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Jackie Rutledge #2
The Vengeful Dead
She's the FBI's go-to expert on Chicago's most brutal supernatural crimes. But a bloodthirsty, revenge-crazed killer is using her deepest fears as a terrifying weapon . . .
Jackie Rutledge just can't put her past to rest. Her Bureau partner is dead, but not gone. And her sanity is becoming as fragile as her career. Worst of all, a wrenching journey into Deadworld has given her unwanted new abilities-and exhuming memories she hoped to keep buried . . .
Now a merciless force capable of possessing humans is on a killing spree, destroying the guilty and innocent alike. It isn't long before Jackie is a prime suspect, struggling to stay two steps ahead of her savvy new partner, and her undead P.I. and paramour, Nick. But to clear her name, she'll have to take on her greatest challenge confronting an inner darkness as inescapable as the one she hunts-and capable of annihilating more than her soul . . .
Praise for Deadworld"The perfect dark fantasy." --Kat Richardson
"Bloody, delicious, twisted."--Lilith Saintcrow, New York Times bestselling author of the Jill Kismet, Hunter series
"Duncan's deftly subtle debut creeps up on you like a ghost in the night."
--Mark Henry, author of Happy Hour of the Damned
433 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2011
8 people are currently reading
373 people want to read
About the author
J.N. Duncan
4 books52 followersJim N. Duncan began writing at the age of fourteen thanks to a wonderful grandmother, who was a published mystery writer. Many years, numerous false starts, and a couple of college degrees later, the dream of publication has been achieved. Duncan has four fabulous children and is an aspiring teacher.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
August 2, 2011
Agent Jackie Rutledge is still haunted by the death of her partner. She’s falling apart with no anchor and a forced vacation. In comes a vengeance driven serial killer from the wrong side of Deadworld and powers that she doesn’t understand, the side effects of her previous trip into the land of the dead. Jackie’s going to have to pull it together long enough to stop the furious ghost of a grieving mother and prevent herself from becoming suspect number one.
The Vengeful Dead by J.N. Duncan continues the story from Deadworld almost from its end. Jack is still stuck dealing with the emotional upheaval of having failed her partner and being dragged into Deadworld. She and Nick are still uneasy around each other, though he seems much more able to move on that she does. They have to rely on each other to find Rosa and convince her to stop, and convincing her to stop could easily kill them both and destroy all they care about. It’s also one of the most entertaining urban fantasy novels I’ve read in a long time with elements of a murder mystery police thriller and the best parts of a good romance novel. It’s quickly becoming one of a handful of series that keep me interested in urban fantasy and make me want more. In fact, the only low point I can think of is that the antagonist was painfully one note for most of the book, and I’m fairly sure that she was written that way on purpose.
It’s the character growth here that makes the book excellent Jack is still damaged, still angry and confused, and still incapable of standing on her own. She’s stubborn beyond belief though and hits rock bottom quickly thanks to her new powers and the stress of literally chasing ghosts. Nick is still prone to melancholy and worrying about Jack being afraid of him, but he grows enough of a spine to decide to live his unlife and try for the relationship. Shelby seems to be growing more and more into Jackie’s trickster mentor, pissing Jackie off enough to make her tear down her own walls and grow as a character. I’m a little disappointed with Laurel’s use in the book, she’s the only one who doesn’t seem to grow much and remains for the most part just Jackie’s worried friend who wants Jack to heal enough to function on her own. That said I also expect that she’ll get more character development as the series continues and that makes me happy.
I’m OK with waiting for the next Deadworld novel only because I only have to wait until next April and because I get to be an early reviewer for this one. The series is good enough and The Vengeful Dead is enough better than Deadworld that I don’t particularly want to wait, but I can. Duncan is now an immediate add to my "to read" list. Where does that leave my review of The Vengeful Dead? It leaves it at a four and a half out of five because I still can’t get Rosa out of my head as just a horribly driven monster.
Reviewed for Lauren's Bookshelf.
The Vengeful Dead by J.N. Duncan continues the story from Deadworld almost from its end. Jack is still stuck dealing with the emotional upheaval of having failed her partner and being dragged into Deadworld. She and Nick are still uneasy around each other, though he seems much more able to move on that she does. They have to rely on each other to find Rosa and convince her to stop, and convincing her to stop could easily kill them both and destroy all they care about. It’s also one of the most entertaining urban fantasy novels I’ve read in a long time with elements of a murder mystery police thriller and the best parts of a good romance novel. It’s quickly becoming one of a handful of series that keep me interested in urban fantasy and make me want more. In fact, the only low point I can think of is that the antagonist was painfully one note for most of the book, and I’m fairly sure that she was written that way on purpose.
It’s the character growth here that makes the book excellent Jack is still damaged, still angry and confused, and still incapable of standing on her own. She’s stubborn beyond belief though and hits rock bottom quickly thanks to her new powers and the stress of literally chasing ghosts. Nick is still prone to melancholy and worrying about Jack being afraid of him, but he grows enough of a spine to decide to live his unlife and try for the relationship. Shelby seems to be growing more and more into Jackie’s trickster mentor, pissing Jackie off enough to make her tear down her own walls and grow as a character. I’m a little disappointed with Laurel’s use in the book, she’s the only one who doesn’t seem to grow much and remains for the most part just Jackie’s worried friend who wants Jack to heal enough to function on her own. That said I also expect that she’ll get more character development as the series continues and that makes me happy.
I’m OK with waiting for the next Deadworld novel only because I only have to wait until next April and because I get to be an early reviewer for this one. The series is good enough and The Vengeful Dead is enough better than Deadworld that I don’t particularly want to wait, but I can. Duncan is now an immediate add to my "to read" list. Where does that leave my review of The Vengeful Dead? It leaves it at a four and a half out of five because I still can’t get Rosa out of my head as just a horribly driven monster.
Reviewed for Lauren's Bookshelf.
August 2, 2011
Agent Jackie Rutledge has been having a hard couple of weeks. She’s being haunted by her dead, long-time partner Laurel, gently harassed by the FBI’s in-house therapist who wants her to spill her guts, and pursued by a sexy vampire named Nick. All Jackie wants to do is get back to work, but she gets more than she bargained for when she gets called in as a special consultant on a brutal homicide case. A very angry murder victim named Rosa wants revenge and will do anything to get it—including possessing another person’s body. Jackie, who’s suddenly able to see and channel spirits, may be the only person able to stop the vengeful ghost—that is, if she can stay alive long enough to learn how to use her new abilities.
The Vengeful Dead is an action-packed detective novel filled to the brim with blood and guts and violence, not to mention strong paranormal elements. The heroine Jackie, who goes by the nickname “Jack,” is very masculine—she’s a workaholic who threatens to beat up everyone she meets and could care less about how she looks. While her lack of feminine traits was interesting to read, I would have enjoyed a little more sexual tension between her and Nick, or even between her and her new partner Ryan McManus. The romantic element fell flat for me, but the overall plot was a page-turner.
The Vengeful Dead is an action-packed detective novel filled to the brim with blood and guts and violence, not to mention strong paranormal elements. The heroine Jackie, who goes by the nickname “Jack,” is very masculine—she’s a workaholic who threatens to beat up everyone she meets and could care less about how she looks. While her lack of feminine traits was interesting to read, I would have enjoyed a little more sexual tension between her and Nick, or even between her and her new partner Ryan McManus. The romantic element fell flat for me, but the overall plot was a page-turner.
