Ballistic Kiss: A Sandman Slim Novel

James Stark, aka Sandman Slim, is back in Los Angeles for the pitch-perfect penultimate adventure in Kadrey’s long-running urban fantasy series (after Hollywood Dead). Having recently returned from the dead, Stark is haunted by nightmares of his time in hell and struggles to navigate the world of the living. His old flame, Candy, has moved on, and Stark strikes up a new romantic connection with Janet, a nonbinary thrill-seeker who gets involved with a dangerous group of adventurers known as the Zero Lodge. Meanwhile, Thomas Abbot, the leader of the California Sub Rosa, orders Stark to eradicate a stubborn infestation of murderous ghosts in Little Cairo. In the process, Stark discovers a 40-year-old mystery involving a murdered actor whose story could bring an end to the ongoing war among the angels. The prose simmers with Kadrey’s characteristic blend of cynicism and absurdist humor, but the nuanced character development and exciting relationship-building make this feel like a brave new direction for the series. This addictive urban fantasy works in its own right—and sets things up for what promises to be one hell of a finale. Agent: Ginger Clark, Curtis Brown. (Sept.)