Book Review – ‘Demon in Sight’ (#6 Translucent) by Dan Rix

 The saga of Leona and her discovery of dark matter and alien beings draws to an epic climax.

Genre: Y/A, Science Fiction

No. of pages: 337

From Goodreads:

It’s like somebody hit the pause button for the entire planet.

Earth’s streets are jammed with motionless cars, their still-warm occupants slumped over the steering wheels, bodies paused mid-breath. They have no pulse.

The sun has winked out, plunging the globe into permanent darkness. Fire no longer burns. Electronics sputter and die, inexplicably drained of charge. The whole world, and all seven billion inhabitants, are in suspended animation.

But three people are awake. 

‘Demon in Sight’ was a well anticipated read. Having to wait over a year for it to be released in paperback after the e-book publication date, and having enjoyed the previous five novels in the series, there were a lot of expectations wrapped up in this finale. It stayed true to the tone and writing style we’ve come to expect from Dan Rix and the protagonist, Leona.

I had been hoping for a little more seriousness and maturity from Leona herself. But she still had her moments of idiocy and stubbornness. Personally it was a little infuriating, but she has been this way all along, so why did I expect some miraculous transformation I don’t know. Characters aside, the plot itself is pretty amazing Rix has a way of letting things go wrong for his protagonists and there is a very organic feel to how they react and find solutions to overcome roadblocks.

‘Demon in Sight’ is another quick engaging read. There is plenty of mind-bending action and science fiction theory to warp your mind. I love his concepts. I will say there was a something about the writing style of this finale that felt a little flat: maybe it was my feelings at Leona slipping back into her behavioural patterns from earlier in the series, that immaturity; or the sudden soppiness between her and love interest Emory. The angst was gone. Something just wasn’t grabbing me as much as before. It feels all very ‘teen drama.’

That aside, the action and adventure aspect to this series, and indeed this finale is cool beyond measure. I was enthralled by those climactic scenes and this is definitely the novels stand out feature. The tension and challenges Rix weaves into the narrative is what I will keep coming back for.

Leona definitely has a unique style of facing challenges – which I found to be an admirable trait, but that remaining thread of jealousy and reactionary impulses held me back from truly loving her. Emory morphed in this final book to become a true, if not, somewhat overly sappy romantic lead. I felt like he needed to be in more of the action, show more physical prowess, and challenge Leona for control a bit more. The best friend, Megan, took a back seat for most of this novel. I could usually count on her for some hilarious one liners, or leading Leona astray, but there was very little Megan for those moments to break the tension. Fellow cast mates, Sarah and Natasha instead have their time to shine. Providing maturity and level-headedness for the team they helped form in saving the world. I really appreciated having them so prominent in ‘Demon in Sight’ and found a small amount of disappointment at the series ending and not having to get to spend more time with them.

The Translucent series is definitely bang on the money for a YA science fiction read – skewed more for a younger market in tone, but definitely interspersed with some adult content. I’d either like to have seen more mature protagonists, or have the adult content removed to give this series a better chance at being marketed to the best demographic. Rix is certainly a fantastic writer, and I enjoy his novels, but there needs to be just one level up on the editing/publishing end of his process. I’ve found an occasional spelling or grammatical error and some issue with the formatting or presentation of the physical book. ‘Demon in Sight’ was superior in this aspect of the series. But I feel with this small attention to detail, it will give him an even more professional edge.

I’m certainly eyeing off another series to jump into next, and with Rix being such a prolific author there is definitely plenty to choose from.

Overall feeling: Bittersweet goodbye

© Casey Carlisle 2018. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Casey Carlisle with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

#bookporn

These have been around forever and I keep hearing how great they are from book-friends… even though I’ve owned this trilogy for a number of years, I think the thickness of the novels is daunting. Looking forward to finally cracking the spine when I’m in a high fantasy mood.

Book Review – ‘Jealousy’ (#3 Strange Angels) by Lili St. Crow

It’s getting better! Dru really sink her teeth into the story in Jealousy.

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance

No. of pages: 316

From Goodreads:

Dru Anderson might finally be safe. She’s at the largest Schola on the continent, and beginning to learn what it means to be svetocha—half vampire, half human, and all deadly. If she survives her training, she will be able to take her place in the Order, holding back the vampires and protecting the oblivious normal people.

