A review by iam_griff
The Night Dahlia by R.S. Belcher

5.0

This being my second reading/listening to "Night Dahlia" I picked up a bit more out of the story this time. Laytham didn't ever seem to see his-self as a "hero", he openly admits in being too selfish to be one & in "Nightwise" you get a taste of what a piece of shit he is a person despite what he did for his friend Boz. He's run away from anyone & everyone that cares an iota about him (Grinner, Didjeri, & Magdalena). In "Night Dahlia" we find out just how fall Laytham has fallen when he gets hired by a Fae Leader to find his daughter that's been missing for over 10 years & Laytham while following the trail ends up back in Los Angeles, California. His stomping grounds back when he was a Nightwise & forced to look at the people he's betrayed, lied to, left for dead in all for the sake of Laytham's "pride & ego". Laytham is forced to face the mirror of himself as his search for the fae daughter is connected to the same case that got Laytham kicked out of the Nightwise in the first place in '84. The second half of the book begins the search for redemption with Laytham. Belcher does an amazing job in his writing of Laytham Ballard while making him very relatable. I myself knowing that I am nowhere near being an evil person, but I have done my share of lying, breaking promises, going back on my word & deliberately making decisions that I knew were wrong for nothing more than it would be a good time. For me, that's what makes this book & series worth reading.

04/18/18
I love the Laytham Ballard character. Some of his struggles are very similar to some of my own & not always making the best decisions. The story is amazing & its great to read about this “mutherfucking rockstar” & his struggles. Between Laytham Ballard , John Constantine, & Harry Dresden these are my wisemen lol!!