The Curse of Four

Kittredge returns to the world of her Black London trilogy (Street Magic, etc.) with this supernatural locked-room mystery slated for an appropriate Halloween release. Jack Winter, punk rocker turned reluctant mage, tried to escape London's magical underworld through heroin use. With the help of his girlfriend, former police detective Pete Caldecott, Jack has cleaned up and built a business. Exorcisms are his bread and butter, and he's dealt with poltergeists and hauntings, but until now he's never worked with the police, who believe a ghost has killed a young woman, Fiona, in her locked apartment. With Pete's help, Jack tries to solve the puzzle, but it leads him deeper and deeper into the world of black magic and closer and closer to those more powerful than he. Kittredge fans will welcome this tension-filled short work. (Oct. 31)