| Title | : | Spook Squad (PsyCop, #7) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1935540661 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781935540663 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | ebook |
| Number of Pages | : | 321 |
| Publication | : | First published August 30, 2013 |
Once Jacob surrendered his PsyCop badge, he infiltrated the Federal Psychic Monitoring Program. In his typical restrained fashion, he hasn’t been sharing much about what he actually does behind its vigilantly guarded doors. And true to form, Vic hasn’t asked. In fact, he would prefer not to think about the FPMP at all, since he’s owed Director Dreyfuss an exorcism since their private flight to PsyTrain.
While Vic has successfully avoided FPMP entanglement for several months, now his debt has finally come due.
Spook Squad (PsyCop, #7) Reviews
-
Oh my God! I don’t know who frustrates me more in this book, Vic or Lisa? 🙄 Please do us all and yourself a favor Vic! Let that b**ch goooooooo! 😤 While you are calling her your best friend and being obstinate about maintaining your relationship with her, she calls you “her friend” (that’s right, you are only A friend! Not THE best friend 🤬) and she has no regard whatsoever for you and Jacob. Oh my god! I can’t even start on how much I wanna throttle her! 😡 How can a character gets worse and worse with every book in the series? Seriously she and Dreyfuss so deserve each other and the day wouldn’t come soon enough if I never see that b**ch again in this series! 🙄 *Whewwwwww* Okay .. enough ranting. That being said, although Lisa sent me on a psychotic murderous rage and the mystery in this story was quite predictable, I find myself still enjoying this book much more than my fellow bookworms. And I have to admit that the creepiness and scariness of this book far surpasses all the previous books. The last scene gave me chills and goosebumps. The reasons this book still amused me .. although it wasn’t the best in the series, this book was essential for the change of tide in the upcoming books. This signifies how Vic has decided to walk a new path and I like it. ☺️ Second, I love the relationship between Vic and Jacob getting stronger and stronger! And kudos for that very hot smut in the middle. 🔥 (Though only Vic can think about most ridiculous things while Jacob is on his knees in front of him. I find that endearing and hilarious. 😂) I’m happy that Vic might find a new best friend soon. (Nope, I’m not going to spoil who .. you gotta find out yourself 😁) And I’m satisfied that loose ties from the previous books including the GhosTV dilemma was neatly ended in this book. It gives me a satisfying closure. Again, Gomez Pugh did an excellent excellent job of narrating the hell out of this book. 👏 I must say I’m more excited for the upcoming books in the series because my next listen will be PsyCop briefs (I’m dying to get Jacob’s PoV .. oh daddy please! 🤣😉), and Crash’s story (Well, he’s been proving his worth steadily so I’ll finally decide whether he’ll redeem himself completely or not 😏) and I’d love to see Vic and Jacob finally working together at “Agent Bayne”. That being said, I gotta end my review here because I can’t wait long enough to get delicious little treat “PsyCop briefs”. 😌
4 Jacob will protect Vic against anything stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Audio rating
Story - 3.75 stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️🌟
Narration - 5 stars⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Performance - 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Overall - 4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Disclaimer: An audio copy of this book was provided by the author for an honest and unbiased review. -
I just finished book 7 and only reviewed the first one. You know how you go down the rabbit hole and just keep reading without taking a break? Yeah, that's where I've been for the last few days. And, the journey has been awesome.
Since I'm not going to go back and review numbers 2-6, I'll just give you an idea of what this series is about and assure you that it gets better and better as it goes on.
Our hero is Victor Bayne. He's a medium who sees dead people for real. None of that "I'm getting the idea of a ghost whose name starts with the letter J. Maybe Jason, or Jack, or Jill, or Jennifer.... no? Oh, well maybe it was a G. Let me recite every G name I know until I hit upon someone you may or may not have known, heard of, or read about....." Yeah. Those shysters.
Vic is real. He uses his gift to help solve crimes and has been pretty effective at figuring out who the killer is when he can ask their ghost. He is also a pill-popper and a neurotic mess. It might have something to do with seeing all of those dead people...
He's also funny, sarcastic, and powerful.
Almost perfect.
The series has been following him around, watching him solve cases and fall in love with a hunky cop who has a few hidden talents of his own.
There are plenty of steamy scenes in between all of the ghost chasing and crime solving.
f you want something kind of different this might be the series you are looking for. Just be patient through the first couple of books. They're short, and then the writer really finds his mojo and it gets a lot better. -
**3.5 stars**
I have been thinking on this review for a few days now so it is most likely not going to be very coherent. Let me just preface what I'm about to say with the fact that this is one of my favorite series of all time. I love Vic and Jacob and they hold a very special place in my heart. To say that the build-up to this book was enormous would be an understatement. I paid full price for this book (and you guys know that I NEVER pay full price!!!).
So even though I ended up rounding to four stars in the end, this book was a bit of a let down for me. My issue boils down to the fact that this book had very, very little interaction between Jacob and Vic. They had a few scenes together but not many. I read this series, mostly because of the chemistry between the two MCs. I care first and foremost about them. I want, no I crave, to delve deeper into their relationship. This book had so little of what I was wanting.
Also, JCP writes some of the hottest sex scenes out there, so why in GOD's name did she make this book so light on the sex?? I mean, they have a few scenes where they get home and kind of just snuggle... couldn't that have lead to some nookie?? Throw us a bone here, JCP!
