Review - Black Dust Mambo by Adrian Phoenix

Black Dust Mambo
Kallie Rivière, Book 1
Adrian Phoenix
Pocket Books
ISBN# 978-1-4391-6787-8
Release Date: June 29, 2010
Excerpt: Browse Inside

About the Book:
FIRST IN A NEW SERIES!

"There will be times, girl, when all your magic ain't going to be enough, times when it will seem to dry up like mud under the noonday sun, or even make matters worse. . . ."

Kallie Rivière, a fiery Cajun hoodoo apprentice with a talent for trouble, finds herself smack-dab in the middle of one of those times her mentor warned her about when she visits New Orleans to attend the Hecatean Alliance's annual carnival: her hard-bodied conjurer hookup ends up dead in her blood-drenched bed. And he was killed by something that Kallie would never dream of touching—the darkest of dark juju, soul-eating juju—a black dust hex that may have been meant to kill her.

Now Kallie has to use every bit of hoodoo knowledge and bayou-bred mojo she possesses to clear her own name and find the killer—even as that dark sorcerer hunts Kallie and her friends. But Kallie's search for the truth soon leads her in a direction she never anticipated—back home to Bayou Cypres Noir, and to Gabrielle LaRue, Kallie's aunt, protector, and hoodoo mentor . . . who is looking more and more like she just might be the one who wants Kallie dead.

My Thoughts:
Black Dust Mambo is a fabulous start in the Kallie Rivière series about a young women with strong hoodoo talents and a penchant for trouble. One night spent between the sheets with a sexy conjurer unleashes murder and mystery for Kallie, and she finds it waiting around every turn. Ms. Phoenix does a lovely job of introducing readers to this new heroine and those she calls family and friends. Black Dust Mambo will hook you quickly, and it will reel you right in for a fast paced taste of temptation and deadly mystery. I'll be looking forward to the second book.

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

Promo - Married with Zombies by Jesse Petersen

Married with Zombies
Jesse Petersen
Orbit Books
ISBN: 978-0316102865
Release Date: August 31, 2010
Excerpt: Read the First Chapter

About the Book:

Meet Sarah and David.

Once upon a time they met and fell in love. But now they’re on the verge of divorce and going to couples’ counseling. On a routine trip to their counselor, they notice a few odd things – the lack of cars on the highway, the missing security guard, and the fact that their counselor, Dr. Kelly, is ripping out her previous client’s throat.

Meet the Zombies.

Now, Sarah and David are fighting for survival in the middle of the zombie apocalypse. But, just because there are zombies, doesn’t mean your other problems go away. If the zombies don’t eat their brains, they might just kill each other.

Married With Zombies is a heartwarming tale of terror set during the time of the zombie uprising.

About the Author:
Jesse Petersen was born in Pennsylvania, grew up in Idaho and got married in Washington. She has a degree in Psychology from the University of Washington and has been writing for twelve years. Currently, she lives in the Midwest with her husband and two cats. When not writing, she enjoys reading, bike riding and volunteering at her local zoo.

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

Promo - The Demon Hunt by Kris Greene

The Demon Hunt
The Dark Storm, Book 2
Kris Greene
St. Martin's Press/Macmillan
ISBN# 978-0-312-94423-0
Release Date: August 3, 2010

About the Book:
Soul-sucking demons. Half-human killers. Doomsday prophesies. No, this isn’t a late-night movie on cable TV. This is Gabriel’s life—or least, what’s left of it—ever since he discovered his true destiny as a warrior knight in the battle against darkness. Once an ordinary college kid studying lost legends in books, Gabriel now finds himself face to face with actual demons. As a warrior, he has no choice but to fight them. And if he screws it up, the world is toast…

A dimensional rift has opened between worlds. Which means more demons—and more death—than you could shake a proverbial stick at. Luckily, Gabriel has just the stick for the job, an ancient trident that gives him awesome demon-bashing powers. To watch his back he has the butt kicking half Demon De Mona and several unlikely heroes who he’s picked up along the way. To make matters more complicated two of Gabriel’s college buddies wind up dead and he finds that the demons aren’t the only ones who want a piece of his hide. The cops want him too—for murder…

About the Author:
In the 3rd grade a teacher once asked Kris what she wanted to be when she grew up, to which she responded ‘A witch.’ Growing up under not so pleasant conditions she often depended on her imagination to escape her day to day hardships and dreamt of a way to make her fictional escapes real and when she stumbled across a tattered copy of Interview with the Vampire she knew just how she would go about it, which led her to start keeping journals full of short stories which would eventually grow into action packed tales of sex, power and magic set in the New York City underworld.

Kris is the award winning author of several urban-fantasy novels, with the Dark Storm series being her first major releases. Kris resides in New York City where she spends her time writing and working in her herb garden.

