Dead Man’s Reach

“Never count them dead unless you have the body” is an old pulp warning, one that thieftaker Ethan Kaille takes to heart in the satisfying fourth entry of Jackson’s maturing historical urban fantasy series. Ethan continues his hardscrabble career chasing stolen goods in 1770 Boston, trying to avoid the occupying British soldiers and the toughs commanded by his rival, Sephira Pryce, the Empress of the South End. Usually aided by his magic, Ethan finds that it is being tapped by another conjurer to trigger violence in a city already simmering with rebellion. He suspects that the interloper is his nemesis, Nate Ramsey, a spellcaster who disappeared after a fiery showdown in 2014’s A Plunder of Souls. Worse, Ramsey’s vengeance includes Ethan’s nearest and dearest, forcing him to make ugly choices between personal and civic duty. Jackson deftly mixes in the chaos of the Boston Massacre and the sobering realities of colonial street life, presenting a hero who is driven yet reflective on his responsibilities. Agent: Lucienne Diver, Knight Agency. (July)