I read this because my roommate read it and liked it. The urban fantasy I have read previous to this was the Dresden Files books by Jim Butcher. Doppelganster is much lighter than the Dresden books.Esther Diamond is a struggling actress who gets involved with an old mage named Max who is protecting New York city from Evil. She is involved with a NYPD detective in a relationship that is complicated. Esther has no powers of her own but she gets involved anyway in this story when a mobster is killed right before her eyes in the restaurant she works at between acting jobs. The story moves along briskly with action and humor and concludes with a great finale and we are left wanting more of Esther which comes in the book I am currently reading - Unsympathetic Magic.Resnick has a light touch with this book and that is perfect for a fun read. These books are not going to have you pondering afterwards like a Sawyer novel but it is great fun and I recommend it if you like that sort of story. 3.5 stars. Second novel in the Esther Diamond Series. This one was stronger than the first. Resnick has cleared up some of the annoying ticks that I thought stood out in the first, she's calmed down on the cutesy dialogue, it feels more natural, and I thought that the secondary characters were altogether more interesting and well written in this follow up installment. In this mystery, Esther has unfortunately found herself without a paying gig when her off broadway show is finally cancelled. She finds herself working at Stella's which is a restaurant that is a popular hangout for some very dangerous wise-guy types. Unfortunately, supernatural happenings are afoot when Esther witnesses a mobster getting killed right before her eyes, with no possible killer in sight. Esther is an appealing protagonist, capable enough but also not uber powered to the point where she's getting out of situations she really has no business being able to solve. Worth a read if you liked the first book.
I'm almost ashamed at how much I liked this book. It was the most fun and absolutely ridiculous.
—rinku
Very enjoyable characters! Light-hearted supernatural mystery series that kept me guessing...
—kaylybby
Surprisingly good, light-hearted book with engaging characters.
—Ashley
Very good book. Can't wait for the next in the series.
—dandeliontreex
witty and awesome !
—jjason2882
