Killing Pretty by Richard Kadrey is the latest Sandman Slim book. James Stark, AKA Sandman Slim, is back in LA. Indefinitely so, since he's no longer able to use his ability to walk through shadows. That doesn't mean his life has gotten any less strange, as his latest case is investigating the murder of Death.
Sandman Slim is the grittiest, most truly noir urban fantasy series that I've ever read, and it shows no sign of losing speed. The first line of this edition is "I break his wrists so that I don't have to break his neck." That tells you everything you need to know about the tone. Big things have changed for Stark. He has a boss, his girlfriend and partner in kicking ass and taking names has a new face. And of course, he actually has to travel through space like an ordinary human. Maybe that's part of what keeps the series fresh, but it certainly hasn't moved it any further away from its appeal. This is still brutal, sometimes gruesome, often darkly hilarious fun.
Overall: A