Tag: Million Dollar Demon

Million Dollar Demon by Kim Harrison: Cincy’s New Boss Vampire has Rachel on the Ropes

Million Dollar Demon

Million Dollar Demon

by Kim Harrison
Series: The Hollows, #15

eARC, 464 pg.
Ace, 2021

Read: June 3-7, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

What’s Million Dollar Demon About?

It hasn’t been all that long for Rachel Morgan, but for her readers, it’s been ten books (and 14 years) since Cincinnati’s Master Vampire was killed. When this book opens, Constance, the new Master Vampire is days away from arriving to take over.

But she’s already exerting her influence to make things difficult for non-Vampire Interlanders in the city. From bogus evictions, trumped-up charges, intimidation, and just about everything else you can think of. There’s a certain common denominator among many of these targets—they’re tied in some way to Rachel. In more than a few cases, Rachel herself is clearly the target.

The message delivered is very clear—it’s time for Rachel to get out of town. Otherwise, Constance is going to make Rachel’s life miserable—and she’ll also target Rachel’s friends and families, their friends and families, and anyone that looks like might be sympathetic.

One of Rachel’s demon friends mentions an idea—it hasn’t been used recently but there is an old demon office called the subrosa—essentially the demon equivalent of the Master Vampire (there are nuances that I need to let you read for yourselves). Rachel initially blows off the suggestion to take up that mantle and from that position she can take on Constance, save some innocents and perhaps the city. But she keeps circling back to that idea, and her allies keep trying to talk her into it.

As a quick aside—Jane Yellowrock has a tendency to do things like this, too (I just finished revisiting Raven Cursed and the two reminded me of each other). It might not be a bad idea when someone mentions you taking up a title/position that you’ve never heard of to ask a few questions before you think about assuming the title.

Add in the ongoing drama with Trent and the Elves, the Elves fluctuating power structure, the changing relations between Elves and Demons, the Demons internal problems, Rachel’s problems with the Demons (and Al in particular), and…well, all the stuff that we all thought were pretty well settled until last year’s American Demon showed us we were wrong. Basically, there’s a lot going on.

Constance

The idea that the ruling Vampires named Constance as the City’s Master is pretty troubling. She is, to put it simply, bat guano crazy. I don’t remember a lot about her predecessor, Piscary, but I remember he was nasty and cruel. But Constance is a monster. She’s the kind of character that UF heroes are supposed to be focused on taking down, I wish Rachel had been quicker to step up (although I do understand her reasoning). I’ve been reading Urban Fantasy for about sixteen years, and I’ve seen a lot of nasty vampires (and other creatures), and Constance has got to be in the running for the worst.

But I’ve got to tell you, by the end of this book, I was convinced that her #2, Pike, is likely the vampire that’s the real threat. I’m wondering what you think.

So, what did I think about Million Dollar Demon?

I liked it. I had a lot of fun in these pages. And for a series as long-in-the-tooth as this one is, that’s saying something.

I didn’t get as thorough in this post as usually do and/or intended to. I had a few more notes that I wanted to cover, and I actually deleted 5 paragraphs from this because it just ended up being too vague to be of use—or all that interesting. Almost everything that I really wanted to chew on falls under what I’d call a spoiler.

Because there is a lot going on here—after shaking up the status quo in American Demon Harrison establishes—or at least starts to—a new status quo. She’s ignored Vampires for quite a while, and that’s over (and we shouldn’t expect that werewolves won’t stay out of the spotlight, either). I’m not convinced she’s pushing Elves or Demons to the back burner any time soon, but they’re going to have company on the front. How she’s going to keep all these balls in the air at the same time? I have no idea, but it’s going to be fun to watch.

Million Dollar Demon was exciting, there was plenty of drama, a lot of good action, and some important character growth—and as I said, it was fun. At the end of the day, that’s all I ask for.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this.


4 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.

Coming Attractions: NetGalley and Sequels


Ahhh, NetGalley–the cause of, and solution to, all of life’s problems, as Homer Simpson would say if he were a book blogger.

