Rating: 4 stars (Spotlight Review)

There have always been whispers of a black magic past surrounding the small, rural town of Blackwater. However, even long-time residents would be shocked to learn just how many so-called mythical creatures are prowling around their community—namely angels and demons.

Nick Englebrecht comes from one of the founding families of Blackwater. A former NYC cop, Nick retired to his hometown after the brutal death of his partner, and now runs a new age store that mainly sells crystals, incense and other “magical” accessories that delight the tourists. However, long-time customers know that the back room is where all the real magic happens.

Nick also happens to be one of the few people who knows exactly what’s going on in town, and deals with demon-hunting angels on a daily basis. So far he has managed to stay off the kill list despite being a coveted target—one of the many perks that comes with being the son of the devil.

When a little girl goes missing, the sheriff asks Nick to lend a hand in finding her. However, what Nick uncovers has him not only fearing for his own well-being, but for humanity’s as well.

Despite being the son of the devil, Nick Englebrecht has a sense of morality and compassion that makes him very endearing, with just enough sexy bad-boy in him to keep him exciting and realistic. His witty and wry sense of humor is enjoyable, adding even more charm to his persona.

Though Nick is a great character others equally as fun and interesting support him. Malach, an enforcer for the angel Gabriel, and whom Nick reduces to “God’s hit man” is a no-nonsense kind of guy who carries out his job with laser-like focus. However, underneath his tough exterior, Malach has a big heart—though he wouldn’t hesitate to punch you in the face if you dared to even allude to its existence.

Koehler also does a very good job of keeping the plot line moving at a brisk pace. The book is a fairly quick read, however, it’s a testament to the author’s writing ability that she is able to pack plenty of action and information into such a short amount of time, without making things feel rushed or unfinished.

It seems Ms. Koehler is a fairly prolific author, although this is the first of her books that I’ve read. Admittedly the title and cover is what caught my attention, but it was the wonderfully written and engaging story that kept me enrapt.

The first in a series, K.H. Koehler does a fantastic job of introducing a dynamic set of characters, tweaking the usual concept of good versus evil just enough to make it interesting, thus setting the stage for much-anticipated future installments.
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Paperback: 198 pages
Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press (October 13, 2012)
ISBN-13: 978-1620071014