Review: The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns by Elizabeth Leiknes

Lucy Burns works for Satan.

Now, I have often told stories about a particularly miserable old job and told people that I, too, worked for Satan. But Lucy really does work for Satan. She's a Facilitator - she helps damned souls make their way to their final "reward" in a timely fashion. She got into this mess by making a deal with the devil when she was only 11 years old; of course, she didn't know that was what she was doing when she asked "To Whom It May Concern" to save her dying sister. But her good intentions didn't save her.

The job does have some perks and Lucy doesn't mind taking advantage of them. She is arrestingly beautiful, can eat all the chocolate she wants and never gain a pound, she drives a fabulous car...but eventually, even the perks get tiresome. Lucy wants what a lot of people want - someone to share her life with. Unfortunately, her Boss has certain rules about fraternization. She can have lots of great sex, but after that first night, she won't ever want to see the guy again. Doesn't make for happy, fulfilling relationships.

Through some very funny circumstances, Lucy finally meets a man that she thinks is really worth changing her career over. But working for Satan is even worse than working for the Mafia - you really can't get out and the penalty for trying can be pretty steep. Still, there might just be a way...

The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns is a quick and charming read. Only about 150 pages, you can breeze through this one with a cup of coffee on a quiet afternoon. (I polished it off on a Continental flight between Cleveland and Milwaukee.) I liked Lucy and I was rooting for her to succeed. I had a pretty good idea where the ending was going, but that didn't spoil anything for me.

My copy of The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns was an Advanced Reader copy; get your copy at Amazon.com.