Homecoming

P
RAISE FOR THE
C
ALLIOPE
R
EAPER-
J
ONES NOVELS

The Golden Age of Death

“I could not have been more delighted with where this series has gone. Benson knows how to tell a good story, and she ratchets up the tension with every page.”

—Seanan McGuire,
New York Times
bestselling author

How to Be Death

“You may know Amber Benson from her stint on
Buffy
as Tara, but her talents are multifaceted, making this series a favorite.”

—
RT Book Reviews

“
How to Be Death
will make you an instant fan of Amber Benson . . . Not only will this novel amuse you, but Benson has crafted a well-written page-turner mystery. Full of colorful characters and hilarious dialogue, this is a series supernatural fans will devour.”

—
Fresh Fiction

“Reads like a clever and complex whodunit . . . Urban fantasy fans should not miss this lighthearted, exciting series.”

—SciFiChick.com

“A true suspenseful mystery,
How to Be Death
is also riddled with some seriously comical moments . . . This is a fantastic book and a wonderful addition to the Calliope Reaper-Jones series. 5 stars!”

—
Pure Textuality

Serpent's Storm

“Calliope Reaper-Jones is hysterical. One can't help but root for her to get the man, save the world, and get her heart's desire in the process. This character-driven addition to the Reaper-Jones series is truly fantastic.”

—
RT Book Reviews

“Amber Benson shines through her novel and entices readers. Calliope's personality is genuine, and readers will definitely love her.”

—
Nocturne Romance Reads

“Fast-paced but filled with humor and pathos. A powerful, action-packed thriller.”

—
Genre Go Round Reviews

“Benson has brought the series to a new, impressive height—dark, startling, and [with] plenty of shocking surprises. Urban fantasy fans should not miss this fantastic series.”

—SciFiChick.com

Cat's Claw

“Callie bounces from twist to twist as she explores Benson's richly imagined world, where multiple mythologies blend and the Afterlife is run as a corporation.”

—
Publishers Weekly

“An entertaining, frenzied fantasy frolic that will have the audience laughing at the chick-lit voice of the heroine, who is willing to go to Heaven on a hellish cause.”

—
Genre Go Round Reviews

“Benson is back with a second helping of her refreshing take on death and Purgatory . . . Callie's offbeat humor and viewpoint guarantee a madcap romp.”

—
RT Book Reviews

Death's Daughter

“Amber Benson does an excellent job of creating strong characters, as well as educating the reader on some great mythology history . . . A fast-paced and very entertaining story.”

—
Sacramento Book Review

“An urban fantasy series featuring a heroine whose macabre humor fits perfectly with her circumstances. Sure to appeal to fans of Tanya Huff's Vicki Nelson series and Charles de Lint's urban fantasies.”

—
Library Journal

“A beguiling blend of fantasy and horror . . . Calliope emerges as an authentically original creation . . . The humorous tone never gets in the way of the imaginative weirdness of the supernatural events.”

—
Locus

“In
Death's Daughter
, Benson provides a fun romp that defines the rules of an exciting new universe you'll be chomping at the bit to dive back into time and again. There's action; there's intrigue, redemption, an adorable hell puppy, and even a hot guy or two. What more could you ask for?”

—
Buffyfest

“Amber Benson writes an amusing, action-packed, chick-lit urban fantasy loaded with more twists and curves than a twist-a-whirl . . . Filled with humor and wit, this is a refreshing, original thriller as double, triple, and nth crossings are the norm.”

—
Genre Go Round Reviews

“With a creative story line as proof, Ms. Benson adds writing to her ever-growing list of talents. Set within an intriguing paranormal world,
Death's Daughter
unfolds a seductive tale of power and deception. A great start to a series that will be easy for readers to get hooked on.”

—
Darque Reviews

“Opens the door on an intriguing, fully thought-out universe, with a likable main character and the potential for mayhem around every corner. It's a lot of fun.”

—
Fangoria

“A lively and funny story packed with nonstop action . . . Benson's flair for combining mythology and pop culture to create laugh-out-loud characters and incidents strongly reminded me of Esther Friesner's
Temping Fate
.”

