Graveyard Shift

Haspil’s debut creates a dilemma for those charged with keeping order in a world filled with the undead. Det. Alex Romer serves and protects the citizens of a present-day Miami where vampires and werewolves have recently come into the open. He’s a onetime mummy; his partner, Marcus, is a vampire of the Roman era; and both of them are former secret agents. They’re uniquely qualified to help as the city adjusts to the presence of supernatural beings and they’re sure they’ve seen everything the unnatural world has to offer. Their confidence is shaken when they confront the monstrosity that occurs only when humans turn against their own kind. Haspil leans on earlier works of urban fantasy, relying on a genre-savvy reader who doesn’t need to have the intricacies of the world spelled out. Instead he focuses on the everyday complications of an integrated world combined with the frustrations of regular police work. Entertaining, gory, and sometimes heartbreaking, this first effort is a promising new perspective on an old tale. Agent: Sara Megibow, KT Literary. (Aug.)