Overall, the plot was interesting to me and after about 35%, I was hooked, but I left the book feeling sort of disappointed. I still gave 3.5 stars, mostly out of nostalgia and partly because I still love JCP's style. I can only hope that the next installment is a 5 star read. -
Ok, so I said the last book was my fave book of the series but I’ll amend it to all the books are my faves including the ones I haven’t read! I just can’t play faves. What I loved about this book was everything came together. Didn’t see any of it coming. Surprise upon surprise. Vic and Jacob are just hot hot hot. And I got my dose of Crash...yummy. Then there’s the strong supporting cast: Con, Lisa, Laura, Bly, Zig, Rich heh heh...not to mention Dr. Chance and the rest of the spirits....sheesh what a wild ride! OMG and then the ending which is only the beginning of more more more. Wowza!
-
Jacob and Vic infiltrate the FPMP
Change was in the air, and though I'd been tempted to stay the course and cling to my paper PsyCop license out of sheer stubbornness, I could see that someone needed to step in and take care of the repeaters, and the jellyfish, and the icky, grabby, self-entitled ghosts. That someone might as well be me.
By the end of this book I was just as messed up about my hatred of the FPMP as Vic was...
What lies are we believing to be truths?
Who has been manipulating us?
How much as been assumed?
Who are the good guys?
Who are the bad guys?
In a world where murders go free when PsyCop evidence is tossed out by biased judges, whose to say who the good guys are anymore?
Victor Bayne is more morose than usual - his work as a PsyCop has become tedious and monotonous without his partner around. To make matters worse, it seems that the killers Vic works to put behind bars each day are being set loose by a system that tosses out psychic evidence on a whim. Vic communicates with the spirits of the dead victims, their tragedies stare him in the face day after day...
Jigsaw puzzles have not panned out as an after work escape...
He can't lose himself in Jacob because he's busy being a Federal Agent...
Lisa is living in a tent in their living room and is busy with a mysterious new boyfriend...
Seems like a perfect time to pay his debt to the FPMP - he made a promise to the head of the Chicago field office that he would perform an exorcism to rid the office of ghosts... More murder victims... More murderers running free...
Jacob retired from his position as a Chicago PsyCop detective and is now working the FPMP - an organization who has been tapping their phones, tracking their movements, and who Vic knows for a fact has killed people, because they've called Vic in to clean up the repeaters.
This book wasn't as emotionally rewarding as the PsyCop stories which proceeded it. It was still witty and full of ghost action, Vic was still his charmingly awkward self... But this story lacked the Vic/Jacob connection which I've really come to appreciate about the series. The romance and interaction between those characters are the true strength of this series, and I felt that a great deal of focus was shifted onto other characters.
If I didn't know better, I'd say that this book is a stepping stone - all the secondary and tertiary characters became more fleshed out in Spook Squad. It was almost as if Price was building a bridge to something with this book - at the end we had the perfect launch for a new fresh leg of the series, and the opportunity of spinoffs with several characters... But then I see that this book was published nearly two years ago and there doesn't appear to be another PsyCop in the works.
Such a shame. This book provides the perfect launch for something new for this series, and it just doesn't seem finished to me. Maybe that's because I've fallen in love with these characters and I'm greedy for more?
Who knows. I shall continue to ship Vic and Jacob and hope that one day (maybe someday soon) we'll be blessed with more of this fabulous series!
READ ALL MY REVIEWS IN THIS SERIES:
I'll update the list as additional books are published.
0.1 -
Inside Out - Read my Review
here.
1 -
Among the Living - Read my Review
here.
1.1 -
Thaw - Read my Review
here.
2 -
Criss Cross - Read my Review
here.
2.1 -
Striking Sparks - Read my Review
here.
2.2 -
Many Happy Returns - Read my Review
here.
2.3 -
Mind Reader - Read my Review
here.
3 -
Body and Soul - Read my Review
here.
3.1 -
The Stroke of Midnight - Read my Review
here.
4 -
Secrets - Read my Review
here.
5 -
Camp Hell - Read my Review
here.
6 -
GhosTV - Read my Review
here.
6.1 -
In the Dark - Read my Review
here.
7 -
Spook Squad - Read my Review
here.
-
I'm going to be part of the very few people of the minority club (when I wrote this only 2 other people gave this 3-stars). I liked it but I didn't love it. Here are my reasons:
1) I enjoy paranormal but I am not very much into science fiction. So when this book (well, starting from
GhosTV, really) starts talking about astral projection and white lights and GhosTV, it's a bit 'science-y' for me and I don't really enjoy it. I remember skimming a LOT in book #6 when they're talking about the GhosTV and the astral plane, and stuffs like so.
2) Some of the players and the main plot of finding out who kill Roger and the mystery with Jennifer Chance, as well as Jacob's job at FPMP is heavily connected with book #6. Maybe I would do better in this book if I re-read
GhosTV. But I don't and my memory sucks. So I always appreciate a little cliff notes. Since I read book #6 a couple of years ago, let's just say that I am pretty much lost throughout the book.
3) Okay, maybe #2 is my own problem, and it won't bother other readers with better memory. HOWEVER, #2 aside, I am REALLY disappointed with the lack of interaction of Vic WITH Jacob. Not just the physical but the emotional intimacy as well. This series will ALWAYS be about Vic and Jacob first for me. The other characters are nice, but shouldn't steal the spotlight.
