part-time villain

stand-alone novel / young adult / urban fantasy / superhero

Cleo Martin hates her job. Retail comes with long, monotonous work hours and rude customers with petty complaints. The only upside is the salary. Other teens have taken part-time superhero jobs—as unpaid internships. Fitya, an athletic retailer and the only place willing to hire Cleo, offers a little above minimum wage. And she needs all the money she can get to support her sick mother, especially with insulin prices skyrocketing.

One day, a mysterious customer approaches Cleo with a strange offer. He’ll grant her superhuman strength, and in exchange, she'll take out half of the current hero force for high pay. No murder—just injure them enough to put them out of commission for a while. If her attacks are especially brutal, he’ll throw in bonus payments. With these earnings, Cleo would be able to securely fund her mother’s treatment.

Cleo accepts his deal and begins her double life. She works retail by day, and by night, she releases her pent-up frustration on heroes. She inadvertently becomes an anonymous supervillain, feared by everyone in her town. As more people attempt to uncover her identity, Cleo fights to keep her secret: especially from her best friend, who happens to be a part-time hero.