Book Review: "The Taken" by Vicki Pettersson

The Taken review
Author: Vicki Pettersson
5 out of 5 stars

Book Info: Genre: Urban Fantasy Noir/Mystery Thriller Reading Level: Adult

Disclosure: I received a free paperback galley (uncorrected proof) from the Amazon Vine program in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: Griffin Shaw used to be a PI, but that was back when gumshoes hoofed the streets... and he was still alive. Fifty years later, he's an angel, but that doesn't make him a saint. One small mistake has altered fate, and now he's been dumped back onto the mortal mudflat to collect another soul – Katherine "Kit" Craig, a journalist whose latest investigation is about to get her clipped.

Bucking heavenly orders, Grif refuses to let the sable-haired siren come to harm. Besides, protecting her offers a chance to solve the mystery of his own unsolved murder – and dole out some overdue payback for the death of his beloved wife, Evie.

Joining forces, Kit and Grif's search for answers leads beyond the blinding lights of the Strip into the dark heart of an evil conspiracy. But a ruthless killer determined to destroy them isn't Grif's biggest threat. His growing attraction to Kit could cost them both their lives, along with the answer to the haunting question of his long afterlife...

My Thoughts: This is the first book in a new series called Celestial Blues. The second book, The Lost, is scheduled for publication in March, 2013. I will be watching for it. Pettersson has a way with characterization and description that is highly engaging and entertaining, and I greatly enjoyed reading this combination urban fantasy/noir crime thriller.

There was a lot of humor in this, which I always love. There is also plenty of suspense and mystery, and a wonderful romance for those who enjoy that sort of thing – I even enjoyed it, since it wasn’t overwhelming to the plot. There were times I wanted to shake Kit, though; her attitude toward “bad boys” made me shake my head in dismay. They aren’t all like Grif, after all.

I also enjoyed the idea of Vegas and how it has changed; it has made me curious about the old Vegas. The whole rockabilly thing was interesting – I never thought of someone completely living a nostalgic, anachronistic life, like Kit does. It made me wonder if there aren’t people who are so heavily into the Society for Creative Anachronisms that they would live their entire life like that.

At any rate, I can and do highly recommend this book for those who enjoy paranormal fantasies with a romance involved, or those who enjoy urban fantasies. I think this book will please a lot of different people, actually, so definitely do not hesitate to check it out.