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Deathwish
Deathwish
Nov 5, 2025 9:51 AM

Author:Rob Thurman

Deathwish

The fourth book in the Cal Leandros series that began with Nightlife, Deathwish is clever, ironic and hugely entertaining urban fantasy in the vein of Jim Butcher by the New York Times bestselling author, Rob Thurman.

'How I felt the mental stirrings of a bloodthirsty heritage when I passed through the gray light wasn't my favourite topic . . . the Auphe nature wasn't mine. I wouldn't let it be. And if I said that to myself over and over and sprinkled around enough frigging fairy dust, maybe it would be true.'

Half-human Cal Leandros and his brother, Niko, are barely getting by with their preternatural detective agency when the vampire Seamus hires them. He's being followed, and he wants to know by whom. But the Leandros brothers have to do more than they had planned when Seamus turns up dead (or un-undead).

Worse still is the return of Cal's nightmarish family, the Auphe. The last time Cal and Niko faced them, the Auphe were almost wiped out. Now they want revenge. Cal know that before the Auphe get to him, they will try to destroy everything and everyone he holds dear. Because for the Auphe, Cal's pain is a pleasure.

And they're feeling good.

A dark contemporary fantasy with a humorous edge, Rob Thurman's Deathwish should not be missed.

Praise for Rob Thurman:

'Supernatural elements put this in the company of Jim Butcher and Charlaine Harris' SFRevu

'A roaring rollercoaster of a read . . . it'll take your breath away' Simon R. Green

Rob Thurman lives in Indiana, land of rolling hills and cows. Lots and lots of cows. Nightlife, Moonshine and Madhouse, the previous novels in the Cal Leandros series, are also published by Penguin. Visit Rob at www.robthurman.net.

Reviews

Supernatural elements put this in the company of Jim Butcher and Charlaine Harris

—— SFRevu

Sharp and sardonic, mischievous and mysterious

—— Simon R. Green

Tightly plotted and fast-paced, this book is full of twists and turns that take the reader for one heck of a ride

—— Romantic Times

Close’s debut pulls you into the midst of Isabella, Mary and Lauren’s social circle, reminding us that friendship is everything in life. A great first novel, it has a touch of hit TV show Girls about it, and is full of the ‘What am I going to do with my life?’ angst that we can all relate to

—— Glamour

An irresistible, pitch-perfect first novel

—— Marie Claire

Witty

—— New York Times

Funny, moving and true

—— Bim Adewunmi , Guardian

Close's characters grumble good-naturedly through their friends' weddings and the births of their babies, supporting one another as they stumble through the minefield of rotten jobs and disastrous romances, with the pluck and gimlet eye of Carrie Bradshaw's younger, smarter sisters

—— Vanity Fair

If Elizabeth Bennet were post-collegiate, hungover, lovelorn and living on the Upper West Side, she would definitely be rooming with the Girls in White Dresses. This debut is hilarious, warm-hearted and wise, and I couldn't put it down

—— Holly LeCraw, author of 'The Swimming Pool'

Close’s cynical humor shines... Close captures that mix of perplexing anticipation, tedium, poor choices, dashed hopes and resilience that characterizes young adulthood

—— The New York Journal of Books

Reminiscent of Melissa Bank’s The Girls’ Guide to Hunting and Fishing. It is modern and funny, with original, wry observations. Close’s debut novel will appeal to both fans of contemporary women’s fiction with a hip vibe and readers who enjoy old-school chick lit

—— Library Journal (starred review)

Close’s sardonic, well-crafted female characters and the all-too-familiar feeling of wedding fatigue will capture a large audience

—— Metro News (New York)

This debut will ring bells... An uncanny portrait emerges of a time in life marked by too many hangovers, bad dates and bridal showers - as well as an abundance of solid friendships

—— People

It’s a pleasure to get to know the characters

—— The Columbus Dispatch

Funny and often poignant...The vignettes of White Dresses are intricate and often absurd, yet instantly relatable

—— Winnipeg Free Press

So many books...say they perfectly capture the angst and soaring joys of post-college life, but Girls in White Dresses truly does

—— Metro News (Toronto)

With a light touch and utterly believable characters, Close’s...appealing debut manages to capture the humor, heartache and cautious optimism of her protagonists

—— Kirkus Reviews

Feels like catching up with an old friend... Although the majority of the stories are humorous, they are never mean-spirited, and the friendships Close portrays feel incredibly realistic

—— National Post

Close straddles the line between melancholy and breeziness as she chronicles the exploits of recent college grads trying to make it in New York City . . . Hints at something deeper and truer: not just the adventure of being young, but the unmooring of it, too

—— Entertainment Weekly

You’ll relate, but mostly you’ll laugh as Close turns her sweet-tart wit on the dating and mating shenanigans of this tight-knit group of friends

—— Redbook

Close’s wry wit and deadpan delivery...make this debut novel a treat to read. . . . An original confection with echoes of The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing and a dollop of Sex and the City

—— Shelf Awareness

Jennifer Close’s debut, Girls in White Dresses, follows a group of young women doing all the things they know they shouldn’t—falling for one’s boss, dating gay men—all while drinking far too many mimosas at other people’s weddings

—— Vogue.com

Funny... These stories will resonate with readers in the throes of the quarter-life churn

—— Publishers Weekly

What a delight! The young women in this hugely appealing book are charming, funny, rueful, poignant - just like their creator, in other words, one of the freshest and most appealing new voices in fiction. I can't wait for more work from Jennifer Close

—— Ann Packer, bestselling author of The Dive from Clausen’s Pier and Swim Back to Me

The only way to express my love for Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close is to tell you that this is the one book that I will be recommending over and over again to all of my friends. I laughed, I cried, I nodded knowingly as the characters waded their way through the hits and misses of their twenties and thirties. I can't remember the last time I loved a book as much as this one

—— Allison Winn Scotch, New York Times bestselling author of 'The One That I Want' and 'Time of My Life'

Girls In White Dresses is a dark, funny, intimate romp through boyfriends, first apartments, and great friendships - but beneath the surface lurks the jealousy, disappointment, and love that didn't quite end up the way you thought it would. Jennifer Close's brilliant, deadpan humor made me laugh so hard my own roommate thought I was nuts

—— Margot Berwin, author of Hothouse Flower

Girls in White Dresses is about a group of smart, funny, unapologetically grouchy, always-hungover female friends who kvetch their way through one another's weddings and showers, stare blearily at one another's offspring, sometimes barely tolerate one another's men, but nonetheless have one another's backs through thick and thin. Jennifer Close has written an unsentimental, frank novel about female friendship - its lifelong loyalties and unconditional love

—— Kate Christensen, PEN/Faulkner Award-winning author of 'The Great Man' and 'The Astral'

I recently read a book which explores the same post-university landscape that Girls handles; Jennifer Close's Girls In White Dresses. Like Girls, it is often funny, moving and true to (my and other straight women of a certain age living in a big city) life

—— Bim Adewunmi , Guardian

Delightful… Sharply and sparely written … a great debut

—— Wendy Holden , Daily Mail, Books of the Year

Incredibly inspiring, uplifting and life-affirming.

—— Exepose

Emotional and painful but also really beautiful

—— Dakota Fanning

An honest and open account of a subject matter that’s not easy to talk about, it’s heart-wrenching and thought-provoking, yet beautiful and uplifting too. Its ending is truly breathtaking.

—— Nikki Ann , Notes of Life
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