To learn more about Kris and her titles please visit: http://www.mistresskris.com/

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

Review - Skin Game by Ava Gray

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Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - Magic in the Shadows by Devon Monk

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Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - Grave Secret by Charlaine Harris

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Review - Silent Night, Haunted Night by Terri Garey

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Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - Scorched by Sharon Ashwood

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Review - Instinctive by Cathryn Fox

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Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - Covet by J. R. Ward

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Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - Hunting Memories by Barb Hendee

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Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - The Treasures of Venice by Loucinda McGary

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Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - Secondhand Spirits by Juliet Blackwell

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Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - Angel's Advocate by Mary Stanton

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Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - Once Dead, Twice Shy by Kim Harrison

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Review - Death's Daughter by Amber Benson

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Happy Reading!



Kimberly

Review - Calling Mr. Lonely Hearts by Laura Benedict

Calling Mr. Lonely Hearts
Laura Benedict
Ballantine
December 30, 2008
ISBN# 978-0-345-49769-7

Book blurb:
Alice, Roxanne, and Del have been best friends since childhood-a childhood full of silly games, growing pains, and a hint of the kind of cruelty that only young girls know. Now, Alice's marriage is over, her husband having a child with another woman. Roxanne, an artist, is losing touch with everyone who cares for her-and perhaps with reality. And Del is soldiering through, but her friends see a dark cloud gathering in her eyes.

The instrument of their destruction is a single enigmatic man-Varick. Seemingly summoned from the air, the strikingly handsome Varick is a lonely woman's dream come true. But as Varick seduces the women in turn, their lives become unrecognizable to them. But where has he come from? And what does he want? His secret lies buried in their shared past. One simple, childish act has brought them, all these years later, to a place where not only their lives are at risk, but so are their souls. For once upon a time, the three friends agreed to tell a lie-one that ruined the life of a young priest. Defrocked, destitute, and ruined, he hoped with the whole of his shattered heart that he would get revenge. And in that hope he shook hands with the one who promised it. The devil himself. Varick. And now they all must live with the consequences. . . .

My thoughts:
The lives of Alice, Del and Roxanne are coming undone. Friends since school, these women have shared their ups and downs in life, as well as a few dark secrets. Now the things they did as young teens are coming back at them with a vengeance so strong that one by one their lives will be destroyed. A dark presence from the past pulls the strings, and once he’s begun nothing will stop him.

Calling Mr. Lonely Hearts is a dance with the devil that lands on the side of horror. From taboo elements to dark action in the storyline, Ms. Benedict blurs reality and keeps readers enthralled with deadly revenge until the surprising end. This book is not the paranormal romance you may mistake it for, and should appeal to readers who enjoy escaping with a bit of horror.

To learn more about Calling Mr. Lonely Hearts, please visit Ms. Benedict’s website: Here

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

Review - Blood Sins by Kay Hooper

Blood Sins
Bishop/Special Crimes Unit: Blood Trilogy, Book 2
Kay Hooper
Bantam
December 16, 2008
ISBN# 978-0-553-80485-0

Book Blurb:
Some sins can’t be forgiven…
because some sins no one survives.

New York Times bestselling author Kay Hooper has touched our darkest fears but none so dark as in her latest thriller. Here’s a psychopath who lures his victims with a promise no one can resist…and demands a price no one would knowingly pay.

Young, vulnerable, attractive, Tessa Gray made the perfect victim. Which was why Noah Bishop of the FBI’s Special Crimes Unit recruited her to play the role of grieving widow. As the supposed new owner of property coveted by the Church of the Everlasting Sin, she’d be irresistible bait for the reclusive and charismatic Reverend Samuel. His fortified compound in the mountains near Grace, North Carolina, had been the last known residence of two women murdered in ways that defied scientific explanation.

Though hardly as naive or as vulnerable as she appears, Tessa knows she has a lot to learn about using her unique gift. She also knows that Bishop and the SCU have to be desperate to rely on an untried psychic agent in an undercover operation so dangerous. And desperate they are. For the killer they’re hunting is the most terrifying they’ve ever faced and shakes even the most seasoned agents: a soulless megalomaniacal cult leader who can use their own weapons, talents, and tactics against them.

By entering the cult’s well-guarded compound, Tessa will be exposing herself to the dark magnetism of a psychopath on an apocalyptic crusade of terror that spares no one, not even the youngest victims. And Samuel has protected himself within a fanatically loyal congregation, many of whom occupy surprising positions of power within the community. Even Grace’s chief of police, Sawyer Cavenaugh—a man Tessa will have to trust with her life—may be unable to protect her. Because no one, not even Tessa herself, can guarantee she’s strong enough to resist—or powerful enough to battle—a killer who’s less than human.

My thoughts:
Tessa Gray has agreed to play the part of a widow in need of direction. It’s the perfect cover for SCU to get her inside the compound that a psychic killer runs. The job is dangerous for anyone on the team, let alone someone like Tessa who’s had little training with her own psychic talents. She does have a special gift, and combined with her other abilities it may just see her through.