I seem to have collected a few more NetGalley books than I intended to (still a smaller shelf than some people, I realize), all of which I need to take care of in the next month or two so I can beat the publication dates. All but one of them are sequels in series that I’ve really enjoyed, and the rest is from one of my all-time favorite TV shows, so this promises to be fun.

Because I didn’t have time or energy to come up with an actual post today. I thought I’d take a quick look at what I need to do to get my feedback ratio back up to 100%–this 96% is just bugging me.* Any of these spark your interest?

Moonlighting

Moonlighting: An Oral History by Scot Ryan

Once upon a time ABC-TV’s Moonlighting was among the most buzzed-about shows in the country, thanks largely to the bravado of creator Glenn Gordon Caron, who never met a television convention he didn’t want to break, and the sizzling on-screen chemistry between glamorous erstwhile film star Cybill Shepherd and a New Jersey bartender nobody had ever heard of before named Bruce Willis, who bickered and flirted ceaselessly on-screen and engaged in epic off-screen battles that all these years later remain the stuff of Hollywood legend.

This combustible blend of creative brilliance produced some of the most acclaimed, audacious, and innovative programming of the eighties, including a black and white tribute to film noir, with an introduction by Orson Welles; a parody of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, written in iambic pentameter; an homage to The Honeymooners; and countless metafictive episodes breaking through the fourth wall — almost unheard of at the time for hourlong comedy-dramas.

Without a doubt, Moonlighting helped pave the way for the era of prestige television we are now all enjoying. The real story of this pioneering television series and the extraordinary behind-the-scenes challenges, battles, and rewards has never been told — until now,

Author Scott Ryan (The Last Days of Letterman, thirtysomething at thirty: an oral history, The Blue Rose, Scott Luck Stories) conducted over twenty interviews with the actors, writers, directors, and producers who made Moonlighting such a dynamic, unforgettable show, delving deep into their thoughts and feelings as they relive this magical moment in pop culture history in this full-color oral history.

New Interviews with: Cybill Shepherd (Maddie Hayes), Allyce Beasley (Ms. Dipesto), Curtis Armstrong (Herbert Viola), Glenn Gordon Caron Creator, Executive Producer, Writer Jay Daniel Executive Producer, Director Roger Director Writer, Producer, Season 4 Showrunner Allan Arkush Director Bob Butler and more.

Publication Date: June 1

Million Dollar Demon

Million Dollar Demon by Kim Harrison

To save the city, Rachel Morgan will need to show some teeth in the next Hollows novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Kim Harrison.

The new master vampire of Cincinnati has arrived . . . and she wants Rachel Morgan out. No matter where Rachel goes, Constance is there–threatening Rachel’s allies, causing city-wide chaos, and, to add insult to injury, even forcing Rachel out of her current quarters. Ever since Rachel found a way to save the souls of vampires, the old undead’s longtime ascendancy has been broken. Now Constance sees eliminating Rachel as the key to consolidating her own power.

Rachel has no desire to be enthralled or killed–and she’s terrified of what may become of the city if Constance forces a return to the ancient ways. But even a witch-born demon can’t stand against the old undead–at least, not alone. And if Rachel refuses to claim the role of Cincinnati’s master demon, the city will tear itself apart, taking her and all those who stand beside her with it.

Publication Date: June 15

The Keepers

The Keepers by Jeffrey B. Burton

Jeffrey B. Burton’s The Keepers is the next installment of the Mace Reid K9 series, featuring golden retriever cadaver dog Vira and her handler, Mason Reid.

Mason “Mace” Reid lives on the outskirts of Chicago and specializes in human remains detection—that is, he trains dogs to hunt for dead bodies. He calls his pack of cadaver dogs The Finders, and his prize pupil is a golden retriever named Vira. When Mace Reid and Vira are called in to search Washington Park at three o’clock in the morning, what they find has them running for their very lives. The trail of murder and mayhem Mace and CPD Officer Kippy Gimm have been following leads them to uncover treachery and corruption at the highest level, and their discoveries do not bode well for them . . . nor for the Windy City itself. The Keepers is an exciting, fast-paced mystery filled with courageous dogs you’ll want to root for.

