Sumerian gang boss Shanar Rashan might control his territory through his superlative wizarding powers, but it is his kick butt, take no prisoners Lieutenant Dominica Riley that mans the streets for him and deals with the everyday magic needed to keep their family on top of the LA crime scene. So when low level tagger Jamal James is gruesomely murdered – skinned no less – it is Domino that gets the call. The ritual used smacks of voodoo, leading her to believe that Papa Danwe – a powerful mob boss and practitioner of the voodoo arts – is making a declaration of war. She should be so lucky.

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Domino starts her investigation into just who is initiating this war by using FriendTrace on the web, and flowing a little magical juice into it. She fails to get Jamal (at least on her first try) and grows even more frustrated as she loses yet one more banger to the war. As Domino tightens the noose on her magical investigation, the suspects pile up thick and fast. As the man on the street, it is her job to negotiate the peace, arm up for the war, and generally put an end to unsanctioned killing. But with a homicidal vampire after her in both the mortal world and the Beyond, juice flowing in directions it is most assuredly not supposed to go, ghosts and piskies watching – and judging – her every move, can she really trust her instincts when they point straight to the least likely suspect?

Mob Rules launches us straight into a new universe where the LA gang scene is actually controlled by centuries old wizards and what’s flowing in the streets is not just blood and drugs but magic. The combination of modern technology, arcane rituals and the world of the Beyond is handled deftly and with more than a bit of humor – Domino keeps her jinn in a TV and he in turn spends time watching Jerry Springer. The world is complex, but it is presented in an easily understood manner. Dry, descriptive paragraphs are neatly avoided. If I have a complaint it is that the book is almost too full – Sumerian wizards, voodoo doctors, ghosts, the fey – they all make their appearances. But the world is built well and can withstand the weight for the most part.

The tale is told in the first person and Domino is a great narrator. She has a bit of dry wit, is fun or practical as needed, and serves as a good guide to a place where it would be easy to be lost. She is not easily likable – she is after all a lieutenant for the mob – but she has a clear, refreshing read on herself that makes this a bit easier to swallow than it normally would be. Make no mistake: She is not a wannabe. Domino can kill with the best of them, but she doesn’t glory in it. And she looks for solutions other than violence first. The one thing I did not get about Domino was who she crushed on – it just didn’t read true. Finding out that author was a man explained a bit of that for me. Call it prejudice if you must, but I just think a middle aged male understands the attraction to something pretty but useless in the friend department more than your average woman. There isn’t much of that by the way, so readers looking for romance might want to look elsewhere.

This is an interesting, creative new world in the paranormal market – at least it was to me. The writing is a bit reminiscent of Patricia Briggs and Ilona Andrews for fans of those authors, albeit with a bit of stronger, more violent edge. I think fans of this genre would enjoy giving this one try.