| Title | : | Witch Hunt (Preternatural Affairs, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 234 |
| Publication | : | First published January 31, 2014 |
There are scratches on Cèsar Hawke’s arms, a discharged Glock on his coffee table, and a dead woman in his bathtub. Yeah, maybe he brought the waitress home for some fun — he was too drunk to remember it — but he knows for a fact that he didn’t kill her. He’s an agent with the Office of Preternatural Affairs. He doesn’t hurt people. He saves them.
The cops disagree. Now Cèsar is running.
The search for a shaman.
Isobel Stonecrow speaks with the dead…for the right price. She brings closure to the bereaved and heals broken hearts. But when she resurrects someone for the wrong client, she ends up on the OPA’s most wanted list.
One risky solution.
Tracking down Isobel is the last case assigned to Cèsar before he bolts. If he finds her, he can prove that he didn’t kill that waitress. He can clear his name, get his job back, and bring justice to the victim.
She’s just one witch. Cèsar has bagged a dozen witches before.
How hard can one more be?
Witch Hunt (Preternatural Affairs, #1) Reviews
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Maybe I'm missing something, no scratch that, I am definitely missing something, because this book just didn't do anything for me. Despite the cool Firefly reference. My friends seemed to enjoy it and yet I found myself unimpressed. The world as well as the main hero felt a little flat. Desert Eagle was certainly wasted on Cesar Hawke. Oh well, maybe it will prove useful in the future. Good luck on your journey, Cesar.
Over and out -
Actual rating: 3.5
Well this was surprisingly enjoyable! After a string of bad reads I had sworn off of Amazon freebies and I really don’t know what convinced to download Witch Hunt. Whatever the reason, I’m glad I did since it was a fun, quick, entertaining read.
It’s definitely light reading material but the book is action-packed and fast-paced. It’s a mix of mystery and fantasy with witches, demons, secret government agencies… The world-building isn’t terribly original but it is still interesting enough. The mystery was well-crafted and I more or less found myself suspecting every single character in the book.
Talking about characters, it is true that they could be better developed but it doesn’t mean they aren’t likeable. Actually, it’s been a long time since I read a fantasy novel with a male lead so it was quite a refreshing experience. Cèsar (strange accentuation, I would have written it César, but I guess that’s the author’s choice) is quite the alpha male in some ways but he isn’t that patronizing and can be quite amusing at times. I like Isobel, Suzy, Domingo… Most of the characters really, which makes me want to read more about them.
Off to read the next instalment in this series!
· Book 2:
Silver Bullet ★★★
· Book 3:
Hotter than Helltown ★★★★
· Book 4:
Shadow Burns ★★★★★
· Book 5:
Deadly Wrong ★★★★
· Book 6:
Ashes and Arsenic ★★★★
· Book 7:
Once Darkness Falls ★★★★★
· Book 8:
Bitter Thirst ★★ -
2.5 STARS
It was OK. Cesar works for a paranormal policing agency. He wakes up and finds his apartment a wreck and a dead girl in his bathtub. He can't remember a thing from the previous night. He escapes police custody and goes on his own investigation to find out what happened. Nothing really had me gripping the edge of my seat or laughing out loud. The book felt more like a setup for the rest of the series. Maybe the next book is better. Ihave toget to read book #2 because I got it off NG last year when I joined.
I haven't read Kate Daniels series by IA, but from all the quotes I see in my feed, it sounds like this series is the not so polished or witty brother brainchild. -
I frickin' loved this book, and it was completely unexpected. For fans of Dresden and Urban Fantasy, this fast-paced book will get the job done. :)
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2,5Stars
Witch Hunt reminded me of a mix of Man in Black (add witches instead of aliens) and Miami Vice (plus paranomal bits) set in LA.
To be honest I kinda wish I would have liked this better. Because if this would have been a movie- I probably would have loved it.
This is your paranormal mystery action flick. Totally my way to wind-down in front of the screen.
I probably would have liked this better as an audio book as well. Assuming obviously the narrator did a good job.
But reading it myself... nah, kinda didn't work for me.
The plot is good fun. Lots of action, mystery - it's non-stop really and had me guessing and working out things.
The world building is also quite well done. Clever paranormal mystery- not anything amazingly new. But really fun.
