chez_jae

No Bones About It by Rachel Ford

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Last night I finished an ebook: No Bones About It by Rachel Ford. It's the first in her urban fantasy series "Flint & Co Paranormal Investigations". The main character is Jill Wallace, who's a cop.

In the future, a meteorite has struck, bringing the dead to life and imbuing some living people with extra abilities. The factions are divided: there's the undead, normies (regular mortals), Freaks (mortals who gained special abilities from the meteor), and Ferals (undead whose consciousness didn't return with them, as well as Freaks who couldn't handle their new powers). As a cop, Jill has to keep the fact that she's a Freak hidden. All bets are off, however, when her fiancée is abducted just as she's about to become the star witness in a corruption case involving a Senator. Jill's overzealous efforts to get Nat back result in her suspension from the force. Knowing she needs help, she hires Flinty Jack, an undead former PI who's nothing but a skeleton. Together, they tackle vicious gangs (both undead and normies), Ferals, and a mole in Jill's precinct. No matter the obstacle, Jill won't quit until she rescues Nat.

I had hopes for this one, but no high expectations. I was pleasantly surprised. This was an amazing, fast-paced, action-filled read. The premise behind the "fantasy" part of this urban fantasy was unique, and the author provided enough back story and world building for things to make sense without bogging down the narrative. Jill is tough, snarky, and determined. Battle scenes were exciting, and there was humor sprinkled throughout to provide a bit of comic relief. Plot twists kept my interest, as well.

Favorite lines:
♦ He was about as approachable as a porcupine, and as charming as a badger.
♦ "As if this night hasn't been a shitmare on its own, now here you are, like a wet fart."*
♦ "To hell with it. Let's do this. If we die, we die." // "That's the spirit."

Very good read, and I will certainly look for more in the series. Four stars.