A cynical, movie-loving, run-of-the-mill American looking forward to retirement. Typical in every way...every way, perhaps, but one: David is a demon, invisible to the Living world.
Meet David’s next job, Shane DeLeon.
An ex-cop turned private investigator, haunted and broken by personal tragedy and teetering on the brink of suicide.
When David slips into DeLeon’s home to nudge his suicide to fruition, he’s shocked to discover DeLeon is not only immune to his temptation, but he can actually hear him. DeLeon, dismayed that he’s hearing voices, thinks his obsession and loss may have driven him insane.
With David approaching a critical deadline, the tables suddenly turn, and DeLeon is the one tempting David by proposing a deal.
“Help me find who killed my wife and son...I want to find him, and I want to kill him. And when it’s all done, I’m yours...”
It’s a deal David cannot pass up. A deal that makes them unlikely partners in solving a murder that has plagued DeLeon to near madness. And as their journey leads them closer and closer to the truth, their destinies become unexpectedly entwined . . .
Adam Hainline is the author of Parson’s End, David, and Thirteen: a collection of thirteen dark tales. In 2010 he graduated from Weber State University, Summa Cum Laude, in English. He lives in Utah with his wife and three sons. He’s currently working on a new thriller, The Gyre.
David is the story of a BEMA (a demon) who works in the Murder/Suicide department in the 'afterlife'. BEMAs influence the emotions and behaviour of the living and in his department, David essentially has to influence people to kill themselves or others. Sucky job, right? Probably why he hasn't been reaching his quotas recently. His boss Stan (or Satan as we might call him) is none too pleased. To give David one last chance to redeem himself he offers him a red envelope job (one considered to be nigh on impossible). The condition is; complete the job or face excommunication (which is essentially oblivion).
No pressure...
The problem is, David's red envelope job is ex-cop-turned-PI Shane DeLeon. And DeLeon can HEAR David, which is NOT supposed to happen. Worse still, David starts to LIKE DeLeon, which for a BEMA is unthinkable.
So when he goes past his deadline and Stan sends out the hounds to track David down and excommunicate him, David essentially decides to throw the rule book out of the window and partner up with DeLeon to solve the intriguing case of a missing girl and track down the killer of DeLeon's wife and child. Why not? He has nothing to lose now that he faces oblivion.
And what a team they make! The story is fun and original and filled with dark humour, suspense and enough plot twists to make it a real page-turner. It really is an enjoyable read...
BUT
...it felt way too masculine. The cast are pretty much all male and the only women in it was essentially one dimensional extras, or one dimensional damsels in distress (with the exception of the missing girl's mother who is a one dimensional husband-abuser). I felt like the author might as well have referred to them all as 'dames' or 'broads' or 'skirts' etc... It just reeked of testosterone and I found that very off-putting.
So what, if I were a man, would have been a 4 or 5 star read, for me can only be a 3... 3.5 at a push. And it's a shame because it really is well written in every other way. I was just sadly born with two X chromosomes when David is perhaps best suited to the XY crowd.
I will still be recommending it, but maybe only to my male friends.
Please note, I received a copy of this book free through First Reads.
Amazing! Very possibly my favorite book. You will find EVERY emotion in this book. From the dark first chapter to the inspiring last, this book will leave you wanting another.