Unfortunately, more screen times are dedicated to Lisa or Dreyfuss or Richie, heck even Laura or Agent Bly. NOT Jacob (and Vic). Jacob is pretty much on the sideline. I don't like that :(. Sure I like Laura Kim (The Fixer at FPMP) but Lisa, I can only handle her in small dosage.
I'm not amused with Lisa living with Jacob and Vic (which made the men should be careful with their sex). I'm not impressed on how she kept the real identity of his lover (duly noted, I guess early on, even before Vic, who Lisa's new beau is. So easy to guess) and refuses to help Vic and Jacob in investigating Roger's murderer. It's like she doesn't remember, Vic is in her life FIRST before her new lover.
4) I am also not very fond of the fact that it seems the FPMP is simply more superior that the Precinct. The whole thing with the bad guy being released due to evidences collected by a Psy-Cop, that the cop cannot provide what people like Vic needs, makes Vic easily questioned his worth of being a cop or not. It's too simple to tip the favor in FPMP direction :(
I can still give this one a 3-stars category though ... because when Vic is with Jacob, it's solid. It's good. The whole transferring white light back and forth is great. I also like Vic being very caring with Crash. It's just so sweet.
So there, not my favorite of the series. Hopefully if it's continued to #8, Vic and Jacob can get back front and center again. I can dismiss the whole talk about GhosTV and astral projection as long as I get enough dosage of Vic and Jacob (well, more Jacob than Vic *lol*)
PS: I guess the real murderer and how it happens () right before Vic makes the conclusion. Go Ami! -
5 star for the audio
2 stars for the story
It's me and not the book!! Will just be over here soaking in shame!
Oi! This was such a letdown. Honestly if it wasn't for Gomez’s narration, this would have been a dnf.
I found this book 60% of this book very boring. The writing was amazing , but this one had too much information.
What I Liked
-Vic as usual and him being his sarcastic charming self.
-Vic and Jacob as a couple, they have an amazing chemistry and are hot together.
-The writing was good too.
What I didn’t Like
-LISA!! Ugh! She is the most annoying, infuriating character ever. And her dating Dreyfus?? That was so far-fetched and unbelievable. What was with her camping in Vic’s living? Agrrrhhh! I want her to disappear.
-The mystery, Oh! lord! it was a mystery within a mystery within a mystery, at some point I got lost.
-The story is no longer paranormal, it has ventured into Sci-Fi territory.
My Major Dislike
MINI RANT!
-This book is about Vic and Jacob, and these two were not given page time. There is only one sex scene, one freaking sex scene!!!! I wanted to scream at this !! I mean Lisa and Dreyfus spent more time together than Vic and Jacob. I was ok with book 6 having one sex scene because at least we had Vic and Jacob spending precious moments together.
Overall I will give this 2.5 stars rounded up. It was one hell of a disappointment. I need a book with very hot sex scenes next. -
Review written June 1, 2016
3 1/2 Stars - A good enough series closure
Book #7
A unbelievable year-long reading story... - June 2015: Started reading the e-book a year ago (a BR), took a short brake (at 33%) and time went. - May 2016: Added (just $2) the newly published 12 hours WSfV audiobook narrated by
Gomez Pugh. In my earbuds these last days.
Another journey with this incomparably wacky Chicago friends. — Honestly in my opinion not the very best part. It felt too longish at times, I was even kind of bored and didn't manage to pay full attention all these 12 hours. Nevertheless, a good enough read when you're a PsyCop admirer.
**********************************************
The PsyCop, Victor Bayne and his sexy lover, Detective Jacob Marks (..or: “Mister Tall, Dark and Infuriating”) are the two always returning main characters. They started quite surprising a steaming hot relationship from the very first page in the first book. A few years later, many adventures and ghost hunts and these two are lovely steady partners as well as former detective colleagues and are by now living together in an old cannery. — Homely, safe and a romantic sweet secure relationship. Love these men.
Snowy November winter in Chicago..
‘That look promised to take me and use me and make me beg for mercy… then leave me wrung out and hung up to dry. He slipped through the door, and the devastating look was gone.’
New and quite surprising (we got a hint in #6) in this seventh book is that Jacob has started working as an federal agent for FPMP (Federal Psychic Monitoring Program). Our dear Vic, still a PsyCop police has some "free" days when his work partner is on leave, and he wants to solve some still unsolved 'spook problems' in the FPMP office. Being there means much more meetings with the mysterious odd FPMP boss Con Dreyfuss. There are also Vics old teen school "friend"Richie... a pretty stressful nerdy ghost destroyer.
... New odd situations, new crazy hilarious Vic thoughts, new lovebirds, old acquaintances, creepy ghosts and some sweet Vic & Jacob home scenes.
***********************************************
These
PsyCop books turned out to be just better and better for every part. Sorry to say but this seventh Spook Squad is perhaps an exception to the rule. There are much to love even in this last part and we get many clues and questions answered here but I never "felt it" this time. It wasn't as fun or smexy sexy or touching sweet or fresh exciting. — Yeah, it's maybe me and my feelings. You might love it.
(Reviews for previous parts: )
The question we all want the answer for is if this number 7 (Spook Squad published August 2013) really is the last installment? Or will there be more to come? I'm hopeful and if, when or then, I will be there for more enjoying reading time with all these lovely and quite unique —both crazy unforgettable and very interesting— characters. Anyway, this (maybe?) last fullenghtfull novel ended well and safe. I like the place we left them in.
