Review: The Better Part of Darkness

This is the first Charlie Madigan novel by Kelly Gay.

Book Blurb:

Atlanta: it's the promised city for the off-worlders, foreigners from the alternate dimensions of heaven-like Elysia and hell-like Charbydon. Some bring good works and miracles. And some bring unimaginable evil...

Charlie Madigan is a divorced mother of one, and a kick-ass cop trained to take down the toughest human and off-world criminals. She's recently returned from the dead after a brutal attack, an unexplained revival that has left her plagued by ruthless nightmares and random outbursts of strength that make doing her job for Atlanta P.D.'s Integration Task Force even harder.

Since the Revelation, the criminal element in Underground Atlanta has grown, leaving Charlie and her partner Hank to keep the chaos to a dull roar. But now an insidious new danger is descending on her city with terrifying speed, threatening innocent lives: a deadly, off-world narcotic known as ash.

Charlie is determined to uncover the source of ash before it targets another victim -- but can she protect those she loves from a force more powerful than heaven and hell combined?

I enjoyed this book. :)

The Better Part of Darkness is a paranormal whodunnit and Charlie Madigan is a tough as nails APD ITF officer. Being from Georgia - I really enjoyed the Atlanta setting. :)

The story is well written and interesting enough - but it did get draggy in a few spots. The total number of pages is 391 - and usually, for me - the more the better - but I lost interest about three fourths of the way through and actually skimmed a few pages before making myself go back and re-read and then behave. LOL I think the whole story could have been wrapped up a little quicker than it was - and we were left with somewhat of a cliff hanger so I'm thinking - gee, why stretch it out like that?

But I do want to know how things are going to turn out - especially for Charlie's partner Hank and her ex- husband Will.

So to that end - I am looking forward to the next installment The Darkest Edge of Dawn - due out August of 2010.

I give The Better Part of Darkness 3 out of 5 stars.

M