Slashback

“In
Doubletake
, Rob Thurman conjures up one of the grittiest tales of the Leandros brothers yet. . . . In a series that constantly finds new ways to explore the bonds of brotherhood and friendship, this book takes those emotions to a whole new level. And the book is stronger for it.”

—SFRevu

“Amazingly, Ms. Thurman continues to create even more stirring tales of the uncannily talented duo even as she provides glimpses of the life that has honed them into the well-tempered and close-knit pair that they are. . . . The depth of love displayed by these two warriors who couch their affection in insults and physical sacrifices continues to demonstrate the allure of this fantastic series, which is filled with fantastical creatures and thrilling fight scenes combined with an imaginative story line. Another wonderful addition to an intriguing series.”

—Night Owl Reviews

“There’s no one who does dark urban fantasy quite like Rob Thurman. . . . There’s no glamour, little romance, some camp, and a whole lot of snark. Her voice is unique and utterly unmistakable, as are the tales she tells.”

—The Ranting Dragon

“Touching and at times hilarious, yet intensely compelling, Thurman’s story lines are among the darkest in urban fantasy but she uses that grim supernatural backdrop and the internal struggles of her antihero, Caliban, to heighten the sense of what it truly means to be a power for good. Any book by Thurman is worth the purchase.”

—Fresh Fiction

Blackout

“Thurman delivers in spades . . . as always, a great entry in a series that only gets better with each new installment.”

— SFRevu

“If you want a good paranormal detective story with quirky dark humor mixed in, give this series a try.”

—
News and Sentinel
(Parkersburg, WV)

Roadkill

“Readers will relish this roller-coaster ride filled with danger. . . . The unexpected is the norm in this urban fantasy.”

—Alternative Worlds

“Thurman has broken new ground, expanding the mythology of her world in new and ingenious ways. . . . The finale of the story is perhaps the most emotionally moving bit of writing I’ve read this year.”

—SFRevu

Deathwish

“Thurman takes her storytelling to a whole new level in
Deathwish. . . .
Fans of street-level urban fantasy will enjoy this.”

—SFRevu

“The action is fast-paced and exciting, and the plot twists are delicious.”

—Errant Dreams Reviews

Madhouse

“Thurman continues to deliver strong tales of dark urban fantasy.”

—SFRevu

Moonshine

“[Cal and Niko] are back and better than ever . . . a fast-paced story full of action.”

—SFRevu

Nightlife

“A roaring roller coaster of a read . . . [it’ll] take your breath away. Supernatural highs and lows, and a Hell of a lean over at the corners. Sharp and sardonic, mischievous and mysterious.”

—
New York Times
bestselling author Simon R. Green

THE TRICKSTER NOVELS

The Grimrose Path

“Thurman’s comic timing is dead-on [and] well-targeted in Trixa’s cynical, gritty voice . . . a fast-paced urban adventure that will have you cheering.”

—Fresh Fiction

Trick of the Light

“Rob Thurman’s new series has all the great elements I’ve come to expect from this writer: an engaging protagonist, fast-paced adventure, a touch of sensuality, and a surprise twist that’ll make you blink.”

—#1
New York Times
bestselling author Charlaine Harris

“A beautiful, wild ride, [and] a story with tremendous heart. A must read.”

—
New York Times
bestselling author Marjorie M. Liu

THE KORSAK BROTHERS NOVELS

Basilisk

“Thurman has created another fast-paced and engaging tale in this volume. . . . Fans of great thriller fiction will enjoy
Basilisk
and the previous novel
Chimera
quite a bit.”

—SFRevu

“
Basilisk
is full of excitement, pathos, humor, and dread. . . . Buy it. You won’t be sorry. It is one heck of a ride!”

—Bookshelf Bombshells

Chimera

“Thurman delivers a fast-paced thriller with plenty of twists and turns. . . . The characters are terrific—Stefan’s wiseass attitude will especially resonate with the many Cal Leandros fans out there—and the pace never lets up, once the two leads are together. . . . Thurman shows a flair for handling SF/near-future action.”

—SFRevu

“A touching story on the nature of family, trust, and love lies hidden in this action thriller. . . . Thurman weaves personal discovery seamlessly into the fast-paced action, making it easy to cheer for these overgrown, dangerous boys.”

—
Publishers Weekly

“A gut-wrenching tale of loss and something so huge that the simple four-letter word ‘hope’ cannot begin to encompass it. . . .
Chimera
grabs the reader’s attention and heart immediately and does not let go. . . . This is a masterpiece of a good story and great storytelling.”

—Bitten by Books

A
LSO BY
R
OB
T
HURMAN

The Cal Leandros Novels

Nightlife

Moonshine

Madhouse

Deathwish

Roadkill

Blackout

Doubletake

The Trickster Novels

Trick of the Light

The Grimrose Path

The Korsak Brothers Novels

Chimera

Basilisk

Others

All Seeing Eye

Wolfsbane and Mistletoe

EDITED BY CHARLAINE HARRIS AND TONI L. P. KELNER

Slashback

A Cal Leandros Novel

Rob Thurman

ROC

Published by New American Library, a division of

Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street,

New York, New York 10014, USA

Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto,

Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.)

Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

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Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.)

Penguin Group (Australia), 707 Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3008,

Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.)

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New Delhi - 110 017, India

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New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.)

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Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices:

80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

First published by Roc, an imprint of New American Library,

a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

ISBN: 978-1-101-60455-7

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

REGISTERED TRADEMARK—MARCA REGISTRADA

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.

If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”

To Chelsea

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

To my mom, who suggested why didn’t I give my ol
d dream of writing a go? If I become a victim of artistic Darwinism, I blame her. Also to Shannon—best friend and sister with a black belt in tough love; to my patient editor, Anne Sowards; Brian McKay (ninja of the dark craft of copywriting and muse of a fictional disease we won’t discuss here . . . but did discuss at length in
Roadkill
); Agent Jeff Thurman of the FBI for the usual weapons advice; brilliant artist Chris McGrath; Lucienne Diver, who astounds me in the best possible way at every turn; and great and lasting friends Michael and Sara.

A bad neighbor is a misfortune. . . .

—Hesiod, b. 800 BC

History repeats itself. That’s one of the things wrong with history.

—Clarence Darrow, 1910

If I cannot move Heaven, then I will raise Hell.

—Latin proverb