Counterfeit Magic: Otherworld Novella 5.5

Return to the world of Kelley Armstrong's best-selling novels Dime Store Magic and Industrial Magic for a long original novella.

The first rule of a supernatural fight club? Don't kill your opponent.

When the fighters come with lethal spells, werewolf strength and half-demon powers, that can be a lot tougher than it sounds. It's hard to attract talent if they know they might not leave the ring alive. So when fighters at a California club start dying -- it's bad for business.

Witch detectives Paige Winterbourne and Savannah Levine take the case. Going undercover in the power-heavy arena of the fight club is a welcome change of pace for Paige, relegated to the role of The Wife as her husband struggles to find his place in his family's Cabal--the corporate Mafia of the supernatural world.

As Paige is drawn deeper into new and dangerous corners of her world, she quickly discovers the greatest threat isn't the killer in her sights. It's something much, much closer to home. And this is one fight she can't afford to lose.

Set in the same universe as her earlier books, Dime Store Magic (2004) and Industrial Magic (2004), Armstrong’s new novella is a stand-alone blend of crime story and urban fantasy featuring the employees of Cortez-Winterbourne Investigations. Hired to investigate a missing person, Paige and her assistant and adopted daughter, Savannah, must infiltrate the supernatural fight club where the missing man was last seen. Paige’s husband, Lucas, usually part of the investigative team, is off dealing with family business, which poses a problem for Paige, as the case involves them with the Cabal, the mafia of the supernatural world, and Lucas’ family has ties to the Mob. Armstrong weaves a fast-paced, action-heavy, and compelling tale in a short space, but the pace becomes a little too frenetic as the ending nears, leading to a conclusion that is wrapped up a bit hastily. Still, this is a good place to start for readers new to Armstrong’s urban-fantasy world. --Jessica Moyer

"Armstrong weaves a fast-paced, action-heavy, and compelling tale in a short space.... [A] good place to start for readers new to Armstrong's urban-fantasy world." ---Booklist