Blue Diablo
By Ann Aguirre
Roc, New York, 2009. Mass Market Paperback, 316 Pages, $6.99
Ann Aguirre, author of Grimspace, has ventured into new territory. I would call it a novel of magic and the occult involving as it does spells, curses, Finding, out of body experiences etc. Corinne Solomon is a Finder. Given an object she can experience traumatic events associated with them. Her Ex-Lover, Chance, had exploited this talent in spite of the pain it brought Corinne. She left him and was running an antique shop in Mexico City. Chance comes to her and asks her to help find his mother who has been taken away by persons unknown. Corrine agrees because she knows and loves his Korean mother, Yi Min-chin. The hunt begins with Corinne’s handling of Min's pewter pocket Buddha which she left behind at the scene of her disappearance.

The story is rich with many interesting characters. The mad fanatical murderer who Chance and Corinne had sent to prison arrived to help saying he had been sent by God to aid them in destroying great evil. Chuch, a retired Arms dealer, and Eva his wife help them. Soldana, a local Loredo cop joins their group. An aristocratic British psychic based in London does out-of-body scouting for them.

First they take out an enemy sorcerer who ensorcels Eva and Chuch and the group locates Montoya, drug cartel man who is behind it all. Even Soldana joins their vigilante expedition into Mexico.

The story is well-paced and holds your attention from beginning to end. Recommended. I hope she writes more with this character. She has another Sirantha Jax/Grimspace novel coming out in October. ~~ Gary L. Swaty