Thursday, September 2, 2010

Angel Interrupted, Captured by Moonlight and Dark Warrior Untamed Reviews

Angel Interrupted, Chaz McGee, Berkley, $7.99, ISBN: 9780425233146

In life, Kevin Fahey was a lousy father, a miserable husband, and a bottom feeder detective; who was drunk more often than he was sober. In death, he remains stuck on the mortal plane seeking redemption. He believes he needs to make reparations because of all those he harmed when he was alive. He follows the activities of his replacement highly regarded Detective Maggie Gunn.

Currently Maggie is bogged down with two complicated cases that each needs her full attention. A female corpse is found in her home; dead by a gunshot made to look like a suicide, but Maggie realizes a murder occurred. Across the street is a park and while all attention is inside the victim’s home, someone abducts a child there. Fahey knows where the kidnapped child is being held and that the lad is safe for the moment. He needs to find a way to inform Maggie, but has limited ability to communicate with her. If he succeeds he knows that she will conclude that the homicide and the kidnapping are linked.

This is a great paranormal police procedural that focuses on two violent crimes, a dedicated but lonely cop working both and a ghost who fights evil anyway he can as he has a personal objective. Heart wrenching yet also heartwarming, Angel Interrupted is fast-paced with terrific twists the reader never expects yet afterward will feel Chaz McGee is on target as the paranormal adds the nice extra touch to an entertaining whodunit. Harriet Klausner

Captured by Moonlight, Nancy Gideon, Pocket, $7.99, ISBN: 9781439149652

New Orleans Police Detective Charlotte "Cee Cee" Cassie has been seeing unsavory Max Savoie, but she has concealed the identity of the person she is dating from everyone even her partner Alain Babineau. Max’s criminal connections make him a questionable lover for a cop. Still she hates the secrets and decides to reveal who she is seeing to her partner and the other detective at the precinct.

None of her work associates are pleased with her. When an associate of Max is murdered, he and Cee Cee argue as he knows that murderous shapeshifting trackers wants him dead, but refuses to tell her because she will dive in head first if he does. To keep his beloved safe he hides what he knows from her, but he obviously has not learned his lesson when it comes to Cee Cee (see Chased by Moonlight); nothing will keep her out of the line of fire when her loved ones are imperiled.

From the beginning, readers are captured as Max knows his Cee Cee is near from the smell of her Voodoo Love perfume. Fast-paced, fans will relish the third Moonlight romantic police procedural fantasy though similar in tone to Chased by Moonlight except that this time Max expects his beloved to nuke his attempts to keep her safe. Fans will enjoy this exhilarating romantic urban fantasy (see Masked by Moonlight) while rooting for Max and Cee Cee to find a way to be together; that is if they survive. Harriet Klausner

Dark Warrior Untamed, Alexis Morgan, Pocket, ISBN: 9781439175927

Talion Greyhill Danby leaves London for Puget Sound to begin his new position to protect the Kyth’s Grand Dame Kery Thorsen. When he arrives at his new office he is a bit surprised and unwelcoming to find a beautiful woman sitting inside. Assistant to the Grand Dame Piper Ryan is not shocked by his reaction to her though they share the office albeit his is on a temporary basis.

However, the ancient warrior and the administrator are at war with one another. That is until the emails begin to appear on Piper’s computer which concerns both of them. When the bombing terrorist acts occur, Greyhill goes into full protective mode from an unknown adversary. Though attracted to his temporary office roommate, Greyhill adheres to his vow of protecting the Grand Dame.

The third Dark Warrior Talion political urban fantasy (see Dark Warrior Unleashed and Dark Warrior Unbroken) is a terrific tale of two distrusting individuals desiring one another with out of control hormones yet neither seems willing to take the first step. That distrust is a prime key to this strong entry as danger mounts so does their suspicion of one another as neither grasps the diabolical brilliant revenge ruse of an unknown adversary. The world Morgan continues to create feels genuine especially because of the dirty politics at play. Although the romantic subplot takes a necessary support role to the suspenseful mystery, readers will enjoy this taut Talion thriller. Harriet Klausner

No comments:

Post a Comment