The writing style was a bit to simple for me at times but also ok
So why did this not work for me? Honestly I didn't care much for Cesar. I mean the character building was done, ok. He is your typical male action dude- down to the corny jokes. And even the support cast was ok, kinda been there done that charachterwise. But Reine did a decent job at this. I just didn't enjoy reading this from Cesar's POV, I found his humor not particularly funny and in general wasn't able to connect with him.
This is in the end just a taste thing. Which is one of those odd things. In theory this should have worked for me, but it just didn't.
I don't think I will be reading the next book of the series, I might try it as an audiobook if that ever happens. I will also read another book of Reine in the future.
And I definitely will go watch the movie... -
Well, this has been on my "currently reading" shelf for a while, that's because I've read 3 of these back to beak. Probably time I said something about them.
This is the introduction to our protagonist Cèsar Hawke and a secret government agency that looks into, well preternatural "stuff". Hawke is a 3rd level witch (in this world the word 'witch" can apply equally to male and female practitioners of magic). He works in what might be called the Magical Violations Department, what might be called the "misuse of magic" department (as opposed to the "misuse of magical artifacts department" that may be a specifically British department). He does things like run down witches who are scamming or otherwise defrauding or robbing the public/non-magical community. He doesn't do violent crime...and he most definitely doesn't do dead bodies...until one turns up in his bathroom.
You see he and his partner (Suzy) had cleared a big case and were celebrating, and Cesar isn't a drinker. He wakes up feeling good..noticing his handcuffs hanging on the headboard and decides he must have had a good night...especially when he notes the scratches on his arm. Then he finds his apartment wrecked and a 9mm auto on his coffee table he doesn't recognize...
Then he notes the dark squishy stain on the carpet outside his bathroom door... Oh and at the end of the blood trail across his bathroom floor from said stain the body of the hot, beautiful waitress he'd been hitting on the night before.
Not good.
This isn't a new plot of course. The protagonist wakes to find a body in his apartment. The either doesn't know the person, doesn't know how they got there or has no memory of how they got there. So he sets out to prove his innocence, o5r at least his "not guilty-ness". That's what we have here bit with the addition of the "preternatural", supernatural or urban fantasy element.
I like this book. With no spoilers I'll say that it's a well put together plot. I felt I got to know Hawke and a few other of the characters (some reviewers came away not feeling that way). By the time the story is over you've got a pretty good idea of who he is and what's going on on the world.
Also, this isn't a PNR (ParaNormal Romance, though in this case that might have been a "PreterNatural Romance). There is some innuendo and a little suggestion of attraction but no overwhelming romance to strangle the plot.
So, I like it. There is one little thing I thought was a bit silly, I suppose it was included for "flavor" though for all i know the writer may have some plan for it later. -
Cèsar Hawke is a witch with the Office of Preternatural Affairs, a special agent in the division whose job is to get warrants, perform arrests, put the suspects on trial, and send guilty parties back to the Hell from whence they came with the travel forms filled out in triplicate. Which is pretty funny, seeing as strong magic makes him sneeze. But hey, it’s a job, right?
But now, things have gone off all cockamamie – and Cèsar is now on the wrong end of the proverbial stick. He has found the body of his favorite waitress from The Olive Pit, his favorite bar, dead in his bathroom. He is the only suspect. And the OPA is more than willing to let him swing.
Escaping from ‘mundane’ jail is easy. Finding out who really killed Erin, the waitress, is much less so. And finding out why those who should have his back, his partners in the OPA, actually don’t is even more confusing. Hell of a night, huh?
Cèsar has no memory of what happened that night, but he does know that the gun on his coffee table isn’t his. And trying to prove his innocence is going to be terribly hard without his memory, and with the police arm of the OPA, The Union, hot on his heels with things like huge guns and graves in the desert on their ‘must do’ list.
In order to find out what happened that night, and to prove his innocence, Cèsar must find Isobel Stonecrow, a purported necrocognative, in order to raise the shadow of Erin. Only by doing so can he find out what really happened that night. And finding Stonecrow isn’t going to be easy. But then, finding out why The Union is out to kill him isn’t all that easy either.
If you haven’t read any of the Office of Preternatural Affairs books yet, you really should. They are creative, exciting, well, just plain awesome!
