Review - Devils and Details

This series has a unique premise that keeps me coming back for more.  I reviewed the first in the series, Death and Relaxation (click here).  Now to see what I thought of the second in the series.

Author: Devon Monk

Copyright: August 2016 (Old House Press) 308 pgs

Series: 2nd in Ordinary Magic Mysteries

Sensuality: Moderate, some steam

Mystery Sub-genre: Paranormal Police Procedural

Main Characters: Police Chief Delaney Reed

Setting: Modern day, beach town of Ordinary Oregon

Obtained Through: Library

Book Blurb: "Caught between the devil and the deep blue sea...

Police Chief Delaney Reed is good at keeping secrets for the beach town of Ordinary Oregon–just ask the vacationing gods or supernatural creatures who live there.

But with the first annual Cake and Skate fundraiser coming up, the only secret Delaney really wants to know is how to stop the unseasonable rain storms. When all the god powers are stolen, a vampire is murdered, and her childhood crush turns out to be keeping deadly secrets of his own, rainy days are the least of her worries.

Hunting a murderer, outsmarting a know-it-all god, and uncovering an ancient vampire’s terrifying past isn’t how she planned to spend her summer. But then again, neither is 

falling back in love with the one man she should never trust."

Delaney is trying to fill her deceased father's shoes as the chief of police, while still grieving his sudden death.  She is reliable and overworked.  Sister Jean has the intuition ability, sensing when something bad is approaching but sadly doesn't 

get details with it.  She is a bit more adventurous than her two other sisters, dying her hair various colors. She handles calls for the police station.  Sister Myra has great timing, always showing up where and when she is needed and is calm and collected. She handles forensics for the small police station.  Ryder Bailey, Delaney's teen heart-throb is working at the station too and he seems to also answer to somebody else.

Ordinary is a beach town that gets the usual tourists plus various mythical gods wanting a vacation from their duties.  This is a creative concept and Ordinary has the beach town problems (spring break parties) plus the less mundane.  Nicely done.

The main plot starting out is the stolen god powers, which isn't an easy nor simple task to pull off, yet finding the culprit is a nightmare.  Then a local vampire is murdered and the two cases don't seem related, so Delaney has two major investigations at one time.  Then what may seem like a subplot regarding her romantic interest keeping who he works for a secret starts to become a bigger deal.  You could say there is a lot going on. 

The climax of the three plots happens at different times, which definitely kept me flipping the pages.  The god powers climax I can't say much about to avoid a spoiler, but it is interesting.  The revealing of Ryder Bailey's secret adds a significant complication to Delaney's job and life.  As for who killed the vampire... well that is a bombshell that will have repercussions into the next book.

This second entry in the Ordinary Magic series continues to set a high bar.  This is a fun and captivating book with twists and turns without being so strangely paranormal you can't relate to it.  

Rating: Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now and put this author on your watch list 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I would appreciate if you would do me the honor of your vote for the cover of my thriller, The Society, on AllAuthor.    

  

  

     https://allauthor.com/cover-of-the-month/10624/

Cover of the Month The Society (Elizabeth Grant Thrillers Book 1) Hey Everyone, I’m excited to tell you that my book has been nominated for the "Cover of the Month" contest on AllAuthor.com. This will help me a lot if I could see some votes coming in, so please remember to vote my book. Vote Now »

Thanks, Avery Daniels

Review - Death and Relaxation

This is another great book to get into the Halloween mood.  This book is imaginative and absorbing.  There is some heat/steam in one scene, but nothing really explicit.  Check out my review and see if it is for you.

Author: Devon Monk

Copyright: June 2016 (Odd House Press) 326 pgs

Series: 1st in Ordinary Magic Mystery series

Sensuality: One steamy petting scene

Mystery Sub-genre: Paranormal Police Procedural

Main Character: Police Chief Delaney Reed

Setting: Modern day, beach town Ordinary Oregon

Obtained Through: Publisher for honest review

Book Blurb: "Monsters, gods, and mayhem...

Police Chief Delaney Reed can handle the Valkyries, werewolves, gill-men and other paranormal creatures who call the small beach town of Ordinary, Oregon their home. It’s the vacationing gods who keep her up at night. 

