From Goodreads:  Policing relations between Heaven, Hell, and Earth is messy and violent, but Elise Kavanagh and James Faulkner excelled at it—until coming across a job so brutal that even they couldn’t stand to see one more dead body.

Now they’ve been pretending to be normal for five years, leaving their horrific history a dark secret. Elise works in an office. James owns a business. None of their friends realize they used to be one of the world’s best killing teams.

After years of hiding, something stirs. Bodies are vanishing. Demons scurry in the shadows of the night. A child has been possessed.

Some enemies aren’t willing to let the secrets of the past stay dead…

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This is an original tale concerning demons and exorcism, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  Told in a sequence of past and present events, the reader is immediately drawn into the story as James, out looking for his friends’ daughter, Elise, comes across a horror scene so gruesome even he, an experienced demon hunter, can’t stomach it.  I really love Reine’s attention to detail and her ability to not only draw the reader in, but also make the reader a part of the story.  Following James into the woods and coming across the scene as he did gave me chills.  I really felt like I was there, which is a feat in and of itself, since not many authors excel at making the reader a part of the story.

Fast forward 11 years: James and Elise are now good friends, but they’re no longer hunting demons or performing exorcisms.  That’s all in the past.  Now, it’s clear cut business, blending in with society, until things start to go awry in their own city.  I really enjoyed getting to know the characters as they went about their everyday lives.  Although their work is “less demanding” now, they still maintain a “kick butt” persona, making the reader like them all the more.  The fact that this is also a mystery of sorts also made it a fun read as I was constantly questioning the who, what, how, why, etc.  As the story unfolds, we obtain many answers that lead to more questions until it all comes to a head at the end.  I really enjoy novels like this as they allow me to play detective along the way, though I’m usually never even close when it comes to the big reveal.  Overall, I think this is a great story for the older crowds.  Four stars.

I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.