But a web of lies and betrayals is still closing around her, just when she thinks she can relax a little. Her mentor Christophe is missing, her almost-boyfriend is acting weird, and the bodyguards she’s been assigned seem to know much more than they should. And then there’s the vampire attacks, the strange nightly visits, and the looks everyone keeps giving her. As if she should know something.

Or as if she’s in danger.

Someone high up in the Order is a traitor. They want Dru dead—but first, they want to know what she remembers of the night her mother died. Dru doesn’t want to remember, but it looks like she might have to—especially since once Christophe returns, he’ll be on trial for his life, and the only person who can save him is Dru.

The problem is, once she remembers everything, she may not want to…

Things are starting to get interesting again – we’re back on the path to finding answers, fighting the big bad, and making serious head-roads into a serious relationship.

There were some parts of ‘Jealousy’ where the pacing went flat: getting bogged down in a lot of mundane detail. And then there was the repeated reference to many things like the necklace, the owl, the touch…. we get it, they’re important to the plot, but the continual referencing was starting to get tedious.

The love triangle thing came out in full effect in ‘Jealously’ and, to be frank, I don’t like it.

Just. Stop.

But besides that, I lurved ‘Jealousy.’ The formation of strong friendships, the battles, the espionage and back-stabbing. It made for some delicious reading. The 14 year old girl in me was all-a-squee.

Our protagonist Dru felt like she was finally starting to take her future into her own hands, challenging the direction those around her of whom were pushing her in earnest. She made up her own mind with the facts that were presented. I loved how Dru showed compassion with Ash the tortured and broken werewolf; I really started getting wrapped up in her story and could feel the character development ooze from the page.

Christophe was absent for most of the story, but when he appeared, he landed with a clap of thunder and shook everything up… I’m still of two minds about him though. As lovely as he is written, there is something altogether creepy about him.

My heart belongs to Goth Boy. Graves in all his laoup garou glory. I adore his sarcastic sense of humour and how he supports Dru as a partner and not a dominator.

Again, I got a number of delightful little surprises from the plot, many of which I didn’t see coming. Anna plays a wonderful role in the unveiling of the past, and mythology. Though this does end on a cliff-hanger; it has a sense of hope and strength and I’m keen as mustard to get my hands on ‘Defiance.’ A great addition to my YA collection. Recommended.

Overall feeling: Falling in love with this series.

© Casey Carlisle 2018. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Casey Carlisle with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Wrap up – To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before Trilogy by Jenny Han

Fun realistic contemporaries about family and facing the loss of security of childhood.

  

It took me a while to pick up ‘To All The Boy’s I’ve Loved Before’ – there was something about the blurb that failed to hook me, but thanks to continuous rave reviews from friends, I eventually picked it up and gave it a go. I was blown away by the family dynamics and the relationship between the sisters at the forefront. I must admit though, I found myself rolling my eyes many times. But the stand out character was Kitty, Lara Jean’s annoying little sister. Their dynamic felt very real and created expert tension for the story.

You get a strong sense of how these girls grow up throughout the trilogy, still in that cute, light and fluffy narrative tone of Han’s writing. It really captures the worries we experience when facing the world after school, losing family (either to death, divorce or moving away,) school grades and, of course, boyfriends. I was transported back to the nostalgia and angst-ridden years of my own high school experience. Though I wasn’t as goody-two-shoes as Lara Jean.

Even though the finale ‘Always and Forever, Lara Jean’ deals with some great issues, it fell a bit flat for the conclusion of this trilogy… but in saying that, ringing true to the realism that embodies this collection, Lara Jean’s story has not ended. It is only just beginning as she take her first steps into adulthood and academia. Maybe we’ll get more of Lara Jean’s story in many years from now?

Definitely one I’d recommend if you’re into romantic contemporaries with a strong familial presence and a fairly passive main character. Though there is some light wit that keeps the tone delightful. This series certainly gets better the further you get into the series, with the last book switching up the tone a bit as Lara Jean faces an uncertain future and has some hard decisions to make.

And with the film adaptation due for release in 2018 (at this stage,) starring Lana Condor; I’m excited to see how this series will fare – and if all three novels with get a treatment… of course depending of the performance of the debut at the box office. In a world where the majority of film successes are white-washed (with a male lead,) it is going to be an interesting social experiment seeing how this movie is launched and received by audiences.

