Monster (Blood Trails #2) by Jennifer Blackstream

Monster (Blood Trails #2) Reviews

• 
  Shandare

  A better story than the first novel in the series, with the plot more cohesive and the main character considerably less naive.
• 
  Lena

  
  These urban fiction murder mysteries are fantastic; an effortless combination of the mundane and the magical.
  
  The author even manages to give the stories sex appeal without sex or entangling the MC.
  
  The end of the story immediately pivots to the unresolved conflicts at the end of Deadline, settling them with the lessons in Monster, to let you(me) dive right into book three:
  Taken
  
  Yes, I hit Buy Now.
  
• 
  Andrea

  3.75
  
  

  The fact is, bad things don’t just happen to good people. Sometimes they happen to bad people. And sometimes good people do bad things. Justice only works if everyone gets it.

  
  
  Wow this one was a bit more emotional, and I enjoyed the murder mystery-- but I still wasn't feeling how everyone was treating the h like she was an unwanted idiot at every turn.
• 
  Ami

  3.75 stars rounded up
  
  Shade's mentor, Mother Hazel, insists Shade to take a case involving werewolf. It's a bet though, if Shade cannot solve the crime, she is to give up her dream of becoming private investigator and goes back being a village witch. If she can, then Mother Hazel will owe Shade a favor -- and a favor from Baba Yaga herself will be very useful. So Shade takes the job, and realizes that this is another case where she needs to learn because that's what her mentor does best.
  
  While the investigation feels rather slow-moving for me but in overall, I still enjoyed it. I liked reading how Shade trying to navigate her way and to stand up on its own, as private investigator inserted into police department that is basically run by the werewolf Alpha. Those parts were fun to read.
  
  I'm still trying to figure out what Mother Hazel is up to, though.
• 
  CB

  Witch private investigator with a pixie familiar- that should be enough right there to sell you on this series. The witch in question, Shade Renard, her former mentor is also Baba Yaga, with whom she has a fractious relationship. Her mentor would not teach her much in the way of actual magic and instead had her always reading, so now that she is on her own and defying expectations by not just becoming a village witch, she is having to figure things out as she goes along. There does seem to be some allusion to Shade’s unknown background and the amount of power she may have that even she does not know, which I am looking forward to learning more about in future books. And I quite like the dynamic between Shade and her familiar, the honey-obsessed pixie Peasblossom, who is also an integral part of Shade’s investigations. Interesting take on a UF series, and one that I enjoyed.
• 
  Danielle

  I am hooked...
  
  It is rare these days for me to buy a book. I don't have a lot of time and I have a NetGalley account. This is not a book I received in exchange for an honest review. I bought it. And when I am done here I will immediately buy the next one too. The characterization is sharp, the relationships unique and original, and not one moment I was reading did my editor's eye twitch (a rare thing when most of the reading I get to do these days is deep dives into developmental editing). I fully enjoyed every twist and turn on the page even when I figured out the twist early on, intrigued to know how Ms. Blackstream was going to get me there.
  
  I highly recommend this author and series.
• 
  warywolf3

  Sad but true
  
  She learned a very hard lesson ethic go around. But it was a good and important lesson. Mother Hazel is one smart cookie. Obviously the world building is exceptional characters well developed and an all an all around great read. Some heartbreaking. I'm s curious about her past thouh.
  
• 
  Alexandra

  Shade Renard slowly grows into her role as badass private investigator. To prove to her former mentor (none other than the infamous Baba Yaga) that she can do it, she has to solve a murder and find out if the very obvious suspect did it or who else was the culprit. On her side, quirky, wonderful and smart as ever, the adorable Peasblossom. One can't but love her. I wish I could send her some honey! Against her, a very demanding and annoyingly dismissive alpha werewolf. Yes, he only wants to protect his pack but at times I would have liked to strangle him. Thankfully Shade stands up to him and most of the time very classy too. I like how she finds her way through the case, how my first impressions were destroyed and turned around so elegantly. The solution was absolutely to my liking (and I suspected something early on but was thrown off track quite a few times). I would love to read more about the witch and her familiar. Right now would be perfect. But I'll wait impatiently for the next book in the series, if I must. And I am sure the next cover is as gorgeous as the first two.
• 
  Kim

  You can read my full review on my WordPress blog,
  Flora's Musings...
  
