Ohhh, now where do I start? There is so much to say about Hell Fire which is a huge departure in tone and pace to Blue Diablo. It is – in many ways – the dark, twisted twin from the first book. Corine and Chance are on their way to Kilmer, which was Corine’s childhood town, to find the truth about her mother’s murder. Its definitely a darker book. It has a claustrophobic setting and a slow pace that really quickly builds up the sense of tension and horror compared to the airy, vibrant and pacey Blue Diablo. What was really chilling was the fact that Kilmer appears normal, and the sense of forboding that Corine and Chance feel is conveyed to the reader. While Blue Diablo was an introduction to Corine’s world, this was a book that really brought things to an event that will have repercussions for Corine and her friends.

I really liked that Corine is more proactive in this book and that she is finally becoming more confident especially towards her relationships with Chance as well as her facing the demons in her past. Nonetheless, this was not a book which will please Chance/Corine shippers and the ending of the book was heartwrenching for them, but I did understand and agree with Corine’s decision. I found that Chance relied heavily on his luck and charm, and took full advantage of that. And this caused an imbalance – as well inequality – in their relationship, and Corine needed to be on equal terms for their relationship to work. This also brought the potential for Jesse as a love interest on a more equal footing, and I really felt that in this book, he definitely was developed more. It will be interesting to see how this possibility plays out, but I do hold up hope for Chance and Corine who I feel have more to come and share in future books.

There was also introductions of new characters like Shannon, the rebel teen, who is trapped in the creepy perfect world of Kilmer. And in many ways, parallels Corine’s story and there is another character – whom I wont go into detail about – but I suspect will play havoc with Corine’s life in the future. Although Hell Fire isn’t as humourous as the previous instalment, the dark, menacing tone and the character development makes this an even better book. The claustrophobic feel and setting kept the plot tight and tense and the focus on the characterisation, which I think was needed because I got a better sense of Jesse, Chance and especially Corine’s character.

This was a tense and creepy read, and I literally had chills absorbing the menacing overtones of the small town of Kilmer which had an air of a southern gothic horror setting. To the innocous beginning to the eerie climax, Hell Fire is a very apt title for some of the main characters because they have faced their personal hell as well as their fears. And the repercussions is going to be interesting to see in the next book. I think the Corine Solomon series is definitely one of the best written Urban Fantasy series which combines a gritty darkness, and with well drawn out characters. I eagerly look forward to Shady Lady the 3rd book in this series.