For individual reviews click on the links below:

‘To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before’ – https://strokingfire.wordpress.com/2015/05/27/book-review-to-all-the-boys-ive-loved-before-by-jenny-han/

P.S. I Still Love You’ – https://strokingfire.wordpress.com/2015/09/21/book-review-p-s-i-still-love-you-by-jenny-han/

‘Always and Forever, Lara Jean’ https://strokingfire.wordpress.com/2017/11/21/book-review-always-and-forever-lara-jean-3-to-all-the-boys-ive-loved-before-by-jenny-han/

© Casey Carlisle 2018. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Casey Carlisle with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Book Review – ‘Every Heart a Doorway’ (#1 Wayward Children) by Seanan McGuire

The start of a delicious fantastical story…

Genre: YA, Fantasy, LGBT

No. of pages: 169

From Goodreads:

Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children

No Solicitations

No Visitors

No Quests

Children have always disappeared under the right conditions; slipping through the shadows under a bed or at the back of a wardrobe, tumbling down rabbit holes and into old wells, and emerging somewhere… else.

But magical lands have little need for used-up miracle children.

Nancy tumbled once, but now she’s back. The things she’s experienced… they change a person. The children under Miss West’s care understand all too well. And each of them is seeking a way back to their own fantasy world.

But Nancy’s arrival marks a change at the Home. There’s a darkness just around each corner, and when tragedy strikes, it’s up to Nancy and her new-found schoolmates to get to the heart of the matter.

No matter the cost.

Such a colourful world that exists in this novel. Reminded me of ‘Hex Hall’ by Rachel Hawkins and ‘The Darkest Part of the Forest’ by Holly Black.

I loved the descriptions of all the realms existing through the other ends of doorways – portals to other worlds. But I am still trying to figure out why – what is the purpose of the doorways – how are they all connected… and what it means to the story. It wasn’t answered in this first instalment, but with another three books in the series ready to read, I still might yet get my answers.

The characters are all very interesting – colours of personality, identity, gender, sexuality, all mixed in with quips and foibles. Such a delicious array of characters, McGuire’s writing style stands out in shining holographic light. Maybe an author from a Nonsense world?

Nancy, as the protagonist was probably the most sedate of all – a little uninteresting, but it was great to get exposure to the worlds behind doorways through her eyes. Experience her own world and the yearning to return to it. How ‘normal’ people assumed that they were all mentally ill, suffering a breakdown or possessed an overactive imagination.

She had a quiet strength that only appeared when absolutely necessary.

Such a diverse cast. An asexual protagonist and a transgendered friend – I love the way the issues were dealt with, how they were introduced, like they weren’t anything new or unusual. It’s something that happens, like breathing. If only attitudes were like this in real life.

The plot twists were masterfully crafted and I did not see them coming. For such a short novel this really packs a wallop. The one downside is that I did not get enough of the bigger questions resolved, just a few of the smaller plot points. But it is a series, so I am excited to see where this is all going. Definitely picking up ‘Down Among the Stick and Bones’ very soon.

I felt like I was flying through this book, the chapters are shortish and introduce a plot point or tidbit of information and kept the pace going right until the end. I had to spread this out over a week or so because of my lack of free time but will definitely be re-reading this before long – maybe marathon the entire series. Sounds like fun. Especially since I was so impressed with the writing, it’s promising. Totally recommend!

Overall feeling: Way above my expectations.

© Casey Carlisle 2018. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Casey Carlisle with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Book Review – ‘The Treasure Map of Boys’ (#3 Ruby Oliver) by E. Lockhart

Ruby Oliver does it again in her boy-obsessed crazy world.

Genre: Y/A, Contemporary

No. of pages: 208

From Goodreads:

Things are looking good for Ruby Oliver. It’s the thirty-seventh week that she’s been in the state of Noboyfriend. Ruby’s panic attacks are bad, and her love life is even worse, not to mention the fact that more than one boy seems to giving Ruby a lot of their attention. 

Rumours are flying, and Ruby’s already not-so-great reputation is heading downhill. Not only that, she’s also:

* running a bake sale
* learning the secrets of heavy-metal therapy
* encountering some seriously smelly feet
* defending the rights of pygmy goats
* and bodyguarding Noel from unwanted advances.

This didn’t feel as annoying or juvenile as the previous two books in the series. You can feel our protagonist Ruby is growing up. But she is still all-boy-consumed. Boy-crazy. I kept wondering if she was going to find something else in life other than her obsession with the opposite sex and what everyone thought of her… and we get a glimpse of it.

