DEATH AND RESURRECTION by R. A. MacAvoy

Prime Books, December 2011

Dealing with gangsters is one thing. Dealing with ancient and malevalent spirits is something else and one case, involving the murder of holy men from a variety of religions brings up exactly this problem. Assisted by Susan (with whom Ewen develops a relationship) and her dog Res (Resurrection), Ewen discoveres that a Native American spirit demon is behind the murders--and puts himself right into the demon's cross-hairs.

Author R. A. MacAvoy does a nice job introducing just a touch of magic to the real world. Ewen might be able to travel a distance into the spirit world, but he still has to make a living with his art and his uncle's martial arts school. Ewen's psychiatrist-sister gives Ewen a personal depth as well as the source for some of the troubles he must deal with. And animal-lovers will enjoy Susan's wolf-dog Res, with her quirks, talents and fierce protectiveness of her mistress.

DEATH AND RESURRECTION is a bit episodic, with a series of adventures that don't really seem to build on one another but simply happen (although we do have the growing relationship between Ewen and Susan as a timeline). I would have liked to see an overall story goal and Ewen striving for something rather than simply dealing with the strange world he discovered step by step. Overall, though, DEATH is a well-written and enjoyable read.

Reviewed 2/23/12

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