This Case Is Gonna Kill Me

Bornikova (a pen name for SF author Melinda Snodgrass) kicks off an urban fantasy series that’s less about hunting monsters and more about producing billable hours on their behalf. Freshly minted Yale Law grad Linnet Ellery gets a job at a law firm run by vampires. That’s the rule, not the exception, in this world, where “spooks” have established themselves at the top of human society. The case Linnet’s working on gets ugly when a murderous werewolf takes a personal interest in it. To make matters worse, office politics have her firmly on the outs, and the handsome on-staff Álfar (elf) PI, John O’Shea, is entirely too distracting. Though some of the plucky underdog moments feel forced and the plot is skimpy, Linnet’s modus operandi—using the law instead of magical weapons against supernatural peril—is a refreshing change of pace. After a slow start, the clever, active protagonist makes this a lively and enjoyable read. (Sept.)