—
The Green Man Review

“Callie is sarcastic, smart-mouthed, and overwhelmed. I liked her a lot! I found this to be an amusing book from start to finish. It was refreshing to have a lighthearted but still-suspenseful paranormal come on the scene. The mythology and settings were unique and creepy (my favorite) . . . Callie's voice was spot-on for a twenty-four-year-old assistant living in New York who is suddenly dropped into the middle of Hell. I have a feeling this is the start of a series, so I will be eagerly awaiting more adventures of Callie, Clio, and Runt the hellhound.”

—
Night Owl Reviews

“A clever and well-told story . . . It's also a step outside the current paranormal-fantasy rut but with enough elements in common to please fans of that form as well.”

—
Critical Mass

“Amber Benson has created a brash, sassy heroine oozing attitude as she deals with family, business, an angry goddess, zombie armies, and betrayal in this imaginative blend of assorted mythologies. The snappy dialogue keeps pace with the quick pace while providing a fun touch of self-deprecating humor. It should be interesting to see where Benson takes Callie next.”

—
Monsters and Critics

Ace Books by Amber Benson

DEATH'S DAUGHTER

CAT'S CLAW

SERPENT'S STORM

HOW TO BE DEATH

THE GOLDEN AGE OF DEATH

THE WITCHES OF ECHO PARK

THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP

Published by the Penguin Group

Penguin Group (USA) LLC

375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014

USA • Canada • UK • Ireland • Australia • New Zealand • India • South Africa • China

penguin.com

A Penguin Random House Company

This book is an original publication of The Berkley Publishing Group.

Copyright © 2015 by Benson Entertainment, Inc.

Penguin supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin to continue to publish books for every reader.

Ace Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group.

ACE and the “A” design are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) LLC.

eBook ISBN 978-1-101-63043-3

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Benson, Amber, 1977–

The witches of Echo Park / Amber Benson.

pages ; cm. — (The witches of Echo Park ; 1)

ISBN 978-0-425-26867-4 (softcover)

1. Witches—Fiction. 2. Magic—Fiction. I. Title.

PS3602.E685W59 2015

813'.6—dc23

2014035728

PUBLISHING HISTORY

Ace trade paperback edition / January 2015

Cover art by Larry Rostant.

Cover design by Diana Kolsky.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

To all the special women in my life—I treasure your friendships. They get me through my days and inspire me to be a better lady.

Acknowledgments

The witches were born from a sangria-filled lunch with my amazing editor, Ginjer Buchanan. We talked for hours about what my next book would be (I had lots of ideas), but when I mentioned wanting to write about the amazing friendships I had with the women in my life—friendships that were strong and beautiful and enriching—well, Ginjer's eyes lit up and she suggested witches!

A shout-out to the women whose friendships helped to inspire the witches: Liz, Mo, Sarah, Dani, Danielle—Long live AHLA!

Thank you to my debonair agent, Howard Morhaim, who has class in spades and likes to check in and make sure I'm still alive out in Los Angeles. Thanks always to Christopher Golden and the rest of the Goldens—my East Coast family. To everyone at Ace/Roc—you guys have been so wonderful and supportive of all my endeavors . . . Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Another shout-out to the Shamers. I wrote this book under your watchful eye. You guys are the best. And to the Heroine Club (“Kick-ass female protagonists, not drugs,” as Nick's wife says)—you guys read the pages and encouraged me to keep on going even when I wanted to pull my hair out. A special singling out to Sarah Kuhn and Jeff Chen—you guys are the best. Sarah, I must've sent you a thousand freaked-out texts over the course of the witches. Thank you for reading the pages a bazillion times and for talking me off the ledge more often than I care to remember. Also, love to Angela and Tim; you guys inspire me every day.

I want to thank my dad, who is hard at work on his own book, and my mom, who is also hard at work on a manuscript. I guess I come by my love of words honestly. Thanks to my aunt Beverly, who feeds me home-cooked meals when I am in the throes of writing and not taking care of myself properly. To my sister, Danielle, who inspired the character Lyse—I love you! And to Breehn, thank you.

And, finally, thanks to the mysterious Echo Park, where all the magic began.