Witch Craft by Caitlin Kittredge -

Witch Craft by Caitlin Kittredge by Chadwick Ginther - Tuesday, Sep 22, 2009 at 12:23pm

Werewolf detective Luna Wilder returns to action in Caitlin Kittredge's fourth Nocturne City fantasy novel, Witch Craft. Nocturne has long been home to feuding factions of weres and witches, but someone or something has been summoning other strange magical creatures -- selkies, trolls and harpies -- and chaos is spreading throughout the city.

Luna is now in command of Nocturne's Supernatural Crimes Squad and they're being pressured to close the case or be shut down. However much she has railed against authority in the past, her new position really suits her. Kittredge uses this to demonstrate the remarkable growth of her protagonist. Luna Wilder's anger is still not gone, but it no longer rules her.

Despite the fantastical elements, each of the Nocturne City books also keeps the grit and feel of a good police procedural mystery. While they could in theory be read as individual cases, it is much more satisfying to experience them in order and as a whole. Kittredge is proceeding very deliberately towards the end of the series; you can be assured that everyone and everything has a part to play. But with two more books to go, what part that may be will remain to be seen.

ATF Agent Will Fagin proves an interesting addition to Luna's colourful cast of characters...and potentially to her love life. Lucas Kennuka, the wendigo who nearly killed her in Second Skin, is still running free. The Daemon Asmodeus continues to lurk within Luna's mind, making me wonder just when will he call in his marker. When he does, I'll be sure to be checking it out.