Wicked Gentlemen [Paperback]

Belimai Sykes is many things: a Prodigal, the descendant of ancient demons, a creature of dark temptations and rare powers. He is also a man with a brutal past and a dangerous addiction.And Belimai Sykes is the only man Captain William Harper can turn to when faced with a series of grisly murders.But Mr. Sykes does not work for free and the price of Belimai's company will cost Captain Harper far more than his reputation.From the ornate mansions of noblemen, where vivisection and sorcery are hidden beneath a veneer of gold, to the steaming slums of Hells Below, Captain Harper must fight for justice and for his life.His enemies are many and his only ally is a devil he knows too well. Such are the dangers of dealing with the wicked.The night hung in tatters. Gas streetlamps chewed at the Tdarkness. Candles cast dull halos through the dirty win- dows of the tenements across the street. Heavy purple clouds pumpedup from smoke stacks and patterned the sky like ugly patches ona black velvet curtain. A few fi refl ies blinked from what corners ofblackness remained.A pair of them invaded the darkness of my rooms. I watchedthem flicker, darting through their insectile courtship. Theyswooped past my face, circled, and then alighted inside the foldof my shirtsleeve.They crept close to one another, brilliant desire flashingthrough their tiny bodies. Th eir antennae touched and quivered.Th e female fi refl y reached out and stroked the male. He rushedinto her embrace. Holding him close, she crushed her powerfulmandibles through his head. Th eir fl ickering bodies blinked inperfect unison as she devoured him.Some romances end more badly than others."This ingenious fantasy romance continues to resonate in my imagination." -- Drewey Wayne Gunn, Lambda Literary ReportInhabited by angels and demons, humans and monsters, Hale's city of Crowncross will resonate with fans of writers like Gaiman, Mieville and Peake and her writing will leave you anxious for more.Gaylactic Spectrlâ