Dirty Magic by Jaye Wells
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I’ve encountered Jaye Wells in a few urban fantasy anthologies that I’ve read, but this is my first full-length novel by her, and I’ll definitely be looking for more. DIRTY MAGIC equates alchemical potions to the drug problem prevalent in any run-down city, with MC Kate Prospero as a cop on the beat trying to keep the citizens safe from magical menace. She has a history with a bad boy made good, the mayor’s darling, and of course they are forced to work together to keep a new, dangerous potion off the street. Kate used to cook dirty magic herself (so called since it’s done without the benefit of clean water or sterile conditions) but a death in her family has made her swear off cooking forever. This is the source of many a moral quandary during the book, though Kate’s deliberations are realistic and not too much of a flip-flop.
This is straight-up urban fantasy, so there is plenty of streetwise magic and a healthy dollop of romance with a good mystery and lots of background. Kate reminds me of Kate Beckett from the TV show Castle, working hard for what she believes in and protecting those she loves. The “cooking” is a nice mix of scientific principles and alchemy, and sounds believable to this scientist. The side characters are memorable and often funny. I read DIRTY MAGIC fast, and happily, and would gladly check out the next book in the series.
Received as a free digital ARC via Netgalley and the publisher.