July 29, 2011
Interesting storyline, although a bit draggy. Jackie has one of the worst mouths I've ever encountered on a heroine thus far. Oh, and there is some very brutal violence in this book.
Reviewed for the October issue of Affaire de Coeur magazine. Http://affairedecoeur.com.
Reviewed for the October issue of Affaire de Coeur magazine. Http://affairedecoeur.com.
March 3, 2012
Review Courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: This dark urban fantasy contains a good ghost story, but a stubborn, whiney character slows the story down.
Opening Sentence: Detective Thomas Morgan threw the empty pill bottle out of his cruiser into the manicured hedge separating a pair of half-million-dollar Sterling Heights homes.
The Review:
The plot in The Vengeful Dead is pretty straightforward. The story picks up two weeks after Jackie survives being thrust into Deadworld, a plane where ghosts reside. Unfortunately for Jackie her trip into Deadworld, left her with some new psychic abilities. Along with her new abilities, Jackie is still mourning the loss of her friend and FBI partner, Lauren, and is in the middle of a mandatory leave from the FBI when Nick and Shelby take Jackie to the scene of a murder to determine what she can do. At the scene they discover a vengeful ghost that is determined to go after her murderers and she will not stop until they are dead. Jackie finds herself locked in a battle for her body while trying not to find herself permanently locked in Deadworld.
The Deadworld plays a major part in the story and the world building of this ghost world is explained in more depth than in Deadworld. I like J.N. Duncan’s take on ghosts and the world that the spirits go to either move on or stay as restless spirits. There are two things that I don’t understand about the human world though. One is how some people seem to be so accepting of the supernatural and the use of the paranormal “abilities” yet they make sure it stays hidden so others cannot find out about its use. The other thing I really don’t understand about this series are the vampires, except for the facts about how they are created, nothing else about the vampires has really been explained. The fact that two of the characters are vampires really just seems like it is a side note to the story. I would like to see more development there.
For the first 200 pages, Jackie is an annoying, whiney, stubborn and self-deprecating character. She also comes off very selfish. Every time she complains it really slows down the story. If you can make it past that to the last 200 pages, Jackie really tries to change herself. Her character finally grows and if she can keep at it, I may see her character in a more favorable light. Nick, the cowboy vampire, is more strongly developed. He has been able to move forward from his past and become a more positive person. He does treat Jackie timidly at times when I think he should be more forceful about his feelings towards her. I really would like to know more about his vampire side.
The Vengeful Dead does contain action and suspense but there is a lot of filler in-between the action scenes that also seem to slow the story down. I could have done without a lot of Jackie’s self-deprecating ways. There is quite a bit of build-up to the climax, but if you are familiar with Deadworld, the battle may be a little predictable but not overly so. There is 40 pages of filler after the final battle, that helps set up the next book in the series, The Lingering Dead, and shows quite a bit more character development. That actually didn’t bother me, since I do like the story to wrap itself up instead of just being “battle’s over, see you next installment with the aftermath”.
Overall, The Vengeful Dead, is a so-so ghost story. Jackie finally grows into a more bearable character, which I really hope continues into The Lingering Dead.
Notable Scene:
Jackie stepped over to the basement door and squatted down on the balls of her feet. Nick smiled down at the finger that hovered in the space between with the slightest tremble. She glanced back at him with a worried little furrow between her eyes. “I touched blood the last time, but I could hear the baby before that.”
“Likely because it still lingered at the scene. The blood allowed you to turn up the volume, so to speak.”
“Does it always work like that?”
“I find there are no absolutes,” Nick replied, “with the living or the dead. All you can do is try and see. We’ll go from there.”
Jackie laid her hand down flat on the door, covering some of the blood spatter. A moment later her body went rigid, frozen in place, eyes wide, staring at nothing. Nick could feel the urge coming through from the other side, a wash of energy flooding back through the doorway that had been closed for several hours now, but at the touch of her finger had sprung open. No effort at all. Astonishing. She cried out, stumbling away from the door.
Nick stepped forward, using his leg to block her backward motion and scooped his arms down around her waist. Something not remotely close to surprise or fear boiled up out of her throat.
“Jackie!”
“I . . . will . . . kill you!”
She turned in his grasp, and Nick was so startled by the twisted snarl that warped her mouth and pulled the lines of her face into something he could have scarcely imagined, that he did little more than take a stunned half-step backward. Consequently, his reactions were all too humanly slow and the swinging roundhouse from her small, but effective fist caught him square in the mouth.
The Deadworld Series:
1. Deadworld
2. The Vengeful Dead
3. The Lingering Dead
FTC Advisory: Kensington Books provided me with a copy of The Vengeful Dead. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: This dark urban fantasy contains a good ghost story, but a stubborn, whiney character slows the story down.
Opening Sentence: Detective Thomas Morgan threw the empty pill bottle out of his cruiser into the manicured hedge separating a pair of half-million-dollar Sterling Heights homes.
The Review:
The plot in The Vengeful Dead is pretty straightforward. The story picks up two weeks after Jackie survives being thrust into Deadworld, a plane where ghosts reside. Unfortunately for Jackie her trip into Deadworld, left her with some new psychic abilities. Along with her new abilities, Jackie is still mourning the loss of her friend and FBI partner, Lauren, and is in the middle of a mandatory leave from the FBI when Nick and Shelby take Jackie to the scene of a murder to determine what she can do. At the scene they discover a vengeful ghost that is determined to go after her murderers and she will not stop until they are dead. Jackie finds herself locked in a battle for her body while trying not to find herself permanently locked in Deadworld.
The Deadworld plays a major part in the story and the world building of this ghost world is explained in more depth than in Deadworld. I like J.N. Duncan’s take on ghosts and the world that the spirits go to either move on or stay as restless spirits. There are two things that I don’t understand about the human world though. One is how some people seem to be so accepting of the supernatural and the use of the paranormal “abilities” yet they make sure it stays hidden so others cannot find out about its use. The other thing I really don’t understand about this series are the vampires, except for the facts about how they are created, nothing else about the vampires has really been explained. The fact that two of the characters are vampires really just seems like it is a side note to the story. I would like to see more development there.
For the first 200 pages, Jackie is an annoying, whiney, stubborn and self-deprecating character. She also comes off very selfish. Every time she complains it really slows down the story. If you can make it past that to the last 200 pages, Jackie really tries to change herself. Her character finally grows and if she can keep at it, I may see her character in a more favorable light. Nick, the cowboy vampire, is more strongly developed. He has been able to move forward from his past and become a more positive person. He does treat Jackie timidly at times when I think he should be more forceful about his feelings towards her. I really would like to know more about his vampire side.
The Vengeful Dead does contain action and suspense but there is a lot of filler in-between the action scenes that also seem to slow the story down. I could have done without a lot of Jackie’s self-deprecating ways. There is quite a bit of build-up to the climax, but if you are familiar with Deadworld, the battle may be a little predictable but not overly so. There is 40 pages of filler after the final battle, that helps set up the next book in the series, The Lingering Dead, and shows quite a bit more character development. That actually didn’t bother me, since I do like the story to wrap itself up instead of just being “battle’s over, see you next installment with the aftermath”.