Forever my big sincere love to dear Vic, his yummy hubby, his lovely best buddies and them all in this intriguing PsyCop world.
Jordan Castillo Price gave us a GREAT adventurous spooky series here.
***********************************************
I LIKE - even less good parts when written by JCP
****
This started as a
Buddyread with Sofia and Are (RA) aka my dear "PsyCop Swooning Ladies", a year ago. Then RL disturbed. — Sorry Ladies! -
CAUTION: spoilers, rant
Man, what a disappointment. I pray to Cthulhu this is not the last book of the
Psycop series because it would be a GIANT disappointment. GIANT. “Throwing the book across the room” giant. It took me a few books into the series before I finally liked one enough where I could firmly rate it 3-stars without waffling between 2-stars and 3-stars and get a streak of solid good books running. That fun ride sure ended quickly because book 7 put me back to waffling with the rating. Correction: there wasn’t even waffling so it was worse. Did I mention Spook Squad is book 7? I don’t expect every book of the series to hit the mark, but once you hit book 3 of a long series, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect a minimum of... Well, I don’t know what the right word to use here so I’m going to say “quality” ill-fitted as it is. Maybe “entertainment”? You get the idea.
Things I Didn’t Like
The biggest problem I had with book 7 was the pacing. It was slow as a snail. The speed did not pick up till the last third of the book, and even then, yikes. There was just no hiding the problem that the plot MEANDERED. I knew Victor paying his debt to FPMP with an exorcism wasn’t going to be a simple task, obviously. However, the way the plot tried to make the matter a complicated task was strained and convoluted. I love head games but the head games between Dreyfuss and Vic in book 7 were inane and unbelievably dull.
Now, I wouldn’t have minded the plot much if there were “good” interactions between Victor and Jacob. By good, I mean scenes with relationship development, emotional connections, and maybe a few physical connections to satisfy my smut cravings. Intimacy, essentially. There was barely any intimacy in the book. The mm-romance aspect was halfway to nonexistent much, much to my dismay. There was one romance scene, a pretty lengthy sex scene to boot (woot!), but it was token.
My goodness, Vic and Jacob didn’t even have the talk about why Jacob joined the FPMP. Considering book 6 ended on that plot twist, I would have thought book 7 would begin with the talk. Instead, what I read was Jacob having the talk with Carolyn, his ex-police partner. She appeared in the beginning and disappeared after a couple chapters, never to be seen again for the rest of the book. What the hell? There was no resolution with Carolyn whatsoever and it bugged me.
What bugged me Ten Times More was Vic. Dude fucking regressed a handful steps back to his junkie ways, trying to score pills off of Dreyfuss. Uh, I thought we were fucking past that. Apparently, not. *facedesk* I know drug addiction is a life-long battle, but ugh. This was just... I can’t... Stupid! It’s book fucking 7. S-E-V-E-N. I wanted to smack Vic on the back of his head for not taking Dreyfuss up on his offer to recieve alternative medicine that would come with no string and no cost to Victor except only his time and patience. Aaack. Damn you, Victor. I know, I know. Flawed protagonist and all that shit. But this was some maddening shit.
SPOILERS AHEAD.
Lisa and Dreyfuss dating, WHAT THE FUCK? Then at the end they got engaged? What?!!! Contrived doesn’t even begin to describe this shit. What the hell was Lisa thinking? Oh right, she wasn’t thinking. Woman was camping out in Vic and Jacob’s living room in a fucking tent like some hobo, I kid you not. Suffice to say, I was very disappointed in Victor and Jacob for not doing enough by Lisa. Not to say they didn’t try to help Lisa (they did), but they could have done way more in my opinion. Woman needed a fucking intervention!
Runner up on the list of issues I had with Vic, second place to his junkie ways, was his gross insensitivity towards Richie. I was astounded and irritated how Victor did not know Richie had a developmental disability till now in book 7. How oblivious can he be? And this a fucking detective character and a character who have known Richie since teenage-hood back in their Camp Hell years, my goodness. All this time Vic just thought Richie had a horrible odd personality? *facedesk* Casual ableism: NO.
Speaking about Richie, what was up with him quitting FPMP at the end of the book? The portrayal of FPMP led me to believe no one could actually quit, especially psychics because the agency needs all the psychics they could get, especially those like Richie who have some exorcist capabilities even if it’s mostly just BS. Beside, how would Richie support himself? Because it was not as if he could do anything else. Why am I the only one who seem to give an actual fuck about Richie? FFS.
To replace Richie, Vic joined the FPMP after so much hate for the agency. *raise hands* I give up.
Things I Did Like
I did like how there was little of Crash in book 7. I loathe the character.
I liked Dreyfuss’s character development. Nice to see dude wasn’t all that bad and that the FPMP wasn’t this evil secret government agency who disappeared people as I was half-led to believe. Not say they don’t do such things, but it’s never a matter of black and white.
In Conclusion
I rate Spook Squad 2-stars for it was okay. Book 7 is undoubtedly one of the worst books in the PsyCop series. Despite the rantiness of my review, I was mostly bored with the book, believe it or not. Each issue I had with the book by itself wasn’t bad enough to make me mad. At the very most, I was irritated. However, when put together to write my review, that’s when I got mad.
The short version of it: book 7 was boring and bullshitty.
