Wild Fire by Christine Feehan (Urban Fantasy)

Book 4 of the Leopard People series is Connor and Isabeau's story.   

A local gang lord is holding a tribes children hostage so that they will help her with drug trafficking.  They turn to Connor Vega for his rescue team's help"

Then Isabeau shows up, complicating things.  Isabeau is Conor's destined mate, but she hates him because she believes he used her to get close and kill her father.  

Now trouble is brewing in his home territory and they must work together to save the children and bring the evil to justice.

This was not a bad story;characters pulled in from previous stories were petty well-developed,

If you are sex-shy, this might not be the book for you, otherwise, it was entertaining.

Burning Wild by Christine Feehan (Urban Fantasy)

The third book in the Leopard people series! this is Jake and Emma's story.

Jake is abused as a child and shown no love.  He grows into a cruel calculating man.  When his ex girlfriend and her gentleman friend are killed in a car accident, they also manage to hit another car.  Jake rescues Emma, but her husband dies in the fiery explosion.  The paramedics save Jake's baby and Emma is also pregnant.  He convinces her to stay with him and takes care of her through the pregnancy and she becomes mother to both of their children.

This book was somewhat entertaining, but also had a few sticking points.  The whole abusive thing didn't work for me and there was a lot of time spent waffling back and forth.

If you mind graphic sex scenes, this is probobly not the book for you. Otherwise, not bad.

Wild Rain by Christine Feehan (Urban Fantasy)

Rachel Lospostos is fleeing into the rainforest, away from an assassin who will stop at nothing to see her dead.  She manages to slip away from an attack and disappears into the jungle, finding a small house that is furnished, but unoccupied.  There will be issues when Rio, the homeowner gets back.

This is the second in Feehan's Leopard People series.  Each story seems to bring together a two people who are destined to be together.  There is a lot of sex in the story, so if you are bothered by that, it may not be your book.  Otherwise, a reasonably entertaining tale.

Silver Bullet by S.M. Reine (Urban Fantasy)

At the order of the Office of Preturnatural Affairs, Cesar and Suzy are sent to Reno to investigate an unexplained spike in infernal energy.  Isabel and Fritz go along, as well as a kopis and apsis pair (a warrior and witch) from the Union.  

Our pair are still hurting from the last assignment, having no recovery time and now they are back in it, questioning demons about the 'event.'  

When people start dying, Cesar isn't pleased.  He didn't sign up for this gig to look at dead bodies.

I love this new series.  This is the second book and it is set in the same world as the toe series featuring Elise Kavanaugh.  It is not necessary to read those to enjoy these, but if you do, you'll see some little overlaps in time and some familiar scenery.

Reading these stories has been fun for me with it's well-paced action and sometimes wry injections of humor.  There is even a reference to Kevin Hearne's iron Druid series which made me do a brief fan girl type squee!

Good story.  Want more.

Witch Hunt by S.M. Reine (Urban Fantasy)

Cesar Hawkes works for the Office of Preturnatural Affairs.  He does until the day he wakes with a dead woman in his bath tub and blood everywhere.  Now he is a suspect and his partner advises him to run.  However, he is determined to investigate the case and as he does so, folks attempt to capture him, arrest him and flat out kill him.  It leaves him not knowing who he should trust and without a safe place, other than his brother's house.

As always with S.M. Reine's work, this book is entertaining with good solid characters to build the new series upon.  I am gleefully looking forward to seeing more of Cesar.

Edge of Oblivion by Tony Healy (Speculative Fiction)

A collection of short stories by sixteen different writers, Edge of Oblivion is impressive.  The work is all consistently well-written and diverse within the genre, though some of the tales are definitely not for the faint of heart.  Each author contributed in the manner of the theme, but each story is unique, giving us that particular person's take on the subject.

While short stories are generally not my favorite, I can truthfully say that each of these delivered a fully developed and satisfying tale that is well worth your time.  

The proceeds from the book go to benefit a Cystic Fibrosis charity.

The Awakening by Christine Feehan (Leopard People, Book 1)(urban fantasy)

This is the first story in the Leopard people series.  It has the feel of a prequel.

A veterinarian specializing in exotic cats, Maggie has lived her life in the city.  Her adoptive mother made her promise that she would never go to the rainforest, so she had to content herself with working with zoo animals.

