Book Review: Unshapely Things by Mark Del Franco

I loved Mark Del Franco's urban take on the fairy tale––we're talking actual fairies here, wings and all, elves and flits and gargoyles, too. The author creates an oddly familiar world in The Weird, a smarmy neighborhood that butts up to the Irish stronghold of South Boston. In Unshapely Things, Connor Grey is a druid on disability, contractor for the Boston PD, and hip deep in dead fairy prostitutes. If you're not hooked yet, go grab your Grisham and move aside. The characters are quirky, original and well drawn. Particularly amusing is Joe, or Stinkwort as Grey calls him, a small fairy creature that brings to mind a Guinness swigging, foul mouthed, womanizing, tinkerbell.

Of the three books in the genre I've read this month, Unshapely Thingsseems to fit the mold the best and captured my imagination within the first chapter. The mystery is tight and well plotted, with just enough twists and turns to ground the novel in a noir feel.

It's rare that I think about reading the next in a series, immediately after closing a book. But such is the case here. Del Franco has a new fan here at Burlesque.

Next Book: Threshold by Caitlin Kiernan