Highly recommended – you can start here if you like, but you can also enlist in the Army of Evil and read ALL of Sara’s books – they are fast paced action/fantasy novels sure to tickle your braincells! -
I'd given up reading books about contemporary witches some time ago, mostly because the people writing them didn't know squat about either witchcraft or ritual magic. Reading them was an exercise in frustration. Watching a few episodes of Charmed doesn't qualify one for writing about witches, but publishers seem to be fine with putting out any amount of crap because, after all, there aren't such things as witches. Actually, I happen to know quite a few of them, and they aren't too happy with what passes for occult literature these days, either.
Witch Hunt is an exception to the overwhelming rule. It's entertaining - i.e., hysterically funny - and smart (mouthed). It also pays more than lip service to the basic principles of ritual magic and the elements of magical tools. Of course it's fantasy. Magic works in this fictional universe in a much more concrete way than it does in the mundane world. Also, there are demons. Several classes of demons, in fact, with their own cultures and languages. And, like all well-written comedy, this book is much more intellectual than it would appear on the surface.
Another pet peeve is bad grammar. I couldn't find any in this book. Well, not any that isn't intentionally used to depict an individual character's voice. There were more than a few f-bombs, but as the story is written in first person and from a decidedly male perspective, the profanity fits. (I do realize that not all males curse, but most alpha male characters in modern fiction do, and this one is no exception.)
In short, this is a fun, action-packed, rollicking good time with very little in the way of romance or sex - an extreme departure from my typical choice of reading material, but I've always admitted to being an eclectic reader. Wholeheartedly recommended for anyone looking for fun escapism. -
Cesar Hawke is an investigator with a secret organization - the Office of Preternatural Affairs - which tries to stop demons, angels and witches from bad acts. Usually he is out stopping witches from committing bad acts.
Today, however, is shaping up to be a really bad day. First, he wakes up in his apartment after a night of drinking tequilla to find Erin, a beautiful dead waitress in his bath and her DNA in scratch marks in his skin, then the cops come busting down his door and arrest him, and he ends up locked up in a local jail, but his "allies" in the OPA are not coming to get him out of jail because they think he also killed Erin.
Hawke decides to help himself, breaks out of jail and tries to locate Isobel Stonecrow, an illegally practicing necrocognitive. He wants Isobel to speak to Erin and figure out who killed her. Naturally, the plan goes awry, and Isobel uses a pesky biblical spell on Hawke to get away.
Hawke tries to get his partner Suzy to help out, but she just wants him to run away.
Finally, Hawke has to visit Helltown, the demonic center of town, where the evil incubi live feeding on people. It turns out that Hawke had rescued his sister years ago from Helltown.
There will be run ins with evil members of the OPA, demons, and incubi, quick magic spells, necromancy and other oddities as Hawke and Isobel try to figure out who framed Hawke for Erin's murder. Its an action packed short novel.
Great for the beach. -
3.5
I was a good book and entertaining. I might pick up book 2 to see if the characters and the story grow on me. -
Got a set of the first three ebooks free on amazon 2/april/16 but only managed to read this first one, changing to this edition so I can say I didn't DNF it.
The story is fast paced and readable, I was semi-interested in the outcome until it all became too obvious making it seem juvenile. The lead character Cèsar is a trained agent and basically a magical droid-head swallowing grave dirt poultices in order to gain magical strength despite being naturally, intimidatingly, big and strong. Which is interesting, because a poultice is something you hold to your skin to sooth or draw out infection/inflammation, it's not something you swallow.
He comes across as boorish and clueless, eyeing up women, running into danger, incapable of thinking for himself. He's never suspicious of anyone and the reader isn't given anything to explain his inexplicable trust in people. The story felt unplanned with the writing often circling back to previous things. All decisions are stupid ones that don't make sense for anyone with the barest lick of sense, let alone someone who works for and should have some familiarity with the agency. He doesn't appear to know much about anything.
The women are all far more intelligent, and all have great legs. Even the corpse. Wear short clothing, no knickers, and bend over a fair bit. This book reminded me why I started reading m/m romances. When in a morgue looking at a ghost who holds your future in her barely formed hands, it's necessary to fully consider her decreased booage! Yawn.
No chemistry between characters. No chance of Cèsar surviving a minute without a minder. If there's a romance angle I'm not interested in it. If he'd just stayed in jail in the first place everything could have been solved without his fumblings and much time would have been saved.