When her adoptive mother dies, Maggie is notified that she is to inherit an estate from her biological parents.  The estate is deep in the rainforest.  

As she travels toward her new home, she feels like she is changing and doesn't know why.  She will find someone to answer her questions.

Reading this, I found it a bit slow moving.  Also, I thought that it suffered from the same thing that many shorts do:  limited time to tell the story means that sometimes things happen that don't seem logical without further development.  In addition, I found Maggie's behaving contrary to her custom and habit hard to believe.

Not a bad story, but not my favorite.

The Chase by Janet Evanovich (mystery and romance)

F.B.I. Agent Kate O'Hare finds herself teamed up with con man and thief, Nicholas Fox, as they set about to retrieve a piece of Chinese Artwork that had been stolen from the Smithsonian.  While nothing ever seems to be simple when Fox is involved, things get wildly complicated after they find their target, along with a whole lot of things that they didn't expect.

Kate and Nick have to return the art to its rightful owner and then figure out what to do now that they have an extremely dangerous man and his personal army after them.

The Chase is a romantic adventure with chases, thefts, smuggling, explosions and puzzles enough for anyone.  It was an entertaining read.

Book of the Dead by Patricia Cornwell (mystery)

This is book 15 of the Kay Scarpetta series.

Dr. Scarpetta has established a commercial forensics office with the help of her niece Lucy! for the technical aspects.  Rose is still with her as secretary and Morino is there as her death investigator.  They are located in a Charleston, South Carolina.

A sixteen year old tennis player is murdered in Italy and Kay is called to investigate! along with Benson, her fiancé.  The killing and display of the body is horrible and the investigation will be a challenge.

I loved this series when it began.  Sadly, as is too typical with many extended series, the quality of the stories decline.  Just about every character was bent or tortured in some way and none of the relationships seemed healthy.  Though I kind of liked the new character, Bull, most of the rest of the story dragged or wasted time on irrelevancies and unneeded pain.

I wish I had liked this better.

Demon Marked (Guardian #7) by Meljean Brook (Urban Fantasy)

Nicholas St. Croix is out to destroy his mother.  Well, he's out to destroy the person he thought for years was his mother, anyway.  It so happens that she is a demon who took his mother's form and made his life a living hell.  He is attempting to destroy Madelyn's business and to find her and kill her.  

While Nick is waiting, Ash shows up at his mother's old home.  Ash has very few memories, other than being dropped off at a loony bin, albeit a posh one' by a woman.  She doesn't know who the woman was; heck, she doesn't even know her own name.  She tries to gather information and when she runs into Nick, she forms an agreement with him.  Each of them is to help the other accomplish their goals.  Oh and, aside from tattoos, Ash looks exactly like Nick's dead girlfriend.

Needless to say, things are about to get even more complicated.

I enjoyed this book which is part of Meljean Brook's Guardian series.  She is also the author of the wonderful steampunk series involving the Iron Duke.

I will definitely read more.

Night Veil by Yasmine Galenorm (urban fantasy)

This book is the second in the Indigo Court series.  

Cecily's lover whose name is Grieve has been captured and is healed in thrall by Myst, madwoman and queen of the Indigo Court.  Cecily spends her time trying to protect her friends, to struggle with the contract she has with the vampire faction, and to free Grieve,even though he might lose control and kill everyone.

I have read this writer's work before and enjoyed it.  Sadly, I can't say the same for this story.  It took me two days to read, as I kept getting bored and wandering off.  The story itself rather wandered too.  There was some sex, anger, jealousy, betrayal and fire starting.

There were some cases in which words, usually archaic ones were used incorrectly which is a major pet peeve of mine.

There was also a disconnect between the book's setting and details.  It is supposed to take place in Washington State, not far from the Cascades. A lot of it was written, as if in a fully fantasy setting and then suddenly a modern real world detail would slam in and intrude.  I also had issues with some of the naming conventions, as they didn't seem to fit with the urban fantasy that this is supposed to be.

Some scenes could be a problem for people who have rape triggers.  I don't and the scenes still made me a little sick.

I wish I liked the story better, but I just don't. 

