Böcker av Z. J. Cannon

Nic Ward wasn't always Hell's most infamous fallen angel. This is how his story began... In Higher Justice, a guardian angel by the name of Nicariel makes a deal with a demon to bring a killer to justice. In The Dizzy Fall, an Inquisitor is called in to investigate the murder of an angel. And in Devil's Crossroads, Lucifer's quiet life in the suburbs is upended by impossible news: God is dead... These three short stories take place before the start of the Nic Ward urban fantasy series. You can start here or with the first full-length novel, Nothing Sacred.

God is dead. I killed him. My name's Nic Ward. At least, that's what I'm going by these days. Once, Heaven and Hell alike knew me as Nicariel the Fallen. But it turns out killing the tyrant on the Divine Throne will earn you a bit of a reputation. So I'm hiding out in the human world, keeping to myself. I'd say I've more than earned a quiet retirement. But without anyone keeping order up above, the demons in Hell are restless. And Heaven has its own problems, with power-hungry angels scheming to claim the Throne for themselves. It's easy for defenseless humans to get caught in the crossfire. And no one is interested in looking out for the little guy. No one but me. Guess my retirement won't be so quiet after all... This omnibus edition contains the first three books of the Nic Ward noir urban fantasy series: Nothing Sacred, Broken Faith, and Crooked Idols.

Criminal underworld meets literal underworld... The mayor may think he runs things in Jarvis, but the rest of us know better. Vincent Dean's criminal empire controls the illicit trade that is the lifeblood of the city. And Ruby McGinniss, however adeptly she plays the part of his empty-headed trophy wife, controls Vincent Dean. As someone who's made a career out of helping the little guy get justice, I'd happily watch their corrupt empire burn. But now they've made a demon mad, and I'm the only one in town with the know-how to save them. Which would be too bad for them-if they were the only ones in danger. The thing is, they've got a little girl whose only crime is being born to the wrong parents, and she's in Hell's crosshairs too. Let an innocent child die, or help her parents keep on getting away with literal murder? Put it this way-it won't be the first time I've fought for the bad guys. And hey, at least Dean and McGinniss are the devils I know. So long as they don't have any tricks up their sleeves.

Fun with Nic and Jane I keep women at a distance for a reason. Jane most of all. She thinks my life in the shadows is exciting and glamorous. I know better. If I let her get too close, my world will eat her alive. But when her ex gets himself into the kind of trouble I specialize in solving, she's got nowhere else to turn. What am I supposed to do? Watch her get herself killed trying to save the guy on her own? I've got no choice but to let her into my office. Doesn't mean I'm letting her into my life. Because I've got a bad feeling this is no ordinary demon problem. This smells like Heaven's work to me… and considering the well-deserved grudge that place has against me, by my side is the last place anyone should be.

Say no to drugs... and yes to demons? I thought I'd enjoy seeing the straitlaced Detective Sullivan brought down a peg or two. But now I just feel sorry for the guy. He's had to swallow some harsh truths lately--like that his old-fashioned law-and-order attitude doesn't cut it against demons. He's not taking it well. These days, he looks as worn out and used up as I feel. He doesn't even iron his slacks anymore, which may as well be a sign of the apocalypse. Plus, he keeps knocking on my door with bogus tips about demonic activity. I've got enough on my plate as it is, and most of it I can't do with a cop looking over my shoulder. When he warned me the cops behind a teen anti-drug program are actually demons in human skin, I rolled my eyes and sent him on his way. But it turns out he might not be crying wolf this time. Because some guy with a fancy suit and a government business card just walked into my office, wanting to hire me to shut Sullivan up--by any means necessary. And he's made it clear "just say no" isn't an option.

Cops may be annoying, but vampires just plain suck… Ah, the ever-irritating Detective Sullivan-goody-two-shoes cop and perpetual thorn in my side. He's at my door again demanding answers about strange happenings in the city… what else is new? Only this time, he's not here to threaten me with prison. He needs my help. Humans are turning up dead all across the city, with puncture wounds in their necks and no blood in their bodies. Even a committed skeptic like Sullivan can put two and two together. The city of Jarvis has itself a genuine vampire. And when a vampire claims a city for his own, it's for keeps. But no bloodsucker is going to make my city into his personal snack bar on my watch. All I need is for Sullivan to stay out from underfoot long enough to let me handle this my way. When it comes to Sullivan, though, that may be too much to hope for...

Humanity finally has a hero who can stand up to Hell.It's my job to stop her.Guess that makes me the villain. Ever since Heaven lost the war, the forces of Hell have treated my city as their playground. One human is finally pushing back. With the power of a saint's relic behind her, she's bringing light to Jarvis's dark streets, one dead demon at a time. But not every demon is one of the bad guys. Some of us just want to live our lives in peace. And if I don't stand up for the ones who can't defend themselves… well, who else is going to care what happens to a bunch of monsters? I wish I'd never asked. Because now none other than Vekaniel is sitting in my office, offering to join forces to protect the good demons of the city.Yep, that's right: the scary-powerful fallen angel. My former ally in the war against Heaven. The one I went up against a few months back, and barely came out alive. She swears she's on the straight and narrow now. We'll see about that. But the fact is, I can't win this alone. I need help. The kind only a dangerous, devious, and maybe-reformed fallen angel can give.