Sworn to the Night by Craig Schaefer

NYPD detective Marie Reinhart and her partner believe they are on the trail of a serial killer… but the answer just might be more deadly. A “Most Dangerous Game” cult, a Presidential candidate, a coven of witches, and a new drug called Ink… all combine to cut across the layers of power in New York City and beyond.

The novel starts with the search for a missing escort. The clues take them to a shootout, a drug stash, and a gutted body at an abandoned house in New Jersey which is owned by the son of Alan Roth, current candidate for the presidential nomination. Marie and Tony (her partner) go to interview Richard Roth. He gives them a line about the property being “lost in the paperwork” and tries to send them on their way… but in the course of the visit to Roth’s upscale townhouse, Marie fixes a connection to his wife, Nessa Roth, anthropology professor, witchcraft enthusiast, and liability to the Roth family. This connection with serve as a prime focal point for the bulk of the novel. A look into the dark magic that is running through the Ink and the politics of crime.

*Minor Spoilers*

Sworn to the Night is indeed a page-turner. A thriller that has so many good threads laced together. There are times when they get a little loose and we don’t pick them back up for many chapters, but overall the core of the plot hustles along well. The pieces of the mystery fit together with a realistic imbalance of moral disparities.  The dual partnerships (Marie/ Tony, Marie/ Ness) juxtapose each other well, and makes for a good pool of resources for the protagonist. I think I’ll pick up the second book to see were the story goes next.

Recommended for someone looking for an urban fantasy that provides gore, humor, and a well-developed witchery/ conspiracy plot.