Working for the Devil by Lilith Saintcrow

I feel like I've been missing out on this awesome author! Lilith Saintcrow has published several different series, both for adults and for young adults. I am in the midst of reading the Jill Kismet series, but picked up this first of the Dante Valentine novels while I was waiting for the next.

I love the strong female characters in Saintcrow's books. They're the type of women that I would love to hang out with myself, the type of woman that I want to be.

Danny Valentine is a Necromance, a psionic trained to raise the dead for the legal purposes--to discover who murdered them or to clear up contract issues. One day, as she is about to consult her tarot cards, there is a knock at the door. It is Japhrimel, a servant of the Prince of Hell. He's come to escort Danny to Hell for an audience with the Prince. Turns out that the Prince wants Danny to work for him, and he doesn't give her much of a choice. However, he also gives her a familiar, the demon Japhrimel.

Danny has a reason to want revenge on Santino Vardimal. Her best friend Doreen was killed by this demon escapee. Japhrimel also has a reason to want Vardimal dead--he escaped while being guarded by Jaf. Danny gets help from another Necromance, Gabriele aka Gabe and her partner Eddie, a dirtwitch. She also runs into Jace, a former lover and former Mob enforcer.

Along the way, there is magic, there is action, there is romance and discovery. There are so many twists and turns in this novel that if I share too much about it, I'll spoil it. I highly recommend this one--it will rock your socks off!