Ex Libris

Goodreads appetizer:When she’s sent to a crime scene and finds her second dead woman in as many weeks, half-banshee detective Kiera “Mac” McLoughlin is convinced a serial killer is on the loose. Incubi are extinct, her boss insists. But what else can kill a woman in the throes of pleasure? When her partner is murdered after using witchcraft to locate the killer and Mac is thrown off the case, her frustration turns to desperation.

Certain the killer is an incubus, Mac works behind her department’s back to chase down slim, sometimes perilous leads. While the killer eludes her, she does discover handsome Aidan Byrne, an investigative counterpart from the enigmatic Otherworlder Enforcement Agency. Mac typically runs her investigations fast and hard, but with Aidan at her side, she’s running this one “hot” as well. But Aidan knows more than he’s letting on—something that could shatter their blazing romance and add Mac to the killer’s growing body count...

My Thoughts: Banshee Charmer is the first book in a new series and I couldn't be happier that there will be more coming! In her debut novel Tiffany Allee not only managed to captivate me with her exciting and vivid storytelling but she won me over and made me an enthusiastic fan of her new From the Files of the Otherworlder series.

The universe of Banshee Charmer is quite unique: supernatural species are "out" but still some (or rather most) of the humans see them as "freaks" and are wary and scared of the unknown. Kiera McLoughlin, called Mac by her colleagues and friends, is a cop: a homicide detective, oh yeah and a half-banshee as well, working in the special paranormal unit of the Chicago Police Department or "Freaks Division" as the others call it. Mac is working along witches, vampires and other creatures of the night, tracking goblins, incubi and other paranormal criminals. She is just in the middle of investigating a serial killer case when her partner is murdered and Aidan an agent from the Otherworlder Enforcement Agency (OWEA) - which is the paranormal equivalent of the FBI - appears to offer his help in catching the killer.

The air between Mac and Aidan sizzles constantly (oh my that first kissing scene between them was such an incredible off-the-charts-goosebump-inducing-heartrate-accelerating first kiss whew!), and it's a credit to Tiffany Allee's vivid writing that Aidan's potent charm and charisma is strong enough to transcend the pages and have the reader fall under his spell even by merely reading about him. Both Mac and Aidan were well fleshed out despite the short length of the novel and I can't wait to read the next books to learn even more about them.

Banshee Charmer combines the best of police procedural, paranormal romance and urban fantasy genres: the mystery and Mac and Aidan's chase to uncover it was thrilling, the characters are layered and interesting, the world-building rich and unique, Tiffany Allee's writing flows easily and her narrative is descriptive and detailed enough without being weighed down. Her story captivated me and I gobbled up Banshee Charmer without coming up for a break.

Verdict: Banshee Charmer is a gripping, exciting debut to a fantastic new series! The mystery plot was intriguing, the world-building complex and the love story sizzling. Perfect mix and great story, I loved Banshee Charmer and I'm impatiently looking forward to the sequel!

Plot: 8/10
Characters: 9/10
Writing: 9/10
Ending: 9/10
Cover: 7/10 - I'm not a fan of the guy they chose to portray Aidan :-/


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