Dead Witch Walking (The Hollows, Book 1) [Hardcover]

Kim Harrison (Author)

Book Description

Release date: April 29, 2008

The underground population of witches, vampires, werewolves—creatures of dreams and nightmares—has lived beside humans for centuries, hiding their powers. But after a genetically engineered virus wipes out a large part of humanity, many of the "Inderlanders" reveal themselves, changing everything.

Rachel Morgan, witch and bounty hunter with the Inderland Runner Services, is one of the best at apprehending supernatural lawbreakers throughout Cincinnati, but when it comes to following the rules, she falls desperately short. Determined to buck the system, she quits and takes off on the run with an I.S. contract on her head and is reluctantly forced to team up with Ivy, Inderland's best runner . . . and a living vampire. But this witch is way out of her league, and to clear her name, Rachel must evade shape-changing assassins, outwit a powerful businessman/crime lord, and survive a vicious underground fight-to-the-death . . . not to mention her own roommate.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Fast-paced and loads of fun—the perfect read when you just want to get away from things fora bit.” (Fantasy & Science Fiction)

“You’ll love this bounty-hunter team. … A fun-fair ride through a fascinating version of our world.” (Charlaine Harris, USA Today Bestselling Author of Club Dead)

“Blends the best qualities of Anita Blake and Stephanie Plum… Kim Harrison carries it off with style.” (Jim Butcher)

“A wonderfully fun romp through the supernatural world, a spellbinding blend of sharp wit and vivid imagination.” (Kelley Armstrong)

About the Author

New York Times bestselling author Kim Harrison was born and raised in Michigan, and has recently returned there to better escape the South Carolina heat. Her bestselling Hollows novels include Dead Witch Walking; The Good, the Bad, and the Undead; Every Which Way But Dead; A Fistful of Charms; For a Few Demons More; The Outlaw Demon Wails; White Witch, Black Curse; Black Magic Sanction; Pale Demon; A Perfect Blood; and Ever After. She also writes the bestselling Madison Avery YA series, including Once Dead, Twice Shy and Early to Death, Early to Rise.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Harper Voyager; First Edition edition (April 29, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061567191
• ISBN-13: 978-0061567193
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (514 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #166,509 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

New York Times bestselling Kim Harrison was born and raised in the upper Midwest, but has since fled south to better avoid snow. After gaining her bachelors in the sciences, she moved to South Carolina, where she has remained since. When not at work in the Hollows series, she spends her time tending orchids, cooking with some guy in leather, and training her new dog. Her current vices include good chocolate, and exquisite sushi. She is a member of both the Romance Writers of America and The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Her bestselling novels include Dead Witch Walking; The Good, The Bad, and The Undead; Every Which Way But Dead; A Fistful of Charms; and For a Few Demons More.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#73 Overall (See top 100 authors)

#4 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Fantasy

#4 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy

#6 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy

#14 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers > Mystery

#19 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Contemporary

#4 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Fantasy

#4 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy

#6 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy

#14 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers > Mystery

#19 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Contemporary

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

596 of 631 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Avid Reader & Reviewer June 3, 2004

By Alisa McCune

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Dead Witch Walking is a fantastically fun, first novel by Kim Harrison. The world Kim Harrison has created is marred by tomatoes. In our search for genetically engineered food and medicine, we created a nasty virus in tomatoes that has nearly wiped out mankind. This virus has exposed paranormal races to the world as they are immune. Society has splintered with all the upheaval and paranormal races have set-up residence in the Hallows. The Hallows can be compared to a Las Vegas for the paranormal. `Day-trippers' frequently take a walk-on-the-wild side to meet and mingle in the Hallows with werewolves, vampires, witches, and so on.

Rachel Morgan is a witch and an I.S. runner - similar to an FBI agent but for the paranormal world. Her career is going nowhere. It seems as though she can do nothing right and is given the lowest assignments available. Each day and night of work has become drudgery and Rachel is looking for a way out.

Dead Witch Walking quickly immerses the reader in a vibrant cast of characters. We meet Ivy, a living vampire; Jenks, a pixie with a lot of children; Trent, a businessman who may or may not be human and is believed to be dealing in Brimstone, a nasty drug, and so on.

Dead Witch Walking is a paranormal mystery that can easily be compared to Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden series or Laurell K. Hamilton's early Anita Blake novels. Rachel Morgan is a charming character that is very easy to like. She certainly has her issues, but she has none of the angst or brutality of Anita Blake.

Kim Harrison has created a fun book with laughs that are unexpected. The story line is not completely predictable and has many different twists and turns. I hope this is the beginning of a new series.

Kim Harrison describes herself as born in the Midwest. She has been called a witch, among other things, but has never seen a vampire (that she knows of). She loves graveyards and midnight jazz, and wears too much black. Please be sure to visit her website at: http://www.kimharrison.net/

214 of 233 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Gripping Debut Novel May 12, 2004

By FictionAddiction.NET

Format:Mass Market Paperback

White witch Rachel Morgan has been a bounty hunter for Inderland Security for the last three years and it's been a constant bumbling battle for good assignments to prove her worth. She's become bored and disillusioned with the job and she wants out. Problem is, retiring from I.S. means a swift and sure retirement from life. The I.S. doesn't take kindly to broken contracts.

She's got a risky idea that may get her around that, though...if she lives long enough to see it through. Rachel figures that if she can tag the largest brimstone dealer in the Hollows and Cincinnati area, she'll be able to get her contract paid off. However, getting the evidence to bring him down will be far from easy.

With the help of her pixy bodyguard and her living vampire roommate, she may just succeed. If she can quit getting caught.

Enter Kim Harrison's gripping debut novel and step into a world unlike any other. A world of vampires, pixies and fairies, witches and werewolves. A place where humans not only can no longer deny such beings exist, but in some cases, embrace the fact.

Harrison is sure to find success with this preternatural tale of intrigue. The individual characteristics of the bounty-hunting trio entwine to form a bewitching and mysteriously endearing partnership and add further depth to an already captivating tome. Welcome to The Hollows. Watch your back.

71 of 77 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars More fun than I've had with a book in a very long time! October 3, 2004

By MoniqueDelacroix

Format:Mass Market Paperback

This book was one of the most enjoyable reads imaginable, an absolute delight. I positively cannot wait for the sequel. I'm shocked not to have found anything else by Kim Harrison out already, considering just how great this was. Amazing first effort. Amazing effort, period.

I was a huge Laurell K. Hamilton fan on the Anita Blake series, though recent efforts have been a disappointment. This was, for me, as much fun as early LKH. Similarly, it was a strong, funny, female character, in a supernatural alternate modern reality with fangs, and fur, and fey.

That, however, is where the similarities end, as this actually managed to be unique, with its own wonderful voice and style, and a whole new alternate world, like no other I've seen.

The book was strong on plot, with lots of nice twists and turns, had wonderful, enjoyable, well thought out and developed characters, well described scenes, and plenty of action.

The magic and magical beings were both impressive, and at times, hysterically amusing. (I will not post a spoiler, of course, on what her shape changing spell does, but suffice to say, it's original, and it's pretty darned funny!)

The Pixie that the main character, Rachel Morgan, partners with is a blast, and at the same time, sympathetic. I loved the blend. She gave the characters, even those other than Rachel, some real dimension. She also made the character Rachel come across as someone whose fate you could care about.

Overall, a terrific, fun read, that kept me up until done. I'm a pretty voracious reader, and I don't say that about too many of late.