Immortal City

Speer, a music video director, makes a solid literary debut with a romantic thriller set against the backdrop of a transformed Los Angeles, a true City of Angels. A century ago, angels revealed themselves to the world. Soon after, they began charging (exorbitantly) for their protective services and have become the ultimate celebrities, commanding immense wealth, power, and popularity. When hottest-of-the-hot angel Jackson Godspeed meets waitress Maddy Montgomery, it’s a Cinderella story with a twist. The media goes wild, but their families forbid the burgeoning romance for reasons that hark back to the angels’ darkest secrets. Accurately hitting on celebrity-obsessed culture and the dichotomy between the glitterati and everyday people, Speer blends romance and mystery to deliver a fresh take on the “angel novel,” first in a planned trilogy. The author draws on several of the more well-trod aspects of the paranormal genre (hidden destinies, forbidden love), yet strong writing, well-rounded characters, and an enticing hook in the form of the mercenary/celebutante angels breathe life into the world Speer has created. Ages 12–up. Agent: Claudia Ballard, William Morris Endeavor. (Apr.)