No Good Deed (A Kelly & Umber Novel) [Kindle Edition]

Bill Blais (Author)

Book Description

"In the last ten days, I've resigned myself to three things: Your kid'll break his arm the day after you lose your job; you should always look a gift horse in the mouth; and nothing, not even ridding the world of demons, is as straightforward as you'd think."

Kelly McGinnis has spent her adult life trying to do the right thing, but as a newly down-sized mother of twins and the wife of a man living with Multiple Sclerosis, she also knows that trying isn't always enough.

While interrupting a scene of police brutality, Kelly unwittingly releases a real, live demon. After she manages to kill the creature through gut instinct and blind luck, she is approached to join a secret group of demon hunters who reveal an underworld of monsters and magic.

Against her better judgment, Kelly accepts the lucrative, if bizarre, offer; but when she meets Umber, a compelling incubus with an unexpectedly human story, she learns that the truth is far stranger and more terrifying than she imagined.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Bill Blais is a writer, web developer and perennial part-time college instructor. His novels include Witness (winner of the Next Generation Indie Book Award for Fantasy) and the Kelly & Umber urban fantasy series. Bill graduated from Skidmore College before earning an MA in Medieval Studies from University College London. He lives in Maine with his wife and daughter.

Learn more at billblais.com

Product Details

• File Size: 685 KB
• Print Length: 350 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Bill Blais; Kindle 1.0 edition (March 9, 2012)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B007IXY6UC
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #605,616 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Kelly is an AWESOME heroine! May 25, 2012

By wRiTiNgFiEn

Format:Kindle Edition

Brought to you by Annabell Cadiz

Review: Recently, I have been stuck in a slew of books that have not lived up to the potential promised by the intriguing and crafted blurbs attached to them. Thankfully, there have been a few times I have been freed from the utter boredom so many of these books have caused but not by many. Enter No Good Deed, which truth be told I jumped into reading with reluctance and not expecting much. I mean a mother fighting demons, not exactly a concept we're (as in us readers) are used to seeing playing the starring role in a supernatural fantasy. I quickly discovered my all too judgmental attitude was way more wrong than it bargained for! No Good Deed completely surprised me in the best way.

Kelly is a wife and a mother, and until recently, she was a gainfully employed wife and mother. Enter an alleyway with a buffed up man holding onto a fragile old man while holding a gun to his head and Kelly's oh-so-normal-world flips over into the utterly bizarre. Turns out the guy with the gun was a trained assassin and the old man, well, let's just say he isn't as fragile as he looks. Kelly barely manages to escape the entire confrontation with her life and limbs still intact but that one little encounter brings in Denis Larocque, a well put together Frenchman who leads a team of demon hunters. Throw in a pouch of ten thousand dollars and a job offer and it seems Kelly's oh-so-normal world just went straight to hell--literally.

Kelly has become one of my new favorite heroines! She isn't the anorexic-perfect features-can-kick-butt-without-any-real-training type of heroine. No, Kelly is a size fourteen with sarcastic mouth and tougher than steel attitude. She's got the fierceness of a mother and the strength of a woman who has endured a lot but hasn't been beaten down by it. Kelly isn't one to complain, she sees a problem and she finds a way to solve it, come hell or high water. That's one of the things I really liked about her. She makes her decisions based on heart and gut instinct. She will do anything to protect her family and provide for them (anything that isn't illegal that is). Kelly isn't living a life to impress anyone, she just wants to make sure her family is provided for and safe. She doesn't worry so much about the approval of others as she does about doing what is right.

Denis Larocque is sophisticated, honest, and oozes both money and power. He is kind when he needs to be and protective of his team. He's still a bit mysterious though since not much of his backstory was shown in the book so I'm looking forward to learning more about his character as the series progresses. Suni is a member of Larocque's team and has both the skills and attitude to prove if you mess with her you won't live long enough to regret it. For the most part I did like Suni's character and I could understand the chip on her shoulder she carried, but at times I really wanted her to drop the `tude and move pass the anger.

