Review – Ghosts of Gotham by Craig Schaefer

Lionel Page is an investigative reporter, one who has dedicated his career to outing frauds, charlatans and hucksters. He’s successful enough to have made something of a name for himself, so it’s not really a surprise when someone offers him a private gig to dig up a newly discovered first draft of an Edgar Allan Poe short story. The offer does sound odd though, but when the woman promises to put the kibosh on an investigation into Lionel’s chequered past by a young journalist, he feels obliged to accept. Lionel is sent to New York, a city he’s never been to before, but his eyes are opened by a lot more than just The City that Never Sleeps.

For those of you who like urban fantasy with a mystery noir bent, this is definitely one for you. If you aren’t but thought you’d like to jump in, then you’ll be off to a good start. The story rattles along at a rapid pace, barely giving you (or Lionel) a chance to catch your breath. Lionel’s an engaging main character. He’s no warrior or hero, but he’s brave and somehow muddles through despite, by his own admission, being in way over his head. Maddie, a friend he meets along the way, often saves his bacon, and provides to be just as interesting a character as the lead.

This is urban fantasy, so it’s packed with witches, cabals, ghouls and other beings of the occult variety. Lionel is constantly at war with himself over his own lack of belief in gods and magic, and the truth that seems to be unfolding before his eyes. While Maddie provides the magic (and a surprising amount of other skills), Lionel takes to his changing world as any other reporter would, using his own set of skills to solve various puzzles, and holding his own as they move through the plot.

The book is very well written, and as I mentioned earlier, has an exciting pace, the plot being peeled away a little piece at a time as the big reveal comes, Of course, there are plenty of other “Wow” moments along the way, just to keep us interested. The magic seems…real isn’t the right word, maybe “doable”…and there’s often an easier answer to a problem than throwing spells at it. The bad guy is interesting. He’s a killer (as are half the characters in the story), but he’s not some roving psychopath either, and at times you almost like him as he verbally spars with Lionel.

All told, a very fun read. Enjoyed it a lot and I’d recommend it to readers of urban and other occult fantasy. Or, well, anybody really. Definitely worth 4¼ stars.