Overall, The Vengeful Dead, is a so-so ghost story. Jackie finally grows into a more bearable character, which I really hope continues into The Lingering Dead.
Notable Scene:
Jackie stepped over to the basement door and squatted down on the balls of her feet. Nick smiled down at the finger that hovered in the space between with the slightest tremble. She glanced back at him with a worried little furrow between her eyes. “I touched blood the last time, but I could hear the baby before that.”
“Likely because it still lingered at the scene. The blood allowed you to turn up the volume, so to speak.”
“Does it always work like that?”
“I find there are no absolutes,” Nick replied, “with the living or the dead. All you can do is try and see. We’ll go from there.”
Jackie laid her hand down flat on the door, covering some of the blood spatter. A moment later her body went rigid, frozen in place, eyes wide, staring at nothing. Nick could feel the urge coming through from the other side, a wash of energy flooding back through the doorway that had been closed for several hours now, but at the touch of her finger had sprung open. No effort at all. Astonishing. She cried out, stumbling away from the door.
Nick stepped forward, using his leg to block her backward motion and scooped his arms down around her waist. Something not remotely close to surprise or fear boiled up out of her throat.
“Jackie!”
“I . . . will . . . kill you!”
She turned in his grasp, and Nick was so startled by the twisted snarl that warped her mouth and pulled the lines of her face into something he could have scarcely imagined, that he did little more than take a stunned half-step backward. Consequently, his reactions were all too humanly slow and the swinging roundhouse from her small, but effective fist caught him square in the mouth.
The Deadworld Series:
1. Deadworld
2. The Vengeful Dead
3. The Lingering Dead
FTC Advisory: Kensington Books provided me with a copy of The Vengeful Dead. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
September 15, 2014
Second in the Jackie Rutledge series and revolving around Jackie Rutledge, a grief-stricken FBI agent based in Chicago. The story touches on Jackie and Nick as a couple.
My Take
I liked the first story better. Of course I read it three years ago, so who knows how much I actually remember. Jackie irritates me in this one. Sure, I understand that she's lost her partner of many years, but god, she's so whiny. I know that depression can grab on to you and drag you down. I understand that Jackie is having to deal with some new "gifts". Gifts that shouldn't be that strange to her as she worked actively with Laurel who used the same type of gifts. Maybe it's just that it's all hitting her at once.
So, back to that leetle complication of Laurel's death and her transference of her powers to Jackie. Yep, the same psychic skills she made such fun of when Laurel was alive. Which leads to that trope I hate so much. The I-have-all-these-new-powers-that-I-refuse-to-learn-to-use-even-if-they'll-save-my-ass trope. I wanna smack her upside the head! Jeez, Jackie is such a mess. Yeah, the new "gifts" have impressed Nick and Shelby — they've never seen anything like it.
I thoroughly understand her needing to go back to work, to immerse herself. I bury myself in my work all the time. But Jackie, in spite of this great and desperate need, is fighting against Dr. Erikson so hard, it makes ya itch. Then again, it's so much easier when it's someone else sitting in that chair, being vulnerable. I don't think the doc is helping though when she's threatening Jackie.
The part that bugs me is Jackie is almost desperate enough to kill to get back to work, and all she has to do is spill her guts to get the doc to sign her back in. And she won't do it. She spends more time battling the doc and her past than jumping through the obstacles that stand in her way.
I do love that, even as she's fighting Dr. Erikson, she's getting her own revelations about the impact Laurel had on her life as she realizes what a schmuck she was. I wonder if that tease about Jack being broken will lead to further insight into her past, her future, her gifts, her…?
We get more information in this story about the FBI's acceptance of psychic actions. Laurel's success rate and Nick's efforts in Deadworld , 1, to save Jackie have made quite the impression. Still, it's interesting that Nick is so familiar with Belgerman. Familiar enough to call on his phone whenever and call him John, the incredibly easygoing, unFBI-like John. The closest the FBI comes to being the uptight agency we know from most fiction is at the end. And even that is low-key with an ulterior motive.
For such a confident guy, Nick is amazingly reticent about going after Jackie. Although, then again, he is planning for the long-term, lol.
How does Rosa know so many tricks already? She's not sane or rational, so I don't believe she read the handbook or anything. Not that I blame her because I gotta say, I'm with Rosa on this. But I think she went overboard on it. Killing all those innocents, having no regard for the person she possessed. Why does no one wonder where Rosa went when her "possession" died? That scene at the end in the confrontation over Rosa's baby? How does Rosa not react to her baby not screaming?
I wish Duncan had given us background on Rosa and the guy killed with her. Who were the living who failed? Who should have protected him? She's projecting her own anger onto her baby, and I can't help but think that Duncan needs to work on this part of the story. He relies on a mother's rage for everything. We have to learn why her killer came after her from someone else. Nor does it sound as if Rosa had "tried to do right" in her life as she claims.
Jeez, that little snitfit Jackie has in the office… Doesn't she realize that the work continues even if she's off? Admittedly, being out of the office isn't her choice, but still. I'm having a really hard time feeling bad for Jackie.
Oh, yeah, I also want to know who the beastie is who's chasing all the ghosts in Deadworld…
The Story
It’s a horrific murder of a mother and her child that sets this ghost off on her murderous rampage of revenge. It’s her pain that pulls Nick and Shelby in. That and the desperate need to save whoever the ghost has possessed.
Another pain, Jackie’s, pulls Nick into her orbit, or her mess of an apartment at least. He doesn’t care. He’s been there too many times himself.
The Characters
Normally, Jackie Rutledge drowns her past in her work and her piano playing, but with the loss of her best and only friend and partner, Laurel, there is no work. They've forced her to take compassionate leave and see the FBI's shrink. Now she drowns her grief in the booze she loves so well. Bickerstaff is her cat. Her stepfather, Carl, was a cop and abused his wife until she killed herself.
Laurel Carpenter was her partner and a psychic who sensed ghosts. And she was murdered by Cornelius Drake on their last case in Deadworld . Sam and Beatrice Carpenter are Laurel's parents, and they've sent her a package.
The FBI
John Belgerman is Jackie's boss and an incredibly understanding one, a father figure. Special Agent Ryan McManus is Jackie's new partner from San Francisco where he worked gang enforcement. He gets dropped into the deep end! He's divorced and gets weekends with his daughter, Amanda. Dr. Matilda "Tillie" Erikson is the office shrink, who's actually very insightful. Denny is the photographer who sneaks information to Jackie. Captain Pernetti is the token jerk agent, AND he's in charge of this case. Wendall and Jenkins are on it too. Hauser.
The Chicago PD
Detective Thomas Morgan has a problem, only he doesn't know it will be a very short term one. Detective Frank "Sock" Wysocki is Morgan's partner, I think. Both detectives are with the Joint Violent Crimes Task Force.
Beverly Morgan is his wife who works as an office manager in an accounting firm. Even though she's filed for a separation, she still loves him.
Nick Anderson was a sheriff in Wyoming in 1862. Now he's a vampire. He's had plenty of time to accumulate a great deal of knowledge which he's parlayed into a substantial fortune and Bloodwork Industries, another of his companies working on a synthetic blood he developed as a biochemist. He's also a concert pianist and a gourmet cook with great lockpicking skills.
