Call From Hell (Dagger & Brimstone, #2)

PARANORMAL:  After escaping the town from hell with their lives mostly intact, Racer, Arloe, and Locke are hiding out in a campsite when the demon known as Coach finds them. They made a bargain and it’s time they fulfill their end of it. Forced into collecting 100 cheating souls they try to find a way out of their deal, but before they get very far the rug is pulled out from under them. Dealing with one demon is a tricky enough business for these soon-to-be high school seniors, but when they have to deal with more they aren’t so sure this time they’ll get out alive.

“Call From Hell” is an intriguing, mystery-filled story revolving around demons and the tricksy deals they make. It takes time for book two to gain traction, as it falls short in the recap department which will confuse a new reader. The brevity of the story also shortchanges the world building. The writing is uneven, the characters have little depth, and, even allowing that they are teenagers, they tend to be overly dramatic with oodles of emotions swirling about. However, the twists and turns in the plot are fantastic as well as creative. A slight cliffhanger ending leaves one satisfied with book two, yet poised to jump into book three to continue the tale. Filling in the backstory, building up the world and characters, and toning down the drama would go a long way toward making this a rock-solid paranormal thriller.

Carol Conley