Overview
Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Golden Girls in this humorous contemporary standalone fantasy about a group of former Chosen Ones coming out of retirement to save the world one last time Three former Chosen Ones have joined together to spend their retirement in peace and quiet, running Second Life Books and Gifts in Salem, MA. A calm, peaceful, tourist-filled oasis, where they never have to worry about saving the world. Until some of the locals start summoning ancient creatures best left where they were . . . and they discover that their bookstore basement just may be the portal to the underworld. These ex-heroes may have thought they were done . . . but if they want to finish their retirement in peace, they’ll have to join together to save the world one last time. Why leave saving the world to the young? Cozy mystery readers looking for an extra dash of magic will eat this story up: fun, funny, and heartwarming, it's a novel about community, second chances, and the healing power of scones.
Full Product Details
Author: Jim C. Hines
Publisher: Astra Publishing House
Imprint: DAW Books
Dimensions:
Width: 14.70cm
, Height: 3.10cm
, Length: 21.70cm
Weight: 0.420kg
ISBN: 9780756419684
ISBN 10: 0756419689
Pages: 352
Publication Date: 21 October 2025
Audience:
General/trade
,
General
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: In Print
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Reviews
""Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Thursday Murder Club and thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish."" —The Wall Street Journal ""Hines brings a wry touch to his vividly imagined urban fantasy world...Ben Aaronovitch fans will appreciate Hines’s humorous approach to supernatural peril."" —Publishers Weekly ""Hines’s (Kitemaster) latest is a delightful, somewhat cozy fantasy with a fast pace and snappy supporting characters, both human and supernatural."" —Library Journal ""Imagine the Thursday Murder Club worked with Harry Dresden out of the Legends & Lattes shop, and you will understand who will enjoy Hines’ original tale of found family, second chances, and oh, an end-of-the-world event."" —Booklist ""A witty take on urban fantasy that goes beyond just monster-of-the-week."" —Caitlin Rozakis, author of New York Times bestseller Dreadful ""The only thing better than a fun, fast-paced, save-the-world story with kickass characters? That story written by Jim C. Hines. As usual, Himes adds his signature depth and heart throughout… an instant classic and highly recommended!"" —Julie E. Czerneda, author of the Night’s Edge series
Author Information
Jim C. Hines has published more than forty short stories as well as numerous fantasy and sci-fi novels, including the humorous Jig the Dragonslayer trilogy; the Princess series, which re-imagines traditional fairy-tale princesses as butt-kicking action heroines; and the Magic Ex Libris series, about a centuries-old secret society dedicated to the use and control of book magic. In 2012, he won the Hugo for Best Fan Writer.
