Unholy Ghosts

Chess Putnam operates as a ghost hunter in a gritty urban wasteland where the dead refuse to stay buried and the Church of Real Truth has replaced the fallen government. Armed with magical abilities and covered in protective tattoos, she banishes troublesome spirits for the Church while nursing a dangerous drug addiction that keeps her financially desperate. When Chess owes serious money to a violent crime boss, she finds herself caught between her official duties and an increasingly perilous underworld assignment involving dark magic and demonic forces that could devastate the city.

Bahni Turpin delivers a powerfully gritty performance that captures Chess's razor-sharp wit and underlying vulnerability without softening her rough edges. Turpin navigates the novel's blend of urban fantasy and noir atmosphere with confident pacing, bringing distinct voices to the morally complex cast of characters ranging from Church officials to street-level criminals. Her narration enhances Kane's atmospheric world-building, making the post-apocalyptic setting feel viscerally real through subtle tonal shifts that distinguish between the sterile Church hierarchy and the dangerous streets where Chess conducts her most treacherous business.