Living side by side with humans and mythical creatures presents its share of challenges, like dealing with sewerlings, nonstop show tune-singing slugs that dwell in house pipes. Welcome to Franklin’s Bend. Third grade teacher Josie Reynolds has lived here her entire life. For the most part, she’s human, though she can see auras.

Walker Morgan’s the new marshall in town and also happens to be renting the house next door to Josie. Never mind that he has no law enforcement background and previously was a CPA. He’s a fiend and immune to magic, a perfect match for the town’s need. His hair also possesses a unique talent; each strand is able to move independently of the other. Picture thousands of little fingers (now picture those thousands of fingers in a bedroom setting). Luckily, he has sidekicks to help him keep order in town: Mokey, a hellhound disguised as a poodle; Brenda, a half-elf; Danny, a mage; and Chief Evans, a werewolf sheriff.

A murder and a series of close calls has everyone on edge. Without a single suspect, it’s a race against time to find the murderer before he or she strikes again. With her scrying ability, Josie’s pulled into the investigation to try to discover the murderer’s identity. But what she finds poses more questions than answers. A sentient gray shadow that only she can see, a cemetery contaminated with ghouls, and an ever-present infestation of imps hiding out in the willows at the edge of the schoolyard are just some of her problems. Oh, and she thinks she’s falling in love with a certain fiend. Can she recognize the murderer before someone else close to her dies?

Jill Knowles brings a breath of fresh air to the fantasy romance genre. Distinctive takes on legendary creatures, stand-out characters, and a well thought-out (and not easy to guess) plot, makes Fiendish Pleasures unique among its peers. I loved this book. My only regret is that I wanted more pages to read. Hopefully Ms. Knowles won’t abandon her captivating world of imps, ghouls, fiends, elves, dragons, and werefolk any time soon.