I actually read On Demon Wings (Experiment in Terror #5) the very day Karina Halle sent it to me for review, but then all that crazy medical junk came up and I just realized I never finished writing my review. Slap my hand for that, I feel awful about it! Karina’s books are definitely the ones I look forward to the most, and On Demon Wings definitely didn’t disappoint. Although, I have to say, when an author requests that you refrain from death threats until you finish reading, you really do have to wonder what you’re in for!

This is the 5th book in the extraordinary Experiment in Terror , featuring ghost hunter Perry Palomino and her sexy camera-man and “will they or wont they” partner Dex. Except this one didn’t feature quite as much Dex as I would have hoped. See, at the end of Lying Season, Dex kind of ripped out Perry’s (and, in turn, our) heart. I don’t want to get into much more detail in case you haven’t read the series yet. If that’s the case, go get yourself a free kindle copy of Darkhouse, the first book in the series and start catching up.

So, as I was saying, Dex isn’t really a major part of this book as far as “on-screen” time, but since he’s pretty much Perry’s heart, he still plays a major role. Perry is back at home, working in a coffee shop since she quite Experiment in Terror. She seems to be surviving, but barely. Her heart is broken, she’s having horrible nightmares still, and she’s left with so many unanswered questions about herself, Dex, and her abilities. Basically, she prime pickings for nasty spirits. When she collapses on the bathroom floor of the coffee shop and is taken to the hospital, things really start to go awry for her.

Remember Maximus, the “ghost whisperer” from Red Fox? Well, he’s back in the picture, only he’s not nearly as charming as he was in the second book. He’s kind of suspicious, actually, and I think that is going to play out more in Into the Hollow when it releases. The majority of this story takes place right in Perry’s home, which makes it infinitely freakier than the previous books. Oh sure, all the other books scared the crud out of me in some spots, but I actually wanted to cover my head with a blanket after reading the “exorcism” scene in On Demon Wings. I think the fact that it takes place at home hits closer to home. With the other books, as long as I stayed out of lighthouses and insane asylums, or off old leper colony islands, I was pretty safe. When the scary stuff is happening in your favorite character’s backyard, or worse IN your favorite character, well, it’s a little more chilling.

This was our “answers” book in the series in many ways, because we finally find out who crazy clown lady is, and get some answers to a few other burning questions. Of course, since there are still two books left in the series (if it’s still going to be 7 books long), don’t expect to receive all the answers. In fact, you will left with a few new ones in the end. As always, I could go on and on about the book, the series in general, and the superb writing style of Karina Halle, but I think you really just need to read the books for yourself. So go download that free copy of Darkhouse and get started. You won’t be sorry!