There was potential here, but for me it wasn't a winner. -
This book is written by an author that fans of urban fantasy will recognise. Ms Reine is turning out to be quite a prolific writer and her books tend to be dark and gritty reads and this short story is no exception. This is an interesting read that happily straddles both paranormal and mystery and leaves the reader eager for more.
Imagine waking up realising that you are not alone and then worse, the person you spent the night with is dead! For Cesar that's exactly what happens and to further complicate matters he has absolutely no recollection of what happened! It's the gorgeous young woman he's been trying to get a date with and now she's lying dead in his bath tub.
Cesar is a witch and he works for the Office of Preternatural Affairs as an agent but this time he's the be who will be hunted. It looks as if everyone is against him and he's not sure just who is left to trust but Cesar has a plan. A very cunning plan! He's going to track down Isobel Stonecrow a necromancer who is on the run and get her to question the dead woman's spirit. Only problem is both Cesar and Isobel are wanted felons now and he's not that sure that he can even trust her!
This was a different type of book for me as it's all from the point of view of the hero Cesar and although he seems a loyal sort and brave too I guess I just wanted a little bit more of a connection with him. Although as the story progresses the reader learns quite a lot about Cesar's family and his reasons for his work. There isn't really much of a love interest in this story but we are left with possibilities as the author has cleverly left some things open ended. A good beginning to what could be a whole new series and certainly a very interesting world. -
(I read this book as part of the
Nine By Night set, which I got on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Since I'm not going to read all nine books in one go, I'm posting short reviews separately.)
A quick, easy read, with a lot of action and not many breaks, which fits the theme of "man on the run, trying to find the answers before his enemies catch up to him". No problem with that, although it was rather short, and so the characters weren't that well-developed. The world seems interesting, with a Men In Black feeling combined with department-to-department tensions and underhanded maneuvers.
Mostly it's César's decisions I had a problem with: he didn't strike me as particularly savvy, considering the job he's had for the past two years. Sure, going back to the crime scene to start looking for answers is as good a beginning as any, but he didn't do it in a clever way—and the same pattern repeated throughout the story. The ending was unsatisfying: César wasn't the one who actually solved the problem, he was more of a spectator at times, and I didn't like how a couple of key clues turned out to be just there by chance.
(Also, the NbN cover blurb spoke of "strong women protagonists", but I'm still looking. The only two prominent women here either don't appear that much, or are more like the must-protect-her type under a varnish of strength.) -
Cesar Hawke, an Office of Preternatural Affairs agent, wakes up to a brutal murder. There are scratches on his arms, a discharged gun on the coffee table, and a dead woman in the bathtub. He did bring a woman home that night and he got so drunk he can't really remember anything, but he knows that he did not kill her. He saves people, he doesn't kill them. As Cesar is on the run from the police, there is one person he knows he has to find, a witch who can resurrect the dead. Said shaman is on the OPA's most wanted list so his search could be extremely risky, but that's the only way he knows that he can clear his name, get his job back, and bring justice to the victim.
Overall, I liked the premise of Witch Hunt. I liked being dropped right into tCesar's world and getting to figure things out beginning with the crime scene. Our narrator also sets the tone in a fantastic way and the author really excels at describing settings and characters. It's quite dark, but then again I got a kick out the sense of humor - I was pleased to come across the Firefly references. My only real complaint is that in the middle it started to drag. Otherwise, though, Witch Hunt by S.M. Reine is an action-packed urban-fantasy. -
The world's not what everyone thinks it is - unless you think that our world's a pawn in a game of chess between Heaven and Hell, and riddled with as much magic and wonder as it is with evil. In that case, the world is exactly what you think.
I had zero expectations going into this book. It's an Amazon freebie by an author I've never read. That can really be hit or miss (leaning heavily towards the miss). While it's not a perfect book it sure was fun to read. I liked our main man Cèsar immediately. He managed to be a cocky meathead who is ALSO a witch AND a pretty big geek (though that was only apparent through his mentions of Firefly, Brandon Sanderson, Star Wars, etc. He never really acted geeky per se). Talk about a conundrum! The story picks right up and throws you into the action. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it, honestly. I'm definitely one who tends to judge a book by its cover but in this case I'm glad I didn't! I think I'll definitely be seeing what Cèsar and the OPA have in store for us next! -
With Witch Hunt, SM Reine presents us with a fast-paced – part gory, part hilarious – mystery. The story is cleverly elaborated, focuses on Cèsar and his way of solving a crime he did not commit. SM Reine describes her characters with not too many words and still makes you see them clearly before you. I was drawn in, felt like a shadow close to Cèsar and the events. I could easily envision the characters and locations. I had a very good time reading Witch Hunt. I also liked the quite different protagonist’s name; not the usual César or Cesare – Cèsar!