With the famous rhubarb festival right around the corner, small-town tensions, tempers, and godly tantrums are at an all-time high. The last thing Delaney needs is her ex-boyfriend reappearing just when she's finally caught the attention of Ryder Bailey, the one man she should never love. 

No, scratch that. The actual last thing she needs is a dead body washing ashore, especially since the dead body is a god. 

Catching a murderer, wrestling a god power, and re-scheduling the apocalypse? Just another day on the job in Ordinary. Falling in love with her childhood friend while trying to keep the secrets of her town secret? That’s gonna take some work."

Delaney Reed sleeps with her gun and is trying to fill her deceased father's shoes as the chief of police, while still grieving his sudden death.  She is reliable and overworked.  Sister Jean has the intuition ability, sensing when something bad is approaching but sadly doesn't get details with it.  She is a bit more adventurous than her two other sisters, dying her hair various colors. She handles calls for the police station.  Sister Myra has great timing, always showing up where and when she is needed and is calm and collected. She handles forensics for the small police station.  Ryder Bailey, Delaney's teen boyfriend and heart-throb, had been back in town for a year and she had managed to avoid him. Until now.  Cooper Clark, the ex-boyfriend, is a self centered beach bum.  Thanatos, aka Death, decides to vacation in Ordinary and his character is much like a stiff undertaker who learns to loosen up a smidgen.  I love this character as he attempts to wear Hawaiian shirts with his pressed slacks.

Ordinary Oregon is a great setting.  The idea of a beach town that gets the usual tourists plus various mythical gods wanting a vacation from their duties is a tough one to pull off, but Devon Monk did it expertly.  The town has the atmosphere of fog rolling in and crashing surf along with wooded secluded sections.  Great Gothic touches.

Who would want to kill a god on vacation, or was it one of the mortals that didn't know he was not a regular fisherman?  Surprisingly, there are several people that had a motive. I was so involved in the story that I couldn't waiting to read the next page, and the next chapter.

The killer reveal was a surprise and had some tense moments.  Nicely done.  The wrap-up takes a few chapters to tie up the threads of the story to satisfaction.  I am anxious to read the next in the book as I already miss Ordinary and the Reed sisters.

The book is well rounded with suspense, some sprinkled humor, a little steam but not much, and a mix of quirky and serious characters. The world building of a playground for gods is brilliantly handled and the personal struggles of Delaney grappling with grief and loneliness made me invested in the story.

Rating: Excellent - Loved it, it had a good grip on me! Buy it now and put this author on your watch list 

Review - Veiled Menace

I reviewed the first in this series, Veiled Magic (click here), and was fortunate to have the author visits for an interview (click here).  Today I am reviewing her newest in the series, Veiled Menace, featuring a witch police officer. 

Author: Deborah Blake

Copyright: April 2017 (Intermix/Penguin) 285 pgs

Series: 2nd in Veiled Magic series

Sensuality: Mild/sprinkled cursing

Mystery Sub-genre: Paranormal Police Procedural

Main Character: Policewoman Donata Santori is a witch who talks to the dead.

Setting: modern day, large seaside city (never named)

Obtained Through:  Personal Purchase

From the book cover:  "Witch and police officer Donata Santori is no stranger to magical mayhem, but lately her life has been unexpectedly charmed. Her job as a Ghost Yanker now includes the occasional paranormal investigation, and she’s advancing her magical abilities with the help of an ancestor’s treasured spell book. And while both of her former love interests—reclusive half-Dragon art forger Peter Casaventi and disgraced Shapechanger Magnus Torvald—are nowhere to be found, she’s not averse to being wined and dined by wealthy businessman Anton Eastman.

But Eastman isn’t what he seems, and what he wants from Donata is far more than she’s willing to give. When a mysterious relic, the Pentacle Pentimento, resurfaces, along with Peter’s Dragon father and a shocking Santori family secret, Donata must fight to save herself, her friends, and just maybe the fate of the world from a magic as old as it is dangerous…"

Donata, the black sheep of her powerful witch family because of her profession just may get some respect as she is on the forefront of whatever is coming.  Peter Casaventi, the half-dragon art forger, displays his less attractive dragon pride and ego in this book.  Peter's father, a dragon, wants Peter with a nice dragon girl - not a witch. That's not what gets him murdered though.  Anton Eastman, who is dating Donata acts superior and self-centered, but he has worse qualities that come to light.  We get to see more of the police chief and the Medical Examiner in this outing, which I enjoyed.  Donata's mother and two sisters are elitist and judgmental, which I keep wondering when Donata-the-cop will have enough of their treatment.  Ricky, the Kobold Earth Spirit with a temper is her loyal friend and a star in his own right.

