You can run but you can’t hide . . . .

For over a year Corine has been keeping a low profile. She’s been hiding away in Mexico City hoping to start a new life and forget her past. You see, Corine’s got a special gift. When she touches a magically charged object she gets visions of where it’s been, who last held it, and what the owner was doing when the object was last in their possession. She sometimes even gets glimpses of the owner’s future.

But not without paying a painful price.

Before fleeing to Mexico Corine and her boyfriend Chance made their living by putting her talent to good use. They became pretty good at finding missing persons and helping the police nab criminals. Life was okay until their last case almost cost Corine her life. For Corine, that was the tip of the iceberg. She packed up her belongings and disappeared, leaving her old life behind. She now owns a pawn shop and appears to be moving forward with her life.

Until now.

Chance just walked back into her life. He needs her help finding someone that’s dear to both of them: his mother Min. Although Corine wants to tell him to hit the road she’s taken aback when Chance shows her his mother’s pewter Buddha statue, something Min always kept on her person. Touching the object shows Corine that Min was violently abducted and driven away in a white van. Because she developed a close relationship with Min she can’t deny Chance’s request for help.

Thus begins Corine’s dangerous journey into the dark and dangerous world of the supernatural. In order to locate Chance’s mother they must face demons, witches, sorcerers, ghosts, and zombies. Corine thought dealing with gangsters was bad – she’s totally unprepared for battling powerful creatures that have been using black magic all of their lives. She’s completely out of her element and in over her head when dealing with supernatural beings of this magnitude.

And that’s why I love Corine’s character so much. She’s a regular, down-to-earth gal. Does she have super powers? No. Does she have special martial arts training? No. Is she the most beautiful woman on the planet with an athletically-toned body, able to eat anything without gaining weight, and usually seen wearing black leather jackets, skin tight leather pants and stiletto boots with knives and guns strapped to her arms and legs? HELL NO. She’s much more comfortable wearing simple and functional clothing. She’s an average woman who never asked for the “gift” her mother bestowed to her on her death bed.

Don’t get me wrong, I loves me some Rachel Morgan, Anna Strong, Zoey Campbell, Anita Blake (pre-nympho stage), Cassie Palmer. But it’s refreshing to read about a human female heroine who isn’t afraid to admit she’s, well, afraid.

Likewise, Aguirre does a fantastic job fleshing out Corine and Chance’s characters and their relationship to one another. Because this is a first in a new series a significant portion of the book is devoted to getting to know the characters and their past, which helps explain some of their motives and actions. As such we understand why Corine has such a hard time trusting Chance; we accept the internal conflicts that Jesse (a potential love interest for Corine) undergoes when he pits his heart against his value system; and we get it that Corine and Chance’s actions are sometimes counterproductive because their emotions get in the way.

Aguirre’s pacing is another strong point in the book. The world building is refreshingly subtle and allows us to gradually learn about the supernatural world as the story progresses. Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty of action in this book and a fantastic climax, it’s just not presented in an “in your face” manner.

Overall I found Blue Diablo to be a well written and appealing urban fantasy book. I’m eagerly awaiting the next installment in the series. Blue Diablo can be purchased in paperback format or in ebook format from online etailers.