Personal Demon Kelley Armstrong

Personal Demons
Kelley Armstrong
April
Spectra
ISBN 0553806610
Urban Fantasy/Romantic
****1/2



In the Otherworld, you don't want to upset the Cabals, defy them, or owe them. Even if you are the devil's daughter, it's a wise half demon that stays on the good side of these semi - Mafia like entities. So, when the head of the Cortez Cabal calls in the debt Hope Adams, Lucifer's daughter, owes, she figures it's in her best interests to accept the job. Going undercover to infiltrate a gang of potential troublemakers, Hope soon finds herself up to her neck in alligators and having to tread a fine line to live through the successful completion of her assignment. Complicating matters is her back-up man, Karl, the werewolf who was once her lover. While she might resent his presence, the real problem is the temptation he represents. The perils are not wholly physical in nature. Moral choices, the lure of rekindling a romance, conflicting loyalties, truth, pride, and more become "personal demons" for Hope.



Sharing the spotlight with Hope is Lucas Cortez, Paige's husband and the youngest "black" or would that be white sheep of the Cortez clan. In his usual dry, yet witty tone, Lucas offers some extra insight into the twists and turns of the plot. He has even more issues to confront as he is drawn back into his family's politics. Even though this is a "Women" of the Otherworld book, it would be more than cool to see Lucas get a book told entirely through his eyes.



Having a Kelley Armstrong book come my way is always a treat, and this is no exception. There is an extra edginess to this one, especially when compared to the books focused on Paige, perhaps reflecting the evolution of Ms. Armstrong's writing as is seen in Exit Strategy. Fortunately, for new readers, this, as do all the books in this series, can stand on its own two feet. You can enter the Otherworld at any point in the timeline without being lost. Since manths pass between the stories, and I do read a lot, that is very welcome. October and the next book can't come soon enough.