*Buddy-read with
Dlee. -
4.5 stars – I’ll be honest and say I don’t know if I can review this book or any Psycop book objectively after reading book 1
Among the Living. (Especially after the year and half of waiting since I read #6
GhosTV.) Settling into #7 Spook Squad was like finally getting a chance to revisit a crazy, hilarious friend who you adore, even though he’s a little nutty, self-centered, oblivious, and begrudgingly optimistic about the world (once he gets over his trust issues.)
It’s was such a *treat* to be back in Vic’s head and ride along with his narrative, that it’s easy for me to thoroughly enjoy myself and love the experience of the work. Everyone is back (although not much Crash or Zig), but Vic & Jacob are back, and still super-solid, which was nice since at the end of book 6, you didn’t know how Jacob’s decision to join “the dark side” would affect their relationship.
What I loved: I find JCP’s writing, especially Vic’s voice, incredibly breezy and effortless, like you are really traveling along in Vic’s head. There are a lot of throwaway details and references that flash (and even a super-fast reference to the climax of book 1) that feel like little rewards to the reader as you figure it out (“Oh yeah, that’s that thing from the past book!”) but at the same time, it felt very natural, like Vic was connecting all his experiences in his head as he pushed forward on figuring out who are the ghosts that are hanging around FPMP.
There’s some good Vic & Jacob time, although less so than book 6 (and way less sexy time than book 5
Camp Hell.) Their scenes together are still the tops though, and it’s so great to see how much Vic trusts Jacob and how solid their relationship is. They’re definitely one of my favorite m/m couples and their lack-of-drama relationship is incredibly refreshing. (I wouldn't have minded more V&J time though--I'm greedy and I lurve them together.)
Probably my main issue is that I felt the pacing slow down in the middle of the book as Vic explored different mysteries, like who the repeating ghosts were in the FPMP, where the ghost of Dr. Chance is, and the whereabouts of a missing Psycop. I wouldn’t have minded some more heightened tension in this section somewhere to spark up the pace.
That, and even though some big things happen in this one, it somehow felt less big compared to the revelations and power-ups that come out of book 5 and book 6. But Vic still takes a big step (by his own will), and it will be interesting to see how things go.
It’s neat to see the trajectory of his character, from someone on the fringes, barely “awake” to the living world, to then slowly shift and become someone with attachments, intimacy, love, friends, trust, an understanding of talent and a new purpose to use it, an understanding of others and the willingness to connect to them (and care for them.)
I don’t know where the next installment will go, but I’m definitely looking forward to where Vic and Jacob go next. (Now the wait until book 8 begins...) -
This book could be subtitled "Changes." Although the whole PsyCop series has been about Vic's journey through the complexity of his life, this one more than the others heralds some sea changes in Vic, both in internal growth and in his relationships with friends and enemies. I very much enjoyed the plot and watching Vic become more than he has been, although a little corner of me missed the anxious mess that I'd wanted to hug in past installments.
**This review may contain untagged spoilers for previous books in the series.
I reread the whole series, going into this book. They are addictive, and follow so closely one on the other that they shape an ongoing narrative without real breaks. That doesn't mean they have cliffhangers, but the "for now" part of the HFN endings has a very short time frame, although by this point the concern is not the romantic relationship between Vic and Jacob, but whether they will survive the next plot events intact. I was glad I'd done the reread, and would encourage at least a skim of
GhosTV if it's been a while, to get up to speed on all the characters and events.
In Spook Squad, we see Vic and Jacob rock solid in their relationship. The inferiority complex that in the past made Vic insecure, wondering whether Jacob will stay with him, is gone. The out-of-body experience in GhosTV where he found out that Jacob had his own similar insecurities no doubt helped. Plus Vic, while still neurotic and anxious, is much more secure in his own abilities and even in his own body. This puts a small shift into the romance relationship part of this book. The love is solid, the sex (although more rare in this one) is hot. But all the angst comes from facing the outside world and worrying about each other. And even that is slightly muted, as Jacob's own abilities are better known, and they begin to work together. I did miss the edge of desperate protectiveness from Jacob, although this is a more mature relationship now. There were some very sweet moments of caring between them, but the focus shifted off the relationship just a bit more than in the past.
The plot was interesting, and kept me guessing for quite a while. Vic's world has become wider, including more people, more friends and colleagues and enemies. His ability to be social, and even sometimes to empathize, is improving. His background issues, from childhood, Camp Hell, and ongoing paranormal exposures, are still there in the background, but limit him less.
A couple of threads nagged at me a bit.
All in all, another excellent installment in a series that is imaginative, unexpected, with a hot, loving and growing relationship at its heart. So.... when's the next one :) -
I have conflicting emotions about this latest book featuring our favorite psycop Victor Bayne. Once again he steps up to the plate and performs beautifully when push comes to shove. His inherent goodness and resolve shine through despite his insecurities, making me like him more and more. But I also found said insecurities to be extremely frustrating and at times, such a hindrance! Secrets abound causing paranoia and distrust where one step forward results in three steps back.
Be assured that Vic and Jacob continue to be one hot item (more please). Their relationship - both personal and professional - grow to new heights as they discover they're literally made for each other in unexpected ways than either imagined.
