by C. L. Polk
First published 2022
Helen Brandt sold her soul to save her brother, and hell waits to collect. The exiled augur scrapes by as a magical detective in 1940s Chicago, reading futures for clients who pay her bills. When someone offers her a job hunting the White City Vampire, she refuses. She has only days left before damnation claims her. Then her client makes an offer Helen cannot ignore: catch Chicago's most dangerous serial killer, and earn a future where she grows old with Marlowe, the woman she loves. Helen accepts the contract. She has three days to track down a monster who has terrorized the city. The streets hold divine creatures and dark magic, but the vampire proves elusive. Time runs short. If Helen fails, she loses everything. Hell will take her soul, and Marlowe will face a lifetime alone. Helen must use every augur skill she possesses to solve the case that will determine whether love conquers fate.
Genres: romance, historical-fiction, mystery, fantasy
Vibes: dark, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Chicago
Period: 1940s
144 pages · ebook · Tordotcom
Content warnings: death