I feel like she slowly starts to come to the realisation of how the people around her actually treat her. What their real motives are. It was the first refreshing moment I’ve had while powering through this series.

The addition of Polka-dot was also a breath of fresh air. So too was working at the zoo. Something about animals and Ruby’s interactions with them humanised her more than anything else I’ve read so far.

It was nice to read that all the boys had faults and good points. That they were real. That there are no movie styled endings or plotlines to how life pans out.

And this book actually felt like it had some substance and an ending. Ruby finally had a turning point, or and epiphany that spoke to me. I’d been breezing through this series with no real connection or interest, waiting for E. Lockhart to dazzle me like I have experienced in her other novels, and I finally got a tiny glimpse of it. While I’m not yet ready to shout about this book series from the roof tops, I’m beginning to grow an appreciation for it. Yes, it is pitched at a tween girl demographic, and usually the writing is easy enough to digest – but with all the footnotes, the ‘ags!’ and goldfish attention span, it was very difficult to connect with the material. But I’m sensing a shift in the dynamic. With only one book left in this collection – and the glimmer of hope I’ve gotten, I’m actually looking forward to the final book. Slightly invested in Ruby’s plight.

Stay tuned to what will seal the deal of my opinion of the Ruby collection in ‘Real Live Boyfriends’….

Overall feeling: mmm I’m starting to like it…

© Casey Carlisle 2018. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Casey Carlisle with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Book Review – ‘ARV-3’ (#1 The After Light Saga) by Cameo Renae

All the ingredients for a great dystopian read, but fell far short.

Genre: Y/A, Science Fiction, Dystopia

No. of pages: 316

From Goodreads:

The beginning of the end. The Apocalypse. A nuclear fallout wiped out every living thing on the planet, except for a few thousand of us who took shelter in underground bunkers across the globe. Now, after thirteen long years, we were finally able to return to the topside to begin to rebuild. We thought we were alone. We were never more wrong. Before the fallout, scientists had worked on creating an anti-radiation vaccine (ARV). The first two attempts failed, but despite the incomplete tests and results, the government approved and distributed the third serum to the masses in an effort to aid those who had no shelter. It worked, keeping those who remained on the topside alive, but it also altered and mutated them. This new and infectious threat had completely outnumbered us. Now, we not only had to rebuild our planet. We would have to fight for it. My name is Abigail Park. I’m seventeen, and this is my story. 

‘ARV-3’ has a great concept for a YA dystopia, with tones of ‘The 100’ and ‘Wayward Pines’ we find a teen female protagonist face a plethora of challenges in a desolate world after emerging from an underground hive to survive an irradiated planet.

I  love the concept, the story line, but I feel like the characterization and writing style let this novel down a great deal. It felt immature. Plus there were so many contextual errors cropping up regularly that, even though it’s all a fantasy world, not a lot felt plausible. The spirit of ‘ARV-3’ is there, and you can see the potential, and I feel a great content and developmental editor would have helped this novel shine.

My main reason for picking up this novel was because of Benjaminoftimes singing its praises on his YouTube channel… and I’m finding on average about half of his recommendations fall short for me. I’m beginning to question his palette, or wonder if he’s not partaking of some psychedelic mushrooms at times because there are some novels he’s awarded 5 stars to which are in blatantly obvious need of editorial assistance.

Again ‘ARV-3’ has all the mechanics to make a great read, but the protagonist Abi (Abigail) came off as cocky and immature. Insert YA tropes a dozen too… instalove, bad-ass-gun-toting-chick, ninja warrior, always right, has special talents that mean only she can save the world, uninvolved parents, everyone is incredibly good looking and muscular, no diversity, and well kinda sexist. It was like an 80’s teen film mentality in a dystopian world. It felt disjointed.

With all the issues I had with ‘ARV-3’ I did not hate it. It still managed to draw me into an imaginary world, the action scenes had me sitting up straight and nibbling on my lip. And I still want to know where the story goes in the rest of the series. I like escapist fiction. And ‘ARV-3’ is a quick and easy read. I feel if the narrative was clunky and slow reading, or if it was another 50 pages longer I would have skimmed it and abandoned the series completely. But it shows promise – and I’m hoping that Cameo Renae’s writing improves with each instalment. So we’ll see if she is able to redeem my opinion.

