“Genevieve Taylor is a sidhe – one of the noble fae – and she’s unusual even in a London where celebrity vampires, eccentric goblins and scheming lesser fae mix freely with humanity…” from the book back of The Sweet Scent of Blood.
Genny Taylor works for Spellcrackers.com, uncovering magic and spells and, when required, breaking them. When a celebrity vampire is accused of killing his human lover, and the vampire’s human father beseeches Genny to help him prove his son’s innocence, she’s sucked into a murky web of conspiracy.
Debut author Suzanne McLeod does a sterling job of showcasing an alternate history London, where paranormals and magic are the norm, and she does it with original twists and without overbearing exposition. This book moves quickly as Genny is swept up in the competing schemes of both the powerful and the power-hungry. She is both a pawn and a resourceful player of the game. This book is not for the faint of heart. It’s at times violent, bloody and darkly sensual, but those elements are well-balanced with strong characters, and Genny’s pragmatism and valiant struggle both to uncover the truth and control her own dark impulses.
While I had some trouble getting through the first few pages and sometimes felt that information was withheld a few moments too long, I could not put this book down until I got to the very last suspenseful, satisfying word. The Cold Kiss of Death, the next book in Suzanne’s Spellcrackers series, is on my wish list. If you cannot wait, I believe it's already been released in the UK.
Highly Recommended.
Thanks for the great review, Hillary! I'm delighted you enjoyed it, and honoured to be your first review :-)
ReplyDelete