FBI agent Jackie Rutledge and her partner Laurel are called to the scene too early on a Monday morning to deal with the murder of a pre-teen boy. Nothing strange about that, until Laurel starts getting her woo-woo feelings and a verdict of exsanguination comes in. Great, a would-be vampire. Worse yet, it echoes a case states away, especially the dearth of clues at the scene. No blood, no footprints, like the body materialized right where it was discovered.

Laurel's ESP pings off the chart when one of the people of interest turns out to be Nick Anderson of Special Investigations, Inc. Jackie is always suspicious of altruism, and why would a good-looking millionaire with archaic manners be spending his time as PI, especially spending it on solving cases for people plagued by paranormal events? There has to be something in it for him and a little FBI research brings up more questions than it answers.

In Jackie Rutledge, J. N. Duncan has given us a very flawed heroine. She drinks hard, sleeps around (a lot) and has little trust for anyone but her long-suffering partner, Laurel. She also knows how to kick ass, but Duncan keeps that part of the story real. Jackie is no super-hero, just a woman damn good at her job whose methods of dealing with her life are fracturing that life around her. Add in a strong thread of humor and a nasty paranormal villain and DEADWORLD becomes one hell of a debut novel in what could be the most promising urban fantasy series to hit the shelves this year. Keep on writing Mr. Duncan. I'm damned sure not going to be the only fan waiting for book two.

Book Summary

She's as tough as anything haunting Chicago's streets. But to deal with an inhuman power that won't stay buried, this FBI agent needs help that comes at an immortal price. . .

Jackie Rutledge has seen her share of supernatural killers. But her latest murder case is what recurring nightmares are made of. Brutally exsanguinated human victims, vanishing-into-the-ether evidence, and a city on the edge of panic mean that she and her psychic partner, Laurel, are going to need more than just backup . . .

So Jackie is fine with any help rugged P.I. Nick Anderson can give--even if that includes the impish ghost and sexy vampire who make up his team. But Nick is hiding secrets of his own. And Jackie's investigation has plunged them both into a vengeful game reaching back centuries--and up against a malevolent force hungry for more than just victory. . .

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