The Case of the Green-Dressed Ghost

Banks’s debut marks the start of a promising urban fantasy series, something like Ghostbusters with a British accent. Kester Lanner was raised by his mother and only discovers after her death that his father is alive and eager to welcome him into the family business in Exeter: Dr. Ribero’s Agency of the Supernatural. A job as a spirit-hunting investigator doesn’t exactly thrill this nervous academic, who prefers “the predictable, the reliable, and the well-established.” Despite his misgivings, 22-year-old Kester joins the firm and soon discovers that he has a rare skill that could help give the company the edge it needs over the competition. The real challenge comes with a dangerous case dealing with a haunted painting of a mysterious lady in green that charms every man who sees it. Banks introduces all the necessary background of a series launch, including Kester’s uneasy relationships with his new job, the father he never knew he had, and coworkers who aren’t sure how much they can trust him, as well as a supernatural landscape that mixes folklore, legend, and deadly reality. Contemporary fantasy fans hungry for a new angle will enjoy this one. (Mar.)