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Review – Demon Demon Burning Bright July 18, 2012

Posted by thehypermonkey in 3.5 stars, Urban Fantasy.
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Title: Demon Demon Burning Bright

Author: Linda Welch

Series: Whisperings Paranormal Mystery

Publisher: Linda Welch

Publication Date:  January 12, 2012

ASIN: B006LDZ62M

Available at: Amazon – Barnes and Noble

From Goodreads: “I would tear the world apart for Rio. Would you do the same for Royal?”

Royal disappears. He is a demon with inhuman abilities who moves between worlds at will. He could be anywhere. He leaves me a clue that takes me to Bel-Athaer, home of the Gelpha, but the High House councilors kick me out.

I’m going back in. I’ll find the mysterious Seer who sent Royal a message, and while I’m there I’ll do my damndest to save the young High Lord from the Burning Man and find the boy’s missing companion, and at the same time elude assassins who are after my ass.

I need backup, someone as strong and fast as Gelpha. Of all the shit crazy things I’ve done, returning to Bel-Athaer in the company of a Dark Cousin and an egotistical Gelpha is high on the list.

I won’t tear a world apart, but you can bet I’ll turn it on its ear.

Review:

The fourth book of the Whisperings series started out well. Royal has disappeared in mysterious circumstances. I ached to find out why. Tiff was shaping up to be on her best behavior. She set out to find Royal no matter what the cost. She was brave. She was resourceful. She contacted the Dark Cousin Gia and found a way into Gelpha. They’re all set to brave the land in an uneasy truce together.

Everything sounds great right? Until Chris Plowman walks in and all of a sudden he’s stealing kisses from Tiff! Say what? Say again? What the hell? She’s supposed to be determined to find her lover. She’s supposed to be lovelorn! Instead she’s falling into someone else’s lap? I’m really not looking forward to a love triangle!

Gia is as mysterious as ever. A lot of questions about her and the Dark Cousins are answered but a lot of questions are left open. She’ll remain an enigma I suppose.

The world of the Gelpha had one or two landscape scenes that were noteworthy but most of it past by unnoticed. The people were what caught my attention more then anything and I wish that the world building had been a little bit more complete.

The villain was a rather sorry fellow. He turned out to be nothing more then a bag of tricks. I find it hard to believe that the Gelpha were fooled for centuries by sleight-of-hand. I was a little disappointed.

Tiff’s background filled out more in this book and it was definitely intriguing and imaginative. I’m interested in seeing where it goes from here on out. It’ll also be interesting to see what she does with what she knows.

I really enjoyed this book despite its flaws. I enjoyed reading about Tiff as she roared through the Gelpha terrain on a mission to rescue Royal. The book was action-packed and it was fun. There was nice tension to the plot.  The mystery of Tiff’s birth was interesting. There were a couple other sub-plots that were equally interesting making this book a worthwhile read.

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Review – Dead Demon Walking July 17, 2012

Posted by thehypermonkey in 4.5 stars, Urban Fantasy.
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Title: Dead Demon Walking

Author: Linda Welch

Series: Whisperings Paranormal Mystery

Publisher: Linda Welch

Publication Date:  March 20, 2011

ASIN: B004T4LHRS

Available at: Amazon – Barnes and Noble

From Goodreads:  The sequel to Along Came a Demon and The Demon Hunters.

Is it just me? Is anyone else and their sweetie whisked from a romantic getaway and end up in the J. Edgar Hoover Building in Washington DC? I don’t even get to show Royal my new sexy underwear.

The FBI think I’m a Medium. They want me to “communicate” with the victims of a particularly brutal crime. I have a hard time believing the Federal Bureau of Investigation would seek the help of a psychic investigator, particularly one from Utah. I don’t think they’re being honest with me.

What I discover at the crime scene tells me the killer is not human. I’m surprised when the agents reach the same conclusion. Luckily, they are way off base.

I don’t expect to revisit old places, or see old faces who demand we quit the case. I don’t expect to risk losing everything and everyone I cherish.

And what is it with Jack and Dale Jericho?

Review:

Dead Demon Walking  is a well-delivered, fast-paced punch with a mystery to boot. Tiff and Royal are dynamic as ever as their romance continues on in this third book. As a couple they’re matched perfectly. The only thing that gets in their way is the fact that Royal is from another world and has promises to that world he must keep. That promise is something Tiff can’t forget no matter what.

Meanwhile, Tiff is thrown into one situation after another where her talent for speaking to the violently slain comes to the test. First in Boston, then with the FBI. Each time becomes a tense adventure and you never know what to expect.