If you do not mind occasional language (!) – and like this genre – you will like it.
Witch Hunt is well written and – I am really looking forward to reading the next books within The Preternatural Affairs series.
This is a book to read again. -
"You want to talk about things that make me useless? Women were number one. Children were number two. Combine both of them by sticking a vulnerable young girl in front of me, and I turn into a giant sucker... Every single one of my protective instincts went nuts in an instant. Like a big raging beast was trying to break out of my chest."
Cesar Hawkes is the manliest man to ever stand. He's so manly, he'll objectify every woman he encounters, no matter the circumstances, even if he's literally about to die. Anybody can get objectified anytime and any place... Co-workers, suspects, even corpses and ghosts. Their curves, perky breasts and long legs will be checked out. Cesar Hawkes is so manly that he goes into immediate protection mode for women who haven't even asked for help. Danger + women = hero mode, no exceptions. Cesar Hawke is so manly that when he talks about enjoying baths or hugging family members, he has to preface the statement with "I'm not so much of a man that I can't..." Because heaven forbid men should ever enjoy or seek comfort without having the very foundations of their masculinity questioned.
This book was so much of a toxic masculinity fever dream that I almost forgot that it was supposed to be a fantasy novel. If a man had written it, it would be bad enough to wind up on r/menwritingwomen, but it's by a woman. Is this how S.M. Reine thinks men and women's minds work? Who is even the target demographic for this book? As a woman, I'm disappointed by how every female character is a one-dimensional sexy side kick or sexy prop. I'm also curious about how men feel about this representation of manhood. Is it welcome? Is it insulting? Does it not actually matter at all and I'm thinking too much about it? Either way, I'm just floored by the whole thing.
I don't even have the energy to get into the plot, but... It was okay, I guess. Witches, demons, incubi on the mean streets of a modern-day metropolis, etc, etc. -
3.75*
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🎁 FREE on Amazon today (6/12/2020)! 🎁
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I received Witch Hunt in exchange for a fair and honest review.
From the moment I started reading Witch Hunt I knew that this was going to be a different kind of story than what I was used to from S.M. Reine. I love the characters in her Seasons of the Moon, Descent and Ascension series. Those books are centered around Elise and Rylie and while they are very different characters, the vibe that you get from both of them is dark. From the description of Witch Hunt, it’s obvious that this isn’t a light and fluffy read by any stretch. It’s just that the feeling you get from Cesar is a lot lighter. I know that’s kind of vague and honestly, I’ve been struggling with the best way to describe it and I keep coming back to the same ‘feeling.’ Regardless of how I say it, what I’m trying to get across is that Cesar’s POV is fresh and totally different than the author’s other characters and I liked it. A lot.
The fact that I even liked Cesar was kind of a surprise considering who he was. If you’ve read any of the other books by S.M. Reine you know that officers from the Office of Preternatural Affairs aren’t necessarily the good guys. If you have any qualms at all about whether or not your opinion will change, ignore them. Cesar is definitely one of the good guys… well not perfectly good, but… you get the picture. The kind of ‘good guy’ that was just rough around the edges enough to be interesting.
Cesar wasn’t the only interesting character in Witch Hunt though. There was a full cast. The thing was that you never knew exactly who was on what side. I changed my opinion about characters more than once – and that rarely happens. Usually there is a turning point and you know pretty much what to expect. I thought that was happening this time, but I was wrong… and then I was wrong again. As frustrating as it may seem, I love it when that happens. Basically, nothing was EVER as it seemed. EVER.
This is one of those books where I could keep going, and going, and going and basically ramble on and on about what I loved about it. I don’t want to give anything away though – so I’ll just leave you with a little taste of why I loved Cesar so much. This is from the first chapter so I’m not spoiling anything, honest
Would you look at that? A pair of open handcuffs dangled from my headboard. The key glistened on the bedside table, reflecting a sunbeam right into my aching eyeballs. I didn’t make a habit of decorating my bedroom with my work equipment, so I assumed that recreational use of my cuffs meant I had company. The best kind of company.
