Wednesday, April 20, 2022

BBNYA Blog Tour ~ May Day/Judgement Day


















If the murderer you’re tracking is a vampire, then you want a vampire detective. Just maybe not this one.

It’s not that Jack Valentine is bad at her job. The youngest member of Oxford’s Seekers has an impressive track record, but she also has an impressive grudge against the local baron, Killian Drake.

When a human turns up dead on May Morning, she’s determined to pin the murder on Drake. The problem is that none of the evidence points to him. Instead, it leads Jack into a web of conspiracy involving the most powerful people in the country, people to whom Jack has no access. But she knows someone who does.

To get to the truth, Jack will have to partner up with her worst enemy. As long as she can keep her cool, Drake will point her to the ringleaders, she’ll find the murderer and no one else will have to die.

Body bags on standby.







Vampires don't get happily ever afters.

Jack Valentine finally has her shit together. She has a great job, great friends (well, one at least) and a girlfriend whom she loves, even if she can't work up the courage to tell her that yet. Unfortunately, she also has an archnemesis who's about to punish her crimes in the worst possible way: by making her spend time with him.

Which she could cope with, maybe, if she didn't have problems at work as well. When the body of a human judge is found in a locked library, there's no denying that she was murdered by one of the Silver – by a vampire – and the evidence points worryingly close to home. If that wasn't bad enough, some of Jack's least favourite people are opening a new blood bar in Oxford with questionable motives. For Jack and her team, it's becoming increasingly hard to separate allies from enemies.

With conspiracies on every side, the simmering tensions in Silver society are about to come to a head. As usual, Jack intends to be right in the middle of it. She does like it when things get messy.

I received this book to read and review as part of the 2021 BBNYA competition and the BBNYA tours organised by the TWR Tour team. All opinions are my own, unbiased and honest.


BBNYA is a yearly competition where Book Bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors. If you are an author and wish to learn more about the BBNYA competition, you can visit the official website or Twitter


The sign-ups will soon be open for the 2022 BBNYA competition, be it for authors to enter their books, or for bloggers wanting to be part of the new panel, so keep your eyes peeled!!



Book source ~ The Write Reads Tour
9 July 2020
Urban Fantasy | Mystery
388 Pages

My Rating ~ 4 bites and a nibble


Jacquelyn ”Jack” Valentine was 18 when she was turned into a vampire. Or Silver as they are called here. For 20 years she’s been working as a Seeker in Oxford. Seekers are part of the Silver police force and their job is to keep other Silver from bringing attention to their community. Humans are not supposed to know about Silver. Period. When a human is killed by a Silver in a very public manner (and not the first in a series of murders) the Oxford Seekers are on it. Then the London higher ups come to town and take over because they believe the murder is tied to their cases from London. Or is it? There is some shady shit going on and Jack’s team is stuck stepping in it.

Vampire detective isn’t a new thing, but who says it has to be new to be good? Jack is a great character. Brilliant at ferreting out clues and putting them together, but totally self-destructive personally. What a mess she is. And her hatred for the Oxford Baron, Killian Drake, is single-minded to the point of career suicide. Killian is a great villain, if you want to call him that. I’m not really sure at this point if he’s on anyone’s side except his own long-lived self. He’s fascinating and irritating.
There is some serious underhanded crap going on. There’s intrigue and mystery galore. There’s the whole who-can-you-trust paranoia. There’s also a murder to solve. And the icing on the cake is the personal life of Jack and how she just careens through her days and nights doing her job and making a mess of her personal life. She’s like a train wreck you can’t look away from and it’s glorious. I mean, a train wreck isn’t glorious. It’s just that Jack is a hot mess. Hell, you know what I mean. Anyway, to top it all off with a giant cherry is that ending. Holy shit. I can’t wait to grab book 2 when it comes out.



Book source ~ BBNYA
6 May 2021
Urban Fantasy | Mystery
318 Pages

My Rating ~ 4 bites and a nibble



Jack Valentine is a Seeker in Oxford. What’s a Seeker? Well, a Seeker is like an enforcer of the rules. For vampires or Silver as they are called here. Basically, a Silver police officer for other Silver. So, a Seeker’s basic job is to keep humans from discovering Silver. When a human judge is found murdered and signs point to a Silver as the murderer, Jack and her team of Seekers are brought in to solve it. Fairly simple, right? No. Oh, no. Things are about to go horribly sideways just when she’s managed to get her life nearly together.


I loved book 1, May Day so I was fairly certain I would love this one. I was correct. What a convoluted and fucked up plot and I mean that in a good way. What a ride! It’s filled with twisty political machinations, personal issues, mystery, mayhem, and surprises. Lots of action, great characters, and snappy dialogue keep the plot moving forward at a good clip. Before I knew it, I’d come to the last page. And what a page it is. WHOA! What just happened? I absolutely cannot wait for the next book to see how Jack deals with all that has transpired. Because I'm sure she’ll do her usual of getting wasted off her ass. She can be a dumbass that way. I still like her though. Do you like a good paranormal mystery filled with kickass characters? Then do not pass this up.


Josie is the author of multiple novels and short stories. Most of those are set in the Silverse, a pre- and post-apocalyptic world filled with vampires and zombies.

 

She is currently working on a range of fantasy and historical fiction projects (both adult and YA). Ultimately, she hopes to be a hybrid author, both traditionally- and self-published.

After finishing her degree in Literae Humaniores (Classics) at the University of Oxford, Josie wasn't sure what to do with her life. She slogged through a brief stint working for an investment bank in London during the 2008 credit crunch, then converted to law and qualified as a solicitor specialising in intellectual property. She worked at a law firm for five years before moving to a UK-based international publisher in 2016. Whilst she loved law, in the end she didn't love it quite as much as writing, which she now does almost full time.

Josie lives in Oxford with her husband and two cats (Sparky and Gussie), who graciously permit human cohabitation in return for regular feeding and cuddles. The resulting cat fluff makes it difficult for Josie to wear black, which is largely why she gave up being a goth. Although the cats are definitely worth it, she still misses her old wardrobe.


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BBNYA is a yearly competition where Book Bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie or small press authors. If you are an author and wish to learn more about the 2022 BBNYA competition, you can visit the official website, Twitter BBNYA, or follow this link to enter! Please make sure to carefully read our terms and conditions before entering.

If you are Book Blogger or reviewer you can apply to be part of the awesome 2022 BBNYA panel via this form. Please remember to read the terms and conditions before signing up.

BBNYA is brought to you in association with the FolioSociety (if you love beautiful books you NEED to check out their website!) and the book blogger support group TheWriteReads.


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