This was basically about trust. Who to trust? When to trust? Vic wants answers, needs answers. How far will he go to get the truth? How much does he reveal of himself as he continues to evolve and acquire new psychic powers? I'm reassured that this isn't the last book in the series, especially as Vic's eyes are opened to a whole new world where he can do the most good. He finally finds a purpose and I'm very eager to see how the next chapter in his life unfolds, hoping this new change brings forth more confidence, initiative and Jacob time.
Thanks again to Sofia and Ingela for letting me tag along! -
5th re-read October 2023
_____________
Still one of the best series I've ever read. -
I was hoping to tell you how wowed I am right now.
I was expecting this to be the best one yet.
I was planning on gushing about how I was blown away.
Alas, I cannot.
No, wait…don’t get me wrong, Spook Squad was good, actually it was great.
I was like a rabid reader, growling at anyone that came near my kindle.
But, I have some niggles that didn’t sit well with me.
Can I complain for a minute?
I absolutely adore Vic, always have and always will. He ranks near the top of my all-time-fave list and he holds one of my precious and few gold stars, but unfortunately his star just lost some of its luster.
His pill popping is nothing new, and I’ve always understood why and gave him a pass because of everything he endures. However, this time around his drug dependency was a bit too heavy for me.
When he was bartering for pills, begging for pills and splitting pills while practically licking the powder from his fingers…well, frankly it was a turn off.
Let me tell you why...
When Jacob came into his life, he provided him with this ‘Jacob peace’ and relief that calmed him unlike his little red pills were capable of. So why was he back to numbing his mind and body when his own personal sexy hunk of safe haven was right next to him? I felt disheartened and discouraged even after he refused his last ‘payment’.
Which leads me to my next grumble….where was this sexy hunk ofminea man? Jacob had very little page time and this was not okay with me. Vic is most definitely the star of the show, but but so is Jacob.
It’s them together that create the sparks that fly. The fire I am addicted to was lacking oxygen and part of source dousing the flames was Lisa.
Lisa was like a cute new pair of shoes. In the beginning, I liked her well enough and in small doses she was fine. But then the slight irritation from rubbing me the wrong way turned into blistering pain. Before long, I just wanted to fling her across the room. I struggle to understand when they became so close that becoming roommates was a normal or even desired. They were briefly partners and then she was whisked away before she was kidnapped. Did I miss something?
That was more than a minute, wasn't it?
Pushing all of this aside...
the story was impressive.
Seriously, pieces clicked together, the action was intense and the obvious set up for MORE (yay!!) was exciting. The FPMP made me twitchy and Dreyfess had more than one surprise up his sleeve. Crash has something brewing and I'll admit I am tremendously curious to see what evolves. The psychic twists were fun, especially the new connection between Vic and Jacob.
The forehead caresses melted me every time. The snippets of passion were absolutely scorching, just not enough.
I have a feeling their future is about to get freakier, and my only hope is that we see more of the hunger and burn that brought them together.
*4 barely-bewitching-battling stars*
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Relisten: Jan 2022: FABULOUS!
Original review 2018:
Well, DAMN!!! this series just keeps getting better and better! I thought
GhosTV was my favorite, but no. JCP hit it out of the park with this one!! Vic is seriously coming into his own as a serious bad-ass medium!! -
Reread review 2022:
Still one of my favorites for this series. Vic finds a place where he can fit in and watching him allow more people into his circle - even though he still doesn't tell them everything - is rewarding. Plus that ending is still a nail biter.
Original review:
I adore this series. I love how each book adds more layers to this world and these characters, and how strong the relationship is between Vic and Jacob. This book turns everything upside down and ramps up the stakes and brings all the various relationships and interactions to a whole new level. I'm especially impressed that the author manages to stay away from all the normal clichéd pitfalls you'd expect to crop up in this book after the way the last one ended. This series just keeps getting better and better. Can't wait for the next. -
4.5
"I didn't ask, since I knew full well that bailing out my dealer was a profoundly stupid idea."
How depressing the best book is the series is the last.
A shame not to see any more of these characters and the stunning world-building, unless the author decides to revisit, but she did end up most of the story-lines satisfactorily.
The main focus of the series has been the main character, Victor. That may sound like an obvious, duh statement, but actually not really. Most Urban Fantasy series have an overlying main goal about the world or a situation, but with Victor - while he has to solve individual cases and decide who to align with - the series is all about him evolving from his haunting past and finally seeking self-growth in the end. Most series have that as a side story online, not as the main purpose of the books joined together.
I've seen some reviews complain about the lack of steamy scenes between Jacob and Vic in this book and the last few, but this doesn't personally bother me. There were so many of those scenes in the first few books that I kind of overdosed on them anyway. I sense the close bonds of the pair without needing the book to be so erotically heavy.
As for the final changes in the end, I was a little less than happy. I'm glad Vic made a change with work but I wasn't happy a certain main character was leaving. I wanted him to personally stay there and didn't care for that change. Actually it meant two mains were leaving, which was sad. I hate goodbyes.
The storyline wasn't the strongest of the series but it was still rocking, but it went out there a bit. I'm a paranormal and fantasy fan but once you get into dimensions and science-fiction tropes, you have to be careful it stays interesting instead of overly ambitious. If it gets too technical I can get bored, and skim, which has happened a few times in the series and this book.
I still love the author's writing style. She's always been good but I've seen a progression over the books to where she's improving. The humor and quirkiness from every day life was appreciated and will be missed.