I swatted it with a finger and grinned at the clatter of chains.
My eyes traveled from the cuffs to my arm. Four bloody scratches spanned the space between wrist and elbow.
I’d handled enough crime scenes to recognize fingernail marks. And I’d been with enough women to know that some wildcats liked it like that.
Yeah, definitely a hell of a night.
Witch Hunt is currently available as part of a set that includes 4 books from 5 different authors. I’ve read one other book in the set. Cursed by J.R. Rain and Scott Nicholson. I can’t wait to get to the rest. The other books include Called by Robert J. Crane and Flaming Dove by Daniel Arenson. -
The first novel in the Preternatural Affairs series is an intriguing and action packed urban fantasy.
An agent with Office of Preternatural Affairs, Cesar Hawke finds himself on the wrong side of the law when he wakes up with a hangover, scratches on his arm, a discharged Glock on his coffee table and dead body in his bathtub. On the run and searching for a shaman, he finds Isobel Stonecrow who is now on the OPA’s most wanted list for resurrecting someone for the wrong client. With her, he can clear his name, get his job back and get justice for the victim, really how hard could it be?
This fast paced plot keeps the reader on the edge of their seats with lots of action, suspense and a magic spell or two. The author brings the story to life with vivid images, great dialogue and strong compelling characters that the reader can easily relate to. Lots of fantastic supporting characters and a story that keeps the reader engaged from beginning to end.
There isn’t any romance just a little flirting here and there and some sexual innuendo and talk involving incubi. The story focuses on Cesar dodging the law and bad guys while trying to clear his name. The author spices things up by keeping not only the reader guessing, but Cesar as well as his not sure who can be trusted.
The author has created a fantastic urban fantasy world involving magic and demons with some surprising twists that the reader doesn’t see coming. Once started, it’s impossible to put the book down until the very last word is read. Oh and did I mention there is a few ghosts involved as well?
I really enjoyed this book with its great characters and intriguing plot. I really enjoyed the fact that I wasn’t sure who the culprit was until the end and I am looking forward to reading more cases involving the Office of Preternatural Affairs. -
The Office Of Preternatural Affairs is where witches hunt other rogue witches, demons of many ilk and every other type of supernatural creature you can think of. They're the FBI of the otherworld.Agent César Hawke is one of those agents, one of good standing...until he wakes up one day with a dead woman in his bathtub & no memory of what had happened. Now he's on the run, a fugitive in both the mortal & supernatural worlds.He needs to clear his name, but how? And who can he trust? His partner, Suzy? The necrocognitive woman Isobel? The OPA? Or none of the above?
The newest story from revered urban fantasy writer SM Reine, Witch Hunt, is one of her best yet, and the first in a new series, published in the four-book collection Sinners & Sorcerers.
Like her previous books, she has a tough-as-nails hero, demons and magic, but this book seems to have more somehow. Maybe it's the new charters, who are all excellent & vital to the story, or maybe it's César's humanity and drive. All I know is, Witch Hunt is a fantastic paranormal novel from a writer who really knows her stuff!This book will keep readers guessing about who the true killer is; who is evil and who is on César's side in this crazy ride filed with magic, evil, danger & sex-fuelled incubi who haunt both Isobel and César's respective pasts.
Great book, great writer and a great start to a new series! A must-read for any lover of the supernatural!
5/5--So great! -
This is the first book in a series and contrary to a recent trend the unfulfilled ending leading into the next book, Witch Hunt can stand on it's own.
I believe it is the characters that make you want to read more. I believe that when a character is written well enough, we just have to know how he treats the next crap thing that happens.
I believe S.M.Reine has done this with Cèsar Hawke. He is smart and very stupid. He is brave and protective. He is a knight in slightly rusty armor. He is the reason I am traveling down the path of this series.
So, even though this is a five-star review, if you look at my details (as in how long it took me to read) you'll think that I had to force my way through it. Not so.
Have you ever had those books that you just want to enjoy? You never get another first read of a good book. I wanted it to last. So I listened to a bit and put it away, repeatedly.
