A salacious throwback to the detective pulps of the 70s, Hex-Rated kicks off the new urban fantasy series the Brimstone Files.
Fall, 1970. Los Angeles has always been a den of danger and bliss, but even darker tidings brew in the City of Angels. Cults, magic, and the supernatural are leaking into the worlds of glamour and dives of the gutter. To the spectators walking down Hollywood Blvd, it’s just more proof that La La Land is over the cuckoo’s nest. But to former child magician and Korean veteran turned newly-licensed private investigator James Brimstone, it means business is picking up.
After attending his mentor’s funeral, Brimstone signs his first client: Nico, a beautiful actress with a face full of scars and an unbelievable story of sex, demons, and violence on the set of a pornographic film in the San Fernando Valley. The cops chalk it up to a bad trip from a lost soul, but Brimstone knows better. He takes the case, but the investigation goes haywire as he encounters Hell’s Angels, a lost book of Japanese erotica, and a new enemy whose powers may fill the streets of L.A. with blood. He’ll have to us his Carney wits, magic tricks, and a whole lotta charm to make it out of a world that is becoming . . . Hex-Rated.
About the Author
Jason S. Ridler is a writer, historian, and improv actor. He's the author of Rise of the Luchador, Blood and Sawdust, and the Spar Battersea thrillers. He's published over a hundred articles and short stories for popular and professional publications. A former punk rock musician and cemetery groundskeeper.
Industry Reviews
Praise for Hex-Rated
"Terrific fun, dripping with rich period detail and nods to Ed Wood movies and Jack Kirby comics. Smutty, profane, and unapologetically slathered in pulp, Hex-Rated is a loving homage to all the musty, dog-eared paperbacks stuffed in the used bookstore's spinner rack." -Jason Heller, NPR
"Steeped in the style of 1970s pulp detective fiction . . . Brimstone is cut from the cloth of the classic wisecracking detective, and Ridler peppers the text with perfectly pitched hard-boiled vernacular. The novel's wild mix of comedy and supernatural perils bodes well for its detective's future adventures."-Publishers Weekly
"Rollicking, exotic, and pulpy to the max."-B&N Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog
"Take Shane Black's The Nice Guys, throw in a double fistful of black magic, and shake until fiery combustion. Bring on more Brimstone Files, immediately." -Andrew Post, author of Aftertaste
"Deliciously uncomfortable, wonderfully gritty,and a worthy successor to the occult detectives of old."-Brian Keene, author of The Complex
"The book inside is even better than the cover. . . . This is the first of the Brimstone Files novels, and I can't wait for the next one. Filthy, magical, and dangerous, Hex-Rated and Jason Ridler should both definitely be on your radar."-Other Worlds Than These
"Fast paced, clever, and a great example of world-building. I loved the diverse and complicated supporting characters throughout and found the magic and lore to be consistent and handled deftly. . . . it has everything you should be looking for in a supernatural-drenched thriller. And that cover art is sweet."-Bob Freeman, Occult Detective and author of Keepers of the Dead
Praise for Hex-Rated
"Terrific fun, dripping with rich period detail and nods to Ed Wood movies and Jack Kirby comics. Smutty, profane, and unapologetically slathered in pulp, Hex-Rated is a loving homage to all the musty, dog-eared paperbacks stuffed in the used bookstore's spinner rack." -Jason Heller, NPR
"Steeped in the style of 1970s pulp detective fiction . . . Brimstone is cut from the cloth of the classic wisecracking detective, and Ridler peppers the text with perfectly pitched hard-boiled vernacular. The novel's wild mix of comedy and supernatural perils bodes well for its detective's future adventures."-Publishers Weekly
"Rollicking, exotic, and pulpy to the max."-B&N Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog
"Take Shane Black's The Nice Guys, throw in a double fistful of black magic, and shake until fiery combustion. Bring on more Brimstone Files, immediately." -Andrew Post, author of Aftertaste
"Deliciously uncomfortable, wonderfully gritty,and a worthy successor to the occult detectives of old."-Brian Keene, author of The Complex
"The book inside is even better than the cover. . . . This is the first of the Brimstone Files novels, and I can't wait for the next one. Filthy, magical, and dangerous, Hex-Rated and Jason Ridler should both definitely be on your radar."-Other Worlds Than These
"Fast paced, clever, and a great example of world-building. I loved the diverse and complicated supporting characters throughout and found the magic and lore to be consistent and handled deftly. . . . it has everything you should be looking for in a supernatural-drenched thriller. And that cover art is sweet."-Bob Freeman, Occult Detective and author of Keepers of the Dead
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