Review: "Unholy Magic" by Stacia Kane

     In the second book of Downside Ghosts, Chess finds herself working for the Church of Real Truth and for Bump yet again.  Her new assignment from the church has her investigating the validity of a celebrity's household haunting.  Meanwhile, Bump has her looking into the recent murders of Downside's hookers.  While Terrible and Chess are working together to solve the mystery of the gruesome murders, Chess is spending her downtime with Bump's competitor, Lex.  She knows it's only a matter of time until Terrible finds out about Lex, but she just can't seem to stay away.

     My opinion of the series has definitely gone up with this book.  I've gotten over my issue with the Downside speak.  In the first book I felt like I was translating everything I read but now it doesn't seem to slow things down at all.  Chess is not only still completely addicted to her pills but is even worse now that she's getting free pills from Bump's competition as well.  In one of the scenes where Chess has to go without her pills, Kane describes a very vivid portrayal of her withdrawal in which you actually felt bad for Chess and her addiction.  One of my favorite scenes with Terrible is in that as well.  Chess is one of the most flawed characters but it certainly doesn't prevent her from doing her job.  The way she treats Terrible just makes me want to shake her.  I realize he is a murdering drug enforcer for one of the most powerful drug dealers in town, but... he's so sweet.  Yes, I said it- good thing he can't hear me.  He's such a gentleman with Chess, opening the car doors, taking her to dinner, always looking out for her, he respects her and what does she do... continues to climb into bed with Lex.  Even after Chess finds something out about him that only one other person knows she still wont let him in.  The scene near the end in the graveyard... I wont give anything away,but... I just wanted to give Terrible a giant hug!  I will try not to say anything more on that, but it's hard :)

     I love that Stacia Kane can portray Terrible as a scarred, heavily tattooed, ugly man with horrible hair and Elvis sideburns and none of us care.  What's the saying... beautiful on the inside?  Well, it may be deep down inside but it's there.

     This is a suspenseful, gritty and dark urban fantasy that I'm growing to really like (I would say love, but I have to see where Kane takes us with the Terrible/Lex/Chess saga from here). I couldn't put this book down once I got about halfway through it.  Quickly moving on to book 3 now :)