Overall a great book to finish the series - but I'm crossing my fingers it won't be the last afterall. -
This whole book could be summarized in this quote:
'Something you believe to be true is revealed as false.'
To be precise, it is most, not something.
Jacob is an Agent of FPMP now trying to investigate them at the same time. Vic is his usual paranoid self, Crash only makes an appearance twice and it's so brief that even I, who needed a good push to like him (only because I am not a fan of a third wheel trope and at first there was a danger of that), felt it. But as the note in the end of the books says, any more Crash would mess up the story.
Most of the issues are wrapped up here and the quote above is more than suitable for the whole story.
What I appreciate the most if that the author doesn't create drama for drama's sake. Spook Squad and the previous books don't have any relationship problems because the focus is on the mystery. It is refreshing this far in the series that trust is never an issue. I could enjoy Vic's paranoia and inner monologue and the process of getting to the truth without being distracted. -
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Though I love Vic & Jacob and I’d happily listen to Gomez Pugh recite the alphabet, this was not my favorite.
Vic is always funny to me, I love him. I love the way he’s changing and growing over time. He’s still paranoid *with good reason*, snarky, impatient and a bit anti-social *LOL*. But he also likes *some* people now and there are others that he cares about besides Jacob.
And unless Jacob suddenly has a complete personality change, I’ll always love him. ❤️
But this book didn’t keep my attention like all the previous ones because Vic & Jacob were hardly together at all in the story, despite the fact that they live together and were working on a case together. Vic spent more time with all the other characters than Jacob and that’s my main attraction to this series. Besides Victor Bayne’s tangled, neurotic, lovable self.
Don’t get me wrong, I always enjoy the psychic investigations and at times these stories can keep me on the edge of my seat. However, this time it felt like there were too many issues going on at once, though they did all tie together.
The excellent writing, characters I love and amazing narration made this an entertaining listen nonetheless. -
Reread 16/03/2022
I’m a little bit embarrassed at the level of fangirling I did in my original review, but at the same time it made me smile and feel nostalgic for the old times when it still felt easy to throw a 5-star rating at a book.
So, no, the book isn’t really perfect, even though it comes close, I can find very little to complain about. I don’t buy how , but I remember why I was so enthusiastic about this book when I first read it. There are a lot of surprises here, plot-wise and about Vic’s growth as a character. Also, this is the first book in which Vic has stopped showing . I bet that had something to do with my original rating.
And then of course there’s the fact that Vic and Jacob are always great, that hasn’t changed.
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First read 26/10/2017
This series is amazing. If there was anything to criticize, I might be able to write down something meaningful, but no, nothing. It’s perfect.
And it’s also over (for now). So glad I kept the short stories for last, perhaps they’ll be enough to keep at bay the gigantic book hangover I feel coming. -
EDIT: (spoilers)
I really enjoyed this book. It was fun, neato, and overall, a PsyCop book. You know what I mean.
I think I want to give this one... 3.75 stars and only because of my own personal bias. It's still a good rating and the writing, as always, is fantastic, but I found myself a tad bored at some points. The actual story was great... tied in old characters, newer characters, and a believable villain.
I can't stand Lisa. I want to punch her in her big, dumb head. Spontaneous wedding? You dumby.
Where's Crash? I need more Crash. I think that's why I was bored sometimes reading this.. I love Crash so dearly and there wasn't enough of him for my tastes.
Vic and Jacob.. they... are like an old married couple. And old married couples are great! But I'd love to add some more excitement to their relationship. They're just dry toast.
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AWWWW YEAAHHHHHHH!
This book comes out a week after my birthday and I'm honestly more excited for this book.
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3.5 rounded up...
It’s hard to admit, because I’m a big fan of this series, but… I found the first half of this book so BORING I had to pause multiple times. 🙈
The mystery barely even held my attention, it was too damn convoluted and my frequent breaks didn’t help any. I kept reading because I love the guys, and I unexpectedly came to like some new characters, but some things really pissed me off. The worst of all was Lisa; she was so distant here, despite Vic trying so hard to be her best friend — hello, installing a freaking tent in their living room and inviting her to stay indefinitely? I think this avoidance started in book 6, and it’s totally unreasonable. Also, I didn’t give a rat’s ass about her love life, and honestly, I found it completely ridiculous. -
So happy this is smacking us up in the face and we are not waiting months for the release after the announcement! SO SO SO SO SO happy. This is just.....ahhhhhhhhh
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3.5 Stars
***spoilers ahead***
This kills me ...just KILLS me to say it!
*whispers* This was my least favorite book of the whole series. *dies*
And I don't want to have a least favorite! Dammit!
They should all be awesome because it's Vic doing the telling and because Vic is the BEST and because it's, well ...it's Vic!!!
And no, I didn't not love it because there was only a token of smexy time. There just wasn't enough interaction between my boys at all. I miss them so hard, even when I finished it my heart ached because I missed them so bad! I know that they have reached this mutual understanding/care/need/want but I can't get by on communication via micro-expressions alone. I want, no NEED more than that!
Vic's (and this kills me dead, again) continued paranoia over FPMP and Dreyfuss got old really fast. Surely if we had it figured by the end of the last book he would have sussed it out earlier than he did?
The investigation (which was basically tying up some loose ends) was too drawn out and dare I say *dies again* ... boring. I'm sorry, I'm sorry but it was and it was also predictable okay. It's not that exciting when you know what's going to happen before it does.