Sofia is another member of the team and one who still as much of a mystery as Denis, if not more. She's Denis's second in command and could kill you with a look. Rachel is quiet, intelligent, and more than a bit odd. She helps on the magical side of things and always seemed to be out of it (in a funny-sort-of-creepy-kind-of-way). Marianne is the bubbly member who oozes positivity and charm. I liked her. She was cute and sweet. Paul is the other member who handles the magical side of things, a nerd through and through with a charm all his own and very wise. Gerard is huge, Hulk-like strong, and kind. He doesn't say much but he's way smarter than people give him credit for. Then last but not least, there's Mario. He's young, well-trained, and playful. He's the technology wiz and the combat expert. Did I mention he's also too good looking for his own good? *wink*

There are also a slew of secondary characters. Kelly's kids, husband, little sister, brothers and mother also make appearances. I liked the fact that Kelly's family came in and out of the story often, showing how hard it is for Kelly to balance a normal family life with a totally insane job. Her bond with her family is unyielding and the heart of what drives the story. The action scenes were some of the best parts of the book, especially toward the end when Umber comes in. Umber is an Incubus with some very tempting and very dangerous powers. One touch from him and you'll be transported into your most desired fantasies, but there's a catch, your soul goes up for sell the moment you let him touch you. Umber didn't come in toward close to the end so he didn't get a lot of scenes but definitely a character you will not forget.

There are only a few problems I had with the book. Most are slight little problems except for one. The biggest problem of the book was the overwhelming details of Kelly's everyday life. There were many scenes that could have been left out and the book still would have worked because the scenes dragged out the pacing of the story. I understood the need to see Kelly's world with her family and didn't mind it the beginning and for the first half of the novel, but then I needed it to stop being thrown in as much as it was. There's also a lot of telling instead of showing within Kelly's narration throughout the book which also dragged out the pacing. Kelly explained too much every little detail of what she was doing or thinking and I tired of it. There's also a good amount of repetition. Not so much that you get beyond annoyed with it but enough that it starts to be noticeable (or maybe that's just me??) and frustrating.

Overall, No Good Deed was a nice little surprise of a read. I jumped right in and enjoyed the ride. Kelly proves that being ordinary is the best kind of hero and I am certainly looking forward to seeing more of Umber!

Bravo to author Bill Blais!

He has earned himself a new stalker . . . I mean fan *wink*

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars An Awesome heroine May 29, 2012

By Lacey Williams

Format:Kindle Edition

First Thoughts:

This book captivated me from the very beginning; it had a lot of uniqueness and action to it. I loved being able to see the heroine as someone being middle aged and not the skinniest person alive; I'm sick of the near perfect heroines give me a "real" person any day! I loved the passion and will this heroine had; it made the story that much more enjoyable. I just loved how the author was able to take a paranormal situation and add realism to it; definitely unique to these types of books. This will be one book that will take you on a roller-coaster of a ride.

Plot:

I really enjoyed the plot of this book; there were a lot of scenes that allowed the reader to better understand the main protagonist and understand where she is coming from. It was really fun to see all of the characters backstories and how they fit into the whole scheme of things. This story was filled with ideas that were both new and old; the idea of demons is nothing new but the storyline was. I liked the idea of the team and how they got to each of their "assignments" really cool. And there were also some parts where the author included some magical terms and ideas that made the story seem more real; more stable. As for the pace of the story it was semi-fast to me; there were some parts that seemed to drag like where the protagonist was having internal struggles and parts where she was at home tending to everyday normalcies. But I really did enjoy seeing how the character tried balancing her life; the contrast of her "job" and then the average family home life. The sub-plot of her home life was interesting, seeing her deal with a handicapped husband and two children and seeing how she loved them dearly...definitely well written. As for some of the other sub-plots I think some of them were left unfinished; like the backstories of the other "team members" but knowing this is only book one in the series I figure their stories will be told when the time is right. So overall I enjoyed the overall idea and storyline of this book and liked this aspect of the story.

Romance:

There wasn't much romance in this book, I mean the most romance you see is between husband and wife and I wouldn't really classify that with the normal YA romance we see in most books as of late. I did enjoy the love between the wife and husband it was soft and sweet but at the same time in no way overwhelming; the amount of romance was perfect. I liked...no...loved that romance was not the main focus of the story; such a nice relief from all the other books that are focused on this aspect. So overall the romance was perfect for this book and I really enjoyed this aspect.

