rules and beliefs its citizens are encouraged to follow. This story is set in Empire City (formerly New York City), so some of the locations named are familiar.
The same group of core characters from book one are still around in book two. Leyla is a witch with an affinity to frost, and a top-notch hacker. Deacon is a gruff (and sometimes difficult to like) character with a questionable past and abilities that allow him to deal with supernatural enemies pretty effectively. I’m still not quite sure how his abilities work, only that they’re tied to his past with a sketchy cult/church group. Besim is a humanoid alien species with some psychic powers and a ton of corporate and celebrity resources. Then there’s our main character, Tom Holliday, with his Insight—that doesn’t always work when or how he needs it to. It’s an interesting mix of talents and personalities and half the reason I think this series is so much fun.
And when paranormal occurrences and undead perpetrators are thrown into the mix, it gets really interesting. Not only that, but there were a few major twists in the story and big reveals that I was not expecting. It was a fun time, and I hope we won’t have long to wait for book three… because while the main storyline was resolved, there are still some personal elements the characters are dealing with that weren’t.
As I said above, I loved this book. So if crime stories with fantastical elements are your thing, definitely check this one out.
Author website: peterhartog.com
Amazon link: Pieces of Eight
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