Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fast paced, tightly plotted (3.5 stars) , December 11, 2007
Anna Strong's a bounty hunter. She's gotten a lot better at her job since a failed takedown and her erstwhile pickup turned her into a vampire. She just hasn't told her business partner, David, her family, or her boyfriend Max, the undercover DEA agent.
She is not alone, though. Culebre, the shapeshifter, who runs a bar in Besos de la Muerte, Mexico for vampires in need of a human blood donor. Seems that position is quite in demand--the rush is about as good as crack cocaine.
Also, Chief Williams of the San Diego Police Department knows who she is. He's also one of The Watchers, an organization of supernaturals created with the goal of keeping peace with the humans.
As a matter of fact, Chief Williams is the one who orders Anna to disappear after she inadvertantly shows her vamp face to two terrified mortals. If that information gets around, The Revengers, the human nemesis of The Watchers will be after her.
Anna's not just hiding, though. She's going after self described 'wiccan' Belinda Burke, who will set loose a demon in two days if she's not stopped.
I forgot to mention Anna's also seeking Max, who's gone into hiding and is wanted by Foley, an FBI agent she suspects is crooked and threatening her.
There's more--trust me, and you'll keep reading with interest and perhaps a bit of confusion. Ms. Stein's done a good job developing Anna. She's gaining control of her vampire and she understands what she has to be--and give up--because of her blood drive. Her secondary characters are still paper tigers, but I have hopes to see more of them and gain more knowledge as the series goes on.
The plotting is good. For the most part, Ms. Stein has tied up the major problems put forth in this novel, but left us with enough unresolved overlying issues to continue with in the next books.
"The Watchers" has one serious deficit. Just too much goes on for a 291 page book. Ms. Stein could have produced a juicy thriller with just one of her villains and really done some superior character development too. Still, I am looking forward to the next book in this series.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
There Will Be Blood, January 12, 2008
It's a vampire novel. The blood is inevitable. But I love the way the blood issues don't overwhelm Anna Strong. And it's really the Anna character that makes this series so compelling. She's grounded, tough, sardonic, sharp, resourceful, and keenly observant. And, she's motivated by her own hungers and needs as well as doing her job well. Yes, there will be blood but when the end comes for two of Anna's adversaries in this tale the end is swift and pure strength, nothing more. The Anna Strong character has to work hard to keep her secrets and some ultimately are spilled. Readers relate because her world is complex and challenging and she moves from the streets to the bars to the big chief's office with a mission. There's a wonderful shock at the end. I don't disagree with another reviewer that there is lots of plot for 291 pages, but the upside is no downtime for Anna. This is fast-paced and built for speed. The bloodwork is all Type A.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Keeper .., February 8, 2008
I'm one of those people that love to read and can tear through a book in a day, two at the most and that is with a busy schedule. Over the last couple of years my tastes have moved over to Urban Paranormal and although there are a great many authors and books out there, I've managed to get through most of them and its a real chore for me to find new authors or a series in which to get interested in.
Jeanne Stein was a new author to me and as is my want, I picked up all three of her books immediately, particularly when I saw that Charlene Harris had given her a good review. I wasn't disappointed in the least and as is typical when I get a good book, I've read all three this last week.
Stein has a new take on Vampires and Supernaturals in general and I have to admit I rather like it. I'm not all that impressed with the sexual overtones that come with being a Vampire in Stein's universe, but that being said, she does it in a mostly tasteful manner and she certainly doesn't go the wrong route by turning it into an Anita Blake situation. That being said, she is playing pillow bites with several individuals which isn't exactly to my liking.
These books (all three of them) are a good combination of action, suspense and who-dunnit though some of it is pretty transparent. That having been said though, they really are page grabbers and Stein has put a lot of thought into the background and I for one am very much anticipating future additions to the series and seeing just how Anna Strong develops. She's definitely one tough lady!
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