Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Words damage more than just feelings as Carrington hunts feral books menacing the city.

When a ferocious book attacks Carrington at his own birthday party, he believes it’s an isolated incident. But similar books soon pop up all over town, menacing innocent people with harsh bits of poetry and blank verse that deliver damaging physical blows. It’s a frustrating case with too many variables and not enough answers, and the stakes go up with each attack.

 

With the help of his misfit squad mates at the 77th and the public library’s Rare Books Department, the missing pieces decrease but not Carrington’s vexations. His commanding officer rakes him over the coals at the beginning of every shift. His police partner has lost patience with what she sees as his delusional relationship choices and his inability to pick the right man in a vast field of two. City Hall demands that the books be stopped immediately. It’s enough to put a nutritionally challenged vampire off his skim blood.

 

Book Review

Going feral is usually reserved for animals – or sometimes people – but to have books react that way? Only in Angel Martinez’s world of Philadelphia’s 77th Precinct with its paranormally defective members is such a thing even remotely possible. The thing is – it even makes sense, in a weird sort of way: words, after all, can hurt as much as actions, so once they “go off the rails”, so to speak, I can see how they might do a lot of damage. Even if no such thing is possible in our reality, following the developments of this third action/adventure in the series, starring police officers Kyle and Kash’s enigmatic colleague Carrington, a nutritionally challenged vampire, was wonderfully entertaining for me. Even if – or maybe just because - this story is as unlikely as the first two, I enjoyed exploring the 77th newest trials and tribulations.

Carrington may be a vampire, but he is one with issues. One, his family – especially his selfish, socialite mother - ignores his “illness” to the point of threatening his well-being, possibly his life. I mean, a garden party in bright sunlight for a vampire’s birthday? Second, he is nutritionally challenged and can only drink certain parts of human blood, and never from the source. Third, a book attacks him out of nowhere, and while his police partner believes him, the initial reaction from others is a little less enthusiastic. But the attacks soon multiply, and Carrington has his hands full with an investigation that requires “literary support”, if you want to call it that.

Two men feature in the hunt for the misbehaving literary works. One is Erasmus, the public library’s specialist for rare books. While he is nice, knowledgeable, and definitely qualified to help, there are no sparks between him and Carrington. Then there is Heath, the arrogant, self-centered owner of a bookshop and exactly Carrington’s type. I’m not going to reveal anything more other than saying that I enjoyed watching Carrington figure things out not just regarding the case of the attacking books, but on a personal level as well. While I knew what I wanted to happen, for the longest time I wasn’t sure if the author was going to give it to me. It was a nice extra bit of suspense on top of an already intriguing mystery.

In addition to the main case of the ferocious books, there are quite a few little subplots around some of the recurring characters in this series. I really enjoyed the additional “madness” those added. Kyle and Kash play a prominent role, as does LJ, the animated leather jacket.

If, like me, you like the paranormal world of the 77th Precinct and can’t get enough of their crazy adventures, if you want to know how a nutritionally challenged vampire deals with his less than stellar love life once and for all, and if you’re looking for a mystery that is hilarious, well-constructed, and might just keep you guessing for a while, then you will probably like this novella.

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by Pride Publishing for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Novella, 137 pages/46801 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	04-April-2017
Price	$2.99 ebook
Buy Link	https://www.pride-publishing.com/book/skim-blood-and-savage-verse