There isn’t anything new in this novel – I feel like I’ve read or seen it all before. I didn’t get any unexpected surprises in the plot either. It does end on a cliff hanger, and while it ends on a note of a natural conclusion, many of the plot points are not resolved. It’s not a novel I’d recommend freely, but maybe the younger end of the teen market would enjoy it. But there are many more intelligent books in this genre out there which would be far more entertaining.

I’ll see if my opinion is altered in the sequel ‘Sanctum.’ Stay tuned for a review coming soon 🙂

Overall feeling: Potential

 

© Casey Carlisle 2017. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Casey Carlisle with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Wrap up – Reboot Duology by Amy Tintera

This is like a starter pack to the dystopian genre.

With a rock start, ‘Reboot’ was difficult to get into. With an unemotive protagonist (Wren) who has been brought back from the dead by the corporation HARC and used as a professional assassin, the first two thirds of the novel were hard to get into and relate with the main character. It took Wren’s relationship with love interest Callum to warm up the narrative and give it some interest. While I enjoyed the premise, storyline and started to invest in Wren as a main character; overall the writing style was a little dry and sparse. So the pacing faltered at the beginning because of a robotic protagonist, though the last third everything picks up and really engages the reader. I wish there was more resolution at the end of the first novel as well, there were so many unanswered questions I simply had to read ‘Rebel’ just to satiate my curiosity.

‘Rebel’ was a superior novel to the debut on all counts. Where ‘Reboot’ was predictable, ‘Rebel’ was complex. The characters really come alive. The plot more sophisticated. Thought the ending to ‘Rebel’ did feel a little rushed it brought the hero’s journey to a satisfying end. However there were still many unanswered questions around the mythology and origin of the reboots and HARC I wanted to delve into. But this is definitely a fun and interesting duology and does the dystopian genre justice.

Wren is a hard character to get to know and love. It’s all about describing actions and observations. We don’t get a lot of inner emotional dialogue until halfway. Maybe writing in third person could have avoided this disconnection and allowed the reader to identify with Wren much earlier? Her love interest, Callum, was so much the trope of the boy-next-door. A loveable loyal companion, I really wanted to see an arc of his own to struggle through. But he was a great juxtaposition to Wren. Without Callum this would have been a very boring read.

You can see a definite improvement from book 1 to book 2, and I’d say it’s an average rated read for this genre. The novels are short so you can power through them quickly. I love the concept, but feel there could have been more done to up interest and engagement of the reader. Something I’d recommend for the YA demographic as they are imaginative, fun, and uncomplicated.

I’m interested in contrasting Amy Tintera’s later releases, because if the trajectory of improvement holds, they should be some awesome reads!

For individual reviews click on the links below:

‘Reboot’ – https://strokingfire.wordpress.com/2017/04/24/book-review-reboot-by-amy-tintera/

‘Rebel’ – https://strokingfire.wordpress.com/2017/06/13/book-review-rebel-by-amy-tintera/

© Casey Carlisle 2018. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Casey Carlisle with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Book cover art – Using stock photos vs. Creating your own image.

Getting that professional edge.

I am a veracious reader. I peruse bookstores and online stores. And without provocation, I can confidently say that if the cover looks amateurish, I completely dismiss the novel, whether it be a well-written story or not.

While I hate to admit that I suffer vanity when it comes to book aesthetics, I totally judge a book by its cover. It is one of the biggest marketing tools at your disposal when it comes to releasing a novel, so it amazes me how some authors make little to no effort in this area.

The main culprits are overused stock photo images and bad photoshopping. We’ve all seen book covers where the exact same photo has been used on at least one other authors work. It’s confusing and tends to leave the reader feeling duped. Like the author did not value their work enough to invest in an original cover. So if you do use stock photography, use a treatment to alter it enough that it looks completely different to the original and reflects the tone or your novel. If you are paying someone to create you cover art, ask about the source material, where they got it from, what it looked like. If you are investing money in you book, it better be funds well spent.

There are some terrible photoshopped covers too. I mean, why bother? In a technological age where any 12 year old can upload quality pics on Instagram and Tumblr, you are just asking for your novel to be ignored if you are making a composite image that is poorly executed. If you want to do it yourself, take a few classes, watch tutorials online. When you think it’s done, compare it to covers of novels in your genre already available. If your answer is anything other than ‘Heck yes!’ then it’s time to start over.

