Aspiring to be a professional ballroom dancer is not an easy dream; just ask Verity Price. Not only does she have to juggle her ambitions to fit in with her part-time waitressing job, the family business is one that can’t be ignored no matter how hard she tries. Trained from birth to be a cryptozoologist, her limited free time is spent dealing with talking mice, telepathic mathematicians, legendary gorgons and her family’s arch-nemesis, the Covenant of St George.

Accosted (see: strung up by her ankles) on a rooftop one night by a looming, mysterious figure who reveals himself to be an agent of the Covenant, Verity knows her desire to dance the tango is about to be thrown out the window. What she isn’t expecting is to find that her so-called enemy is slightly agreeable and doesn’t want to kill her on sight, with the condition that they work together to figure out why the city’s cryptids are disappearing without a trace. Calling in assistance from a myriad of creatures (some friendly, some deadly) and her highly trained family members, the puzzle slowly begins to unwind, but not before Mr. Self-Righteous Demon Slayer (aka Dominic) manages to put his foot in his mouth and nearly blow the whole operation. Facing lethal creatures that haven’t been seen in centuries on her own, Verity is in for one hell of a ride and as long as she makes it out alive, she may just consider leaving the Covenant agent’s head on his shoulders.

Witty, tough and down to earth, Verity is sort of character you’d want on your side. Throughout the novels twists and turns, she manages to exude grace and sarcasm in equally astounding measures and her finesse at handling her problems is as unique as it is entertaining. If you’re looking for something that’s a little on the wild side, this is the book for you.