Dante's Journey by JC Marino

Book Description:
A flash of light and Detective Joe Dante steps through. No longer on the cobblestone streets of 1961 Boston, Joe finds himself in a horrifying new world-Hell itself. Joe was in hot pursuit of his family's killer, drug lord Filippo Argenti, when both were killed, and isn't about to let a little thing like death slow him down. So, with a healthy dose of New England stubbornness and the help of a mysterious guide, Virgil DiMini, Joe must evade angry demons, and search ever-lower through the rings of the original Dante's Inferno in hopes of finding justice for his wife and children. However, Joe will soon discover that behind every sin lies a secret and each secret revealed could land Joe in an eternity of hot water... VERY hot.


My Thoughts:

I very much enjoyed this book! It is based on Dante's the Inferno but is a wonderful new story! Joe Dante is a 1960s cop who is after the man who murdered his family. When he wakes up in Hell, he believes neither that he is dead nor that he is in hell but Virgil leads him through the layers. He meets people, helps them, and does battle along the way as he seeks revenge on Argenti and goes through the levels (or layers) of hell he is changed...
I liked the fact the author didn't make this a doom and gloom book, there is quite a bit of humor! Joe is completely focused on finding the man responsible for his family's murder and it is almost to the point of obsession (ok so it is to that point) but that is what makes it so good. His passion! I also liked that he didn't just reuse the exact same characters as the original book, when they were used, they were 'modernized'. It does make you think and reflect, with some religious aspects, but there isn't anything preachy about the book, it just 'tells it like it is'. Also, I like that it isn't just a straight forward Hell and nothing else, it flashes back frequently to his life. The imagery in the book is incredible and you can easily see what is going on!
Dante's Journey is a 5/5. I enjoyed it greatly the reinvention of an old classic and it's going to be reread by me soon!



Thank you to the author/publisher for providing the review copy. I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.