I still don't know what city this takes place in, but it is seaside as the mansion Peter's father owns overlooks the beach and ocean.  That was used particularly well with weather patterns taking drastic changes. 

Ms. Blake keeps the pacing just right and the reader engaged, the plot in parts seems easy but then a little twist comes along putting everything in a new light.  Donata's face off with the villain is deliciously suspenseful and the last paragraph leaves you anxious for the next book.  

I like where Ms. Blake is going with this series, playing a longer game around a situation.  That said, each can be read independently so far.  I can easily see team Peter and team Magnus forming to cheer for the favorite guy to win Donata's heart.  I must say that it isn't the typical love triangle, rather the guys come in and out of her life and each has his issues and baggage.  

Rating:  Excellent - Loved it, it had a good grip on me! Buy it now and put this author on your watch list

Review - Veiled Magic

I have reviewed Deborah Blake's paranormal amateur sleuth Baba Yaga series, Wickedly Dangerous (click here).  But this is a different series that is more along the lines of Urban Fantasy with a complex witch/cop as the main character.

Author: Deborah Blake

Copyright: November 2015 (Intermix) 280 pgs

Series: 1st in Donata Santori Mystery series

Sensuality:  Adult situations mentioned, sprinkled cursing

Mystery Sub-genre: Paranormal Police Procedural

Main Character: Policewoman Donata Santori is a witch who talks to the dead.

Setting: modern day, large city (never named)

Obtained Through: Publisher for honest opinion

"Police officer and Witch Donata Santori spends her days interrogating dead witnesses by summoning their spectral forms. Normally the job (Witness Retrieval Specialist) is little more than taking statements and filing reports. But when she’s called in on the case of a murdered art restorer, she finds herself suddenly in possession of a mystical portrait that both the human and paranormal communities would kill to get their hands on.

Unable to take on the forces hunting her alone, Donata seeks help from two unlikely and attractive allies: a reluctant shape-changer and a half-dragon art forger. But as the three of them hurry to uncover the truth about the powerful painting, Donata realizes that she’s caught in the middle of not one but two wars—one for possession of the painting’s secrets and one for possession of her heart."

Donata, the black sheep of her powerful witch family, gets in over her head trying to handle investigating the murder outside her official duties because the world doesn't know about the rest of the paranormal entities even though witches out now out-of-the-broom-closet.  She faces a lot and risks even more.  

Peter Casaventi, the half-dragon art forger, has to deal with finding out he is half dragon plus learn about the paranormal world.  I liked this character a lot and really want to see more of him in the next novel. Donata compares him to Cary Grant as John Robie the sophisticated cat burglar in To Catch a Thief and I had already made that comparison before it came up in the book.  

Magnus Torvald is Donata's prior boyfriend, a bear shapeshifter from a Viking tradition that glorifies fighting - but he is a pacifist.  Magnus helps Donata and Peter even though it is clear he would like to rekindle the flame with Donata.  Yeah, it's the old love triangle.  

Donata's mother and two sisters and difficult - like so many families are.  I liked Ricky, the Kobold Earth Spirit with the temper, but a loyal friend.  He was a great sidekick.

The plot and subplots were engaging and kept my interest.  The pages turned quickly as the story flowed easily.  The climax was action packed, although it sneaked up on me fast.  The wrap-up sets the stage perfectly for a continuation of Donata's adventures.

I loved this debut novel.  It is a great urban fantasy without being too dark, has developed characters, an interesting sidekick, plenty of action, some romance, and a sprinkling of humor.  The writing flows easily and draws you into this world.  I am loving this new series.

Rating:  Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now and put this author on your watch list

Review - The Last Grave

This is a new-to-me series that I jumped to read.  The concept of the story intrigued me enough to take a break from the historical mystery reading challenge (click here) and read it.  

