Unholy Magic (Downside Ghosts, #2) in Dangerous Hero Addict Support Group

Feb 22, 2012 Suzanne (Under the Covers Book blog) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: action-adventure, magic, best-of-the-best-2012, genre-urban-fantasy, lover-the-cover, hero-mad-bad-and-dangerous-to-know, genre-mystery, mages-witches-magic-users, hero-i-wanna-hug, author-stacia-kane

Chess Putnam's life seems to be rapidly careening about of her control. Stuck between two rival drug lords who both seem to want something out of her and terrified of her growing feelings for the only person in her life that she trusts, not to mention her ever escalating drug problem, being stuck with a high profile debunking case involving a celebrity is the last thing she wants. Not to mention the gruesomely murdered hookers that keep showing up all over Downside, which look to be the work of ...more

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Jan 07, 2011 La La rated it liked it

I really can't give the best review of this book because I actually wound up skimming through it. The story started out good, prostitutes in the area are getting knocked off and Chess is asked by the head of one of the neighborhood gangs to look into. She find that there is sex magic tied to the dead bodies and is on a quest to find out whose using ghosts and magic to do their dirty business. The book kind of lost me after Chess had a withdrawal episode at the house of one her church cases. I lo I really can't give the best review of this book because I actually wound up skimming through it. The story started out good, prostitutes in the area are getting knocked off and Chess is asked by the head of one of the neighborhood gangs to look into. She find that there is sex magic tied to the dead bodies and is on a quest to find out whose using ghosts and magic to do their dirty business. The book kind of lost me after Chess had a withdrawal episode at the house of one her church cases. I love how the author acknowledges the shame Chess feels about being an addict especially when when confronted by others. Being an addict and working for the Church is huge no no and makes even the people of Downside look down upon her, but even as I sympathize with Chess every chapter I lose a little more respect for her. I really can't root for a heroine whose not even trying or thinking about getting clean and putting herself in some awkward, sleazy and dangerous situation due to the need to continuously feed her addiction. It was even pointed out to her that she was sleeping with a guy from a rival gang just because he was giving her free drugs. She seem never put two and two together on that one especially since she said she never wanted to be that woman. But even after she acknowledge that was biggest reason she was sleeping with Lex it wasn't even a low enough point for her to think maybe she needs to try and kick this habit. At one point I had to laugh when she made a face about drinking some hallucinogenic in a dirty cup she was given as she was trying infiltrate an illegal seance but in the previous book she took drugs off a decomposing dead body ran across in an underground sewer system. Uh yeah.

The most interesting part of this series to me is the dynamic of Chess and Terrible, the enforcer to the gangster Chess buys her drugs from. Throughout the series she grows closer to the man she once was afraid of and thought was ugly as they are thrown together time after time to check into neighborhood dealings that threaten Terrible's bosses various businesses. Because Chess is too afraid to acknowledge her feeling for Terrible she finds herself doing even more self destructive things to keep herself numb and erect walls. But as situations come to head it forces Chess to acknowledge that Terrible is someone she would jeopardize everything for if it meant losing him. ...more

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Oct 08, 2010 Kathyjacks rated it liked it

Shelves: ghost

This book is a vast improvement over the first in the series. I was being generous to give the first one 2 stars. I hated the people . I still dislike this main character " Chess " highly. She's so sleazy . She's easy , an addict, makes some of the worst decisions ever. In this book , the second of the series we see more into Chess's background and why she is as messed up as she is. It did help me sympathize with her somewhat but I am still a person who thinks you have to separate from those thi ...more

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