I always knew the time would come when I could read three TV tie-in novels in a row and not be disappointed in any of them. It very nearly happened with some Peter David-written Babylon 5. It came very close to happening with Buffy. The recent Psych and Burn Notice books almost got there, as well. It has never happened with Star Trek, and I've read millions of those things.

How weird, and yet delightful, that it should happen with Angel.

The books in question, Shakedown, Hollywood Noir and Avatar (no, not that one) are supreme examples of the media tie-in novelist's art. In the former we have Don DeBrandt, with one of the best media tie-ins I have read since the Star Trek: The Next Generation best-seller Imzadi (oh, don’t give me that look), telling a tale of demons and darkness and property investment. In the middle there, the ever-cool Jeff Mariotte gets all suave and Dashiell Hammett in a truly gripping mystery. And the latter, by John Passarella, is as topical as all get out, as a marauding demon uses the power of internet chat rooms to lure its victims into its deadly embrace.

All three are really, really good. All three take place in a time when Angel's crew equaled that number (including the black-clad one himself), when Cordelia's aspirations of stardom were still at the forefront of her mind (as opposed to the mind-numbing visions), and, yes, when we had Doyle. Ah, Doyle. It's great to see ya!

In Shakedown, Doyle's latest vision leads Angel to a group of affluent demons known as the Serpentene who are being threatened by the Tremblors, a bunch of creepy underground demons who want to cause a big, Hellmouth-worthy earthquake in order to, well, mate. The Serpentene befriend Angel, Cordy and Doyle, wooing them with their wealth and grace, and while Doyle remains skeptical, Cordelia is in love. But it soon turns out that the gang's new friends are more than a little suspect, and the degrees of evilness soon become indistinguishable. The writing here is sharp and clever, the banter is witty and oh-so-right. Of particular note is the chilling flashback, told gradually, in which Angelus' evil genius leads him to torture an earthquake victim. Plus, Angel in the 80's? That's an image that will stay with me forever.

In Hollywood Noir, Doyle's latest vision leads Angel to a grave. Long dead Betty McCoy is helpless beyond anyone's help, and yet the visions don't lie, so Angel gets to work on tracking down information on this 60's dame. But he's not the only one on her trail. Suit-wearing, jive-talking, gat-toting Mike Slade is also on the case, a ghost from Betty's past -- literally. And when Mike meets Angel, the mystery heats up, as the Bad Guy becomes the Good Guy and the hunt is on for the Evil Guy. Marriotte captures the Angel characters perfectly, and creates some memorable new ones of his own in this intriguing, stylish, and, indeed, noir-ish adventure. The days of the Rat Pack are back, and Hollywood Noir exemplifies the smooth-criminal-cool of the period, while still retaining the essential Mutant Enemy element.

Finally, in Avatar, Doyle's latest vision leads Angel to dead people having their lives sucked away by a sucky demon. Aided in this by demon's pawn Elliot Gundy, a Net Head if ever there was one, demon guy is luring the unsuspecting out of their comfortable computer chairs and out into dark alleys, where he promptly devours them. Of course, we can't be having that, so Angel is on the case; as are a cult of demon-worshipping fools, who want to bind our suck demon unto themselves for some sinister purpose. A far cry from his lackluster Buffy effort Ghoul Trouble, Passarella's Angel: Avatar (not to be confused with Avatar Angel by Jack Kerouac) is an action-packed ode to our Dark Knight and his friends, with some great lines and some truly creepy moments.

All in all, three unexpectedly engrossing books, full of suspense and comedy, twisted cliché and compelling mythos. Exactly the caliber of homage that a show like Angel deserves. Pocket stopped producing Angel books in 2004, but there are still 29 of them in print (including several cross-overs with Buffy), and these are three of the very best. Sometimes, when the Angel-less days are long and dreary, a visit with our old vampire (and vampire-adjacent) friends in written form is just what one needs. Okay, sure, no David Boreanaz in leather. But on the other hand... Doyle!

  -- Rachel Hyland

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