The Good, the Bad, and the Undead by Kim Harrison

Hollows TimelineOf Vampires -- Living and Not So LivingPixies and Fairies. Yes, There is a DifferenceMusic as My InspirationIt's a tough life for witch Rachel Morgan, sexy, independent bounty hunter, prowling the darkest shadows of downtown Cincinnati for criminal creatures of the night.She can handle the leather-clad vamps and even tangle with a cunning demon or two. But a serial killer who feeds on the experts in the most dangerous kind of black magic is definitely pressing the limits.Confronting an ancient, implacable evil is more than just child's play -- and this time, Rachel will be lucky to escape with her very soul.

oh yeah. this is shaping up to be an excellent series. I LOVE the sexual/vampiric tension w her roommate/business partner/best friend Ivy. sounds ridiculous but it is really fascinating & complicated. can't wait to read more. my only gripe is that these start off slow & take ~ 150 PGA to get moving.

This review is also featured on Behind the Pages: The Good, the Bad and the Undead

Ley line witches are being murdered in Cincinnati. Rachel has been hired as an Inderlander consultant to help track down the killer. But Rachel will have to use magic she loathes in order to discover the truth. And where it leads her, there is no coming back from. If she isn't careful, she may just end up in debt to a demon and lose her soul.

The dynamics of Kim Harrison's characters have always been the reason I continued this series. Rachel alone would not be enough to carry the story. Her impulsiveness makes her wind up in entertaining situations, but she isn't a strong enough heroine. She's still learning, fumbling about and without Ivy and Jenks, I doubt she would make it far. As a character, Rachel has a lot of development to go through, but that's the point of reading a series right?

I do have to admit Ivy is my favorite character. I always fall for the torn and conflicted ones, and Ivy fits that bill. She is the strong female character I always gravitate towards, and seeing her in a secondary character role makes me savor the moments she is on the page. I also love the friendship between Rachel and Ivy. Rachel won't abandon Ivy, despite any hiccups that may happen between the two of them. This makes me appreciate Rachel more as a character. Kim has built a world where living vampires are slaves to their instincts, and watching Ivy continue to struggle against her basic instincts, all in a fight to just be a normal friend to someone tears me up.

I'm glad to say I am enjoying this series just as much as I did ten years ago when it first hit the shelves. If you want a series filled with action, friendship, sarcastic comedy, and demons, pick this one up.

Life is not easy for white witch bounty hunter Rachel Morgan, she lives with a vampire, her boyfriend has the bad habit of calling a demon, her clients don't always pay, and her demon mark reacts really strongly to vampires. And now ley line witches are killed...

I just love that series :o) Action, suspense, humor and a little romance... everything is there! Rachel is a white witch with principles but she has to face reality and must accept to sometimes go against her values to survive and, as importantly, help her friends survive. In this book, she also learns more about her past and her father. I can't wait to read the next installment in that series (but I have to wait until my books are unpacked)...