Book Review: Devil's Business

Devil's Business

By:  Caitlin Kittredge

Publisher:  St. Martin's Paperbacks

Publish Date:  September 2011

Format:  Paperback 329pgs, Pocketbook size

Genre:  Urban Fantasy

Series:  4th book in Black London series; Book 1 ~ Street Magic, Book 2 ~ Demon Bound, Book 3 ~ Bone Gods

Recommendation:  Do you love Dark Urban Fantasy reads?  This is a dark, gritty and dangerous world here, full of dark magic and fighting.  Yes, read it if you've enjoyed the first two books.

Book Synopsis:
The crow-mage Jack Winter is back - with a vengeance - but he's not the only one to fight his way out of Hell...

Pete Caldecott did everything she could to save Jack from Hell, even reining in the dark machinations of the Morrigan to help bring him home.  Still, Black London has not welcomed Jack back with open arms...So when a friend on Los Angeles asks for help tracking a sorcerous serial Killer, Pete and Jack decide a change of scenery couldn't hurt...

But the shadow side of the City of Angels turns out to be more treacherous than they ever imagined.  Together, Pete and Jack must navigate a landscape teeming with hostile magic-users - and fight an unknown enemy.   When their investigation leads to a confrontation with the demon Belial, Jack learns that he wasn't the only thing to escape from Hell.  Now it's up to him and Pete to track and eliminate an evil older than the Black itself - before it turns L.A. into Hell on Earth.  And destroys life as they know it back at home...

First Sentence:
When the checkout girl at Sainsbury's tried to murder him with her bare hands, Jack Winter decided he should probably get out of London for a while.

My Thoughts and Summary:
After releasing an old dangerous god, even though he captured him again, people have not been asking for Jack to work any cases or even want him around period.  None of the magically inclined will forgive Jack and are hunting him.  Jack's wondering where Morrigan, the maiden of death who marked him young, is at as he disobeyed her.  Pete is a few months pregnant and now completely silent towards Jack.  He figures she is shutting down with him slowly and will leave him soon to raise the kid away from this life style.  But Jack is determined to protect Pete and the baby as long as she is around.  So with all the threats in London Jack needs to take Pete and leave.  Pete decides she is taking a case in Los Angeles, America.  And Jack can't let her go alone, even though he doesn't like the sounds of it.

Jack seems to be different in this book ever so slightly.  Even though his life style is not one for raising a child in and the dangerous magic all around him is deadly to a baby, he sounds as he wants the baby.  I liked this growth in Jack.  He's becoming a bigger person, and even though he thinks himself a dead-beat dad he wants to be more.  Jack even makes a HUGE change in the end of the book. ;) Thanks to something...special... to him after Bone Gods.  I really liked this.

I did feel like I missed a story here somewhere when it came to Pete.  I couldn't really place her feelings.  I know she's pregnant and that should explain a lot, but well... for me I felt she was more disconnected here and not as much in the story as Jack, our leading man.  But the baby is a HUGE focus for both Pete and Jack, and they each want the baby to be safe and raised properly, which is another reason for her distancing.

We get to see Jack, and Pete, outside of their usually comfort zone of London.  They are now in America for this story.  Los Angeles of all places.  Los Angeles has a special feel to it as well, which is an attraction for the magical type, the Black, and demons.  I have to say we do make a trip to Hell with Jack as well.  I enjoyed this different view this time around.

Oh the demons... Jack finds an alley in someone he never thought he would.  And makes a few new enemies.  Jack, of course, is not the most likable person, but seems to find trouble no matter where he is.  Being the Crow-mage seems to attract them all like a beacon in the night.

Again such a dark urban fantasy read.  This book is not full of rainbows, but more of hell and fighting.  I feel as this book is taking us through a transition period, with Jack and even the new baby to be.  There is more to come and that baby is going to have some serious issues, good and bad.  I'm looking forward to seeing what is to come here.


I read this book for my own enjoyment.

This book qualifies for Horror and Urban Fantasy Reading Challenge hosted by Book Chick City.

Book Blog Chat (18) Final Stop

We have wrapped up Devil's Business by Caitlin Kittredge.

If you would like to join us please do!  The chat is hosted by Robyn at The Bookoholic Zone this week.

WARNING:  Their WILL BE SPOILERS in the questions and comments at the chat.

Hope you jump over and join us in our chat. :)

Who? What? Where? (39)

Who are you with? Where are you at? What's happening?

Share with us just a little bit of what is happening in the book you are reading, right where you are now.

Just a tiny taste of what's happening, remember try to not give spoilers of the book.

(This is a new meme I'm going to try and will tweak as I go. And please don't laugh at my lame attempt at drawing. ;D )


Sorry, I'm in the same book again as last week.  I'll make it short as I'm close to the end.

I'm walking through the demon city of Hell with Jack and the demon Belial.  It's actually surprising what it looks like.  Not really the Hell of torture that Jack knows of.  Now we got to get down to business and clean up.

Devil's Business
By:  Caitlin Kittredge

Book Blog Chat (18) Stop 1

We are at our first stop with Jack Winter and Pete Caldecott in Devil's Business, although it's not Jack's first stop by now.  I think hes on 4 or 5....

We are taking on this book in 2 sections this time around, and now we are half way through.

We do have some questions/thoughts to get us started on our chat here.  Hope you join us.

WARNING:  There WILL BE SPOILERS in the comments, and possibly in the questions.

Robyn's Questions:
1.)  Don aka Abbadon and Teddy were talking about needing body suits.  I don't know why but I feel like that will put the baby in danger.  Could Pete be in trouble being a pregnant woman?
2.)  Besides getting rid of the "princes" do you think Belial has other plans and will leave Pete and Jack alone when this is all done?
3.)  Do you think they will ever go back to London or will they still be in danger when they get back?  What could await them when they return?

