Blue Diablo: A Corine Solomon Novel

Ann Aguirre

Apr 2009 · Corine Solomon Novel Book 1 · Sold by Penguin

About this ebook

Read Ann Aguirre's posts on the Penguin Blog

“Gritty, steamy and altogether wonderful urban fantasy.”—New York Times Bestselling Author Patricia Briggs

View our feature on Ann Aguirre’s Blue Diablo.

"Right now, I’m a redhead. I’ve been blonde and brunette as the situation requires, though an unscheduled color change usually means relocating in the middle of the night. So far, I’m doing well here. Nobody knows what I’m running from. And I’d like to keep it that way…"

Eighteen months ago, Corine Solomon crossed the border and wound up in Mexico City, fleeing her past, her lover, and her “gift”. Corine, a handler, can touch something and know its history—and sometimes, its future. Using her ability, she can find the missing—and that’s why people never stop trying to find her. People like her ex, Chance…

Chance, whose uncanny luck has led him to her doorstep, needs her help. Someone dear to them both has gone missing in Laredo, Texas, and the only hope of finding her is through Corine’s gift. But their search may prove dangerous as the trail leads them into a strange dark world of demons and sorcerers, ghosts and witchcraft, zombies—and black magic…

Ratings and reviews

First in the Corine Solomon urban fantasy series revolving around Corine, a handler of objects, and the new life she may be making in Laredo. My Take This was good! A completely different take on the paranormal emphasizing some unexpected Gifts: handling objects to learn their history and Luck. Aguirre creates a sense of everyone out for themselves at the start and as the story progresses, the truth of the main characters' intentions emerges creating the promise of a very interesting series. In this installment, Corine and Chance uncover a smuggling business that supplies la zona among others in Laredo. Aguirre does a good job of creating a back story and incorporating it into the story without me feeling as though the information is being dumped on me like an encyclopedia while creating a pleasurable tension at the same time; we're simply continuing on with the characters' lives. I also enjoyed Aguirre's ability to retain the suspense with Corine's reply to Chance's question about their relationship at the end... I'm anxious to read the next in the series, Hell Fire (Corine Solomon, Book 2), to discover if Chuch and Eva will continue to be a part of Corine and Chance's lives. Poor Jesse. Aguirre has this guy bouncing back and forth, torn between his responsibilities as a cop and his knowledge of other. I'm curious as to how he will fit in as well. The Story Life is good here in Mexico where Corine has set herself up in her pawnshop business, Casa de Empeño. She's always worked retail. Part of her Gift enables her to convince anyone to buy something and she's making an okay living here. With luck, no one from her past will ever appear and she will have peace from the hurt. Until Chance shows up. With a need for her help that she cannot withstand. Against her will, fighting against her desire for Chance, Corine goes with him. For she too loves Yi Min-chin. Min was kidnapped in Laredo and Jesse Saladan, the detective in charge of her case, has some unexpected revelations for Corine. He is other as well with a wellspring of information and contacts. Jesse is also interested in Corine for more personal reasons. Corine can't resist the opportunity to pay back Chance for his coldness when they were together and to use Jesse as a way to prevent restarting her relationship with Chance. A very careful dance between Jesse's interest and Chance's jealousy. And an interest that gets tested with the increased activity that surrounds Corine: attacks, bombings, and executions all have Jesse torn between his duty and his knowledge. For Corine and Chance uncover a major smuggling operation using a powerful sorcerer. The Characters Corine Solomon is a handler. When she touches an object, it's history unveils itself in her mind but at a terrible physical cost. The cost is because her Gift is not one with which she was born. Instead, the Gift came to her when her mother, Cherie Solomon, performed a spell transferring her own magic to her daughter when a Kilmer, Georgia mob came to burn them to death. Her mother gave her life to save Corine. Chance is luck itself. He focuses his Gift to the best possible outcome of whatever it is he desires, using it to help people although he is not averse to making money off it. This last is what finally pushes Corine to run from him. That last job. The luck favors Chance but not the people with him. His mother, Yi Min-chin, is a licensed homeopathic practitioner who loves Corine. Señor Alvarez does the buying for Corine's shop and steps in to watch over things when she has to leave for a day or more. Jesse Saldana is the detective in charge of Yi Min-chin's case in Laredo; Nathan Moon is his querulous partner. Jesse also has a Gift and he introduces her to the underground for people like them: Jeannie is the bartender at the Twilight in San Antonio and her husband, Bucky, has already warned Jesse away from her; Twila has a Gift of Sight and can see threads of fate, she always requires payment

About the author

In her life, Ann Aguirre has been a clown, a clerk, a voice actress, and savior of stray kittens, not necessarily in that order. She grew up in a yellow house across from a cornfield, but now she lives in sunny Mexico with her husband and two adorable children who sometimes do as they are told.