Additionally these days HD cameras are so cheap. Lighting is not so hard to work out. Take a day and snap your own source material.

The only reason I can think of as to why some of the novels I’m thinking of have bad cover art is because the author in question rushed through the publishing process. Did they have a marketing plan?

Usually the quality of the cover reflects the content – well, in the readers mind anyway. So if you have sub-par content on your cover, do you expect it to hit a best sellers list?

Take into account typography, placement of your font. Colour, tone and the images used. Will the cover still be clear in a thumbnail? Does it stand out from other titles in the genre? Does it reflect your story? There should be no reason to rush the most important marketing tool for your book baby. Take a week to sort everything out. A good cover reveal is a great event for creating hype. Use it.

There are even websites that can design a cover for you for a low fee. Cover artists really aren’t that expensive either. Take the time. Do the research. Or if you are a control freak, get some skills and practice!

We all want you to succeed and put your book in the best possible light.

© Casey Carlisle 2018. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Casey Carlisle with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Book Review – ‘Buried Memory’ (#2 Harbinger P.I.) by Adam Wright

Paranormal gumshoe strikes again.

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Detective

No. of pages: 226

From Goodreads:

Whoever said that nothing ever happens in a small town clearly never visited Dearmont, Maine. It’s getting hotter than hell around here. When the dead start crawling out of their graves, you know something’s up. 

If there’s one thing I hate more than zombies, it’s having my memories erased by magic. That’s a real bummer, right? So when I get a chance to break the spell that’s locked away part of my mind, I take it, even if it means dabbling with ancient Egyptian sorcery. 

Big mistake. 

Sometimes you shouldn’t go poking at things that are buried. 

Because you end up having to deal with an army of the dead.

This only felt like a mild improvement from the first novel. I wasn’t so much into the camp sexist machinations of our protagonist Alec. While I enjoyed the paranormal angle and his solving of mysterious cases, the machismo and constant attractive women swirling around him, eager to do his bidding had the feminist in me grinding my teeth.

The second half of the book was much better – it was so focused on the action, the author had no chance to waste on bravado and cliché. I don’t mind a bit of campy b-grade horror, but I really wanted something a little more original. I was going to say in the review for the debut that it reminded me of Charlene Harris of Sookie Stackhouse fame (but I have not read those novels and feel like it would be an insult) and again, I got that niggle, how there was an interwoven plot of mystical creatures and battles to be won.

The arc with Alec’s assistant, Felicity, was cool. As too, the plot twist with his ‘flirtation-friend’ Mallory – both formidable women in their own right, but I feel like the author does not give them the space to really shine. ‘Buried Memory’ is still steeped in that Private Eye 1950’s era of a tough, wisecracking gumshoe who gets all the dames.

One thing did puzzle me though – given it is a detective novel, shouldn’t he solve some cases? He did in the first novel…. but in ‘Buried Memory’ when the Deputy asked him to look into the church that her dead mother had gotten involved with before her demise… well, after he palmed it off (as I find he tends to do a lot) was simply completely forgotten. Where was the plot of this story going? Instead we got an entirely different direction. I got a little steamed actually. There wasn’t even mention of it at the end of the book like it would be continued in the next instalment ‘Dark Magic.’

I’m starting to find, even though I feel the stories a little gauche, they are still engaging and highly entertaining in a ‘Vampire Diaries’ kind of way. I have a morbid fascination to find out what happens next – but I wouldn’t quite call it a guilty pleasure. I really feel if this collection of novels had a good content edit and a more feminine viewpoint inserted into the narrative they would be stellar reads.

Wright can construct a great action scene, build tension and pace, and manage to give you an unpleasant shiver over something unknown in the dark. So he has a lot of elements going for him and this collection of novels. Plus they are all around the 200 page mark in length, so easy to read in half a day. Not a great investment to get a fun, nostalgic kick.

So, I’d only recommend to those who love paranormal detective novels with plenty of machismo and campy fun. It’s totally like a b-grade horror noir film on the pages, and not to be taken too seriously. With all the nit-picking I’ve done to this series, the books are engaging, entertaining and highly addictive.

Here’s to seeing what kind of trouble Alec Harbinger P.I. gets into next…

Overall feeling: Things that go bump in the night…

© Casey Carlisle 2018. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Casey Carlisle with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.