Made with love
© Victoria Gryson 2024
Miriam Feldman’s got a murder to solve, a mouthy golem to corral, and her name to clear. Quite frankly, she’s swamped.
Her new gig as a fixer for the magic community is a lot like being a full-time mom to someone else’s kids… they get annoying faster but don’t respond to guilt trips. And sure, maybe she feels kind of grumpy and stabby about these irritating jobs, but that doesn’t mean she killed her latest client!
As far as the magic police are concerned, Miri with her particular powers and her wolf shifter friend Laurent might as well have “guilty of murder” tattooed on their foreheads. If Miri and Laurent lose this fight, it’ll be a one-way trip to Deadman’s Island. Talk about a real buzzkill for their easy banter and deepening chemistry.
Even worse, the non-magic cops are also investigating the crime—and Miri’s ex-husband is the lead detective. This wasn’t how she meant to pop his cherry about the existence of magic, but the time for foreplay is over.
To unmask the real killer, Miri will have to navigate hidden agendas, lies, and the undead. But hey, she’s faced worse; she used to be on the PTA.
We start the book a little while after the end of the first, Miri is working for Tatiana and oh, doesn’t she love it… From the first page onwards you get a boatful of Miri describing her clients in a very snarky and colourful way. I can tell you that I was seriously not prepared for that from the get-go and it took me a while to get used to it again. So beware those that think they can ease into it… you’re in for a surprise 😀 (it’s not a bad one, I promise!).
As we’ve come to expect from the author, all scenes and environments are clear and detailed. Everything made sense and I wasn’t left scratching my head in confusion (it happens!) 🙂
Gone is the mouselike librarian! Miri knows she still has a lot to learn about her magic, but she’s done with sitting on the sidelines. I really like that you can clearly see how she is much more comfortable with herself and how she continues to grow, showing that age is never an issue and that she has plenty more in store for us where that came from. She has her priorities straight and sticks to them, even when the going gets (really) tough.
This book isn’t so much about her learning to use or (re)discovering her magic, it’s more about learning about it and its history.
Laurent, ah… but I really really like this dark and brooding wolf 😀 While he is a very reluctant partner and they clash more often than not, you can see the bond between them getting stronger while both learn to work with and rely on each other.
Every character felt like it was written with a purpose, both main and side characters were well fleshed out and felt real.
As I’ve said before, you kinda get thrown in, and while that isn’t a bad thing, it took me a while to get the hang of it again. That said, it could also just be me, so take that into account. So yeah, the pace is set on high, with the necessary time to catch your breath in between 🙂 But it all comes together really good, so there were no lulls in the story not did it feel rushed.
The book itself was well written with no (noticeable) errors. There is no sex described (if that is important to you).
The book is 336 pages long, spread over 29 chapters and told from Miri’s point of view.
I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy of this book and while it took me waaaaay longer to finish the book than I expected, I really like where it’s going! Miri is a lot to take in 😀 but shows that even mature women can kick ass with the best of them! I’m looking forward to the last book of the series, hoping that we get to know a lot more of Laurent, as he is still as mysterious as ever 😉
© Victoria Gryson 2024