DEADWORLD's Jackie Rutledge is a cantankerous, vulgar, ballsy bitch, well-prepared to out-drink you, out-screw you and then maybe punch you in the jaw if she doesn't like what you say to her afterward. Other than near-daily hangovers and violent desires for large amounts of caffeine, she is well-suited for her job as an FBI agent, especially in a world where serial killers can keep killing for over a century and a half and the cutest guy she's seen in a while is a well-spoken vampire P.I. who's currently off the sauce (read: blood).

Jackie, whose bad habits are refreshing in their normalcy, is tempered by her sweet-mannered FBI partner and best friend, Laurel, as well as host of other persons (and creatures). Duncan happily resists the temptation to pour out everyone's back-story within the first few chapters, which feels more natural than the stilted confessions of damaged pasts that seem to be the bread-and-butter of too many other examples of paranormal fiction. However, by the end of the 400+ page novel I still felt as if there were motivations left unexplained and character interactions still untapped.

While the novel ostensibly takes place in modern-day Chicago (the presence of the FBI, Chinese takeout and Starbucks all reassure the reader of the normalcy inherent in this setting), it's difficult to say exactly whether this is "our" world or not. Laurel's abilities as a psychic medium (mostly limited to sensing ghosts) are well-known and accepted to Jackie and just as well-known, albeit slightly less accepted, by the rest of their department. At the first hint that vampires may be involved with their crime scene, the characters are taken aback, but do not react with the kind of incredulousness or even ridicule of the idea that one might expect. The existence of vampires and ghosts seem unlikely to them but in no way impossible, which is jarring when reading the novel. What sort of world is this then? Are these characters just the sort to call Miss Cleo for crime scene tips or is the presence of the supernatural more commonly accepted in this world? Are there werewolves, basilisks, wizards, demons, fairies, curses, and so on, as well? Why does no one address these questions? I had to wonder why these questions were not addressed by Laurel herself; little is said regarding how she came into her psychic powers, where her beliefs come from, how she has used her powers in the past, etc. One might argue that in the midst of high-speed chases, exsanguination of prepubescents, and a whole lot of tequila, that these questions simply didn't have time to come up, but I feel the story was left the worse for it.

While it was a relief to avoid the motif of the flawless heroine always having preternatural abilities, DEADWORLD did not have an emotional resonance with me past the turning of the final page. It's a tough thing to break into the police/investigative side of the paranormal world, with so many giants already there (Laurell K. Hamilton, Jim Butcher, Kim Harrison, etc.) and for me, DEADWORLD does not quite make it.

Book Summary

She's as tough as anything haunting Chicago's streets. But to deal with an inhuman power that won't stay buried, this FBI agent needs help that comes at an immortal price. . .

Jackie Rutledge has seen her share of supernatural killers. But her latest murder case is what recurring nightmares are made of. Brutally exsanguinated human victims, vanishing-into-the-ether evidence, and a city on the edge of panic mean that she and her psychic partner, Laurel, are going to need more than just backup . . .

So Jackie is fine with any help rugged P.I. Nick Anderson can give--even if that includes the impish ghost and sexy vampire who make up his team. But Nick is hiding secrets of his own. And Jackie's investigation has plunged them both into a vengeful game reaching back centuries--and up against a malevolent force hungry for more than just victory. . .

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