The 1940s hard-boiled detective story is reimagined with the role of the world-weary PI played by a sapphic magic user whose damned soul is due for collection. Helen Brandt has only three days left on Earth when she's given the chance to regain the soul she bargained away and live a long and happy life with her lover, Edith. All she has to do is track down the White City Vampire, a magical serial killer stalking the streets of Chicago. That shouldn't be a problem for the former rising-star mystic trained by the elite Brotherhood of the Compass, especially with the street smarts Helen picked up as a crime-scene augur after she was cast out of the Brotherhood. But when Helen finds herself caught in a battle between demons and angels with the two people she cares for most in the crossfire, she realizes she might have gotten the raw end of the deal. Combining the sensibilities of Raymond Chandler and Jim Butcher, with an achingly bittersweet tribute to the lesbian underground of the 1940s, this is a must-read for those who like their queer fantasy with a little grit and a lot of soul (pun intended).

World Fantasy Award winner Polk (The Midnight Bargain) does what they do best with this genre-bending fantasy noir novella that brings lofty magic to a grimy 1940s city and showcases queer love along the way. Ten years earlier, warlock and private investigator Elena Brandt made a deal with the devil, bargaining away her soul to save the most precious thing in the world to her. Now she has only three days left before her deal is up and she goes to Hell. She should be spending that precious time with Edith Jarosky, the love of her life, or Teddy, her estranged brother. Instead, her best client reveals herself to be a demon and makes Elena an offer she can't refuse: if Elena can track down a serial killer, she can have her soul back and live out her days in comfort with Edith. Simple enough--except the murders are gruesome human sacrifices used to invoke an ancient, evil, and terribly powerful magic. Though readers will wish they had more time to explore this shadowy world, Polk's focus on character development makes every interaction matter as they craft a layered exploration of love and power with genuine emotional stakes and a soaring, perfectly bittersweet payoff. It's another winner. Agent: Caitlin McDonald, Donald Maass Literary. (Nov.)

Award-winning voice actor January LaVoy narrates Polk's (The Midnight Bargain) poignant novella with a jaded but yearning tone--a perfect fit for this romantic noir set in Jazz-Age Chicago. Detective and exiled wizard Helen is used to sacrificing everything for those she loves. She's already sold her soul to save her brother, but then she's given an offer she can't refuse--if she finds the White City Vampire, she can get her soul back and spend the rest of her life with her lover, Edith. The hope and longing that run throughout this classically styled mystery stretch the short listen satisfyingly and create an emotional, edge-of-the-seat listening experience. Listeners may want more time in Polk's world, but they won't feel the journey ended too abruptly. Though the presence of angels and demons complicates the mystery of the novel, the clues and worldbuilding are carefully revealed, inviting listeners to join in the search for an otherworldly serial killer. While all of LaVoy's characterizations are astonishingly well done, Helen stands out in particular, convincing listeners of the strength and purity of her love. VERDICT An essential buy for modern-fantasy collections. Share with fans of Emily Tesh's Silver in the Wood or Ellen Klages's Passing Strange.--Matthew Galloway