Thief of Midnight

The Monster HuntersAbby Marquise has been killing doppelgangers and other dark creatures for the Society for the Security of Reality for awhile now—ever since she’d been recruited after being attacked by a ghoul one dark night. Her son Jimmy thinks she’s losing it. But how do you explain monster-hunting, much less the SSR, to a teenager? But now things are getting serious because children are being kidnapped in all the major cities. Her partner John Sawyer wants to go in blasting, but how do you start blasting something you can’t even find?And the Bogeymen Likho, a Ukrainian-Russian spirit, and L’uomo Nero, one of the old hairy men, have been summoned by El Cucuy, the Mexican child demon and new leader of the Family, to discuss the crisis of their existence. As El Cucuy says, “The children are no longer afraid of us, and we are being picked off one by one.” Created by age-old belief, the bogeymen are gradually fading away, killed off by modern cynicism. But El Cucuy has a plan—spread fear in the world again by taking the children! Likho, who has adopted some of the human ways, doesn’t like it. And L’uomo starts to act even stranger than usual by consorting with an old human woman. Can they defy El Cucuy and live?

From Publishers Weekly

Butzen's strong debut livens up some common urban fantasy tropes with witty dialogue and fun monsters. After surviving an attack by a ghoul, Chicagoan Abby Marquise is recruited by the Society for the Security of Reality (SSR), which captures and kills supernatural creatures. Meanwhile, El Cucuy, leader of the looseknit group of bogeymen known as the Family, launches a plan to kidnap thousands of children from around the world. Of the monsters, only Likho and L'uomo Nero are willing to try to stop him. Butzen's character development often falters, but the assorted bogeymen make for genuinely interesting supernatural villains, and the power struggles within their group--as well as their personal struggles for identity even as they fear to display human traits--keep this otherwise bythe-numbers tale moving. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From the Inside Flap

The Monster Hunters Abby Marquise has been killing doppelgangers and other dark creatures with the Society for the Security of Reality for awhile now ever since she d been recruited after being attacked by a ghoul one dark night. Her son Jimmy thinks she s losing it, but how do you explain monster-hunting, much less the secret SSR, to a teenager? Now that children are disappearing all across the country, her partner John Sawyer wants to go after them, guns a-blazing. But how do you shoot something you can't find? And how can you find something if you don't believe it exists? and the Bogeymen Likho, a Ukrainian-Russian spirit, and L uomo Nero, one of the ancient bag men, have been summoned by El Cucuy, leader of the supernatural Family. The myths and stories that created the Family are slowly fading from modern memory, and El Cucuy knows their very existence is threatened. The bogeymen are beginning to vanish but the dead boy has a plan spread fear in the world and restore themselves by taking the children! Likho, who has adopted some of the human ways, doesn t like it. And L uomo starts to act even stranger than usual by following the advice of an old human woman. Can they defy El Cucuy and exist? Who will believe in them then?

From the Back Cover

Catherine Butzen is a new dark fantasy author from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, with an original tale about a battle between a small group of humans and the bogeymen of ancient legends. This is also the launch of a new series featuring phantom hunter Abby Marquise.

About the Author

Catherine Butzen was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. Her upbringing gave her an enduring interest in history, a deep love of fiction, and a healthy respect for Baby Yaga.

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