  So, what did I like about it?
  
  Jennifer Blackstream has become a tried and trusted author on my bookshelf; I find her writing style intelligent and easy to read, her plot lines gripping and her characters captivating and believable.
  Monster did not let me down.
  
  We hit the ground running with a new case for our heroine, Shade Renard, but right from the start we know that things are probably not what they seem. I liked the mix of tension and humour as we are re-introduced to the formidable Mother Hazel (a.k.a Baba Yaga), Shade and her familiar, the unforgettable pixie, Peasblossom.
  
  I already liked our heroine, Shade, from the previous book, but she grew in my estimations during
  Monster; she’s proved herself to be intelligent, witty and has loads of gumption. I liked her perseverance and her maturity to admit her mistakes and learn from them. I also loved the fact that the secondary characters that Ms Blackstream created to populate her world felt just as real as our leads - they weren’t just filling the page – they all had the complexities that we’d see in those around us, they had a good balance of strengths and insecurities to make them feel real.
  
  Although
  Monster is an urban fantasy tale featuring a host of paranormal species, it's the detective/police crime aspect that kept me gripped; I enjoyed the attention to detail that Ms Blackstream wrote into this crime drama. The story kept me guessing as there are some unexpected twists and turns during Shade’s investigation that satisfied my Sherlock-Holmes-tendencies. I liked that it wasn’t all easy sailing for our heroine; there is danger, tension and some scary moments in this book.
  
  There are references to Shade’s adventures from the previous book –
  Deadline - but Ms Blackstream weaves any pertinent information new readers might need beautifully into this tale. There are a few continuing mysteries about Shade’s past that are not revealed within these pages, but fear not dear reader no cliffhangers here, the murder of Dale Oliver is solved by the end of the book! (Woohoo!)
  
  I loved the fact that
  Monster had me on the edge of my seat holding my breath with tension (and also with fear during a few scenes too, eek!), wiping a tear from my cheek, fuming with indignation and chuckling out loud.
  
  So, ummm, was there anything I disliked about it?
  No.
  I just wanted to say that, as this is a fairly new series there are certain questions left unanswered about Shade’s past, where her power comes from and what her future may hold. In my opinion this is a good thing – it leaves background story arcs that can continue to the next book and beyond, tying the series together.
  
  So, basically what I’m saying is...
  I really loved this book, more than the previous one, if that’s possible! It’s got everything that I look for in a 5star read; great action to get the adrenaline pumping, an intelligent mystery to get the little grey cells whirling, nail biting tension and well written humour.
  
  I want you to know that I was lucky enough to be given a digital version of this book for free from the author,
  Jennifer Blackstream in exchange for an honest review. The publication date is today, 8th May 2018.
  
• 
  Holli

  4.30
  This series really deserves more attention than it gets. I enjoy these far more than Kim Harrison who's work tends to be gory, sexualized, and far more esotric\occult. In fact, I have given up on her.
  
  This series is not overly long such as KH. It has a faster pace and is not burdened with a large cast of characters. The ebooks are $5 (no Audible). I think it is well worth the price and I hope the author makes most of the money.
  
  I saw an ebook for $14 the other day. We used to get hardbacks for $10 last year. Now much that is released in ebook format is $10. I will NOT pay that for a digital copy I DON'T even OWN. They are allowed to change the cover, text, etc at will. Legally I am not allowed to let anyone else read it. Nor can you sell it, loan it, or donate it.
  
  THE STORY:
  I usually do not like werewolf stories due to all the alpha posturing and politics. That takes place in the beginning so there is some of that. However, the story changes into something else. I can't say what it is, as you will have to find that out for yourself, but it goes much deeper.
  
  I loved the new woodland dwarf who has a shop where he sells his creations. I hope to see much more of him.
• 
  Jenn

  I really, really enjoyed this book. Great continuation with the characters, especially with knowing more about Shade and her possible back story that I hope comes out in book 3. Lots of new characters (which I enjoyed) but the characters in book 1 do make slight appearances throughout the book. I am a big fan of shifters and I love how they are portrayed in this book. I'm glad that there was a lot of urban fantasy with magic, a great muurrddeerr mystery and no romance. Not that I mind romance, but I was happy it didn't come into play in this book as I wanted the character buildups, not sexual buildups :)
  
