This book drove me nuts! Normally I adore Lilith Saintcrows writing style, I love her characters, I love the plot she weaves, I really enjoy everything about her writing, but Dead Man Rising didn’t get there.

If you haven’t recently read Working For The Devil, book one in the series, (re)read it first; Dead Man Rising spent so much time rehashing the previous mission, but not in a repetitive ‘fill in the blanks’ manner, what we got was references that didn’t make any sense unless you had the story fresh in your mind; for someone like me who rarely remembers  what she had for breakfast, let alone intimate details of a story read months earlier, I found this incredibly frustrating. A few references would have been ok, but the entire book was referencing ‘Rio’, bemoaning her right hand, or wallowing in misery for the loss of Japhrimel.

The disappointing thing about the extra ‘padding’, is that the plot itself is incredibly strong. In true Saintcrow style, it’s intense, emotional, gritty, and just everything you could want in an Urban Fantasy. We also get to go into Dante’s past, and uncover the trauma’s that made her the bad-arse she is today.

It’s a very dark and disturbing story, and not for the faint hearted, although Ms Saintcrow doesn’t add in gruesome details, the implications are enough. She also doesn’t add in gruesome details for the share hell of shocking the reader, they all add to the development and understanding of Dante, helping to build a picture of what shaped this woman, as well as building a deeper emotional connection.

Overall, Dead Man Rising is a middle book in the series, best read shortly after Working for the Devil, and preferably once you have The Devil’s Right Hand sitting ready to go on with. Enjoyable isn’t the right word to use, it’s gripping and intense and exciting, and certainly another must read for all those that enjoy their urban fantasy on the darker side.