Paved with Good Intentions — Keith B. Darrell

Exiled on Earth, naive angel Gabriel and amoral demon Lucifer, in the human guise of "Gabe Horn" and "Lou Cypher", form an unlikely partnership as private investigators in Las Vegas. Their adventures take them across the seven heavenly realms, into the nine levels of Hell, through the dream realm of the Dreamscape, and even through time to Camelot. Along the way, the pair encounter a wickedly funny assortment of angels, demons, witches, warlocks, vampires, and other supernatural creatures.Darrell has devised some of the most imaginative characters in contemporary fantasy, including an intriguing array of protagonists (Miss Twitch, a Salem witch; Emma, a British schoolgirl and witch in training, and Morgan Summers, a Dreamwalker) and antagonists (sadistic witch-hunter Nathaniel Thornhill, a golem, a Paiute Shaman, the corporate vampires of Nosferatu, Inc., trampires, gangsters, and demons). Some of the vampires include Sharon - she's Jewish, crosses don't bother her; Pandora - trouble follows her like a shadow; Claude - he's too claustrophobic to use a coffin; and Artemus - a 10-year-old boy who's been a vampire for 457 years. But the real stars are the ultimate odd couple, Gabriel and Lucifer, whose comedic banter and improbable escapades will amuse and thrill readers and leave them asking for more.Paved With Good Intentions is written in a style that differs from most books you may have read. As episodic fiction, each chapter is a complete story but the chapters build upon one another, composing a larger story. There are also Interludes - brief tales that serve to flesh out minor characters, or fill in gaps or backstory as a prelude to an event about to occur. The book's central theme is the nature of good and evil and whether one can overcome one's nature. Lucifer, like all demons, is hedonistic. Coming from Hell, a harsh environment filled with squalor and suffering, he makes the most out of any chance he gets for pleasure, such as gambling (on soul futures) and drinking (Merlin Ale). Gabriel, like all angels, is naive, coming from an environment of perfection, where there is no struggle or suffering, and looks down on Lucifer's hedonism as vices. Lucifer is a semi-tragic figure, seeking happiness which is almost within reach before being snatched from his grasp. His quest is to become more human and to overcome his demonic nature. But as Lucifer is moving toward something, conversely Gabriel is moving away from something, encountering a crisis of faith. That's the larger story. The Halos & Horns saga continues in And A Child Shall Lead Them.