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As an Agent of Death, Madeline Black is responsible for escorting the souls of the dearly departed to the afterlife. It's a 24/7 job with a lousy benefits package.

Maddy's position may come with magical powers and an impressive wingspan, but it doesn't pay the bills. And then there are her infuriating boss, tenant woes, and a cranky, popcorn-loving gargoyle to contend with.

Things start looking up, though, when tall, dark, and handsome Gabriel Angeloscuro agrees to rent the empty apartment in Maddy's building. It's probably just a coincidence that as soon as he moves in demons appear on the front lawn. But when an unholy monster is unleashed upon the streets of Chicago, Maddy discovers powers she never knew she possessed. Powers linked to a family legacy of tarnished halos.

Powers that place her directly between the light of Heaven and the fires of Hell...

Publishers Weekly

Madeline Black is getting fed up. Her job is to coax newly dead Chicagoans to the Door to the afterlife. But what if they don't want to go? Her supervisor, J.B., won't accept any excuses. Maddy also desperately needs a roommate to split the bills. When the beautiful Gabriel Angeloscuro (the name a rare clunker on Henry's part) comes to look at the apartment, Maddy invites him in--and thereby welcomes a host of disasters. Enigmatic Gabriel holds the key to the mysteries of Maddy's past, including the murder of her mother. Emotionally battered, confused, and scared, Maddy is above all determined to find the truth. Henry shows that she is up to the challenge of debuting in a crowded genre. The extensive background of her imaginative world is well integrated with the action-packed plot, and the satisfying conclusion leaves the reader primed for the next installment. (Dec.)