Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock

It's the death of Mac's best friend, Amy, that starts everything. It's why the Trackers come to Hemlock, invited by Senator Walsh (Amy's grandfather), to hunt the white werewolf that seems to have returned. Mac figures that if she can locate the wolf responsible for Amy's murder first, they'll have to leave but there's more to Amy's death than meets the eye. On top of that, the boys (Jason and Kyle) have their secrets too; ones that will definitely affect Mac.

Hemlock is the perfect blend of romance and action. Having said that, it's definitely not your stereotypical romance. That is to say, there's no new boy coming to town and I loved that about Hemlock. And although things might seem simple at first, they get much more complicated as things go on. I can't imagine not turning pages like a madwoman while reading Hemlock and from start to finish, it really didn't slow down. But the ending? Oh. My. Goodness. I really, really want to see what happens in the second book because things are far from done. You'll understand what I mean when you reach the end, that much I can promise you.

The other thing that I really loved about Hemlock is that the minor characters play a part throughout the entire book. Amy--for example--might be dead, but she's haunting Mac's dreams still and her part is far from over. Tess, Mac's cousin, is her legal guardian and although she's forgetful at times, it seems like she's quite cool! Then there's Ben, Tess's boyfriend who often looks after Mac when Tess is at work. As for Jason and Kyle, it's hard to say who I like more! There are moments when I really like both of them and other moments when I feel like they both really need to get slapped. And their secrets? Well, you'll have to read to figure those out. (But Kyle's ex-girlfriend Heather is a psychotic b-word. That definitely needs to be said.)

I will say this much though, Jason's taken an interest in joining the Trackers and Mac--having seen what the Trackers are capable of--definitely does not approve. The Trackers? Well, they're scum. They go around hunting people who have LS (lupine syndrome) and they're also known to seriously bully normal people too. Their leader is a man named Branson Derby and he's insane. He sees people as tools and well, the lengths that he'll go to in order to accomplish his goals are crazy.

As for Mac, she's holding herself together as best she can--considering the fact that her best friend is dead and her best friend's boyfriend is a complete mess because of it (a mess that Mac frequently picks up). Then there's the fact that she's had a crush on Kyle for quite some time and Heather, Kyle's ex-girlfriend, is pretty darn needy which means that Kyle spends a ton of time with her. She's pretty strong willed though and ultimately I definitely liked her.

For the record, werewolves are out of the bag in Hemlock and those with LS are pretty much without rights. They're sent to rehabilitation camps to learn how to control themselves and I don't think they leave all that often. That, is why those with LS tend to try and hide the symptoms. How do you get infected? By being bitten or scratched. It was extremely interesting to learn about the werewolves in the world that Kathleen Peacock has created and I'm definitely looking forward to seeing more of them in the future.

In all, I love the world that Kathleen Peacock has created and I can't wait until the second book comes out. Everything is extremely well balanced and it was another one sitting read for me. Wait until you learn more about Amy's murder! This is definitely a book that I'd recommend to you if you enjoy urban fantasy, mystery, and romance. (Can I have the next book already?)

Overall Rating: ★★★★★

Favorite Quotes:
Kyle shrugged and walked over to the small, two-seater breakfast table. "Scratching a CD is an accident. Dragging your best friend into a brawl against three varsity football players is practically manslaughter."

For some reason, 90 percent of Tess's fears seemed to come from movies we watched on cable.

Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of HarperCollins.
Release Date: May 8, 2012
Edition: ARC
* Received for review via publisher.

Grave Witch by Kalayna Price

Grave Witch
Author: Kalayna Price
Publisher: Roc (an imprint of New American Library, a division of Penguin Group)
Release Date: October 5, 2010
Edition: Paperback
* Purchased on my own.

Summary from GoodReads: As a private investigator and consultant for the police, Alex Craft has seen a lot of dark magic. But even though she’s on good terms with Death himself—who happens to look fantastic in a pair of jeans—nothing has prepared her for her latest case. Alex is investigating a high profile murder when she’s attacked by the ‘shade’ she’s raising, which should be impossible. To top off her day, someone makes a serious attempt on her life, but Death saves her. Guess he likes having her around…

To solve this case Alex will have to team up with tough homicide detective Falin Andrews. Falin seems to be hiding something—though it’s certainly not his dislike of Alex—but Alex knows she needs his help to navigate the tangled webs of mortal and paranormal politics, and to track down a killer wielding a magic so malevolent, it may cost Alex her life…and her soul.

My Thoughts: 


Alex Craft is a grave witch; someone who can raise shades (which essentially are the last living memories of the dead that get put back into their corpses) and in her particular case, see Death. Yes, Death is a person--or more specifically, a man (whom, as stated in the summary, looks very good in jeans). Downright broke and in need of work, Alex takes up her sister on a job opportunity which leads her to ask a cop buddy for a favor which then leads her to the morgue where she raises a shade (pro bono) for said cop that then attacks her. She also takes a peek at Theodore Coleman's body--which was why she came to the morgue in the first place--and notices a series of strange symbols on his skin (which is relevant, but there's plot spoilers I'd rather not give). Shortly after this, a certain detective--Falin Andrews--makes his appearance and well, he doesn't like Alex--then of course, there's the fact that she was just looking at Theodore's body which is a part of his case. From there, the story really begins to roll along and little by little, Alex learns more about the case and unintentionally she learns an interesting bit of information about herself (and what the victims all had in common). 

Yes, this is an Adult book. Yes, there is a scene--intimate in nature--within. But it was just one scene and to be honest, things like that don't bother me--sometimes, instead, I burst out with, "Finally!" What I mean to say is this: as long as the plot is good and there's not a ton of scenes of that nature, I'm game. However, I won't tell you who it was with--although I will tell you that the love triangle is pretty interesting. I mean, Death versus Falin Andrews? For once, I have absolutely no idea who I'm really rooting for--well, okay, I'm siding with Falin thus far. Then there's Alex's grave sight which literally gives her a different perspective of the world (think more decay) and the fact that it leaves her blind (legally blind or pretty close to it) after she's finished using it--it also leaves her extremely cold when she's done using it. Since well, the grave is cold and people who are currently amongst the living tend to be warm to the touch (Death can attest to this). 


Anyways, if you like urban fantasies, witches, corpses, a string of murders, and the occasional fae you may want to check this one out. Also, admittedly, this was somewhat of a fast read--it's a standard sized paperback and by this, I don't mean the over-sized ones that I've been reading lately. Not a "I have to know what happens next!" book, but more or less a "This is rather interesting." book. 

P.S. The quote on the cover? ("Not even Death can save her now.") It's extremely accurate--as it should be. Death literally cannot save her from the curse/spell/thing that is eating away at her soul. More than that, I will not say. ;D


Overall Rating: ★★★★