Banshee Charmer Review

Banshee Charmer (From the Files of the Otherworlder Enforcement Agency #1) by TIFFANY ALLEE

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…

ebook, 1st, 159 pages
Expected publication: January 24th 2012 by Entangled Publishing (goodreads)

Review:           Advanced Readers Copy provided by Entangled Publishing (netgalley)

Banshee Charmer is a short and exciting novel revolving around a spunky half-bansee cop who takes a case very seriously when her partner becomes a victim of a supposed extinct race. Allee takes the reader on a fun ride that has me wanting the next installment!

Keira McLoughlin is not your average cop. She is half banshee. Her partner is not your average woman nor is their killer your average nutcase. They're all related to the paranormal in some way. Self proclaimed "self god," Aidan Byrne aids Keira, or Mac as her friends call her, in an impossible case that has claimed the life of Mac's witch partner. 

Tiffany Alle's novella is an exciting first installment which looks to be a really fun and really sexy series. The book opens up with Mac investigating a peculiar crime scene that points to the fact that it may have been committed by an "oh-dub" or otherworlder. The plot moves at an engaging pace with the right amount of romance sprinkled throughout. I do wish that more information was revealed about Mac, especially her upbringings. Even though the novel is Banshee Charmer,banshees have very little to do with the plot which took me by surprise. Allee also added in bits of information and appearances of other paranormal creatures which added to the Otherworlder's growing world. Although the plot is fairly predictable, I was still enticed by Allee's world and Mac's voice. 

Mac is your average female cop: Spunky, a sailor's mouth, and a very tough cookie. All of these qualities make her a very fun character. I really liked Mac because of how well she criticized herself. Usually when a character finds herself falling helplessly in love with a stranger while her friend's murder is plotting I would criticize the hell out of her: Mac beat me to it. She knows she is being irrational and that her budding relationship with Aidan should not be a priority and her internal conflict make her seem even more real. Some of the secondary characters are shallow meaning that they are not as fleshed at as I would expect from a novel, but I'm assuming that this novella is setting up the environment and the characters for future installments. 

Given that the the novella is told from Mac's perspective, her voice is everything you would expect. Full of revenge, naughty words, and surprising lust for a sexy stranger. While there is not a lot of character discovery regarding Mac, it is fun to be just as left in the dark as Mac is as she struggles to find her partner's killer. 

This novella was a godsend for me, after having read primarily young adult novels for the past 6 or so months, it was good to read a more mature novel (with sexy time :p). The Otherworlder Enforcement Agency series seems really promising and I can't wait to see Allee's world grow. 

I recommend this for everyone who wants a short read full of mystery and a budding relationship. 

Debut Author Challenge (2012) Entry

Labels: , , , , , ,