The Taken: Celestial Blues: Book One

Kit is her own woman, her confidence and belief in justice driving her to dig where she doesn't belong. Getting her best friend murdered while investigating Las Vegas's men of power swiftly unearths a city-wide conspiracy that preys on the vulnerable and innocent, one propagated by an ugly circle of zealous adherence to traditions and enforced by selective blindness and lethal corrections.

Drawn into bringing the horrific abuse to light, Kit puts her own life into the equation. But she's supposed to be dead already, according to Grif, a jaded angel whose job it was to get Kit's friend to the Everlast. Grif's own scars made by failing to protect his wife from a savage murder he was blamed for keep him tied to his Everlast job, unable to move on, unable to look back.

Shaken by Kit's dual strong and fragile nature, Grif begins breaking rules, setting up larger and larger waves through the Everlast as he finds every moment he spends with Kit brings him closer to the truth he has been avoiding the past seventy years--and he slowly realizes that even an angel can learn to love again.

Boldly exploring topics skirting today's headlines, Pettersson deftly brings together a cast of unique yet recognizable characters within her hometown of Las Vegas. Fast paced and having logical surprises, The Taken is an exceptional look into a vision of what happens when the hereafter merges with the here-and-now, the mechanics of the world building as unique and satisfying as the tale itself as the genres of mystery, crime scene drama, and more than enough romance to keep the heart pumping blend seamlessly into an enthralling read that kept me glued to the pages until the final, satisfying end. I can't wait for the sequel. --Kim Harrison