As Tiff and Royal become more and more embroiled in the killings that the FBI are also involved in. Things get messier and messier. Both of them get stretched to the limits of their endurance and their relationship will be put to the test once again. In one heart-stopping thrill after another we follow them until the very end.

This was by far the best book of the series. I had such fun reading it. While it was only 232 pages it felt like a much longer book. Nothing felt abbreviated or cut short. Can the next book even live up to this one?

Review – The Demon Hunters July 15, 2012

Posted by thehypermonkey in 4 stars, Urban Fantasy.
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Title: The Demon Hunters

Author: Linda Welch

Publisher:  Linda Welch

Publication Date: August 26, 2009

ASIN: B002WYJPKI

Available at: Amazon –  Barnes and Noble

From Goodreads:

The sequel to Along Came a Demon:

I’m Tiff Banks and I talk to the violently slain. I’ve learned to live with that, in fact I’ve made a career out of it.

Ex-detective Royal Mortensen and I opened our own investigative agency, and I thought we made a good team. I felt secure in our personal relationship too, until our new clients turned up. Why did Royal take them on without consulting me, and why are they withholding information which could help solve their case? I don’t think they’re human, and Royal knows exactly what they are, but refuses to tell me. I think there’s a lot Royal isn’t telling me.

I discovered that while I looked into the disappearance of author Gia Sabato’s lover, Royal investigated something far more sinister. Are the two cases connected? Does an authentic nineteenth-century journal have anything to do with either?

When the case turns ugly, so does my relationship with the one man I’ve come to trust. So I’ll do what I do best: pound the pavement and talk to dead people. The dead are always watching, they can do nothing else. They whisper to me.

Review:

Tiff Banks doesn’t understand why her lover Royal Mortensen has suddenly withdrawn and has left her out of the loop with these new clients. She’s hurt and she’s become insecure. Instead of crying in her milk, she takes action. Tiff investigates the case Gia gave them by questioning her dead informants as well as her living informants. She also uses the brains she has to ferret out information about her clients that wasn’t previously known.

If I hadn’t come to admire Tiff in the first book, I would have come to admire her in the second. She showed a backbone and a spirit that I would have liked to have her in situation. The one man, the one person she finally learned to trust, after trust had become so foreign and difficult to her, broke that trust. Yet she didn’t break down herself.

The plot in this book may have been done before but it was fresh enough to be interesting. There was enough mystery added to keep you guessing and wondering and you were sufficiently dazzled by all that was happening.

At the end of the book I still had a lot of questions left unanswered but I think that was intentional. Maybe it’s a lead-off into another book. It was a little unsatisfying.  On the whole, I did enjoy this story even though it wasn’t as great as the first book.

Review – Along Came A Demon July 13, 2012

Posted by thehypermonkey in 4.5 stars, Urban Fantasy.
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Title: Along Came A Demon

Author: Linda Welch

Publisher:  Linda Welch

Publication Date:  May 6, 2009

Available at: Amazon – Barnes and Noble

From Goodreads:

I’m told the dead are all around us. I wouldn’t know about that. I see only the violently slain. They could be victims of hit-and-run, innocents caught in cross-fire, the murdered. I’ve come to terms with that. In fact, I’ve made a career out of it. They whisper to me and they never, ever, forget the face of their killer.

They aren’t the only supernatural things I see. No, they’re not vampires, werewolves or fae – those things don’t exist. We live side by side with what some call the Otherworldy. That’s too much of a mouthful for me. I call them demons. If you saw them as I do you’d know why.

Right now I’m trying to find a missing boy whose mother was murdered. Or was she murdered? To further complicate the case, Clarion PD gave me a partner I would rather shoot than work with.

I can’t tell them he’s a demon.

They’d think I’m crazy.

I’m Tiff Banks. Welcome to my world.

Review:

Tiff Banks is a spunky woman with a talent for seeing and talking to the departed who have been violently slain. She has a quick wit and she’s a no-nonsense kind of girl. I liked her from the very beginning.

On her quest to find a missing boy she meets Royal Mortensen, an Otherworldly. He’s mysterious, charming, and oh so sexy. They make a dynamic duo and I had a fun time riding along with them as they solved the mystery of why Lawrence went missing, who took him, and where he went.

The trust issues Tiff has are very real yet I loved the way she melted towards Royal in the end. Their romance is hot and steamy and she defies the sobriquet “Ice Queen” she’s earned herself among the police force.

I especially liked her interactions with her two ghostly roommates Mel and Jack. They provided comic relief. I hope they’re not left out of future books.

This was a very complete novella. It had a lot of action, a lot of romance, and a lot of story in so short a span. I can’t wait to delve into a full story by Welch.