This Case Is Gonna Kill Me
A legal spin perks up an otherwise standard urban fantasy in this first volume in a new series. The Powers—vampires, werewolves, and Alfar (fairies)—run the world’s governments, and the only way for humans to prosper is to ally with them. Linnet Ellery’s legal career starts off well when she’s hired at a prestigious vampire-run firm, but her first case, a tedious probate battle between a werewolf’s human family and the werewolf he sired, has been stuck in arbitration for years. But the more she delves into the case, the more she realizes how thorny it is—and, after a violent attack, how dangerous. Soon, her boss is dead, and the firm’s partners want her to clam up, but Linnet didn’t become a lawyer just to toe the line. Linnet is quick and resourceful, with almost preternatural luck and admirable dedication to the law. The plot is messy, with abrupt developments, including the escalating romance between Linnet and the Alfar PI John and his sudden kidnapping, but Linnet’s determination to rescue John by harnessing her lawyerly skills promises a clever sequel. --Krista Hutley