When the fourth installment of the gripping Jill Kismet series begins, Jill and Saul are meeting the Cirque de Charnu as it comes into town. Run by hellbreed (demons), the Circus lures those who truly wish to die into its seductive yet repulsive clutches. As long as they behave themselves and stay within their boundaries, Jill cannot interfere, though she may observe. Unfortunately for her, when people inside the Circus begin dying, Jill has to get involved. At the same time, mysterious possessions and deaths occurring outside the Circus may or may not be connected. Investigating a possession, Jill realizes that unlike the more typical instances, this particular situation seems somehow off, the person involved exhibiting puzzling behavior that does not track with her previous experiences.

When she goes to question a sorceress practicing black magic, in addition to the woman being dead, Jill finds a horde of cockroaches and zombies, as well as a few similarities to a death within the Circus. As her confusion deepens, Jill overrides her discomfort to go and meet with Zamba, the resident voodoo queen. When arriving, Jill and Saul find more cockroaches, more zombies, and the nine dead bodies of Zamba’s acolytes, though not the priestess herself. Since hellbreed and voodoo practitioners usually give one another wide berth, Jill remains perplexed at the connections as she tries to unravel the many threads of the mystery. Adding to her difficulties, Saul displays some uncharacteristic behavior, as well, slightly shaking the basic foundation that Jill relies upon.

Becoming more and more attached and entrenched, Jill constantly refers to Santa Luz as “my town,” the personal responsibility she feels adding depth to her character. Though it can be difficult to read at times, the gruesomeness Saintcrow employs emphasizes the horror of what Jill and Saul face every day. Jill’s relationship with Saul remains the softening factor within the narrative, a necessary component to keep the bleakness and violence from taking over completely. As with the previous installments, the reader will feel as though they have stepped into a nightmare-fueled world, the feeling remaining between readings and long after turning the last page. This mind-blowing series remains a must-read for all urban fantasy lovers.

Book Stats:

• Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Orbit (November 24, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316035459
• ISBN-13: 978-0316035453

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Books in the Jill Kismet series in the order they should be read:
Night Shift
Hunter’s Prayer
Redemption Alley
Flesh Circus

(3 votes, average: 4.33 out of 5)

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