Holiday in Death by J.D. Robb (mystery, police procedural, future)

It's Christmas time and people are dying, one by one, horribly, their bodies decorated and adorned with an ornament representing one of the twelve days of Christmas.  

Lieutenant Eve Dallas catches the first case and then the others, as it becomes apparent that it is a serial offender.  The link?  All the victims were clients of Personally Yours, a dating service owned by a brother and sister.  The challenge is finding out who had access to the information and was using it to destroy lives.

Dallas is also struggling with the aspects of the case that bring back memories of her unlovely childhood.  And she is finding that she is beginning to adjust to the new friendships and family that she has acquired in recent times.

J. D. Robb, also known as Nora Roberts writes an entertaining story with interesting characters that keep you involved.  I am looking forward to reading more of this series, goodness knows that there are tons more books in it to read.

Twice Bitten by Chloe Neill (Urban Fantasy)

Sentinel for House Cadogan, Merit has her work cut out for her.  Not only is she obliged to protect her liege lord, Ethan Sullivan, but she also has a responsibility to the rest of the members.

When Ethan requires her aid in protecting the pack Apex, Gabriel, she is there, ready to fight.  And she is there to try to determine where the attacks are coming from, though deception makes that a challenge.

I am enjoying reading this series, save for one thing and that is that occasionally I find words that are either a poor choice, or flat out misused which is one of my biggest pet peeves.  It makes me want to channel Inigo Montoya and say, "Stop using that word!  I do not think it means what you think it means."

Regardless, I will continue with the series to see how things develop.

Friday Night Bites by Chloe Neill (Urban Fantasy)

Trouble is afoot for Cadogen, yet again.  Merit is having problems reconciling with her nature; people are getting messages causing them to direct hostility at people who are innocent of wrong-doing.  All that and House Cadogen is accused of making death threats against one of Merit's old family friends.  Oh, and Celina is free which added to the rest is a recipe for disaster.

This was a good second book in the Chicagoland Vampire series.  I like the way the characters are developing, though I could live without the conflict between Merit and Ethan.  I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

Some Girls Bite by Chloe Neill (Urban Fantasy)

Merit is a graduate student and is walking across campus when she is attacked by a vampire who nearly rips her throat out.  A second vampire scares the other off and saves her by changing her without her consent.  She is immersed in a new world where she has to find peace with herself and her place in it.  

To complicate matters, it seems that the attack on her may be related to those on two other young women who did not survive.

Struggling with the unasked for transition, Merit must take her place in the house of Cadogen and make her peace with the loss of her mortality and the life she had envisioned for herself.  Because of her strength, she becomes embroiled in the inter house politics, defending her liege Ethan from attacks.  She must be very careful of her decisions, because it is evident someone is plotting to bring the houses down and change the vampire world.

This is a good first book in the series.  It had some interesting characters and I will definitely read more from this author to see how things develop.  

There were a few word choices in the story that seemed odd or improper to me, but otherwise it was well-written.

Unchained: the Dark Forgotten by Sharon Ashwood (Urban Fantasy)

Ashe is a single mother, faced with some challenges.  Her powers as a witch are burned out, due to a mistake she made.  She has enemies from her time spent destroying vampires and demons.  And her dead husband's parents are suing for custody of her daughter, saying she is an unfit parent.

Now a guard from the Castle which is a prison dimension, Reynard needs her help to save his life.  Her lawyer wants her to get rid of a demon for him.  And her day job as a circulation clerk may be in jeopardy, because she got vampire all over the carpet.  What could happen next?

I read this book without reading the previous and the story stood on its own quite well.  I enjoyed the characters and will be interested in seeing how more of them develop.  

This story does have sex scene, but not to the detriment of the story.  

I will definitely read more from this author.

Ghost of a Smile by Simon Green

The second in Green's Ghost Finder series, this book has the same evocative descriptiveness and the same wry humor that has drawn me so easily into his other work.

J. C., Melody, Happy Jack and Kim are a team of ghost finders.  They are sent to deal with a murder at a long abandoned factory site, where they find they are dealing with something a bit more complicated than a ghost.

After finishing at the factory, they are sent immediately to a London office tower that is rather unusual.  People, including police and special forces, go in and are never heard from again and now their team is the next on the list, sent to go in and fix whatever problems they find. 