Specialty Investigations…
…is Nick's private eye firm which specializes in ghostly issues. Shelby Fontaine was brought over by Nick in the 1930s when she lay bleeding out. Lovers for a time, they're friends now, and Shelby is in a relationship with the dead Laurel. Cynthia is a medium who's a flesh-and-blood human in unrequited love with Nick and works in his firm as his secretary. Reggie was a ghost from Nick's sherrifin' days.
The Almighty Latin Kings
The Raging Bull is a popular hangout for the Kings. Hector, Eduardo, Rennie Vasquez, Loopy, Miguel, Maria, and Manuel "Steel-Toe" Juarez are all members. Rosa Sanchez was pregnant and a former gang member. Antonio would have been the baby's name.
Gladys Wainwright is a friend of Nick's and the senator's wife. Adam Parker is the director of the Arts Center; his wife is Dorothy. Melanie Armond is a cancer survivor and the artist. The Reverend Michael Chambers allows access to the pipe organ at Rockefeller Chapel.
Philip Margolin is with the Chicago Tribune and can't take no for an answer.
The Cover
The cover is greens and yellows with the misty ground giving a sense of Deadworld. I suspect it’s Laurel in the background, looking quite sexy in her form-fitting white wifebeater, pouting sexily at Jackie who’s dressed in FBI standard issue — not — black short leather motorcycle jacket, a form-fitting black cropped tank top with a plunging neckline baring a whole lotta tummy as she holds her Glock at her side.
The title is about Rosa, for she’s The Vengeful Dead, intent on revenge.
My Take
I liked the first story better. Of course I read it three years ago, so who knows how much I actually remember. Jackie irritates me in this one. Sure, I understand that she's lost her partner of many years, but god, she's so whiny. I know that depression can grab on to you and drag you down. I understand that Jackie is having to deal with some new "gifts". Gifts that shouldn't be that strange to her as she worked actively with Laurel who used the same type of gifts. Maybe it's just that it's all hitting her at once.
So, back to that leetle complication of Laurel's death and her transference of her powers to Jackie. Yep, the same psychic skills she made such fun of when Laurel was alive. Which leads to that trope I hate so much. The I-have-all-these-new-powers-that-I-refuse-to-learn-to-use-even-if-they'll-save-my-ass trope. I wanna smack her upside the head! Jeez, Jackie is such a mess. Yeah, the new "gifts" have impressed Nick and Shelby — they've never seen anything like it.
I thoroughly understand her needing to go back to work, to immerse herself. I bury myself in my work all the time. But Jackie, in spite of this great and desperate need, is fighting against Dr. Erikson so hard, it makes ya itch. Then again, it's so much easier when it's someone else sitting in that chair, being vulnerable. I don't think the doc is helping though when she's threatening Jackie.
"'…the point is not for me to know it' she replied. 'The point is to put your issues into your own words, to let someone else hear them, and know that you aren't so utterly alone and helpless as you feel right now.'"
The part that bugs me is Jackie is almost desperate enough to kill to get back to work, and all she has to do is spill her guts to get the doc to sign her back in. And she won't do it. She spends more time battling the doc and her past than jumping through the obstacles that stand in her way.
I do love that, even as she's fighting Dr. Erikson, she's getting her own revelations about the impact Laurel had on her life as she realizes what a schmuck she was. I wonder if that tease about Jack being broken will lead to further insight into her past, her future, her gifts, her…?
We get more information in this story about the FBI's acceptance of psychic actions. Laurel's success rate and Nick's efforts in Deadworld , 1, to save Jackie have made quite the impression. Still, it's interesting that Nick is so familiar with Belgerman. Familiar enough to call on his phone whenever and call him John, the incredibly easygoing, unFBI-like John. The closest the FBI comes to being the uptight agency we know from most fiction is at the end. And even that is low-key with an ulterior motive.
For such a confident guy, Nick is amazingly reticent about going after Jackie. Although, then again, he is planning for the long-term, lol.
How does Rosa know so many tricks already? She's not sane or rational, so I don't believe she read the handbook or anything. Not that I blame her because I gotta say, I'm with Rosa on this. But I think she went overboard on it. Killing all those innocents, having no regard for the person she possessed. Why does no one wonder where Rosa went when her "possession" died? That scene at the end in the confrontation over Rosa's baby? How does Rosa not react to her baby not screaming?
I wish Duncan had given us background on Rosa and the guy killed with her. Who were the living who failed? Who should have protected him? She's projecting her own anger onto her baby, and I can't help but think that Duncan needs to work on this part of the story. He relies on a mother's rage for everything. We have to learn why her killer came after her from someone else. Nor does it sound as if Rosa had "tried to do right" in her life as she claims.
Jeez, that little snitfit Jackie has in the office… Doesn't she realize that the work continues even if she's off? Admittedly, being out of the office isn't her choice, but still. I'm having a really hard time feeling bad for Jackie.
Oh, yeah, I also want to know who the beastie is who's chasing all the ghosts in Deadworld…
The Story
It’s a horrific murder of a mother and her child that sets this ghost off on her murderous rampage of revenge. It’s her pain that pulls Nick and Shelby in. That and the desperate need to save whoever the ghost has possessed.
Another pain, Jackie’s, pulls Nick into her orbit, or her mess of an apartment at least. He doesn’t care. He’s been there too many times himself.
The Characters
Normally, Jackie Rutledge drowns her past in her work and her piano playing, but with the loss of her best and only friend and partner, Laurel, there is no work. They've forced her to take compassionate leave and see the FBI's shrink. Now she drowns her grief in the booze she loves so well. Bickerstaff is her cat. Her stepfather, Carl, was a cop and abused his wife until she killed herself.
Laurel Carpenter was her partner and a psychic who sensed ghosts. And she was murdered by Cornelius Drake on their last case in Deadworld . Sam and Beatrice Carpenter are Laurel's parents, and they've sent her a package.
The FBI
John Belgerman is Jackie's boss and an incredibly understanding one, a father figure. Special Agent Ryan McManus is Jackie's new partner from San Francisco where he worked gang enforcement. He gets dropped into the deep end! He's divorced and gets weekends with his daughter, Amanda. Dr. Matilda "Tillie" Erikson is the office shrink, who's actually very insightful. Denny is the photographer who sneaks information to Jackie. Captain Pernetti is the token jerk agent, AND he's in charge of this case. Wendall and Jenkins are on it too. Hauser.
The Chicago PD
Detective Thomas Morgan has a problem, only he doesn't know it will be a very short term one. Detective Frank "Sock" Wysocki is Morgan's partner, I think. Both detectives are with the Joint Violent Crimes Task Force.
Beverly Morgan is his wife who works as an office manager in an accounting firm. Even though she's filed for a separation, she still loves him.
Nick Anderson was a sheriff in Wyoming in 1862. Now he's a vampire. He's had plenty of time to accumulate a great deal of knowledge which he's parlayed into a substantial fortune and Bloodwork Industries, another of his companies working on a synthetic blood he developed as a biochemist. He's also a concert pianist and a gourmet cook with great lockpicking skills.