Author: Debbie Viguie

Copyright: March 2013 (Penguin) 370 pgs

Series: 2nd in A Witch Hunt novels

Sensuality: n/a

Mystery Sub-genre: Supernatural Police Procedural

Main Characters: Samantha Ryan—homicide detective and witch

Setting: Modern day, San Francisco

Obtained Through: Publisher for honest review

Samantha Ryan left Salem for San Francisco, hoping to forget the horrors of her past. Her past includes a very dark magic side of herself from a mother who raised her in a destructive and black magic coven...and the last novel in which she takes out the last of the coven to save many lives. 

So Samantha runs to San Francisco and takes a job as police detective. But after the magic she indulged in to take down the coven in Salem, she is struggling to fight her own desire to turn to magic to handle everything in her life. 

She is teamed with a partner that nobody else will work with and is handed a murder case of a local historian named Winona Lightfoot. Samantha quickly realizes all leads in the case point to the Santa Cruz Mountains and witches practicing black magic. As Samantha is working the case clue by clue, earthquakes keep rocking the area.  After each earthquake, reality is shifted, such as the hair color of her roommate and friend.  Samantha has to dodge showdowns with witches and piece together what is actually happening before the black magic causes a devastating earthquake.  But she might have to dredge up the bad-ass witch she had been raised to be in order to fight this coven, and there maybe no return if she takes that step.

Samantha Ryan is the troubled heroine with a dark past and near addiction to magic. I wanted to like her, and mostly I did with the exception of her digging into her own psyche and unlocking her past selves in her self treatment sessions. This proves to be dangerous and takes the character someplace I completely didn't like at the end. Presenting her as turning to a cross around her neck like a talisman and other Christian trappings made her even more conflicted. Her difficult partner, Lance is difficult to get a handle on.  He doesn't seem as unsociable and difficult as he was first made out to be. Actually he is often covering for Samantha off investigating on her own.  Lance is a character that seemed a bit undeveloped, part of that might be that he goes through a radical change after one of the earthquakes so the reader starts over getting to know him, which is a drawback in the story I felt.  Anthony, the love interest left behind in Salem, has tremendous potential but is left to a few phone scenes. The room-mate seems to just be minor character moved around as needed.

The rugged Santa Cruz mountains are a great location for this power hungry coven to work its diabolical magic - bwahaha.  It manages to sound beautiful and scary at the same time.

The plot was pretty clear cut with the intriguing idea of the magic triggered earthquakes causing shifts in the planes of alternate dimensions.  At times those shifts could be confusing, but it added a needed umph to the storyline. The pacing was difficult.  At times the story had hold of me and was racing right along, then there were times when it fell a little flat.  I think the characters were lacking and those parts in the book were when the characters would have carried the story forward and it started to flounder a bit.

There is a pretty dramatic climax and confrontation, but it is the wrap up that lost me.  The wrap-up is the setup for the next book and the last minute development with Samantha lost my interest.  As I mentioned, the ending is taking a clear direction with Samantha that looses any likable aspect of the character for me. 

This book has some interesting paranormal aspects and an interesting plot that falters occasionally from under-realized characters and a finish that alienates the reader from the main character.

Rating:  Good - A fun read with minor flaws. Maybe read an excerpt before buying.

Review - Hard Spell

This week Ken reviews a rather hard boiled Mike Hammer meets Dragnet mixed with the paranormal.  In this reality vampires, ghouls, goblins, werewolves, and witches all exist and have legal rights.  Ken really got into the spirit of the book (no pun intended) as you will find out.

This is a grittier book than is usually reviewed here with swearing, some gore, and a rough-around-the-edges policeman (Mike Hammer's attitude, even with women), but sometimes it is good to mix it up a little. After all, Halloween is approaching.  Bwa ha ha!  This book will also be one of the offerings in the Spooktacular Blog Hop giveaway at the end of October.

Title:  Hard Spell 

Author:  Justin Gustainis
 
Copyright:  2011; Angry Robot (distrib. in the U.S. by Random House, Inc.); 382 pgs. 

Sensuality:  Violence, Language, some gore (probably an "R" rating)

Mystery sub-genre:  Police Procedural; Urban Fantasy 

Main Character:  Stanley Markowski, police detective  
 
Setting:  Present day; Scranton, PA

Obtained book through:  Author for an honest review

He carries a badge.  He’s like Joe Friday (played by Jack Webb) of Dragnet fame (“All we want are the facts, ma’am”) but with a lot more humor that goes along with his dry-wit and heart-felt emotions.  Stanley Markowski is one of Scranton, Pennsylvania’s finest. 

