The Taken

Starred review from April 2, 2012
In a world where angels can be monsters, Griffin Shaw, a murdered PI turned tough-guy soul-collector, and Las Vegas reporter Katherine “Kit” Craig lock horns and hearts in this supernatural noir mystery from veteran paranormal romance author Pettersson (the Signs of the Zodiac series). Kit is a rockabilly devotee of the 1950s who passionately pursues the human element behind the news. Grif’s from the actual 1950s; dead 50 years, he’s now an angel who collects just-murdered souls like Kit’s photographer friend Nicole, killed while investigating a child prostitution ring that serves the rich and famous. After Grif loses his wings for breaking the rules to help Nicole, he decides the time is right to solve his wife’s long-ago murder—and his own. Meanwhile, Kit is determined to break the prostitution story and justify Nicole’s death. Pettersson hits every note in the familiar duet of a “reticent, complicated, darkly sexy man” and a luscious, plucky “girl reporter” out to save the world, and laces it with dollops of unconventional angelology. The resulting irresistibly good yarn proves that there’s still plenty of room for brilliant innovation in urban fantasy. Agent: Miriam Kriss, Irene Goodman Literary Agency; author now represented by Peter McGuigan, Foundry Literary + Media.