Specialty Investigations…
…is Nick's private eye firm which specializes in ghostly issues. Shelby Fontaine was brought over by Nick in the 1930s when she lay bleeding out. Lovers for a time, they're friends now, and Shelby is in a relationship with the dead Laurel. Cynthia is a medium who's a flesh-and-blood human in unrequited love with Nick and works in his firm as his secretary. Reggie was a ghost from Nick's sherrifin' days.
The Almighty Latin Kings
The Raging Bull is a popular hangout for the Kings. Hector, Eduardo, Rennie Vasquez, Loopy, Miguel, Maria, and Manuel "Steel-Toe" Juarez are all members. Rosa Sanchez was pregnant and a former gang member. Antonio would have been the baby's name.
Gladys Wainwright is a friend of Nick's and the senator's wife. Adam Parker is the director of the Arts Center; his wife is Dorothy. Melanie Armond is a cancer survivor and the artist. The Reverend Michael Chambers allows access to the pipe organ at Rockefeller Chapel.
Philip Margolin is with the Chicago Tribune and can't take no for an answer.
The Cover
The cover is greens and yellows with the misty ground giving a sense of Deadworld. I suspect it’s Laurel in the background, looking quite sexy in her form-fitting white wifebeater, pouting sexily at Jackie who’s dressed in FBI standard issue — not — black short leather motorcycle jacket, a form-fitting black cropped tank top with a plunging neckline baring a whole lotta tummy as she holds her Glock at her side.
The title is about Rosa, for she’s The Vengeful Dead, intent on revenge.
January 18, 2017
Originially published at Dark Faerie Tales: http://darkfaerietales.com/review-ven...
Quick & Dirty: This dark urban fantasy contains a decent ghost story, but a stubborn, whiney character slows the story down.
The Review:
The plot in The Vengeful Dead is pretty straightforward. The story picks up two weeks after Jackie survives being thrust into Deadworld, a plane where ghosts reside. Unfortunately for Jackie her trip into Deadworld, left her with some new psychic abilities. Along with her new abilities, Jackie is still mourning the loss of her friend and FBI partner, Lauren, and is in the middle of a mandatory leave from the FBI when Nick and Shelby take Jackie to the scene of a murder to determine what she can do. At the scene they discover a vengeful ghost that is determined to go after her murderers and she will not stop until they are dead. Jackie finds herself locked in a battle for her body while trying not to find herself permanently locked in Deadworld.
The Deadworld plays a major part in the story and the world building of this ghost world is explained in more depth than in Deadworld. I like J.N. Duncan’s take on ghosts and the world that the spirits go to either move on or stay as restless spirits. There are two things that I don’t understand about the human world though. One is how some people seem to be so accepting of the supernatural and the use of the paranormal “abilities” yet they make sure it stays hidden so others cannot find out about its use. The other thing I really don’t understand about this series are the vampires, except for the facts about how they are created, nothing else about the vampires has really been explained. The fact that two of the characters are vampires really just seems like it is a side note to the story. I would like to see more development there.
For the first 200 pages, Jackie is an annoying, whiney, stubborn and self-deprecating character. She also comes off very selfish. Every time she complains it really slows down the story. If you can make it past that to the last 200 pages, Jackie really tries to change herself. Her character finally grows and if she can keep at it, I may see her character in a more favorable light. Nick, the cowboy vampire, is more strongly developed. He has been able to move forward from his past and become a more positive person. He does treat Jackie timidly at times when I think he should be more forceful about his feelings towards her. I really would like to know more about his vampire side.
The Vengeful Dead does contain action and suspense but there is a lot of filler in-between the action scenes that also seem to slow the story down. I could have done without a lot of Jackie’s self-deprecating ways. There is quite a bit of build-up to the climax, but if you are familiar with Deadworld, the battle may be a little predictable but not overly so. There is 40 pages of filler after the final battle, that helps set up the next book in the series, The Lingering Dead, and shows quite a bit more character development. That actually didn’t bother me, since I do like the story to wrap itself up instead of just being “battle’s over, see you next installment with the aftermath”.
Overall, The Vengeful Dead, is a so-so ghost story. Jackie finally grows into a more bearable character, which I really hope continues into The Lingering Dead.
Quick & Dirty: This dark urban fantasy contains a decent ghost story, but a stubborn, whiney character slows the story down.
The Review:
The plot in The Vengeful Dead is pretty straightforward. The story picks up two weeks after Jackie survives being thrust into Deadworld, a plane where ghosts reside. Unfortunately for Jackie her trip into Deadworld, left her with some new psychic abilities. Along with her new abilities, Jackie is still mourning the loss of her friend and FBI partner, Lauren, and is in the middle of a mandatory leave from the FBI when Nick and Shelby take Jackie to the scene of a murder to determine what she can do. At the scene they discover a vengeful ghost that is determined to go after her murderers and she will not stop until they are dead. Jackie finds herself locked in a battle for her body while trying not to find herself permanently locked in Deadworld.
The Deadworld plays a major part in the story and the world building of this ghost world is explained in more depth than in Deadworld. I like J.N. Duncan’s take on ghosts and the world that the spirits go to either move on or stay as restless spirits. There are two things that I don’t understand about the human world though. One is how some people seem to be so accepting of the supernatural and the use of the paranormal “abilities” yet they make sure it stays hidden so others cannot find out about its use. The other thing I really don’t understand about this series are the vampires, except for the facts about how they are created, nothing else about the vampires has really been explained. The fact that two of the characters are vampires really just seems like it is a side note to the story. I would like to see more development there.
For the first 200 pages, Jackie is an annoying, whiney, stubborn and self-deprecating character. She also comes off very selfish. Every time she complains it really slows down the story. If you can make it past that to the last 200 pages, Jackie really tries to change herself. Her character finally grows and if she can keep at it, I may see her character in a more favorable light. Nick, the cowboy vampire, is more strongly developed. He has been able to move forward from his past and become a more positive person. He does treat Jackie timidly at times when I think he should be more forceful about his feelings towards her. I really would like to know more about his vampire side.
The Vengeful Dead does contain action and suspense but there is a lot of filler in-between the action scenes that also seem to slow the story down. I could have done without a lot of Jackie’s self-deprecating ways. There is quite a bit of build-up to the climax, but if you are familiar with Deadworld, the battle may be a little predictable but not overly so. There is 40 pages of filler after the final battle, that helps set up the next book in the series, The Lingering Dead, and shows quite a bit more character development. That actually didn’t bother me, since I do like the story to wrap itself up instead of just being “battle’s over, see you next installment with the aftermath”.
Overall, The Vengeful Dead, is a so-so ghost story. Jackie finally grows into a more bearable character, which I really hope continues into The Lingering Dead.
October 11, 2011
Jackie is a FBI agent who is recovering from her partner’s death. If recovering wasn’t enough she soon finds out that she has paranormal abilities. Meanwhile, a ghost is on a murder spree that Jackie gets wrapped up in.
The dead are very vengeful in this book. The scenes of murder are harsh and bloody. I have to give it props for the murder scenes. They are awful in the best ways. If you do not have a strong constitution, this might not be for you. Jackie also swears a lot, but it is feels like a part of her character, so it really didn’t bug me.
This is the second book in the series, and it started slow for me. I didn’t understand the relationships between the characters at first. This might not have been a problem if I had read the first book. It starts with a murder, and then the reader sees Jackie. She is wallowing after her partner’s death. While that seems very natural, everyone around her is throwing out the counseling card, and telling her that she needs help. Her needing ‘help’ got very annoying, very fast.
