Biting the Bullet (Jaz Parks, Book 3) [Paperback]

Jennifer Rardin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 11, 2008

I'm Lucille Robinson
(aka Jaz Parks).

This is a mission unlike anything my vampire boss, Vayl, and I have ever been on. It's not our usual take them out and run; it's an undercover mission that needs the whole gang: a psychic, an interpreter, and a weapons specialist. We're joining a Special Ops team to nail the Wizard, a major terrorist thorn in the military's side. We've never gone in with such heavy artillery before, but the more the merrier, right? Um . . . nope. At least not since Vayl and I learned part of our job is to ferret out a mole concealed in our unit.

To add to our problems, we're being harried by a pack of reavers bent on revenge, and targeted by a Seer who wants to share Vayl's power - at any cost. Oh yeah, and let's not forget the army of demonic, soul-sucking parasites either. This is going to be a blast.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Bond meets Dracula -- only better than that. Patricia Briggs, author of the bestselling Moon Called and Blood Bound --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Jennifer Rardin began writing at the age of 12. She penned eight Jaz Parks novels in her life. She passed away in September 2010.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Orbit (February 11, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316020583
• ISBN-13: 978-0316020589
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.9 x 8.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #744,390 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jennifer Rardin was born in Evansville, Indiana on April 28, 1965. Her mom told her almost every year what crappy weather it had been that day. However she liked to think of her birthday as the first frost-free date for her planting area. (See what happens when you grow up around farmers? Scary, huh?)

After a youth spent up to her eyeballs in fairy tales, Nordic myths and supernatural legends she made the solid and practical decision to go to college and major in English. After which she never really held a well paying job until Jaz Parks came along! Which is why her kids loved to sing that song to her from the musical "Avenue Q." The one that begins with the line, "What do you do with a B.A. in English?"

Once she figured out the answer to that question, she wrote Once Bitten, Twice Shy. She spent most of her adult life in an old farmhouse along with her husband and two teenagers. No pets since the cat died, but the birds seem to appreciate his absence. They come to feast at the feeders where she used to write on the back porch in the cool of the morning. A lovely tribute to a wonderful writer.

Jennifer died suddenly at home in September 2010, just after finishing the last Jaz Parks novel.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This fantasy/spy series is not to be missed February 11, 2008

By SciFiChick TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

Jaz Parks and her crew are sent to the Middle East on a mission, teamed with her twin brother Dave and his squad. Their mission is to assassinate the mysterious Wizard in control of a force of zombies. But there is a mole in Dave's team. Can Jaz find the mole, uncover the truth behind the Wizard, fight the reavers sent after her each morning because of a mark on her forehead, and convince her boss not to believe a manipulating psychic?

Whew! This latest Jaz Parks adventure is the most jam-packed yet! With non-stop action and adventure, this fantasy/spy series is not to be missed. With deadly creatures around every corner, Jaz is used to battling the forces of evil. But when her benefactor takes her through hell itself, Jaz is thrown into a whole new playing field. Rardin doesn't disappoint in this latest installment. With plenty of suspense, action, and romantic angst, I'm already impatient for the next in the series.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Gimme More February 17, 2008

By Nikki

Format:Paperback

I really love this series. There's adventure and some serious butt-kicking, but most of all it's populated with strong, likeable characters. It's the characters that keep me coming back for more. Our heroine, Jaz Parks, is an assassin. After her crew was obliterated by vamps (which happened prior to the first book in the series), she gets assigned to work with Vayl. Vayl's a 300+ vampire who also works as an assassin for the government. In the first book we get to know Jaz & Vayl, in the second we get to see the interplay between them and with their new team (a former PI, a gadget genius, and a seer). In this book, the dynamics set up during the second book really get tested. Both Jaz & Vayl must confront their pasts in order to stop their current target, the Wizard. Don't think Dorothy & Toto, but rather dead-raising necromancer in the Middle East. There's also the pesky business of a mole on the team and a group of reavers gunning for Jaz who's been marked for death. All the gangs back, with a few new characters of both the normal and paranormal, dead and undead, persuasion. It's really a great read, and I can't wait for the next one! I recommend that you read the first two books in the series before diving into this one -- you won't be disappointed: Once Bitten, Twice Shy (Jaz Parks, Book 1) and Another One Bites the Dust (Jaz Parks, Book 2).

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Uncommon Creatures March 6, 2009

By Tez Miller

Format:Paperback

Finally, Jaz Parks goes where those in the CIA usually go: overseas. From Florida and Texas respectively in the first and second novels, the spotlight is now on Iran...as well as hell.

Jaz's twin Dave is part of a CIA special ops squad, whose big target is the Wizard, whereas Jaz's team's enemy is the Raptor. Here's where I don't quite follow - why the two squads come together, and how the Wizard and the Raptor are linked. The Raptor is part of the series arc, but the Wizard may only be in this episode.

Continuing the theme of screwed-up families, Jaz and Dave haven't talked for years before they're forced into this situation. Neither of them completely trusts the other, whilst back home patriarch Albert is having another crisis. Meanwhile, we finally meet Jaz and Dave's mother, who's in hell.

Romantic complications arise when former private investigator Cole makes clear his intentions for Jaz, but she's still mooning over their boss, Vayl. I'm usually first to stick my hand up for a hot foreigner (Vayl's Romanian), but I'm just not connecting with him. Brooding Vamp with a Troubled Past is a common archetype in fiction, thus making it difficult for one to stand out from the crowd. However, I do fancy Jaz's Spanish spirit guide, Raoul, though I have the feeling Jaz and Vayl will shag before the series is over.

Jaz's out-of-body experiences are often confusing, and though I don't quite follow them I have much respect for the author featuring some creatures not usually found in current novels.