The problems are nearly beyond their understanding and thus the stroll through the property has some definite challenges.

While I am not quite as fond of this series, as I am of Simon Green's others, I did enjoy reading this and look forward to the next in the series.

Death's Excellent Vacation by Charlaine Harris and others.

The stories in this anthology don't all seem to stick closely to the Death part of the title, though the vacation carries right across.  All are well-written, most by authors of note, I find this book worth reading.

The stories include:

Two Blondes by Charlaine Harris is a short story in which Sookie and Pam are ordered by Eric's superior to visit an out of town gentleman's club called Blonde to negotiate with its owner.  Needless to say, things don't go as expected.

The Boys Go Fishing by Sarah Smith is a story of Bill Green, superhero in hiding who wants nothing more than to die.  His friends are gone, his wife is gone and he lives like a hermit.  Occasionally, he guides folks who wish to go ice fishing.  One day, a strange young woman comes, asking for a favor.  He says he'll agree, but only if one of the people in her group will kill him.

One For The Money by Jeaniene Frost is the tale of Cat and Bones who attempt to save the life of a young heiress beset with many suspicious accidents.  Her cousin would benefit from her death, so they seek him out, all the time protections the spoiled young girl with the help of a ghost and Cat's mother.

Meanwhile, Far Across the Caspian Sea by Daniel Stashower takes us into the life of a young journalist, Jeff who works as a fact checker for a company that churns out un-ending series of books on all sorts of different subjects.  He envisions making a long-term career at the company, but comes across a difficult coworker who poses an interesting challenge.

The Innsmouth Nook by A. Lee Martinez tells us about Phillip and Vance who open a bed and breakfast in a tiny costal town.  There are some problems, though.  The atmosphere in the area is a bit eerie; the townsfolk are decidedly odd.  And the tourist business isn't at all what they thought it would be.

Safe and Sound, by Jeff Abbott begins with Nora Dare, a rabid reporter who is determined to bring Jason Kirk home to his parents! after he went missing during a tropical vacation.  The parents and the police force and citizenry of the island are growing increasingly angry at her tactics, but she refuses to let the story go.

Seeing is Believing by L. A. Banks starts in Port Arthur, Texas.  Jessica is chatting with the elderly Sheriff, or rather, he is telling her that she sould get out of there and go, as he believes that she deserves better than the way she is living now.  He knows that she has the sight like her mother did before her, but when she tells him that the bodies turning up there were dumped there by werewolves, he gets a little dubious.  Little does she know, a short trip to New Orleans will change the way she deals with the situation before her.

The Perils of Effrijim by Katie MacAlister sees Newfoundland dog shaped demon Effrijim on a vacation apart from Guardian Aisling Grey, his demon-lord.  Just as he was about to leave for Paris to see his beloved Welsh Corgi Cecile, he is betrayed and sent to Akasha where he meets Titania, a nymph with revenge on her mind.  Can he aid her and make it to Paris to see his doggie girlfriend?

Thin Walls by Christopher Golden explores a night in a California hotel.  While Tim is on a pilgrimage, of sorts, the sound of a headboard banging against the wall of the next room let him know that some couple is getting over zealously busy.  When he meets the woman the next day, she has some surprises in store for him.

The Heart is Always Right by Lilith Saintcrow:  a gargoyle saves an Evilmart checkout girl from the forces of darkness, as she leaves work for the day and is attacked by strange creatures.  In the process, he realizes that she is marked by the Heart, a force of good, and that he must now deliver her to his brethren in Paris, as the Heart requires.

The Demon in the Dunes by Chris Grabenstein involves a summer at the shore, when 16 year old Dave smokes his first cigarette and gets to second base with a bikini-clad college girl.  This is a bit of a ghost story.

Home from America, by Sharan Newman:  the O'Reillys are invited to a family gathering back in Ireland, where their family originated.  The younger members are in for some surprises, as they find their parents haven't told them everything about their heritage that they needed to know.

Pirate Dave's Haunted Amusement Park by Toni L. P. Kelsner starts as a young woman, changed into a werewolf against her will is being courted by local packs in an attempt to get her to join them.  Wearied by their incessant attention, she decides to take a vacation back to an old favorite spot from her youth.  What she finds when she gets there is a puzzle, waiting to be solved.