Nick and Shelby, the paranormal investigator/vampires, work along with the FBI on cases. They find that a string of murders might be caused by a ghost. Nick and Shelby have a past with Jackie, and were around when her partner was killed. They want to help Jackie, so Nick invites her to come to a crime scene with him. This is when they discover her new powers. Instead of taking her mind off how sad she is her new powers only make her depression worse.
Realistically I got to thinking about this. I don’t think anyone would okay her going to a crime scene while she was on leave, or chained to her desk with paper work. This fact is kind of waved away in the story, which bugged me a little. There are a few more eyebrow lifting moments, especially her new partner’s reactions.
There is a romantic sub-plot between Jackie and Nick, but it doesn’t rate very high on the steam meter. It more seems like a relationship that will grow throughout the series, which is something I do enjoy. Because I didn’t read the first one, I might have jumped in on them at the wrong time, because I wasn’t really feeling it. I just didn’t have any true feel of chemistry between them.
The main action is left out until the end. I wasn’t a fan of the buildup and thought Jackie’s wallowing was a bit much, but enjoyed some of the details. If it had been focused more on the rampaging dead, and not so much on the struggling-to-accept Jackie, I would have enjoyed it more. That might not have been true if I had read the first book. This is a paranormal crime story with lots of dirty words, ghosts, and drinking so much coffee - it is a wonder nobody’s heart exploded.
The dead are very vengeful in this book. The scenes of murder are harsh and bloody. I have to give it props for the murder scenes. They are awful in the best ways. If you do not have a strong constitution, this might not be for you. Jackie also swears a lot, but it is feels like a part of her character, so it really didn’t bug me.
This is the second book in the series, and it started slow for me. I didn’t understand the relationships between the characters at first. This might not have been a problem if I had read the first book. It starts with a murder, and then the reader sees Jackie. She is wallowing after her partner’s death. While that seems very natural, everyone around her is throwing out the counseling card, and telling her that she needs help. Her needing ‘help’ got very annoying, very fast.
Nick and Shelby, the paranormal investigator/vampires, work along with the FBI on cases. They find that a string of murders might be caused by a ghost. Nick and Shelby have a past with Jackie, and were around when her partner was killed. They want to help Jackie, so Nick invites her to come to a crime scene with him. This is when they discover her new powers. Instead of taking her mind off how sad she is her new powers only make her depression worse.
Realistically I got to thinking about this. I don’t think anyone would okay her going to a crime scene while she was on leave, or chained to her desk with paper work. This fact is kind of waved away in the story, which bugged me a little. There are a few more eyebrow lifting moments, especially her new partner’s reactions.
There is a romantic sub-plot between Jackie and Nick, but it doesn’t rate very high on the steam meter. It more seems like a relationship that will grow throughout the series, which is something I do enjoy. Because I didn’t read the first one, I might have jumped in on them at the wrong time, because I wasn’t really feeling it. I just didn’t have any true feel of chemistry between them.
The main action is left out until the end. I wasn’t a fan of the buildup and thought Jackie’s wallowing was a bit much, but enjoyed some of the details. If it had been focused more on the rampaging dead, and not so much on the struggling-to-accept Jackie, I would have enjoyed it more. That might not have been true if I had read the first book. This is a paranormal crime story with lots of dirty words, ghosts, and drinking so much coffee - it is a wonder nobody’s heart exploded.
October 11, 2011
Jackie is a FBI agent who is recovering from her partner’s death. If recovering wasn’t enough she soon finds out that she has paranormal abilities. Meanwhile, a ghost is on a murder spree that Jackie gets wrapped up in.
The dead are very vengeful in this book. The scenes of murder are harsh and bloody. I have to give it props for the murder scenes. They are awful in the best ways. If you do not have a strong constitution, this might not be for you. Jackie also swears a lot, but it is feels like a part of her character, so it really didn’t bug me.
This is the second book in the series, and it started slow for me. I didn’t understand the relationships between the characters at first. This might not have been a problem if I had read the first book. It starts with a murder, and then the reader sees Jackie. She is wallowing after her partner’s death. While that seems very natural, everyone around her is throwing out the counseling card, and telling her that she needs help. Her needing ‘help’ got very annoying, very fast.
Nick and Shelby, the paranormal investigator/vampires, work along with the FBI on cases. They find that a string of murders might be caused by a ghost. Nick and Shelby have a past with Jackie, and were around when her partner was killed. They want to help Jackie, so Nick invites her to come to a crime scene with him. This is when they discover her new powers. Instead of taking her mind off how sad she is her new powers only make her depression worse.
Realistically I got to thinking about this. I don’t think anyone would okay her going to a crime scene while she was on leave, or chained to her desk with paper work. This fact is kind of waved away in the story, which bugged me a little. There are a few more eyebrow lifting moments, especially her new partner’s reactions.
There is a romantic sub-plot between Jackie and Nick, but it doesn’t rate very high on the steam meter. It more seems like a relationship that will grow throughout the series, which is something I do enjoy. Because I didn’t read the first one, I might have jumped in on them at the wrong time, because I wasn’t really feeling it. I just didn’t have any true feel of chemistry between them.
The main action is left out until the end. I wasn’t a fan of the buildup and thought Jackie’s wallowing was a bit much, but enjoyed some of the details. If it had been focused more on the rampaging dead, and not so much on the struggling-to-accept Jackie, I would have enjoyed it more. That might not have been true if I had read the first book. This is a paranormal crime story with lots of dirty words, ghosts, and drinking so much coffee - it is a wonder nobody’s heart exploded.
-Beth (Guest Reviewer)
The dead are very vengeful in this book. The scenes of murder are harsh and bloody. I have to give it props for the murder scenes. They are awful in the best ways. If you do not have a strong constitution, this might not be for you. Jackie also swears a lot, but it is feels like a part of her character, so it really didn’t bug me.
This is the second book in the series, and it started slow for me. I didn’t understand the relationships between the characters at first. This might not have been a problem if I had read the first book. It starts with a murder, and then the reader sees Jackie. She is wallowing after her partner’s death. While that seems very natural, everyone around her is throwing out the counseling card, and telling her that she needs help. Her needing ‘help’ got very annoying, very fast.
Nick and Shelby, the paranormal investigator/vampires, work along with the FBI on cases. They find that a string of murders might be caused by a ghost. Nick and Shelby have a past with Jackie, and were around when her partner was killed. They want to help Jackie, so Nick invites her to come to a crime scene with him. This is when they discover her new powers. Instead of taking her mind off how sad she is her new powers only make her depression worse.
Realistically I got to thinking about this. I don’t think anyone would okay her going to a crime scene while she was on leave, or chained to her desk with paper work. This fact is kind of waved away in the story, which bugged me a little. There are a few more eyebrow lifting moments, especially her new partner’s reactions.
There is a romantic sub-plot between Jackie and Nick, but it doesn’t rate very high on the steam meter. It more seems like a relationship that will grow throughout the series, which is something I do enjoy. Because I didn’t read the first one, I might have jumped in on them at the wrong time, because I wasn’t really feeling it. I just didn’t have any true feel of chemistry between them.
