Calliope Jenkins is used to late night calls from her best friend and partner, but Josh's last two am call is odd even for him. While investigating a case in Iowa he leaves Calliope an cryptic message-- Watch out for hidden things. His unusual warning isn't even the strangest thing about his message. Several hours later the police visit Calliope. Josh is dead, most likely from foul play and his death occurred an hour before he left her a message. Frustrated with the police, Calli heads to Iowa to investigate for herself. Accompanied by a stranger named Vikous who claims to know what happened to Josh, she finds out just what Josh meant by hidden things.

Hidden Things by Doyce Testerman is delightfully creepy. The blending of the mundane world and the fantastical is perfect, especially seen in the dragon and how he hides himself in the modern world. I did find the bickering between Calli and Vikous to be a bit tiring after a while and Calli's interaction with her family stilted. For the most part though, Hidden Things is wonderfully entertaining and reminds me of Neil Gaiman's writing.

My Recommendation
Doyce Testerman's Hidden Things is an urban fantasy with the feel of a dark fairy tale. Following Calli as she searches for answers to Josh's demise and discovers her own nature is an engrossing trip through dark and eerie landscape that mirrors our own. Hidden Things is highly recommended.

Hidden Things by Doyce Testerman is available at Amazon.com

Hidden Things by Doyce Testerman
Published by Harper Voyager
336 pages
My free review copy of Hidden Things was provided by the publisher.