Melissa's Questions:
1)  Who else has done the trance that Jack did at the Case home?  The clerk at the magic store mentioned someone else purchased the same items and this doesn't seem like a common trance to do.
2.)  What deal do you think Mrs. Case made?  And with who?
3.)  Jack has 3 paths here to choose from, all of which have threatened Pete.  Which path do you think Jack will follow and help in the end?

Who? What? Where? (38)

Who are you with? Where are you at? What's happening?

Share with us just a little bit of what is happening in the book you are reading, right where you are now.

Just a tiny taste of what's happening, remember try to not give spoilers of the book.

(This is a new meme I'm going to try and will tweak as I go. And please don't laugh at my lame attempt at drawing. ;D )

Jack and I are with Don, the killer we are looking for in Los Angeles.  But there is something off here.  He's not pinging Jack's Demon radar and his "child" is very... evil looking, sounding.  Don is just another who is blackmailing Jack with Pete's life.  But we are getting ready to hear they history of Don's kind as he is older than the Demons we know of in Hell.  I'm curious what this history is as I love the gritty noir Urban Fantasy here.

Devil's Business
By:  Caitlin Kittredge

Teaser Tuesday (93)

Teaser Tuesday

is a weekly event

Sponsored by MizB of Should be Reading

Here's how it works:

Grab the book you are currently reading (anything at all)

Open the book to any random page.

Share 2 teaser sentences from anywhere on the page

Please Make Sure They Are Not Spoilers!

(Don't Give Too Much Away)

Just enough to pique our interests

This Week:

Pete grimaced when he turned on her.  "It happened when you were... away,"  Pete muttered.  "I needed his help to get you out of the nuthouse and shut down Nergal."

Devil's Business
By:  Caitlin Kittredge
59pg

Blog Book Chat (18)...Schedule

We have our next Book Chat picked and ready for you!  Yes, we are sneaking in a second book this month.  So many great reads came out quickly here.

This book is a new release to a series we have been reading, and just couldn't wait to get into this new book. We have decided to read it in only 2 parts. Yep, we are that excited about it and feel we wont be able to stop when we get started.

So what is it and the dates?

Devil's Business
By: Caitlin Kittredge
Pete Caldecott did everything she could to save Jack from Hell, even reigning in the dark machinations of the Morrigan to help bring him home. Still, Black London has not welcomed Jack back with open arms. . . So when a friend in Los Angeles asks for help tracking a sorcerous serial killer, Pete and Jack decide a change of scenery couldn’t hurt. . .


But the shadow side of the City of Angels turns out to be more treacherous than they ever imagined. Together, Pete and Jack must navigate a landscape teeming with hostile magic-users— and fight an unknown enemy. When their investigation leads to a confrontation with the demon Belial, Jack learns that he wasn't the only thing to escape from Hell. Now it’s up to him and Pete to track and eliminate an evil older than the Black itself—before it turns L.A. into Hell on Earth. And destroys life as they know it back at home…


Schedule:
Stop 1 ~ Sept. 22, 2011 ~ End of Chapter 17, 164pg
Stop 2 ~ Sept. 29, 2011 ~ End of Book

Looking Forward To...(60)

There are so many amazing books already on the shelves and new ones coming out.

For a list of books yet to be released I'm looking to get, you can also look on my right Sidebar at the ever growing list titled Desired Reads - just scroll down. Of course there are tones of other new books to come out that are amazing as well, but these ones are part of series I have already started or for one reason or another caught my eye (and haven't seen much on other blogs yet). But I will highlight one here each week.

(mentioned in order of Release Date then Alphabetical if there are more than one book coming out on the same date.)

Next Book Is...

Devil's Business

Black London #4

By:  Caitlin Kittredge

Due Out:  August 30, 2011

Aaaaa, now this series I've been really loving.  Yeah, I've heard of those out there who don't seem to like it, but this is me and I love it.  It's another dark Urban Fantasy read for me.  The characters are not the happy love couple we always see, and I think that's part of what pulls my attention.  But there are some things in store for these characters with where we ended and I want to read more.

If you would like to read my reviews of the first three books you can here:
   Street Magic #1
   Demon Bound #2
   Bone Gods #3

And Caitlin was wonderful enough to do an interview with me as well:
   Caitlin Kittredge

Goodreads Synopsis:

Pete Caldecott did everything she could to save Jack from Hell, even reigning in the dark machinations of the Morrigan to help bring him home. Still, Black London has not welcomed Jack back with open arms. . . So when a friend in Los Angeles asks for help tracking a sorcerous serial killer, Pete and Jack decide a change of scenery couldn’t hurt. . . 

But the shadow side of the City of Angels turns out to be more treacherous than they ever imagined. Together, Pete and Jack must navigate a landscape teeming with hostile magic-users— and fight an unknown enemy. When their investigation leads to a confrontation with the demon Belial, Jack learns that he wasn't the only thing to escape from Hell. Now it’s up to him and Pete to track and eliminate an evil older than the Black itself—before it turns L.A. into Hell on Earth. And destroys life as they know it back at home…

Cover Release

Caitlin Kittredge just posted the cover for her next book in the Black London Series, Devil's Business.

I have been enjoying this series and look forward to this book very much.  Especially with where Jack and Pete are in their lives.  (No it wasn't a cliffhanger in Bone Gods, I just want to see where and what they do next)

So, are you ready???

I love the look of Jack on this cover.  Much healthier, but that goes with the series as well and his tall tale magic sparkles is showing too.  And the background... I think I see carnival rides back there!  Looks amazing!

Oh, and the comment Caitlin made with this posted picture... Hmmm, can't wait to dig in.  Oh, did you want to read it?  CLICK HERE to visit Caitlin's site and see what it was.