Pete is walking the dark alone, now that Jack the Crow Mage is serving his time in hell.

When a tortured body covered in sigils and oozing black magic is found at the feet of Ramses II in the British Museum, her old partner Ollie Heath calls her in on the bizarre scene. Former DC Pete 'Petunia' Caldecott has to dive into the cesspool of necromantic magic on her own, using the connections she met when Jack was by her side, and getting what she needs through bluff and brass without his massive magic as back up.

The Dark is chancier than ever and the Witch Finders are fighting back the only way they know how, by burning the good along with the evil, and trying to blackmail Pete into helping them. Hecate is still banging on about Pete needing to kill the Crow Mage even though Jack is gone, likely dead. As she faces challenges more bitter than she's ever encountered, Pete feels the loss of Jack more with each breath. But when Jack shows up, having mysteriously gained his freedom, is it the same Jack she lost, or something evil in Jack's skin?

Kittredge does another fantastic job in BONE GODS, Book 3 in her Black London series. As tough as Pete was with Jack by her side, it is even more satisfying to see her work around her vulnerabilities and push her boundaries when working the case on her own with a little help from some old friends. It's good to see a series that manages to raise the stakes with each subsequent book, and this entry lays the groundwork for a lot of great reading to come in future volumes.