A Grimoire Dark

December 19, 2022
Quinton (Devil Django) opens the 1963 New Orleans–set Spirit Hunter series with this entertaining paranormal thriller. After 10 years of calling St. Augustine’s orphanage home, Delphine “Del” Larouche has aged out of the institution and enters the world with dreams of becoming a reporter. To that end, she tags along with a private detective acquaintance, Frank, on a crime scene call, hoping it could be her big break—but the murder turns out to be far more sinister (and supernatural) than either anticipated. The man who found the body warns Frank and Del to beware of fifolets, will-o’-the-wisp-type spirits, that may lead them astray. Meanwhile, mysterious rashes appear on people throughout New Orleans. What follows is an intriguing if somewhat straightforward mystery, enhanced with music and a vibrant depiction of Creole and Vodou culture. Secondary characters speak in phonetic dialects that Del oddly doesn’t share, despite her own Creole roots, making the dialogue slightly unwieldy, but the lore of this world—in which spirit hunters help to quell the groans of the dead—will keep readers invested. The result a satisfying outing that promises more good things to come.