First-Degree Magic - Paperback

by J. M. Linkhart (Author)

"A fantasy tale that hums with magic and originality, featuring extensive worldbuilding and a compelling cast of ne'er-do-wells."-Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Kirkus Best Books of 2025 List, 2025 IngramSpark Top Picks List, and Oklahoma Bestseller

Bernice Chandler is a woman with a sword and a lot of problems it won't fix. She's got a ritual murder case on her hands and an angel appearing in her dreams again, a sure sign of disaster just around the corner. To make matters worse, a ghost from her past has returned to haunt her, threatening the peace and stability she's carefully built for herself in Chicago. To banish it, she strikes a devil's bargain with a bootlegging gangster, who is only too happy to oblige her-for a price.

Valentino Morandi is a demi-demon with a curse he can't wait to slip. For eight years he's been bound to the city by the Order of Joan, but that's about to end. He only needs one more item to free himself, and when a knight of the Order comes around needing a favor, he can't wait to make her an offer. But Bernie isn't the only one whose ghosts have come back calling.

Jack Donovan is a detective with a history he wants to keep buried in the trenches of Europe. One slip and secrets like his have a tendency of getting out, and a secret freed is a secret hard to control. He's hoping that his new partner Chandler can keep one, and maybe even help him with designs of his own beyond their immediate case. But they must catch a killer first-and survive.

Secrets, lies, and magic bind the three together as they race to solve a series of tarot-style murders. If they fail, the killer could summon forth an evil of the highest degree, upsetting the balance between the infernal and divine and leaving Chicago burning in hellfire.