Review: Great characters and a good mystery
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 18, 2014
At the beginning of Cursed, the first book in the Fallen Siren series, Zack Armstrong arrives at the FBI office in San Diego to be Emma Monroe's new partner. It turns out the two of them have history. They worked a kidnapping case together in his home town of Charleston the year before. We learn a few details about the case and I remember thinking, "They should write a prequel. That sounds like a great story." And you know what? They read my mind! This is that story.Emma travels to South Carolina to help Zack find a 4 year old boy who's been kidnapped. They believe the case is connected to an earlier one on which Emma consulted. For the most part, this is a pretty straightforward police procedural story. The main characters are both supernatural, but the paranormal elements are pretty minimal. I thought the mystery was well done - I figured out the culprit at the same time the characters did.Zack and Emma also have great chemistry, which you already know if you read Cursed, and flirt subtly throughout the case. In case you haven't read Cursed, I won't tell you how this one ends except to say that it's a pretty satisfying ending. I think you could safely read either one first. This novella is a little bit smaller investment in time and money and gives you a pretty good feel for the characters, but Cursed has more paranormal elements and more sex.There's really only one thing I didn't like about Captured. The missing boy's name is Cooper Anderson. He's named for a famous TV news personality who then shows up in person in the story. It's believable and I have nothing against him, but I kept picturing a silver-haired toddler in a suit and it was just distracting.I'm really enjoying the Fallen Siren series so far. It's a genre-bending mix of urban fantasy and romance with an interesting mythology. This was a story I wanted to read and a great way to tide me over until book 2 comes out in November.I won this book in an online contest.