Ahoy there mateys! Back in the day I read the first four books only to find out the author was writing more in this world.  Arrr!  I love the characters in this series.  There is the detective James, the 1920s ghost Dolly, the fantastic dragon Oz, and the shapeshifter Aliette.  In book 5 James, using a scary deck of cards, has to figure out who is killing the players in a high stakes poker game.  Book 6, the least favorite of the seven, involves James finding a missing shapeshifter and dealing with a cult.  Book 7, deals with James horrible mother and trying to recover stolen artifacts.  These are not books that should be read out of order.  Start from the beginning.  I highly recommend this series.  I will likely reread some of these again in the future. Arrr!