  You can still enjoy this book without reading book 1 but you'll just miss some depth to the side characters/encounters that Shade deals with. I highly recommend this book and this author. Good for mature young adults and older.
• 
  Rachel Chiapparine

  I picked up this book in the Nook store on my tablet because I had to know what happens next with Shade and the crew my personal review of the book is as follows:
  
  I really liked all of the character development and growth that Shade goes through throughout this book even though I personally found the plot used to make it happen a bit too convenient for my tastes especially how she solved it. I also found some things that could be romantic plotlines(I won't know for sure until I read the next book in the series) to be a bit weird(Shade seemed to fall in "like" a bit too easily/often in my personal opinion; I'm trying to stay vague to avoid spoilers).
  
  I am excited to see what happens next in the series from here. Overall I personally rate this book a 6 out of 10.
• 
  niki_reads_romance

  The case Shade is working on takes her into werewolf territory, and it’s not all puppy kisses and cuddles. She has to fight a vengeful sorceress, find connections that seem impossible, and trust her instincts, no matter how hard that task seems. The whole story had me on the edge of my seat, and I felt like I was evaluating each suspect as Shade was, not truly knowing “who-dun-it” until very shortly before Shade caught on. Monster was a great mystery, had engrossing storyline, and is a book I’ll definitely need to read again and again. AND I’m still dying to know what the strange connection between Shade and Liam is all about!
• 
  Kat

  We're back for another Shade Renard adventure. This time her mentor assigns her a case that will result in Shade giving up her dream of being a private investigator or having an unqualified favor from Baba Yaga.
  
  If you enjoyed the first installment, then you'll like this one. I must say I expected to see some more of the characters from the first book in this one, but perhaps they'll appear later in the series. There are some things that are mentioned and happen that seem to indicate a long series with deep dives into Shade's past.
  
  I'm already devouring the third installment.
  
  Give it a go!
• 
  Stan Hutchings

  Mother Renard (oops, Shade!) and Peasblossom are up for another mystery. This time she Mother Hazel has challenged her to find the Truth in an investigation involving a murder, werewolves, humans, and a Dream Shard left over from Deadline. As usual, it would be better to start with Deadline and then read Monster. I enjoy Ms. Blackstream's characters, dialog, storyline, humor and the scary bits - the story is engaging, interesting, fast-paced, and has an unexpected ending.
• 
  SELENE LAKE

  Highly recommend this Series.
  
  Oh my what big teeth you have Liam!
  Shade doesn't back down when the Alpha snaps at her for investigating a crime in his territory.
  She must discover if first impressions are the best impressions....when solving a murder.
  Will solving this crime sour her dream of being a PI?
  Jennifer Blackstream is building a modern fantasy world I want to live in.
  Near perfect novel.
• 
  Shannon Eichorn

  WEREWOLVES IN THE CLEVELAND METROPARKS. I bought this book without hearing much more than "sale, urban fantasy, Cleveland" and was pleasantly surprised (pumped) to find not only werewolves (one my favorite creatures) but also familiar settings. With a solid plot and distinctive characters, this book started setting the tone for the series to ask what is the line between good and evil? As an investigator, do you really want the truth?
• 
  Craig Hart

  Fun and fascinating new series.
  
  The first book in the series started a little slow for me but that is just for me. It picked up into the book and became a fun ride along. Book 2 which I just completed was excellent from word one. Blackwell is another name that goes in my follow pile. Enjoy.
  
• 
  Wende

  Getting better
  
  This series is one I am happy that I started it. It is refreshing that this is not a romance at least not yet. It has everything I love in a book. Murder mystery with a side of paranormal. This one was sad in that the case did not have the collusion I wanted but it was such a delightful book.
• 
  Airwreckah

  A strong and interesting main character
  
  I liked this book better than the first, simply because i know shade better now. The acion and mystery were great and i like her perspective on the species around her
• 
  Marcia Mcginley

  Another very enjoyable story; some ties to the first book but largely independent. Jennifer Blackstream is building up a world with substance, giving the role of witch a refreshing twist which harks back to the role of village wise woman; I look forward to the next episode.
• 
  Arroia

  A lot slower and a lot more predictable than the first book. There’s very little of the characters from the first book, but a bunch of new ones are introduced, which makes it hard to feel connected to any of them. I’m not sure I care enough about the storyline itself to keep reading the series.