Publication Date: June 29

Dog Eat Dogborder=

Dog Eat Dog by David Rosenfelt

Lawyer Andy Carpenter and his golden retriever, Tara, work to free a man who risked it all to help a dog in need.

Lawyer Andy Carpenter and his wife, Laurie, enjoy walking their dogs, Tara and Sebastian. By this point in their marriage, it’s routine. When out for one of their strolls, their simple ritual isn’t so simple anymore. Across the street, a man is mistreating his dog. Three things happen at once: Andy yells, Laurie runs to stop the abuse, and so does a closer passerby, who so thoroughly beats the owner that both are arrested when the cops arrive.

Andy scoops up the dog and takes him to the Tara Foundation, the dog rescue organization that’s always been his true passion. Meanwhile, at the police station, the passerby is identified as Matthew Jantzen, and he’s wanted for murder. Andy and Laurie are struck by the fact that Jantzen, a man on the run, would nevertheless intervene to help a dog, and decide to find out more.

Dog Eat Dog, the twenty-second installment in the Andy Carpenter series, features the charming cast of characters – old and new – that David Rosenfelt is known for and the dogs that accompany them.
Publication Date: July 6

A Good Day for Chardonnay

A Good Day for Chardonnay by Darynda Jones

From the New York Times bestselling author Darynda Jones comes the second novel in her laugh-out-loud Sunshine Vicram mystery series, A Good Day for Chardonnay.

Running a small-town police force in the mountains of New Mexico should be a smooth, carefree kind of job. Sadly, full-time Sheriff—and even fuller-time coffee guzzler—Sunshine Vicram, didn’t get that memo.

All Sunshine really wants is one easy-going day. You know, the kind that starts with coffee and a donut (or three) and ends with take-out pizza and a glass of chardonnay (or seven). Turns out, that’s about as easy as switching to decaf. (What kind of people do that? And who hurt them?)

Before she can say iced mocha latte, Sunny’s got a bar fight gone bad, a teenage daughter hunting a serial killer and, oh yes, the still unresolved mystery of her own abduction years prior. All evidence points to a local distiller, a dangerous bad boy named Levi Ravinder, but Sun knows he’s not the villain of her story. Still, perhaps beneath it all, he possesses the keys to her disappearance. At the very least, beneath it all, he possesses a serious set of abs. She’s seen it. Once. Accidentally.

Between policing a town her hunky chief deputy calls four cents short of a nickel, that pesky crush she has on Levi which seems to grow exponentially every day, and an irascible raccoon that just doesn’t know when to quit, Sunny’s life is about to rocket to a whole new level of crazy.

Yep, definitely a good day for chardonnay.

Publication Date: July 27

Paper & Blood

Paper & Blood by Kevin Hearne

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Iron Druid Chronicles comes book two of an “action-packed, enchantingly fun” (Booklist) spin-off series, as an eccentric master of rare magic solves a supernatural mystery Down Under!

There’s only one Al MacBharrais: Though other Scotsmen may have dramatic mustaches and a taste for fancy cocktails, Al also has a unique talent. He’s a master of ink and sigil magic. In his gifted hands, paper and pen can work wondrous spells.

But Al isn’t quite alone: He is part of a global network of sigil agents who use their powers to protect the world from mischievous gods and strange monsters. So when a fellow agent disappears under sinister circumstances in Australia, Al leaves behind the cozy pubs and cafes of Glasgow and travels to the Dandenong Ranges in Victoria to solve the mystery.

The trail to his colleague begins to pile up with bodies at alarming speed, so Al is grateful his friends have come to help—especially Nadia, his accountant who moonlights as a pit fighter. Together with a whisky-loving hobgoblin known as Buck Foi and the ancient Druid Atticus O’Sullivan, along with his dogs, Oberon and Starbuck, Al and Nadia will face down the wildest wonders Australia—and the supernatural world—can throw at them, and confront a legendary monster not seen in centuries.

Publication Date: August 10

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