Stan takes us on a “ride-along” as we experience his life as a detective with an extra-ordinary unit.  You see, life is not normal in his world.  He not only carries a badge and a 9mm Beretta but also silver bullets, a crucifix, a few wooden stakes, and some holy water.  Markowski tells us America has been having to deal with the supernatural element for over 50 years, and Scranton has a “live and let unlive” relationship with the supes.  No more just lions and tigers and bears, oh my… More like werewolves, vampires, ghouls, goblins, trolls, and witches.  Some of these supes can be rather sensitive.  Officers must be trained in the proper manner, customs, and protocol to use when dealing with the various species.  For example, it is very important to know when it is okay to use cuss words.

He’s a street-smart detective with the Occult and Supernatural Crimes Investigation Unit – the Supe Squad.  When things go bump in the night or a vamp puts a bit into crime, the savvy and dedicated Supe Squad are the go-to guys and gals.  They’re supported by SWAT; not your typical door bangers with high-powered weapons, this bunch are called the Sacred Weapons and Tactics Unit and their unique arsenal includes splash-bang grenades.

Markowski and his trusted long time partner, Detective Paul di Napoli take a nasty robbery/hostage call involving some meth-head goblins.  SPD consultant and white witch, Rachel Proctor, is called upon to unitize her special skills in ending this situation.  Unfortunately, due to circumstances and a lapse in proper procedure, Paul is killed.  

Stan gets a new partner.  Karl Renfer is an experienced street cop, but an untested new detective.  He strikes me as being kind of like Dragnet’s Bill Gannon (played by Henry Morgan), the witty but intelligent sidekick to Joe Friday.  Karl appears to be a very competent law enforcer, but his courage might be questionable. 

Then the “fun” begins.  They respond to a call reference some Satanists holding sacrifices.   Turns out to be a human sacrifice and demon summoning ritual.  Markowski gets grabbed by a Hell spawn, but Renfer arrives in the nick of time, grabs one of the cultists, and yells, “Here’s dinner, Hellfu(#!”  Stan is saved and any doubt as to Karl’s courage is laid to rest.     

Next they catch a really bad one – a gruesome torture-murder.  It’s unusual in that the victim is a supe.  George Kulick was a wizard.  An open safe, but money left intact.  What was taken?  Who and what really was Mr. Kulick?  After several days of investigation, no leads, no evidence, and no witnesses, the case had reached a dead end.  Only one thing to do – necromancy, which is legal with a court order.  Rachel does the ritual.  It worked…it didn’t work…a wisp of smoke, the outline of a man, then poof!  Rachel collapses.  Magic gone bad?  Rachel in hospital heavily sedated and comatose.  Poof again, and Rachel just disappears.  How, why, where?

The murder investigation continues.  Old and cold Ernst Vollman shows up.  Strange character; claims that Kulick was killed because he was the guardian of an ancient and sacred artifact – the Opus Mago.  A forbidden book containing potentially deadly magic, rituals, and conjurations for invoking and controlling the darkest powers. 

Another murder – ritualistic, sacrificial, occult symbols carved into flesh.  How many more sacrifices will turn up before the killer is run to ground?  What insane ritual is the killer trying to invoke?  For what purpose?   

Some weird informants an other interested parties join the supe soup pot.  There’s the irony of Christine, Markowski’s daughter.  One cannot leave out the Witchfinders – the men in gray.  Where’s Rachel?  

New leads develop-some hinky, some like a slinky, and some like a switchback on a mountain road.  Add some possession (and not of the druggie kind), some hoodoo and woowoo, some rock ‘em and sock ‘em, and you’re brought to one hellistic and ironic conclusion.  But then, you know, the Devil’s definitely in the details.

One great read!  Sam Spade, Mike Hammer, and Dick Tracy better watch out.  Vivid prose with colorful details and gritty descriptions.  Cop talk with some cussing, some bawdy language, some gore.  Fast paced, meaty action and dramatic twists and turns laced with humor.  Many “unique” characters. Magic, mayhem, and spells bouncing all around.  Kicks like a splash-bang grenade!  Justin Gustainis has given us one of the best supernatural cop stories I’ve ever read.   

You know  it wouldn't be complete with a book trailer video (rated PG)!

 

Because there were the Dragnet references 
I had to share this classic!