Hounds of the Underworld blends mystery, near-future noir and horror. Set in New Zealand it's the product of a collaboration by two Kiwi authors, one with Chinese heritage and the other M¿ori. This debut book in The Path of Ra series offers compelling new voices and an exotic perspective on the detective drama.
On the verge of losing her laboratory, her savings, and all respect for herself, Pandora (Penny) Yee lands her first contract as scientific consult to the police department. And with seventeen murder cases on the go, the surly inspector is happy to leave her to it. Only she's going to need to get around, and that means her slightly unhinged adopted brother, Matiu, will be doing the driving. But something about the case spooks Matiu, something other than the lack of a body in the congealing pool of blood in the locked room or that odd little bowl.
"...a wild and gruesome treat, packed with mystery, action, and dark humor. Horror fans will devour it!"
-Jeff Strand, Four-time Bram Stoker Award-nominated author of Wolf Hunt and Blister
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"Filled with an incredible unity of voice and magnificent world building, Hounds of the Underworld was impossible to put down. I was hooked on the first page."
-Jake Bible, Bram Stoker Award-nominated novelist and author of Z-Burbia, Mega and Salvage Merc One
¿
"A dark tech-noir so near to our future, it could be tomorrow, hard-boiled and hair-raising! One of the best speculative fiction novels ever written."
-Paul Mannering, Engines of Empathy
"Written with verve, Rabarts and Murray's novel has as much heart as suspense."
-Publishers Weekly
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Hounds of the Underworld
Hounds of the Underworld blends mystery, near-future noir and horror. Set in New Zealand it's the product of a collaboration by two Kiwi authors, one with Chinese heritage and the other M¿ori. This debut book in The Path of Ra series offers compelling new voices and an exotic perspective on the detective drama.
On the verge of losing her laboratory, her savings, and all respect for herself, Pandora (Penny) Yee lands her first contract as scientific consult to the police department. And with seventeen murder cases on the go, the surly inspector is happy to leave her to it. Only she's going to need to get around, and that means her slightly unhinged adopted brother, Matiu, will be doing the driving. But something about the case spooks Matiu, something other than the lack of a body in the congealing pool of blood in the locked room or that odd little bowl.
"...a wild and gruesome treat, packed with mystery, action, and dark humor. Horror fans will devour it!"
-Jeff Strand, Four-time Bram Stoker Award-nominated author of Wolf Hunt and Blister
¿
"Filled with an incredible unity of voice and magnificent world building, Hounds of the Underworld was impossible to put down. I was hooked on the first page."
-Jake Bible, Bram Stoker Award-nominated novelist and author of Z-Burbia, Mega and Salvage Merc One
¿
"A dark tech-noir so near to our future, it could be tomorrow, hard-boiled and hair-raising! One of the best speculative fiction novels ever written."
-Paul Mannering, Engines of Empathy
"Written with verve, Rabarts and Murray's novel has as much heart as suspense."
Hounds of the Underworld blends mystery, near-future noir and horror. Set in New Zealand it's the product of a collaboration by two Kiwi authors, one with Chinese heritage and the other M¿ori. This debut book in The Path of Ra series offers compelling new voices and an exotic perspective on the detective drama.
On the verge of losing her laboratory, her savings, and all respect for herself, Pandora (Penny) Yee lands her first contract as scientific consult to the police department. And with seventeen murder cases on the go, the surly inspector is happy to leave her to it. Only she's going to need to get around, and that means her slightly unhinged adopted brother, Matiu, will be doing the driving. But something about the case spooks Matiu, something other than the lack of a body in the congealing pool of blood in the locked room or that odd little bowl.
"...a wild and gruesome treat, packed with mystery, action, and dark humor. Horror fans will devour it!"
-Jeff Strand, Four-time Bram Stoker Award-nominated author of Wolf Hunt and Blister
¿
"Filled with an incredible unity of voice and magnificent world building, Hounds of the Underworld was impossible to put down. I was hooked on the first page."
-Jake Bible, Bram Stoker Award-nominated novelist and author of Z-Burbia, Mega and Salvage Merc One
¿
"A dark tech-noir so near to our future, it could be tomorrow, hard-boiled and hair-raising! One of the best speculative fiction novels ever written."
-Paul Mannering, Engines of Empathy
"Written with verve, Rabarts and Murray's novel has as much heart as suspense."
Rabarts and Murray (coeditors, Baby Teeth: Bite-Sized Tales of Terror) join forces to create a supernatural detective series steeped in cosmic horror. Pandora "Penny" Yee, a scientific consultant for the police in New Zealand, is working on a case involving an exploded body, dogs, and a strange wooden bowl. Penny's adopted brother and driver, Matiu, is an ex-con who talks to a demonic imaginary friend. When Matiu touches that strange bowl, he hears screaming; he senses something evil that his skeptic sister does not, something that could be coming for them all. The dueling perspectives of the two main characters keep the story moving quickly, and the sibling banter between Penny and Matiu, voiced by Susan Holt and Dan Rabarts, helps lighten the mood before the story takes a serious plunge into horror. VERDICT Should appeal to fans of Jim Butcher's "Dresden Files" and Patricia Briggs's "Mercy Thompson" series, although the dialogue and accents of the narrators, along with creepy music between chapters, give this audiobook its own unique sound. This first installment in the "Path of Ra" series stands on its own but also builds excitement for the next books to come.—James Gardner
