Flora Reviews…
Deadline (Blood Trails #1) by Jennifer Blackstream
Read: 8th – 15th January 2018
Format: Kindle
My Goodreads Rating: 5 Stars
So, before we get into what I thought about this book, I want you to know that I was lucky enough to be given a digital version of this book for free from the author,
Jennifer Blackstream in exchange for an honest review. The publication date is today, 16th January 2018.
Thanks for the advance reader copy.
So what’s this book about?
Deadline is the first book (approx 339 pages) in Ms Blackstream’s new series Blood Trails; an urban fantasy series set in America about a village witch, Shade Renard, turned private investigator. Deadline features many supernatural beings found in mythology, including; witches, vampires, wizards, sorceress, pixies and various species of fae and is a crime/ murder mystery story.
Fans of Ms Blackstream’s Blood Prince series and Blood Realm series will be familiar with the creation myth found in Deadline and may recognise some of the characters found within these pages, however, I don’t think it’s necessary to have read these other paranormal romance series to enjoy this book.
If you’ve read any of my reviews before, you’ll know that I don’t post spoilers of any kind or reveal any plot twists in my book reviews, so here’s what the official blurb has to say about the story:
As a witch with a dark past, Shade Renard knows the Otherworld isn’t always successful at policing itself. Humans don’t believe in magic anymore, and their ignorance renders them easy prey. So when an FBI contact hires her to consult on a possible haunting in a missing persons case, Shade seizes the opportunity to see justice done.
Her case takes an unexpected turn when an undead crime lord shows up on her doorstep. A bold thief stole the vampire’s little black book of secrets—and he’ll pay a lot more than an FBI consulting fee to get it back. To collect, Shade will have to confront a rogue sorceress, a vengeful wizard, and a lethally seductive fey, with only her wits, her growing magic, and a sarcastic pixie familiar.
Success means bringing a killer to justice and taking the first step to redemption. Failure means a war between humans and the Otherworld.
No pressure.
So, what did I like about it?
I have read, and enjoyed both Ms Blackstream’s short story “The Final Straw” (found in the anthology, Once Upon A Curse – read my review here) and “Before Midnight” (the first novel in her Blood Prince series – read my Goodreads review here). I find her writing style intelligent and easy to read, her plot lines gripping and her characters captivating and believable. Deadline did not let me down.
We hit the ground running with an action packed first chapter. I liked the mix of tension and humour as we are introduced to our heroine, Shade and her familiar, the unforgettable pixie, Peasblossom and what it actually means to be a village witch.
I really liked our heroine, Shade; she’s intelligent, witty and has loads of gumption (I thought she may have bitten off more than she could chew at times during this book). I also loved the fact that the secondary characters that Ms Blackstream created to populate her world felt just as real as our leads – they weren’t just filling the page – they all had the complexities that we’d see in those around us, they had a good balance of strengths and insecurities to make them feel real.
This story kept me guessing; there are a few mysteries for our heroine, Shade, to solve within these pages, but fear not dear reader no cliffhangers here. (Woohoo!) There are lots of twists and turns during Shade’s investigation to satisfy my Sherlock-Holmes-tendencies and it’s not all easy sailing either, there is danger, tension and some scary moments in this book.
I loved the fact that Deadline had me on the edge of my seat holding my breath, wiping a tear from my cheek, chuckling out loud and tingling with titillation.
So, ummm, was there anything I disliked about it?
No.
I just wanted to say that, as this is the first book in a new series there are questions left to answer about Shade’s past and what her future may hold. In my opinions this is a good thing – it leaves background story arcs to continue to the next book and beyond.
So, basically what I’m saying is…
I really loved this book! It’s got everything that I look for in a 5star read; great action to get the adrenaline pumping, an intelligent mystery to get the little grey cells whirling, nail biting tension and well written humour (there may even be a bit of romance on the horizon).
So, has my review of DEADLINE (BLOOD TRAILS #1) encouraged you to find out more? Just click on any of the links below to check out the book yourself or to find out more about the author. To see the other books I’ve read, take a look at my profile on Goodreads.
See DEADLINE on Goodreads.com
Buy DEADLINE in print and eBook formats through the usual sources, including Amazon UK or Amazon US, or through Barnes and Noble, iBooks, Kobo or Google Books
Visit JENNIFER BLACKSTREAM‘s own little corner of the web, connect to her on social media via Twitter or Facebook and read her author’s page on Amazon or Goodreads
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