The Darkest Edge of Dawn (Charlie Madigan #2) by Kelly Gay

The Darkest Edge of Dawn by Kelly Gay

(Synopsis from Goodreads)
It takes a strong woman to keep the peace in a city of endless night. . . .

Deep beneath Underground, a cunning bid for power and revenge has begun—one that threatens to make Atlanta the new battleground in the ultimate confrontation between good and evil. The powers of hellish Charbydon have the upper hand after plunging the city into primordial night. And under the cover of darkness, a serial killer targets the most powerful Elysians in the city, the angelic Adonai. For Detective Charlie Madigan and her siren partner Hank, tracking deadly predators is all in a day’s work . . . but this case will test the limits of their strength and friendship as it draws them into a deadly world of power plays, ancient myths, explosive secrets, and a race against time that risks all that Charlie holds dear.


Another great installment in this series! I love Charlie and Hank, as well as the world Kelly Gay has created! Everything in this world of off-worlders and humans is so believable and the plot makes sense.

When The Darkest Edge of Dawn begins, it has been two months since the end of the last book, when the darkness overtook Atlanta. Charlie is continuing to understand the powers she possesses and is working with Aaron to learn to control them and use them when she wants. Charlie and Hank are investigating the mysterious disappearance of several Adonai (Elysian nobles) and their search has led them to an abandoned warehouse where the dead body of a nymph has been discovered. This scene opens the story and unfolds into fantastic action and some serious creepiness! And, of course, it just takes off from there......

"I pulled my weapon. The whisper to tell him to get out of the way was on my tongue, but I dared not. The slightest move or sound could trigger an attack. Hank's thumb flicked the snap to the shoulder strap. I winced. It might as well have been a bomb going off. Shit. The hellhound leapt."

I am loving this series! I especially love how the characters are developing in this one. The one thing I thought was missing from the first book was a little romance...and we get it in this one! The partnership and friendship between Charlie and Hank is developing into something more and the tension between these two is hot hot hot!

"I couldn't look away from him, couldn't move, yet every instinct was telling me to run. The air became charged with a dangerous mix of awareness and potent masculinity. I'd become prey - caught, stunned by the sheer beauty and power of his being."

What I love is that this development is natural and not forced. We all knew we wanted Charlie and Hank to get together in book one, but they apparently didn't realize it. Now, in book two, Charlie is fighting her growing attraction because, well frankly she is dealing with a lot.

Aside from that side story of hotness...the main plot of The Darkest Edge of Dawn is fantastic! Nymphs, dragon shifters, serial killers, Elysians, Charbydons, jinn, etc. There are two wonderfully horrible characters from book one who resurface here as the 'bad guys' and they are certainly the guys you love to hate!

There are also some nice progressions with Charlie's daughter and Rex. I like the way Rex's character is developing and I just love his goofy 'I don't really know what I'm doing'-ness. Charlie's daughter, twelve-year old Emma, has a bit of a side story that I'm sure will continue into the next book. She also forms a serious attachment to the rescued hellhound, Brimstone, and I really like that relationship (but, then again, I love dogs and love when dogs play important parts in books so of course I would love Brim). Brim has an important role several times in this book and he just might be one of my favorite characters!!!

I love this series and highly recommend it to everyone who loves urban fantasy. This really is some of the finest UF I've ever read! Now, off to read book three...