Blood Hound — James Osiris Baldwin

Alexi Sokolsky is a Spook, a hitman and mage capable of killing with nothing but a word of power and the strength of his will. But arcane ability comes with a price: The same powers that make Alexi indispensable to the Russian Mafia also make him a social outcast, an object of fear and superstition.

When a high-ranking Sicilian Mafioso is sacrificed to the Demon of Feuds and dumped on Russian territory, the Russians blame the only mage they know - Alexi. Forced to play detective to clear his name, Alexi discovers that the gruesome sacrifice is only the opening move of a very dangerous game. Every underworld mage in New York City is on the hunt for a Gift Horse, a mysterious creature rumored to carry the secrets of all creation in her flesh and blood... a creature who is calling to Alexi for help.

If Alexi heeds the Gift Horse's call, he stands to lose his place in the Mafia and his life. If he doesn't, the world will be held hostage by whoever finds her first - and given that a demon-summoning murderous psychopath is in pole position, the odds are not in the world's favor.

Nominated for the 2016 Dragon Award alongside Urban Fantasy greats such as Jim Butcher and Larry Correia, Blood Hound pushes the boundaries of the genre to deliver a dark triple-threat of murder mystery, magic and mafia drama.