Then, I spent the last hour and a half listening to every word, I couldn't help myself. It reached a point where putting it aside was no longer an option.
This book is funny and twisted and weird in just the right places. It feels like the pilot episode of a good tv show.
I highly recommend taking a few hours and investing. Now, I'm going to bite the Silver Bullet.
Check out more reviews at
https://trippingthepagefantastic.word... -
I received a copy from the author in exchange for my honest review, so here it is. I love S.M. Reine and her urban fantasy world that she lives in and shares with us. Cesar Hawke is out celebrating with his coworkers after he catches another criminal. But when he wakes the next morning the hangover is not the only bad thing going on. He finds a dead woman in his bathtub and can't remember what happened. Soon he finds himself in LAPD custody and waiting for the (OPA) Office of Preternatural Affairs to get him released. When help doesn't arrive, he decides to bust out and prove he is not guilty. Things go from bad to worse for Cesar. He has to find Isobel Stonecrow, a witch that speaks to the dead, to get her to help him talk to Erin, the dead woman in his bathtub. Now, Cesar and Isobel are on the run. Can Isobel really talk to the dead? Will she help Cesar to prove he is innocent? Can Cesar trust anyone with the OPA or Union? Another fantastic start to a great series by a fabulous author and I LOVED it and can't wait for more.
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Halfway through the first page of I was hooked. I just started reading and didn't stop.
I've been working my way through the author's Descent and Ascent series (I know they're not meant to be read at the same time. It's been a blast anyway.), but I took a break yesterday to see what Witch Hunt was like. Now I'm finished and I can't wait to read the next book in the series.
I love all of S.M. Reine's characters, but Cesar is by far my favorite. I thought I had the central mystery solved by about a third of the way through, but I didn't want to stop reading because I enjoyed hanging out with Cesar so much. He's funny, a little fatalistic, a lot sweetheart, and completely unpredictable. And the unpredictability was a crazy-fine line to walk—Cesar never acted out of character, but he also never did what I would've expected him to—but somehow the author managed to pull it off. She should probably get a medal for that.
In sum, I loved Witch Hunt and I will definitely be reading the next book in the Preternatural Affairs series. -
Hmmm, I don't know, something is just off for me to really like this story. Based on the blurb and how the story is going, it is quite fast-paced. With Cèsar wake up and found a dead woman in his bathtub, to him becoming the main suspect, to him running to find a necromancer in order to clear his name ... it should've been a story that easily be a hit for me.
But it didn't. And I couldn't really pin-point why.
Maybe it was the chemistry with the writing? It was okay, I liked Cèsar enough as a character (though the whole interest with Isobel and her kissing him was a bit instant for me to enjoy) although he seemed to be too easily caught or fooled ... I did like Cèsar's brother, Domingo, a way more! Still not sure about this whole OPA factor, I just didn't get the feel much.
I'm still thinking about the sequel. Maybe I'll check but not right away
*I got this for free at Amazon on July 31st, 2014* -
Cesar Hawkes works for the Office of Preturnatural Affairs. He does until the day he wakes with a dead woman in his bath tub and blood everywhere. Now he is a suspect and his partner advises him to run. However, he is determined to investigate the case and as he does so, folks attempt to capture him, arrest him and flat out kill him. It leaves him not knowing who he should trust and without a safe place, other than his brother's house.
As always with S.M. Reine's work, this book is entertaining with good solid characters to build the new series upon. I am gleefully looking forward to seeing more of Cesar. -
This was a very quick read and entertaining, therefore 4*. I didn't get bored one moment but the characters could have been more developed. But as I said, this was some light reading and since I can't say I didn't have fun reading it it deserves 4*.
I'm not very good at rating the books, sometimes I over rate a book and sometimes I don't give enough stars...for example I just noticed another book that I gave as well 4* but it way better, so much research invested in it etc. So I'm not going to change these 4* but I'm gonna give the deserved 5* to the book I will not mention here. -
This was a 2.5 -2.75 rounded up to 3. While I enjoyed listening to this on audio - I guess maybe I was expecting more. I felt like there was too much put into this for a beginning to a series - it was a little frenetic. The characters - ehhh....not even sure at this point if I like Cesar, Suzie or Izzy. Anyway - I already have the audio for # 2 and 3 which I have on my list for next month so here's hoping I connect better with the characters as the series goes on....