The main action is left out until the end. I wasn’t a fan of the buildup and thought Jackie’s wallowing was a bit much, but enjoyed some of the details. If it had been focused more on the rampaging dead, and not so much on the struggling-to-accept Jackie, I would have enjoyed it more. That might not have been true if I had read the first book. This is a paranormal crime story with lots of dirty words, ghosts, and drinking so much coffee - it is a wonder nobody’s heart exploded.
-Beth (Guest Reviewer)
April 24, 2012
REVIEW:
Full review on Book Chick City text
**May contain spoilers from previous book**
This is the second book in J. L. Duncan's 'Jackie Rutledge' series and while the first book, 'Deadworld', was clearly about Nick dealing with his personal demons, this one is all about Jackie coming to terms with her own.
The conclusion of the story sets us up for the next book nicely and I hope that we see more of Ryan, the new liason officer between the FBI and the P.I company Jackie joins. What did seem out of place was the date that Jackie ended up going on with Nick. Whether it was to show that they were moving towards being a couple or a last minute addition, I don’t know, but I think it would have been better at the beginning of the next book.
VERDICT:
Another good read, but somehow suffered slightly from second book syndrome where the transition from standalone to series was apparent. I also didn’t feel on the edge of my seat, full on throttle as I did with the first book. However, a great read purely for the development of the main female character, Jackie Rutlidge. Will definitely read the next book, if only for more Jackie.
Full review on Book Chick City text
**May contain spoilers from previous book**
This is the second book in J. L. Duncan's 'Jackie Rutledge' series and while the first book, 'Deadworld', was clearly about Nick dealing with his personal demons, this one is all about Jackie coming to terms with her own.
The conclusion of the story sets us up for the next book nicely and I hope that we see more of Ryan, the new liason officer between the FBI and the P.I company Jackie joins. What did seem out of place was the date that Jackie ended up going on with Nick. Whether it was to show that they were moving towards being a couple or a last minute addition, I don’t know, but I think it would have been better at the beginning of the next book.
VERDICT:
Another good read, but somehow suffered slightly from second book syndrome where the transition from standalone to series was apparent. I also didn’t feel on the edge of my seat, full on throttle as I did with the first book. However, a great read purely for the development of the main female character, Jackie Rutlidge. Will definitely read the next book, if only for more Jackie.
March 4, 2012
*Rating* 3.0
*Genre* Urban Fantasy
*Review*
The Vengeful Dead (Jackie Rutledge # 2) picks up several weeks after the end of Deadworld. FBI Agent Jackie Rutledge has been having a hard couple of weeks. First she lost her best friend and the only partner Laurel Carpenter to a crazed murderer. Then, she’s put on 30 days leave by her boss John Belgerman to get over what happened to her. Now, it appears that after her near death experience in the Dead World, she has some psychic abilities which are freaking her out.
Concurrently, a ghost named Rosa has gone on a brutal rampage after being killed along with her unborn baby. She takes over the body of a Homicide Detective, and eventually goes after Jackie’s since she is considered “Broken” in order to kill those she believes were responsible for her death. Rosa’s scenes are bloody, violent, and dark.
Jackie’s relationship with the vampire Nick Anderson has hit a snag, and Jackie doesn’t understand why he wants to be around her so badly. Nick has been a vampire for 176 years, and was once a Sheriff in the old west. If you’re looking for hot steamy sexy, it’s not happening. Both Nick and Jackie are a bit broken when it comes to dealing with relationships and have decided to take things slowly for now.
Shelby Fontaine, Nick’s vampire partner at Special Investigations, is amused by the dancing the pair plays throughout the book. Shelby is, stunningly, the most level headed character in this story as well as the one who gets Jackie off her ass and back to doing what she does best; kicking some major ass and solving crimes.
Laurel, her deceased ghost partner, has decided to let Jackie deal with her issues before confronting her. Laurel doesn’t really play much of a factor in this story. However, it’s obvious that Jackie still needs her around to deal with her new abilities as well as support.
The Vengeful Dead is a cross between Urban Fantasy, and a thriller novel. The heroine Jackie is a potty mouthed hot head who is really good at her job and has a dark past which she keeps away from everyone including Nick.
Her new partner Ryan McManus will be interesting to watch as he gets used to dealing with the whole paranormal aspects of his new job.
The series thus far;
Deadworld (2011)
The Vengeful Dead (2011)
The Lingering Dead (April 12, 2012)
*Genre* Urban Fantasy
*Review*
The Vengeful Dead (Jackie Rutledge # 2) picks up several weeks after the end of Deadworld. FBI Agent Jackie Rutledge has been having a hard couple of weeks. First she lost her best friend and the only partner Laurel Carpenter to a crazed murderer. Then, she’s put on 30 days leave by her boss John Belgerman to get over what happened to her. Now, it appears that after her near death experience in the Dead World, she has some psychic abilities which are freaking her out.
Concurrently, a ghost named Rosa has gone on a brutal rampage after being killed along with her unborn baby. She takes over the body of a Homicide Detective, and eventually goes after Jackie’s since she is considered “Broken” in order to kill those she believes were responsible for her death. Rosa’s scenes are bloody, violent, and dark.
Jackie’s relationship with the vampire Nick Anderson has hit a snag, and Jackie doesn’t understand why he wants to be around her so badly. Nick has been a vampire for 176 years, and was once a Sheriff in the old west. If you’re looking for hot steamy sexy, it’s not happening. Both Nick and Jackie are a bit broken when it comes to dealing with relationships and have decided to take things slowly for now.
Shelby Fontaine, Nick’s vampire partner at Special Investigations, is amused by the dancing the pair plays throughout the book. Shelby is, stunningly, the most level headed character in this story as well as the one who gets Jackie off her ass and back to doing what she does best; kicking some major ass and solving crimes.
Laurel, her deceased ghost partner, has decided to let Jackie deal with her issues before confronting her. Laurel doesn’t really play much of a factor in this story. However, it’s obvious that Jackie still needs her around to deal with her new abilities as well as support.
The Vengeful Dead is a cross between Urban Fantasy, and a thriller novel. The heroine Jackie is a potty mouthed hot head who is really good at her job and has a dark past which she keeps away from everyone including Nick.
Her new partner Ryan McManus will be interesting to watch as he gets used to dealing with the whole paranormal aspects of his new job.
The series thus far;
Deadworld (2011)
The Vengeful Dead (2011)
The Lingering Dead (April 12, 2012)
May 10, 2015
Jackie Rutledge is a Chicago FBI agent whose psychic partner was killed by a psychotic vampire. Though Laurel isn’t truly gone since she’s stuck around in ghost form. While in pursuit of the psychotic vampire Jackie died and came back, but brought some of Deadworld with her. She needs to figure out what her freaky new abilities can do, but there’s an enraged ghost on the loose who has possessed a cop. She’s dealing out vengeance to those her killed her and ripped her baby from her womb. Jackie is on leave due to her breakdown after Laurel’s death and her own death-then-come-back-to-life incident, but since she’s climbing the walls she agrees to come in to consult on the paranormal aspect of the case. In Rosa the Enraged Ghost Jackie gets much more than she bargained for. On top of all that, she’s been assigned a new partner, Agent Ryan McManus and she can’t decide if she’s ready to date Nick Anderson the cowboy vampire private investigator. Welcome to Jackie’s life.
