Title: Code Black Series: Paranormal Crimes Division
Author: Tina Moss
Read copy: eBook (Kindle)
Published: October 1, 2015
Publisher: City Owl Press
ASIN: B015M4U5GW
Heat Up the Night...Heed the Call
Gossip mag reporter Sera Benenati knows a thing or two about unearthing secrets...and burying them. As an unregistered supernatural, her freedom depends on keeping her fire-wielding abilities contained. Yet, the threat of a little flame isn’t enough to snuff out her journalistic pursuits. She’s determined to claw her way to the top and land a spot with a real paper.
When she tracks a lead on a string of gruesome paranormal murders to the small town of Buckhorn, Arizona, she’s certain she’s landed the perfect scoop. But, as the crime scene reveals victims with bite marks, torn flesh, and battered bodies, Sera may have smoked out more than she can burn. As the investigation grows hot and Sera winds up in the crosshairs, she’ll need the help of a sexy shifter, special agent Talon Rede, to unmask the murderers before she becomes the next victim.
My rating:
***copy provided by publisher through NetGalley (in Bad Boys After Dark set)***
It's tough writing a review for this one. It should be easy listing all the things I didn't like, right, but the fact is, this could've been a good starter in the series, but I think the author bit off more than she could chew. There was just too much going on, too many (almost all of them) paranormal elements thrown into the mix. And one you have a lot, it's difficult juggling with it. There were humans, half-breeds, full shifters (that can change into any animal they want—huh?), vampires, phages, bright-y people, etc. etc.
Then you have the conflict between all these "species" and factions, then there's the "link", er, romance between the hero, who is a full-shifter, team leader for the PCD, and a reporter who is supposedly human, but hides a secret (I'm gonna let you in on it, she's not, well, not fully), then there's the suspense...Someone is gunning for the heroine and the hero is determined to keep her safe, while also keep her at arm's length...Bla bla bla.
Actually, the suspense part was pretty well done, but unfortunately it got bogged down by everything else that was going on. It was as if the characters (all of them, even the villain, which came out of the left field and his motive just didn't seem believable to me) was simply going through the motion. There was no agency, no "spark", just scripted moves and words, as if someone was checking off a list (as it probably happened with all the paranormal elements), which brings me down to the "romantic" aspect of the story—there was none. The hero and heroine, again, went through the motions, there was no feeling, no spark, no chemistry, nothing. Just two fictional characters (apparently with some depth to them, but there was too much going on to dwell on that portion) each with certain paranormal facets, thrown together for the sake of the story.
There was so much going on, that what worked or what could've worked, didn't shine through.
2 stars, bodyguard/military/merc/gov/cop/spy, contemporary, freebie, paranormal, paranormal romance, shape-shifters, Tina Moss, urban fantasy, vampires
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