John Taylor lives in the Nightside, an alternative London where it's always 3 a.m. and the sinning and magic never stop. You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant. At Rick's Cafe, they serve Dodo and Dragonburgers -- but carry a piece of unicorn horn to detect poisons, just in case.

John Taylor was born in the Nightside. He tried to leave a few years ago, but a missing persons case brought him back. Can't say anyone would blame him for leaving. He was orphaned early; his father drank himself to death when he discovered who his wife (John's mother) really was.

Some folks call him John Prince, while others make the sign against the Evil Eye whenever he approaches. More than one person tried to kill him when he was growing up. But he has a Talent: He can find anything in the Nightside, so folks hire him as a private investigator.

Lady Luck made John Taylor an offer he couldn't refuse. Find the origins of the Nightside. If he succeeds, she'll tell him who his mother is....

Hex & the City is another fast-paced dark fantasy story full of quirky characters and places. Hex is the fourth in the Nightside series. So far, I haven't been disappointed by any of them. They're so hard to put down, my techie husband who never reads anything but tech manuals and history picked one up when I was waiting to see a doctor and has read the whole series. I had to hide Hex from him 'til I was done!

The books are a blend of Raymond Chandler and Glen Cook's supernatural detective novels. Taylor's a likable character who, despite his hard edges, falls hard for a damsel in distress and will do about anything to help a kid.

For the most part, the Nightside stories stand on their own, but I strongly recommend that you read all of them.