A review by kleedc73
The Good, the Bad, and the Undead by Kim Harrison

4.0

This is the second book in the Hollows series featuring witch Rachel Morgan. The world in the Hollows is richly imagined -- after a unusual virus derived from, of all things, the tomato plant, kills off two-thirds of the human population, the supernatural (Inderlander) community decides to "come out" and live visibly among humans. After "the Turn" (as this development is called), the world will never be the same again. In this book, Rachel becomes involved in the investigation of an Inderlander serial killer who is targeting ley line witches. As in the first book, her suspicions fall on the mysterious and politically-connected Trent Kalamack and, despite vociferous objections from her partners, the vampire Ivy and the pixy Jenks, she pursues that line of investigation in conjunction with the FIB (human police). Rachel is a great character, full of flaws and complexities and admirable qualities, and the supporting cast of characters is similarly complicated (and not always what they seem). Although the intricacies of doing magic in the world of the Hollows can sometimes be a little dense, the overall richness of the narrative and setting make it worth parsing through all of the details. This series is refreshingly substantive in the paranormal genre.