Characters:

I did really enjoy the main protagonist, I felt she was created with perfect clarity and had the right personality for the role she played. I really enjoyed her line of thinking and the way she reacted to each situation; it really seemed realistic and believable. As for some of the other characters I felt some of them fell a little short, they seemed real enough but they kind of lacked a certain aspect that would have really made them fit perfectly within the story. Don't get me wrong not all of them were this way but a few select were....I just personally couldn't connect with them. But overall each character fit into their roles just right and there weren't any unnecessary characters within the story.

Transformation of the Character:

I don't think there was a real transformation that took place within the story, I believe there was a start of one but I think there's much more that needs to happen before it could be classified as a transformation. So overall I don't think this was an important aspect of the story and believed that there didn't need to be one in this first book of the series.

Description:

I really enjoyed the description of this book; at times it was really dark and creepy (there are some scenes I'll never be able to forget). It was cool to be able to really picture each of these demons, the description was really deep and detailed; I could really see each little thing about the demon, kind of morbid and gross...As far as how the author described the landscape, I think he did a good job on describing each scene and allowing the reader to really see each location and be able to distinguish them from city to city. There were a few scenes where the author really used the senses; he incorporated each important sense so that the picture of the scene was that much stronger. I don't think there was too much description; he used just the right amount to describe both the scenes and the characters. He did really well on the battle scenes. One part that may have thrown me off was when they assigned each member of the team a color....it was that bad but it did take some getting used to. But overall I really liked this aspect of the book.

Style:

The author chose to write in one POV and in first person which is the norm in most books and in this case really worked. It allowed the reader to just focus on one plotline; it narrowed down this large world so that it wouldn't confuse the reader. If you really looked at the world itself and each of the characters you would see multiple POV's would have been too much and the story would have literally been lost within itself; the author made the right call. As for the writing itself it was easy to read and I didn't have any problems with it.

Quote of the Book:

"That hideous little mask is grinning at me...I stare right back. The shadows grow behind its hollow eyes. The hair on the back of my arms and neck lifts a little. It's definitely laughing at me, now. I give it an even look. "Bite me.""

Goodreads Summary:

Kelly McGinnis has spent her adult life trying to do the right thing, but as a newly down-sized mother of twins and the wife of a man living with Multiple Sclerosis, she also knows that trying isn't always enough.

While interrupting a scene of police brutality, Kelly unwittingly releases a real, live demon. After she manages to kill the creature through gut instinct and blind luck, she is approached to join a secret group of demon hunters who reveal an underworld of monsters and magic.

Against her better judgment, Kelly accepts the lucrative, if bizarre, offer; but when she meets Umber, a compelling incubus with an unexpectedly human story, she learns that the truth is far stranger and more terrifying than she imagined.

Last Thoughts:

I would recommend this to fans of books about demons and fans of the paranormal. I really enjoyed the uniqueness of this book and look forward to continuing Kelly's story. This is a world I can't wait to divulge into more; the author just has a way of taking an old idea and twisting it into something more. This was a book that got me really interested in demons, never been a fan of them, they kind of just were there before this book, now I kind of want to try more books like this...perhaps when I get the time in the future....

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Mommies Fighting Evil Demons Rocks! July 31, 2012

By Cheryl Free

Format:Kindle Edition

Let's start at the end and go to the beginning. Yes, that's what this book does and it's intriguing. It captured my interest right away and throughout the whole story.

An ordinary family with an extraordinary mother -- she fights monsters! If you're a bored mommy, or generally any woman who feels like you're missing some excitement in your life, follow the adventures of Kelly.

Kelly is a recently laid-off housewife with two young school-age twins and a husband disabled by multiple sclerosis. Like many families in our economy, she wonders how they'll pay all the bills.

Fortune finds her in the form of a gift horse. After witnessing two violent murders that she accidentally participated in, she's asked to join a team of experts. One that finds and destroys unbelievable evil-beings with all the best equipment and tools, including supernatural means.

It's interesting to follow Kelly's progress as she learns the ropes and enhances her natural abilities to protect her children, her family, and the world.

(Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of the eBook in exchange for my honest review.)

More About the Author

Bill Blais is a writer, web developer and perennial part-time college instructor. His novels include Witness (winner of the Next Generation Indie Book Award for Fantasy) and the Kelly & Umber urban fantasy series.

Bill graduated from Skidmore College before earning an MA in Medieval Studies from University College London. He lives in Maine with his wife and daughter.

Learn more at http://www.billblais.com