HELL'S BELLES by JACKIE KESSLER

Zebra Books a division of Kensington Publishing Group

A BOOK REVIEW
by MEREDITH LOPEZ


There is a new sub-genre out there in Fictionland, which
straddles the worlds of both Chick Lit and Dark Fantasy.
This sub-genre is sometimes referred to as paranormal
romance, and authors like Laurel K. Hamilton, Kelly
Armstrong, and MaryJanice Dickinson have tapped into
an audience that seems to crave a more female-friendly
style of monsters and demons. The heroines are tough
broads with questionable track records who kick
supernatural butt and always get the guy in the end.
With her debut novel, Hell's Belles, we can
add Jackie Kessler to the growing list of authors who
prefer their horror with a more feminine slant.

Jezebel, or “Jesse,” is a succubus – a female demon
of Lust – who has gone AWOL from Hell. King Lucifer
had made a new decree in Hell which Jesse cannot
stomach, and so she travels to Earth to hide from the
demonic bounty hunters now after her. The only way she
can keep them off her trail is to transform into a mortal
and lay low. But becoming human – with the help of a white
witch – is only the beginning for Jesse. She now needs to
learn to fend for herself as a human being, and that means
finding a place to live and getting a job. And what better job
for a former succubus than stripping? Jesse becomes the
newest star at a New York City strip club called Belles, and
finds that there are far worse ways for a creature born of lust
to make a living than by shaking her naked body for cash.

But even as she settles into her new life, Jesse cannot shake
the demons of her past, both literally and figuratively. She falls
for a mortal man named Paul, but cannot reconcile the emotion
of love with her natural instinct for detached seduction. And
when her allies from Hell find her at Belles and warn her that the
wrath of Hell is after her, she’s not sure whether she should trust
them because they were her friends, or run from them because
they are creatures of Hell.

Hell's Belles is highly amusing and fun to read. Jackie Kessler’s
writing style is much closer to Kelly Armstrong, one of my favorite dark
fantasy writers, than to Laurel K. Hamilton, whose Anita Blake series has
long since passed its prime. While not an intellectual read by any stretch,
Hell's Belles is nevertheless an entertaining and imaginative ride
across Hell and Earth, with images from Greek mythology blending nicely
with those from Dante’s Inferno. It’s a wonderfully fun read with
vivid and creative imagery to satisfy any fan of the supernatural. There are
a few loose ends that maybe should have been tied up, but perhaps
Ms. Kessler is saving those for a deliciously wicked sequel.

See a review of Jackie's new book, The Road to Hell.

To read the first chapter of Hell's Bells or to learn more about
Jackie Kessler, visit her
website



Meredith Lopez is a prose editor and the senior newsletter editor
for The Rose & Thorn. She lives in New York City with her husband and
two houseplants.


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