Publishers Weekly
A war is brewing between angels and demons in this twisty, fast-paced, and thoroughly enjoyable urban fantasy debut. Sam Thornton is a Collector: he takes souls from the damned and sends them into eternal misery. It should be straightforward to collect the soul of 17-year-old mass murderer Kate MacNeil, but something isn’t right; her soul is too pure. Collection of an innocent soul can throw off the balance of good and evil and spark a chain of events that leads to the end of the world, biblical style. Sam’s convinced that Kate’s been set up, but determining who is behind it is deadly business. With both Heaven and Hell chasing him down, Sam’s in a race against time to save Kate and stop Armageddon. Sam is a likable antihero, pleasantly human despite being unquestionably damned, and the politics of Heaven and Hell provide plenty of material for sequels. Agent: Jennifer Jackson, the Donald Maass Agency. (Mar.)
From the Publisher
"A war is brewing between angels and demons in this twisty, fast-paced, and thoroughly enjoyable urban fantasy debut... Sam is a likable antihero, pleasantly human despite being unquestionably damned, and the politics of Heaven and Hell provide plenty of material for sequels." - Publishers Weekly
"A very promising first novel." - Locus
"With a candid style that exhibits solid confidence and finesse, Chris Holm pulls readers in and pins us to the edge of our seats with a cleverly conceived story that is flawlessly executed." - NY Journal of Books
"Chris Holm’s smooth writing style and rather charming characters (yes, Sam is charming, so there), made Dead Harvest a pleasure for me. 4.5/5 stars." - My Bookish Ways
"Dead Harvest does not feel like a debut. Chris F. Holm's writing is assured and the world building is outstanding... I completely enjoyed reading Dead Harvest with its unlikely anti-hero and world painted in shades of gray. The Collector series is on my must buy list." - The Qwillery
"The first book in The Collector series, is completely fresh and absolutely distracting. You won’t be able to put it down, and you’ll want a stiff drink and a smoke to go with it." - Sacramento Book Review
“...classic mix of deduction, ultra-violence, narrow escapes, shocking revelations, and sudden turns of fortune that make noir such a satisfying genre. Also, possessions, demons, seraphs, and lucky cat statues. Just fantastic enough to be entertaining, but not so unrealistic that it stretches the bounds of credulity.” -Josh, In Order of Importance
"A great protagonist, powerful bad guys (you have to love Bishop, the bad guy who can be anybody), pacing, tension and some really clever twists (the need for, and effects of, meatsuits is particularly cool) make this one of my favourite books."
-CheffoJeffo
Library Journal
As a collector of souls, Sam Thornton wanders the world, ensuring that the damned reach their intended destination. When he is ordered to "collect" the soul of a 16-year-old girl found guilty of brutally murdering her family, Sam believes the girl might be innocent. But refusing an order from his superiors is not an option. Soon Sam and Kate, his charge, are on the run, and the mystery of why certain powers want to claim her soul grows deeper and more dangerous with each step. VERDICT Blending urban fantasy with noir mystery, Holm's debut is a dark, moody tale of fallen heroes in the modern world. Fans of Jim Butcher's "Dresden Files" books, Tanya Huff's "Blood" novels, and Larry Correia's "Monster Hunter" series should enjoy discovering a promising new author.
JULY 2012 - AudioFile
Fantasy fans have grown accustomed to stories of devils and angels who continue their epic battles on earth, often with human souls as the prizes. In DEAD HARVEST, narrator Brian Vander Ark evokes the creepy feeling that permeates the entire novel as writer Chris Holm re-creates the heaven-and-hell genre in the spirit of the classic hard-boiled detective. Vander Ark is particularly believable as Sam, the agent of the underworld who is assigned to collect the souls of the damned and return them to hell. Vander Ark even does a credible job as Sam's latest assignment, Kate. Despite the fact that she murdered her entire family, Sam sees a goodness in her that causes him to fight heaven, earth, and hell to save her. M.S. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine
