Review: Ahh the holidays - Ivy style
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 11 26, 2012
For psychic detective Ivy Granger and her partner Jinx, business couldn't be better since Ivy, with help from the supernatural community, saved the town of Harborsmouth a few months earlier. Her relationship with the kelpie king, Ceffyl, is slowly heating up, although Ivy is still reluctant to do more than kiss, since just by touching she can read everything about an object or person.Life is pretty good, but now the holidays are approaching and Ivy is not in a festive sort of mind. Ceffyl has cancelled an important date where a present has been promised, and if that's not bad enough, who should appear in their offices but Forneus, demon lawyer and bane of Jinx's existence. Forneus is again asking for Ivy's help. There is a serial killer on the loose who is targeting the fae. Six have been found brutally murdered with no clues evident except for a spring of mistletoe left in a pool of blood. Ivy takes the case; this won't be an easy one. When Ivy's friends are put in harms way Ivy has to put her own skills to the test, possibly even her life is on the line this time.I've been a huge fan of E.J. Stevens since I read the first book in her YA Spirit Guide series, and was glad when she decided to dip her toes into the adult world with this series. She writes her characters with personality galore and her settings are always so well described that it's not hard to imagine yourself right in the middle of the action. Ivy is so full of sass and spunk, she manages to be tough and vulnerable all at the same time. She is just plain fun to visit with. Ms. Stevens has given her a somewhat acerbic temperament, but still manages to make us like her despite it. Now that's just good writing if you ask me. You know from the beginning that Ivy has a slightly warped sense of humor and that even though you might see some disturbing things during the story, Ivy is going to pull you through. For example, early in the story when Forneus appears in the office and Jinx is not happy to see him: "My office assistant got bonus points for style and preparedness, but I really didn't think killing our clients was good for business - especially with a bugbear sitting, oblivious, at my desk." How can you resist reading on?Speaking of Jinx, while not having a lot of face time, she plays a role in the story and I'm hoping at some point we get to see a little more of her. Kaye O'Shaye - owner of Madam Kaye's Magic Emporium, ex-hunter and powerful witch, is a key player in the story as well. There is a mystery to Kaye that I'm just dying to learn about. I know it's going to be a good one. Minor characters from the first book appear throughout this one as well. Marvin, a teenage bridge troll, is getting on well living with Kaye and her hearth brownie, Hob. We briefly met a hunter named Jenna in the previous book, and she helps Ivy out again. There is a cute little scene with Kaye's assistant, Arachne, which is good for comic relief, and we just get a quick glimpse of hunky Ceffyl.I'm not crazy about novellas, they tend to frustrate me since just when you are getting into them, and they end. While listed as a novella, at 54 pages it is shorter than most and I suppose it would be called a novelette; Ms. Stevens titled it as Ivy Granger #1.5. Though short, it did most of what a full length book would have done, there is a mystery to be solved, some personal issues to figure out and great characters so I can't complain, (I could but I won't). It would help to read the first book, but there shouldn't be any problems following the plot without it. Ms. Stevens is really starting to hit her stride with this series, and I am enjoying her foray into the adult world. For readers of her YA series, don't despair, although listed as adult there are no naughty bits, just some slightly more graphic yucky scenes. I highly recommend anyone who enjoys an irreverent heroine with a spunky sidekick, a hunky fellow and a nice supernatural mystery, to pick up this series, you won't regret it.Member of the Paranormal Romance Guild Review Team