chez_jae: (Books)
Dog Days of Voodoo (A Malveaux Curse Mystery #1)Dog Days of Voodoo by G.A. Chase

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Last night, I finally polished off Dog Days of Voodoo, which is the first installment in GA Chase's "Malveaux Curse" mystery series. Story is told in third-person pov, and the perspective alternates between the main characters, Kendell and Myles.

Kendell is a barista and the lead guitarist for the girl band Polly Urethane and the Strippers. She's always been interested in the paranormal, and when she learns that Myles, a former classmate of hers, may have psychometric abilities, she looks him up and asks him to explain and demonstrate his talent. When visiting an antique shop in search of an item that Myles can read, they come across a small pipe tool that Myles is drawn to. From reading the object, Myles sees that a young girl died while handling it. Her death was ruled a suicide, but Myles isn't convinced she meant to kill herself. As Kendell and Myles begin asking questions about the tool, they come to the attention of some of New Orleans' less than savory denizens, one of whom steals Kendell's dog, Cheesecake. Now it's up to Kendell and Myles to rescue the dog and learn the truth behind the Malveaux Curse.

I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this book. I enjoyed the characterizations, the paranormal elements, and the burgeoning relationship between Kendell and Myles. However, the plot did not flow in a smooth fashion, there was precious little action except for their quest, and no overall resolution. This is just the first in a series, so we can expect more resolution in future installments. I hope.

Favorite lines:
♦ "Why do guys always think they can win females over just by offering us food?"

Works for me! :D
"Do you really want your obituary to read 'He died covered in dog shit'?"

It was a fun story, but conflicts were resolved quickly and without much in the way of building suspense. Not a bad read, but nothing exceptional about it, either. Average score.
chez_jae: (Books)
Hell in a Head Gasket (The Devil's Daughter #1)Hell in a Head Gasket by G.A. Chase

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Last night, I finished reading Hell in a Head Gasket by GA Chase. It's the first book in his "Devil's Daughter" urban fantasy series, featuring Serephine (Sere) Mal-Laurette, who is, indeed, the devil's daughter, and a fair demon hunter, to boot.

Sere managed to escape hell, but she isn't free from its influences. When a soulless demon also manages to escape, it is bound and determined to kill its mortal equivalent and take over the man's life. Sere can't let that happen, or the loas of the dead will realize who she is, and she'll be stripped of her immortality. Hunting down the doppelganger will take all of her skill, and Sere discovers she's going to have to accept some help along the way. In the meantime, the doppelganger is on a killing spree, perfecting its technique before it eliminates its "real" in the mortal realm. With mortal lives on the line, as well as her immortal soul, Sere must stop the doppelganger and prevent hell on earth.

The more I read this, the more I wondered if it was a spin-off series. Turns out, it is. I didn't have too much trouble following along, but the author could have done a much better job with the backstory. Don't assume your readers have read your earlier series! I liked Sere; she was a tough badass, which is why I was disappointed that Spoiler Alert! )

Favorite line: "I realize we never taught you how to flirt, but just so you know, that wasn't it."

Interesting story, feisty heroine, some humor, some gore. A good read, but not great. I'd like to give it 3.5 stars, but I'm going with 3.

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