Review: SO GOOD
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 20, 2013
Marnie Baranuik and her raging libido are back for a second go at busting crime. Armed with her doctorate in preternatural biology, Aalto's heroine is on the case - and the resulting story is even better than the first!Marnie and the FBI's new Preternatural Crime Unit are on the trail of a master revenant (aka vampire) poaching from fetish conventions; but what does that have to do with her very own vamp, Harry, and an inconvenient corpse that won't stay dead? Trouble is certainly brewing in Marnie's world, and not the least of her problems is an inconvenient zombie hoard. To add insult to injury, she'll have to deal with her brother's refusal to accept his new vamp tendencies, a sexually deviant ogre and her sexual kryptonite - Special Agent Mark Batten. All in all, it's a bad time for a girl to have sworn off cookies.Once again Aalto's writing style proved exactly what the doctor ordered. If you're ever in a reading funk, this is the series to lift your spirits and restore you're love of Urban Fantasy. I was compelled to read this late into the night, laughing out loud all the while. While the last book built the framework for Marnie's world, this one seemed to focus more on the science. As a fictional field, I'm surprised at how detailed oriented Aalto was in writing about Preternatural Biology. It was awesome, and more than a little gross.I loved the new characters in this book and Marnie's reaction to them. Even though she's determined to showcase her new `people skills', Marnie's as prickly as ever and yet somehow I'm still in her corner. First of all, we meet Agent Golden - the only other female agent in the Denver PCU - who has the audacity to be tall and gorgeous. The initial showdown is so deliciously satisfying and had me laughing out loud as I re-read the encounter. I won't dwell on that too long so as to give anything away - it has to be experienced to understand my ardour. Next, we're introduced to Marnie's new `assistant', Dr. Declan Edger. After a rough start, they come to a friendly truce, resulting in the best kind of snappy banter. Now, if only Marnie could get to the bottom of his interest in her Harry.Along with the new characters, the old are back and bolder than ever. Lord Guy Harrick Dreppenstedt, or Harry, seems a bit bi-polar in this book - but I suppose being a 400 year old English Lord allows a guy some eccentricities. I've no doubt the author has orchestrated this on purpose so we never forget that despite his love of cooking and his connection with Marnie, he's still a dangerous vampire (sorry, revenant). Nevertheless, he's endeared himself to me again by getting his dad on with baby vamp Wes.Mark Batten is much the same in this adventure, and though I'm all for the sexual tension between he and Marnie, I was left thinking that their relationship hadn't advanced much at all. I suppose we get to see him as a bit vulnerable this time around, and that can only be good for their relationship.In terms of the Marnie-Harry-Batten love triangle, this adventure seems to solidify Harry as a contender. Although revs apparently don't have the capacity to love, it's made pretty clear that he won't share his girl either. No word yet though on which man Marnie's leaning towards.I am obsessed with this series! I laughed, I face-palmed and I was on the edge of my seat throughout. I heartily recommend this book - but read the first one before you do.