Review: fabulous continuation to the series
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 24, 2014
Bittersweet Darkness (The Order 3)  Nina CroftReview from Jeannie Zelos Book reviews.This series has hooked me right from the first book, and now I’ve read three I understand book one even better, first books have a hard task, setting characters, a current plot and needing an over them to pull each book together. Though I loved it I understand everything so much better now that the world they are operating in is clear in my mind.This one, book three has Detective Faith Connolly still trying to find the killer of a young girl in the last book. Of course she can't, as he was a vampire and is dead, but hard as she pushes him as she's human her ex colleague Ryan can't tell her that. He was involved, being her then partner in the police force, and being more open minded that Faith (Vampires Do Not Exist!) he's been recruited by Christian Roth's Security organisation, which is also a cover for the order. That’s undergoing some changes, and Ryan is partnered with Ash ( demon Lord Asmodai) on a new formed committee spearheading changes. Ash has recently found his daughter Tara, who he'd thought dead. She's partner to Christian Roth, and holds Ash responsible for her best friends death. Its all themes from earlier books that run through the whole series and bind it together tightly. Faith gets enmeshed in danger, Ash gets involved with Faith, far more closely than he expected, there's ever present danger not only from the Angels but from the UK government, and Faith is used by them. She's so on the side of good its a while before she realises what's happening, that Ash and co are the good guys and the Gov spooks the bad ones, and by then she feels  Ash and his colleagues will never believe her when she says she was trying to stay on the side of right. She can't just walk away though, and puts herself in danger trying to help. Not only that she's another serious problem facing her too – and it's one that she can't walk away from.Its the usual mix of danger and romance, sexy, hot males and sensual encounters. Having to convince a human that the supernatural is real without terrifying them, trying to look at a problem from the outside as Faith is, and decide just who is on the side of right, who can she trust, and all the while coping with that other problem hanging over her like the Sword of Damocles.  What I love about Nina's writing is that its not dumbed down as so many paranormals are, it's intelligent and well scripted, and yet is easy to follow,  it takes the reader along with the action,  the plots are all connected in some way, and what seems like a minor detail – a throwaway comment- turns out to have major impact. Each book is connected by an overall theme, and yet is a standalone with a plot that is just for that story and complete.  I don't know how long this series is planned, but I hope there's lots more to go, as I feel its so fresh its got potential for a good few books yet :) and I’m hoping of course! Its priced at  just 1.25 for 251 pages, so  a good length to get really into the characters and the situations they faced, and a bargain price!Stars: five.ARC supplied by Netgalley