Lily Yu, a federal agent with the Magical Crimes unit, has picked up a case that hits very close to home for her. At an extended family dinner just weeks before Lily's marriage to Lupi fiancé Rule Turner, a wave of dark magic hits her mother Julia, robbing her of her memories beyond the age of twelve. It is not long before Lily realizes that there are many more victims of this wave of amnesia; with some of the victims having died. Lily must discover what the tie between all these victims is, and what she needs to do to reverse the force of power that has made these people lose their memories. Sam the dragon, and eventually Cullen are drawn into the story to aid Lily in her quest; not only to help her mother, but to help her find the link between all the victims.

Also aiding Lily in the investigation is an unlikely colleague, the dead but not gone Al Drummond, who once tried to kill Lily. Now he is her source of information for what is happening on the other side; and a conduit to the spiritual plane. Lily discovers that the ritual magic crime revolves not around her mother, but an old boyfriend of her mother's. Alan Debrett has been killed in a ritual sacrifice, using an ancient sidhe knife designed to disrupt time. The ritual serves to alter the reality of everyone who has ever known Alan Debrett, including Julia. Lily's old nemesis Robert Friar is back in play in this story, as is an evil sidhe god. Bit by bit, Lily puts together the pieces of the crime, with Rule by her side every step of the way.

RITUAL MAGIC is an appealing entry to Eileen Wilks A Novelof the Lupi series; if a bit long and drawn out. This is a highly detailed story and series, which takes a good deal of patience and concentration to assimilate. The biggest drawback this time was the singular lack of regular personal interaction between Lily and Rule. The story itself is fascinating, and there are a number of old friends and characters from previous books. Near the end, Lily and Rule's personal life finally takes a major step forward, and the finale is a long awaited special treat for the fans. This is a good read for the fans, but not the place to start if you've never before read the series.

Book Summary

On her 57th birthday, Lily’s mother suddenly loses all memory beyond the age of twelve. Lily knows her mother was attacked by something more than magic. More . . . and darker.

When Lily and Rule discover that others suffered the same, mysterious loss—at the same time on the same night—their investigation into the darkness begins. Joining them is someone Lily never thought she’d see again: Al Drummond, who once tried to destroy her. He also happens to be dead. But the mysterious attacks were caused by a power strong enough to affect matters beyond the world of the living.

With some victims losing years of memory and others their lives, Lily must discover what on earth—or beyond—connects them.