Tuesday, July 05, 2011

Release Day Review: Deceived By The Others by Jess Haines - 4 Qwills

Deceived by the Others
Author:  Jess Haines
Series: H&W Investigations 3
Format: Mass Market Paperback, 352 pages
Publisher: Zebra Books (July 5, 2011)
Price: $6.99
Language: English
Genre:  Urban Fantasy
ISBN: 978-1-4201-1189-7
Review Copy: ARC provided by Publisher

Cover and description:

They’re here, and they’re real…werewolves, vampires, mages, and other creatures of the night. For New York P.I. Shiarra Waynest, taking care of Others business started out as a way to stay solvent. But now business is getting very, very complicated…

Shiarra’s relationship with sexy werewolf Chaz may be somewhat unconventional. Still, after a few bumps, Shia is finally ready to get serious. That means meeting family—or in this case, bringing Chaz’s entire werewolf pack along for a rollicking full-moon weekend in the Catskills.

Soon after they arrive, threatening notes appear, warning Chaz to go home. Then their cabin is ransacked. Shia starts digging to find out whether it’s the work of upstart teenaged werewolves or something more sinister. Yet as rumors about her vampire connections arouse the pack’s hostility, Shia has to contend with other dangers. Not just from an adversary about to make his fatal intentions known, but from a threat that’s even closer than she knows…


My thoughts:

The majority of the story unfolds in the Catskills where Shiarra and Chaz have gone away for a weekend... with the werewolf pack. Shiarra is ready to commit to Chaz and this is an important weekend. Things, however, do not go exactly as planned.

This is the third book in the H&W Investigations series. It's a transitional story. In the first 2 books we see Shiarra Waynest drawn. perhaps dragged, into the world of the Others. She's made the adjustment to dealing with Others through the prior two books. Now she's ready to be part of the world of the Others even more deeply.

There is a lot going on in Deceived by the Others, but it's easy to follow along as Shiarra navigates through what is increasingly a messed up weekend. She's out of her element, but still manages to hold it together and try to figure out what is going on. Shiarra is faced with some surprises and difficult decisions caused by the actions of Others during the course of the novel. I really can't say much because I could easily give away everything.

Shiarra has grown as a character throughout the three books, while always maintaining a clear sense of who she is. This is challenged in Deceived by the Others.  Jess Haines has populated the H&W Investigations novels with some wonderful secondary characters. While the focus of this novel is the relationship between Shiarra and Chaz, my favorite vampire does show up as well. I'm firmly in the Team Alec Royce camp, not the Team Chaz camp. 

Deceived by the Others sets up things to come. I can't wait to see how the can of werewolf opened in this novel is resolved.  The end of the novel is a bit of a cliffhanger, which has made me very anxious for the 4th book.

I give Deceived by the Others 4 Qwills.


This series should be read in order.

Prior books in the H&W Investigations series:

Hunted by the Others
Author:  Jess Haines
Series: H&W Investigations 1
Format: Mass Market Paperback, 352 pages
Publisher: Zebra Books (January 4, 2011)
Price: $6.99
Language: English
Genre:  Urban Fantasy
ISBN: 978-1-4201-1187-3

They are the Others—the vampires, mages, and werewolves once thought to exist only in our imaginations. Now they’re stepping out of the shadows, and nothing in our world will ever be the same again…

In A Town Like This, Being A P.I. Can Be Murder

Shiarra Waynest’s detective work was dangerous enough when her client base was strictly mortal. But ailing finances have forced her to accept a lucrative case that could save her firm—if it doesn’t kill her first. Shiarra has signed on to work for a high-level mage to recover an ancient artifact owned by one of New York’s most powerful vampires.

As soon as Shiarra meets sexy, mesmerizing vamp Alec Royce, she knows her assignment is even more complicated than she thought. With a clandestine anti-Other group trying to recruit her, and magi being eliminated, Shiarra needs back-up and enlists her ex-boyfriend—a werewolf whose non-furry form is disarmingly appealing—and a nerdy mage with surprising talents. But it may not be enough. In a city where the undead roam, magic rules, and even the Others aren’t always what they seem, Shiarra has just become the secret weapon in a battle between good and evil—whether she likes it or not…


Taken by the Others
Author:  Jess Haines
Series: H&W Investigations 2
Format: Mass Market Paperback, 352 pages
Publisher: Zebra Books (January 4, 2011)
Price: $6.99
Language: English
Genre:  Urban Fantasy
ISBN: 978-1-4201-1188-0

Jess Haines draws readers deep into the mesmerizing world of the Others—werewolves, vampires, and mages who make their home among humans, and are turning Shiarra Waynest’s life upside down…

Once, New York P.I. Shiarra Waynest’s most pressing problem was keeping her agency afloat. Now she’s dealing with two dangerous, seductive vampires who have been enemies for centuries. The only thing Max Carlyle and Alec Royce agree on is that they both want Shia—for very different reasons.

Max is determined to destroy Shia for killing his progeny, while Royce’s interest is a lot more personal. That’s not sitting well with Shia’s werewolf boyfriend, Chaz. As the feud between Max and Royce gets ever more deadly, a powerful vampire-hunting faction is urging Shia to join their side. Shia has always believed vamps were the bad guys, but she’s discovering unexpected shades of grey that are about to redefine her friends, her loyalties—and even her desires…

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