Reviewed: September 4th, 2022
Released: August 22nd, 2022
Genre: Fantasy
Sparks fly when an exiled Fae prince and a straight-laced detective team up to solve a murder.
Banished by his mother from Faerie, Raine Abarta wants nothing more than to entertain people on the streets of Wickney, Wisconsin. But when the daughter of a prominent senator stumbles upon his show, he’s drawn into her world and her mother’s murder.
When Raine takes his act down to the police department with intentions of helping solve the puzzle–or, uh, the “case”–he meets the ultra-serious Detective Kennedi Craine. To his dismay, she views him as nothing more than a charlatan, but when has that ever stopped him?
Kennedi’s latest case is open and shut, more of a paperwork and media hassle than a case. Senator La Point, after all, was holding the smoking gun over his wife’s lifeless body. So, when a random guy off the street walks in telling her she’s wrong, she sends him on his merry way. At least she thinks she does. As he keeps popping up, she begins to wonder if he’s on to something. And when he broaches a situation from her past, she just can’t leave him alone.
Raine helps her solve another small case, and she starts to wonder if there might be something more to both mysteries before her.
Helen’s thoughts: 4/5
An easy to read fantasy novel about an arrogant fae prince banished to the mortal world and his inability to resist a puzzle. Solving puzzles provides fae with a rush, and they tend to be absorbed by the puzzle until they complete it. Raine’s path crosses that of Kennedi, a detective working on the case Raine stumbles over.
Stradiotto did too good a job of making Raine an arrogant fae, only out to profit from the humans he has to live with. It took a long time to connect to him, especially the way he continually nudges humans to do what he wants, and even then I’m still not sold. He’s not that likeable, not until he realises he’s more concened for Kennedi’s safety that his own.
I liked Kennedi, and sympathise with her having to put up with Raine. There is more to Kennedi than it seems and it will be interesting to see where her story goes. There are a lot of unanswered questions about her and the fae that are left to intrigue us.
Stradiotto fleshes out a realistic world where magical fae and humans co-exist and has introduced us to characters you’ll either love or hate. How Raine and Kennedi’s relationship will develop, you’ll just have to wait for the next book to find out.
About the author:
Susan Stradiotto is passionate about the written word, whether it is in her own writing or her editing practice. She is a fan of well-told stories. Susan is always searching for unique voices and stories that tell a truth. As Neil Gaiman said in his master class, “Write the truest story you can.” She believes that is what makes a story sing.
Susan is an author of fantasy and romance and has professional editorial experience with genres such as romance, memoir, mystery/thriller, cozy mystery, fantasy, and women’s fiction. She attended Capella University for her BS in Information Technology and the University of Chicago’s Graham School for her professional editing certification. She lives in Eden Prairie with her husband, a hoard of Bernese Mountain Dogs, and one Miniature Dachshund.
Instagram: @susanstradiotto or https://www.instagram.com/susanstradiotto/
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If you enjoy fantasy books then you will love my epic fantasy Sentinal series. As a new threat against Remargaren is discovered, only one man can wake the ancient guards who can protect them, only he doesn’t know how. Start the adventure and stay for the journey. Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and get notified when my next books are published.
Helen Garraway 