Side Jobs

What it feels like

Reading this collection feels like catching up with an old, wisecracking friend over a beer in a dive bar, only to end up fighting off a supernatural ambush. The pace is brisk and punchy, bouncing between bite-sized, hilarious monster-of-the-week capers and darker, emotionally resonant missions that test the characters' limits. The prose drips with hardboiled noir sensibilities and relentless pop-culture snark, grounding the fantastical elements in a gritty, rain-slicked Chicago. As the stories progress through the timeline, the mood shifts from scrappy and lighthearted to shadowed and grief-tinged, culminating in a heavy but hopeful resolve. It is a perfect, action-packed treat for urban fantasy readers who love underdog heroes, found family dynamics, and a world where magic is as dangerous as it is spectacular.

Mood

• gritty
• suspenseful
• shadowed
• humorous

Tone

• wry
• hardboiled
• snarky
• earnest
• action-oriented

Pace

brisk

Themes

burden of duty · found family · hidden magical world · loyalty and sacrifice

The writing

Punchy, first-person noir infused with pop-culture snark and cinematic action.

The arc

Moves from lighthearted, episodic monster-of-the-week thrills to a heavy, grief-tinged resolve.

Who it's for

Urban fantasy fans who love a wisecracking, underdog detective navigating a gritty, monster-filled modern world.