The Long Way Down (Daniel Faust, Band 1)

Nobody knows the seedy underbelly of Las Vegas like Daniel Faust, a sorcerer for hire and ex-gangster who uses black magic and bullets to solve his clients' problems. When an old man comes seeking vengeance for his murdered granddaughter, what looks like a simple job quickly spirals out of control. Soon Daniel stands in the crossfire between a murderous porn director; a corrupt cop with a quick trigger finger; and his own former employer, a racket boss who isn't entirely human. Then there's Caitlin: brilliant, beautiful, and the lethal right hand of a demon prince. A man named Faust should know what happens when you rub shoulders with demons. Still Daniel can't resist being drawn to Caitlin's flame as they race to unlock the secret of the Etruscan Box, a relic that people all over town are dying -- and killing -- to get their hands on. As the bodies drop and the double-crosses pile up, Daniel will need every shred of his wits, courage and sheer ruthlessness just to survive. Daniel Faust knew he was standing with one foot over the brink of hell. He's about to find out just how far he can fall.

By the time he was four years old, Craig Schaefer knew he wanted to be a writer. He also wanted to be an astronaut, a private eye, and a fire truck, so nobody paid much attention. Other passions came and went with age, but the love of writing remained. He cut his teeth on the crime thrillers of Elmore Leonard and Richard Stark, which may explain a thing or two about the person he is today. Exploring other genres he soon latched onto horror and weird fiction, falling hard for the worlds of Clive Barker and H.P. Lovecraft. The books of the Daniel Faust series are written in honor of all the writers who shaped him, blending gangsters, guns and black magic in a manner not unlike, he hopes, chocolate and peanut butter. Research for the Faust novels has led Craig down some curious alleys -- sometimes literally -- and to conversations with interesting and occasionally frightening people. His reference bookshelf, stocked with tomes covering the spectrum from criminology to demonology, has been variously described as "disturbing," "a bit eccentric," and "the reason I'm not dating that guy anymore." While he considers Las Vegas his second home and visits every chance he gets, Craig presently lives in Joliet, Illinois, the home of the Blues Brothers. He dwells in what was once a turn of the century convent, though he has never seen the alleged (and obligatory) ghostly nuns. The pipes do rattle in the night, though, and if you're standing in just the right spot, they sound like the pitter-patter of children's feet rushing by on the floor just above you. When he's not behind the keyboard, he can be found visiting Chicago's historic museums, haunting libraries for inspiration, and spending too much time gaming while he should be writing. He also dabbles in sleight of hand, though unlike Daniel Faust, he's not very good at it. Craig Schaefer's home on the Web is at craigschaeferbooks.com.