I hated that Lisa was STILL living with MY boys. No wonder they couldn't have any sexy time with a great big blue tent in the room.Gah!
The whole Lisa and Dreyfuss thing was a given but where I thought Dreyfuss was previously a pretty groovy dude I now think he's a bit of a wet drip *shrugs*.
I missed Crash too. He was in it but he ...wasn't you know? I missed the flirty come hither Crash, I missed the chemistry that surrounds him and Vic. Naughty me I know, but flirting is fun and I loved to watch Vic squirm under the pressure :)
You know what was great? Richie! I had multiple laugh out loud moments when Vic speaks about Richie or when Richie is even in the room. Oh boy that man made me laugh so hard!
And then he made me want to cry.
No, Richie was the star in this book, as ever a disastar but still a star! Bless him :)
I don't know about you guys but this feels like it's all winding down. Threads are being tied up, Vic is becoming more comfortable being Vic and it all just feels like it's changing. I don't want it to change I want Vic to be Vic forever and ever!
I still really liked this one. OF COURSE I DID! But it wasn't the best. -
Overall book rating: 4.25
Audio Book: N/A
Book Cover: 3
This was one of my favourite ones yet.
We had MORE of Jacob and Vic (Although it’s becoming clear to me that JCP is NOT heavy on in depth relationship writing – so I’m making my peace with that)
Vic is FINNALY getting his game on!
But don’t get overly excited because he is still VIC, and THAT is why we love him. I’ve learned to appreciate him for who and what he is. Vic is an almost 40 year old with so many walls he’s a human counterpart of Fort Knox. Watching him grow and explore is fascinating.
Everyone that is anyone has issues in this one, and nobody trusts anybody. Witch surprisingly leads to a grudging (on some parts) understanding and newfound ‘respect’.
I still don’t LOVE Lisa – there will be no skin of back if she doesn’t make another appearance in the future. I don’t really know what went wrong, but I liked her in the beginning and then.. I don’t know. She just blended in with the furniture and I wanted to remodel? LOL
There is very little about Crash in this one, but I have to admit he had me worried and sad for him there. I can’t decide if I want to know more about him or if he’s just following dear old Lisa in my book? I guess we’ll see in the next instalment seeing as we get a whole whopping book about the guy.
Of course I loved dear Agent Dreyfuss in this one once again.
BUT...I’M NOT HAPPY WITH THE PROCEDINGS IN THE END AT ALL. Everyone is just getting their shit together and now this? Just think about what Vic and Agent Dreyfuss can do together and he is one of the most interesting characters in the series!
On the one hand I'm happily skipping along because I really enjoyed this, on the other hand.. why take such a strong interesting character away from the story line? No. No I am profusely sad and unhappy about that. -
For those who have read up to this point, and have enjoyed the series thus far, there really isn't that much to say. Victor is still Victor. Jacob is still sex personified. You get some Lisa action (and boy, does it get interesting for her!). There isn't much for Crash and Zigler in this addition to the series (also Carolyn only has one scene), but other secondary characters are brought into the PsyCop world and are more likely to have a permanent role as this series continues.
What I did find new is this exploration of Vic's role as trying to be a good friend to both Lisa and Crash. While Lisa and Crash are both established friends of Victor, I feel like Spook Squad does some more digging into Victor's (messed up, but loveable) brain as he tries to figure out how all this caring/being a good friend really works - or at least, more so than previous books.
While Jacob and Victor were together a good portion of the time, it seemed like there was less scenes of intimacy between the characters (less sex makes this reader kind of sad...). However, the book does explore more of their psychic dynamics and how to work with one another - which was interesting, to say the least.
In terms of plot, there's a lot of investigating and figuring things out. The book started out interesting, but by the middle, it got kind of stagnant: lots of investigating and looking for evidence and not finding any. Victor doesn't use his medium abilities a lot during this time (it was concentrated towards the beginning and a lot during the last third of the book). However, the plot begins to pick back up about 60-70%, and the investigation actually heads somewhere.
By the time I was approaching the end, I didn't know what to think. I mean, we are at book 7 of this series - are we approaching THE END? Is this series losing it's spark?
My opinion by the end was that this is only the beginning. And like Victor anticipating some (butt) loving from Jacob, I am absolutely ready for what's to come! -
Wow, this was intense. Vic's bonds of friendship and his belief in himself got severely tested. I loved the first row seat into FPMP inside workings, its secret doors and those who guard them. I was right to like Dreyfuss. He is a complex man with so many hidden traits that he only shows few people he trusts, and in the end Jacob and Vic are among them. The book has a steady tempo with spikes of paranormal, passion, sweet romance and sarcastic humor courtesy of Victor Bayne. I enjoyed it from start to finish.
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This was a bit of a disapointment for me. I was surprised because I loved all the previous books in this series.
What I didn't like:
- It was slow paced, especially in the middle
- There was very little interaction beteen Vic and Jacob
- There was too much science-y stuff
- Lisa and Dreyfuss
- Only one sex scene. Ms. Castillo-Price writes great sex scenes. I missed them. A lot.
What I liked:
- A lot of loose ends from previous books were tied up nicely in this one
- Vic's concern for Crash
- Crash was in it..he's always in it, but I love him, so that always makes me happy!!
- Learning about Richie's It explained a lot about his obnoxious behavior.
Overall it's not a terrible book by any means, it's just not my favorite book in the series.