Sawyer Cavenaugh is the police chief in Grace, North Caolina. He’s sure that something is going on, and that there are deaths connected to the compound and the man who leads it, Father Samuel. Finding any real proof to do something about it has proved impossible, but once he meets Tessa everything will change.

This is the second book in the Bishop/Special Crimes Unit: Blood Trilogy, and a powerful addition to the series. Ms. Hooper weaves an eerie tale of twisted evil masquerading as a virtuous soul. Blood Sins is an engrossing paranormal suspense that takes readers on a chilling adventure to stop a killer and ultimately save the world. I’d strongly suggest that readers start with the previous book, Blood Dreams, the first in the trilogy. If you’re looking for a good suspense with a strong psychic element then you should really enjoy this series.

To learn more about the Bishop/Special Crimes Unit novels, please visit Ms. Hooper’s website: HERE

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

Review - Defending Angels by Mary Stanton

Defending Angels
A Beaufort & Company Mystery, Book 1
Mary Stanton
Berkley Prime Crime
December 2, 2008
ISBN# 978-0-425-22498-4

Book Blurb:
With a long list of ethereal clients who need her help, Savannah lawyer Brianna Winston Beaufort's career choice is beginning to haunt her . . .

An already dead businessman needs Bree's help to find his murderer and prove his innocence against the charge of greed, which comes from the mightiest hand of the law, the Celestial Court. And the verdict in this case could put Bree's life on the line-as well as her client's afterlife.

My thoughts:
Moving to Savannah to take over her uncle’s practice, Brianna Winston Beaufort soon finds that her experience as a lawyer didn’t prepare her for the clients that would come with the new job. It’s a good thing that the staff Bree’s hired has experience, or she might not survive her first case.

With so many possibilities it won’t be easy to prove that Mr. Skinner was murdered, but there’s much more at stake. Benjamin Skinner is being charged with Greed in the Celestial Court, and if Bree can’t prove his innocence he’ll face a grim fate in the hereafter.

This is the first installment in the Beaufort & Company Mystery series. Ms. Stanton gives readers a murder mystery with an intriguing storyline and makes it her own with wonderfully fresh twists. Defending Angels entertains with a surprising paranormal element and a charming cast of characters. I’ll be looking forward to more from this fun new series in the future.

To learn more about Defending Angels, please visit the author’s website: Here

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

Review - Living With the Dead by Kelley Armstrong

Living with the Dead
Women of the Otherworld, Book 9
Kelley Armstrong
Bantam
October 21, 2008
ISBN# 978-0-553-80664-9

Book blurb:
They’re smart, sexy, and supernatural. They’re the men and women of the Otherworld—a realm of witches, ghosts, and werewolves who live unseen among us. Only now a reckless killer has torn down the wall, trapping one very human woman in the supernatural cross fire.

Robyn Peltier moved to Los Angeles after her young husband’s sudden death, trying to put some distance between herself and her memories. Though she’s still grieving, the challenges of her new life as the PR consultant to Portia Kane—the world’s most famous celebutante wannabe—can sometimes be amusing, even distracting. But when her client is gunned down in the back room of a nightclub, Robyn is suddenly on the run as the prime suspect in the murder. And as more bodies pile up around her, it seems like only Hope Adams, Robyn’s best friend, and Hope’s somewhat spooky boyfriend Karl are on Robyn’s side. Hope Adams follows the kinds of stories whose headlines scream from supermarket checkout lines. But the difference is that Hope’s stories are even weirder—and they’re all true. Though determined to help Robyn, Hope knows it’s only a matter of time before her friend is caught. But it’s not the police Hope is worried about. For Robyn has gotten herself in the middle of a turf war between two powerful Otherworld cabals who’ll spill any amount of blood—human and inhuman—to protect what they consider theirs for all eternity. And the only way Hope can keep her friend alive is by letting her enter a world she’s safer knowing nothing about.

My thoughts:
Widowed early in her marriage, Robyn Peltier moved to L.A. and took on a public relations job for a young celebrity, Portia Kane. When Portia suddenly turns up dead during a night they’re out clubbing, Robyn becomes a suspect in the murder. With the help of her friend Hope, and Hope’s boyfriend Karl, she’ll have to evade Detective John Findlay long enough to clear her name.

Discovering the truth is far from easy work when someone is out to eliminate Robyn as well, but she soon learns that there’s more than a murder involved. There’s a supernatural world all around her and they’ll stop at nothing to keep their existence a secret.

This is the ninth book in the Women of the Otherworld series. Hope and Karl play a large role in this installment as they help Robyn track down a killer and keep her safe from those who’d like to see her dead. Ms. Armstrong is a talented author and doesn’t disappoint in this latest tale from her meticulously built Otherworld. The characters are believable, and the action they bring to the story is exciting and rarely predictable. New paranormal elements, a well executed storyline and a continued romance all add to making Living With the Dead a great read. I’m looking forward to the next release, Men of the Otherworld.

To learn more about Living with the Dead and the Women of the Otherworld series, please visit Ms. Armstrong’s website: Here

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews