DEAD RIGHT
Korean-American shamus Jae Kim has connections in “Wolftowns.” These walled-in neighborhoods were built decades ago all around the United States, including in Chicago, where Jae lives. Their original purpose was to confine extranormal people, or “extras,” including werewolves, vampires, and other shape-changers. Jae is human, but his boyfriend Czoltan is a werewolf activist fighting for the rights of extras. While Jae can’t shift forms, he does have a special ring and a corresponding spell for binding a ghost; these come in handy when a staggeringly loud “screeching” practically overtakes Chicago’s Wolftown. This caterwauling is the product of Penny, a recently-deceased 17-year-old who, like many ghosts, can’t remember specific details about her death. She also isn’t very happy about being bound to Jae, who can converse with her in his head (if she doesn’t manifest, others can’t see or hear her). Jae now has the legal responsibility of turning Penny over to her next of kin, but that doesn’t stop a Bureau of Extranormal Affairs agent from demanding that Jae give up the (bound) ghost. Penny fears the BEA and wants the detective to take her to her enigmatic friend Marta, but she’s otherwise frustratingly mum. The agency unquestionably wants something from her and is likely behind the people assaulting and shadowing Jae and threatening his loved ones. Jae, working with Captain Yumi Hachimura of Wolftown’s peacekeeping force, digs into the BEA and the mystery of a late teenager, who may know too much.
Susman here, as in the series’ opening entry Unfinished Business (2022), deftly fuses a detective story with the supernatural. Although this installment rarely strays from Jae and Penny’s mutual dilemma, shape-changers pop up throughout the narrative, and the author showcases a variety of mythologies and folklore, from the Indigenous American thunderbird and the Mesoamerican nagual (were-jaguar) to the serpent-like Naga of a number of Asian religions. The discrimination the extras suffer is analogous to that experienced by real-life marginalized groups; the narrative acknowledges the need for more sensitive nomenclature (“multimorph” is suggested as a potential replacement for “extra,” which implies only humans are “normal,” and the term “remained person” is considered preferable to “ghost”). Series hero Jae is a sharp, intuitive, and likable detective with relatable personal problems. The supporting cast is equally engaging; Penny has a tendency to whine or childishly ignore Jae, but she’s a brand-new ghost who’s just learning what she’s capable of. Czoltan makes for a sympathetic and devoted boyfriend, and Yumi, a yuki-onna (Japanese snow spirit) is a wonderful, strong character to have on Jae’s side. They’re all entangled in a mystery that ends with a satisfying resolution and hints at another sequel.