The writing is good and the plot is fast. Our favorite characters are back and we get a new agent. We don’t learn a whole lot about Jackie’s new abilities, but we do learn a bit and Jackie isn’t quite as unappealing in this book as in Deadworld. She’s still stubborn enough I want to smack her occasionally, but she is slowly growing and adapting to her new circumstances. The whole ghost possession arc is fascinating, but boy is Rosa a piece of work. Yikes! All-in-all I’m enjoying this series very much and look forward to the next case that lands in Jackie’s lap.
*Many thanks to Kensington for providing a review copy. Please see disclaimer page on my blog.
The writing is good and the plot is fast. Our favorite characters are back and we get a new agent. We don’t learn a whole lot about Jackie’s new abilities, but we do learn a bit and Jackie isn’t quite as unappealing in this book as in Deadworld. She’s still stubborn enough I want to smack her occasionally, but she is slowly growing and adapting to her new circumstances. The whole ghost possession arc is fascinating, but boy is Rosa a piece of work. Yikes! All-in-all I’m enjoying this series very much and look forward to the next case that lands in Jackie’s lap.
*Many thanks to Kensington for providing a review copy. Please see disclaimer page on my blog.
March 8, 2012
:) Jacky Jacky Jack... You poor poor confused girl. Her persona doesn't fit your usual FBI persona. She is crass, hardly systematic, probably the laziest when it comes to cleaning up, and lacks so much self esteem. In short she is such a bitch. :p Hahaha! Ofcourse in a good way. She is a lovable character that is mostly motivated by fear. I love how she is totally afraid of the Yoda of Psychiatrists.
Jack has to face the music and accept that her old partner is dead. How does she do this??? By getting drunk. :p hehehe. Other than facing reality, Jack discovers some of her special abilities. It just so happens that a vengeful spirit is in a possession and killing spree. FBI's resident ghostbuster passed away, so who are they gonna call? :p
Hummmm I'm in a mood... Anyway, in a more serious tone, the vivid description of the gruesome crime screen might be a tad graphic for the your readers.
I'm quite curiouser of McManus... Wonder if he'll stick around. As for the ending, sweet that's all I'm going to say.
Jack has to face the music and accept that her old partner is dead. How does she do this??? By getting drunk. :p hehehe. Other than facing reality, Jack discovers some of her special abilities. It just so happens that a vengeful spirit is in a possession and killing spree. FBI's resident ghostbuster passed away, so who are they gonna call? :p
Hummmm I'm in a mood... Anyway, in a more serious tone, the vivid description of the gruesome crime screen might be a tad graphic for the your readers.
I'm quite curiouser of McManus... Wonder if he'll stick around. As for the ending, sweet that's all I'm going to say.
August 2, 2013
Another great book. I truly felt sorry for poor Rosa throughout the book. In this book Jackie did seem to be always be taking two steps forward and four steps back, givem the circumstances of all that has been thrown on her its sort of.understandable. However i just wanted to shake her quite a few times and say snap out of it. Shelby is quickly becoming a favorite character of mine and is great in her handling of Jackie whom I believe does need tough love often. Very curious how things will play out between Laurel and Shelby as much as watching things develop between Nick and Jackie. One person i really felt sorry for was Ryan Mcmanus first day on the job and nothing but craziness ensued from literslly that point until the conclusion. Hoping to get more information on him and Cynthia ( whom i believe has a thing for Nick or atleadt had one before Jackie came along).
January 5, 2015
I really wanted to like this book more. I read the first book some years ago, and then re-read it to refresh my memory before reading this one. One of the biggest issues I had with her character, in the first book, was her tendency to ignore all of her messed up personal relationships and behavioral problems as if that would fix them. I had hoped with this book Jackie would have learned something. Maybe even start facing some of the personal issues she kept ignoring; especially since that didn't work so well for her the last time around. But no, it in fact got even worse! I don't know that I have ever really actively disliked a protagonist as much. The book had a great story and that's probably about the only thing that kept me reading, because Jackie worked my last nerve.
April 5, 2012
I enjoyed the previous book and was looking forward to this one. However after trying to read it for 3 days straight and only getting 150 pages in, while finishing 3 other books, that this one isn't for me.
I really liked seeing how Jacking was dealing with things, but her meeting her new partner and flipping out annoyed me. She knew she was going to get a new partner, knew he was coming, yet this seemed to hit her out of left field. It also bothered me how Jackie dealt with her new powers. Yes, I would be freaked, but in some ways Jackie has been living with parts of this for a long time.
In the end the parts that interested me aren't enough to keep me reading.
I really liked seeing how Jacking was dealing with things, but her meeting her new partner and flipping out annoyed me. She knew she was going to get a new partner, knew he was coming, yet this seemed to hit her out of left field. It also bothered me how Jackie dealt with her new powers. Yes, I would be freaked, but in some ways Jackie has been living with parts of this for a long time.
In the end the parts that interested me aren't enough to keep me reading.
November 27, 2013
This is more a medium and her ghosts story. The vampire lover in this is the most sanitized vampire I've come across, doesn't even have fangs or any limitations that wouldn't make him just a regular guy other than being 180 years old (oooh...and an old west sheriff.) The author does put a good effort into an actual mystery plot that has some action beyond the romance baggage.
Main reason to be reading these at this time is that #3 is all about Thanksgiving. Seemed a nice light read to kill time while dealing with family. I'll go back to Epic S&S battles after the Turkey.
Main reason to be reading these at this time is that #3 is all about Thanksgiving. Seemed a nice light read to kill time while dealing with family. I'll go back to Epic S&S battles after the Turkey.
January 30, 2012
Gore at the beginning and edge-of-your-seat anxiety at the end makes this a NON-bedtime story. STILL, it was a fun read. I love the characters, corporeal, ethereal, or vampireal who are a mixture of them all. And how evil is it to include a section of the next book in the series? Now I can hardly wait to get into that one!
Great job, J. N. Duncan! You have turned a reading-wimp into vampire of bloody novels!
Great job, J. N. Duncan! You have turned a reading-wimp into vampire of bloody novels!
December 15, 2013
How do you cope when the only thing you care about has been taken from you and the world you thought you knew just got a whole lot more complicated? This is what Agent Jackie Rutledge faces in the Vengeful Dead. As usual from Duncan, a thrilling storyline and likeable realistic characters with strong emotional interaction.
February 25, 2013
Book two picks up where the first book left off. Jackie's a hard character to love, but there's something about her that makes me keep reading to find out what will happen next. I just wish Nick would be a little more pushy when it comes to Jackie; at times he seems like a complete wuss.
February 4, 2016
I love the heroine of this series. She's so messed up, but so human, and forced to deal with the inhuman.Good read.
January 25, 2012
Loved it!
January 28, 2013
When i found the first book i keep reading till i reached the end and thin i went for the 2ed book and LOVED it.
January 20, 2013
Excellant. Finished it in a day and started the third book.
July 24, 2013
Good book. Like the characters.
January 27, 2015
I enjoyed this book just as much as the first one in the series. I am looking forward to the next book in the series
September 26, 2011
This book was a great read...can't wait for the next book in the series.
January 16, 2013
I have enjoyed the series so far. Bought this for my kindle.
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