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Dark Dealings
At thirteen, Micaela O’Brien was found wandering a pasture in Ireland, the sole survivor of a mid-air explosion. Now, as a successful investment banker, she will discover that Wall Street has fangs and claws. When international power brokers, creatures hiding in plain sight, threaten her and those she loves, will this heiress to a Druid legacy deny her power and let loved ones die again? A thrill ride of money, monsters and murder across the globe.
226 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 30, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 26, 2012
Hey why shouldn't I let you know how excited I am about the end result.
August 30, 2012
Micaela was driving to Bridewell to visit her Una when she saw Reece, the son of Chief Deerfield of Pokanoket, on the side of the road. He appeared bloody and beaten, maybe dead. She stopped and went back to check, but there was nothing there. Had her visions returned? Samhain was approaching and was the time of year when Spirits and people could move between worlds. Was Reece a spirit?
.
Peggy, Reece’s wife was Yankee. She was at the house when Micaela arrived and told her Reece was missing. Because of her “gift” , Micalela had been treated as a pariah but now that they needed her help, they wanted her to use her “gift” to find Reece. She had buried it deep when she left Bridewell and wasn’t sure if she could pull it out at will. As she held Adam’s hands, she found her way to Reece. It was if she was really with him, not sitting on the porch with Adam. The horror was more than the mind could imagine and she told Reece to hold on, Peggy was pregnant and they were coming to save him.
Micaela returned to New York just in time for the party at the Metropolitan Museum. While she was there she met Francois Leveque, who tried to get her alone. She could tell he was afraid, but they were interrupted by Baron Vasilievich before they could talk. She arranged to meet him in a couple of days at his hotel.
She had a recurring nightmare for the past four years. She was fleeing something and ran into a clearing. Her Una and mother were there and told her they were glad she had come to take her rightful place, but there had never been a beast before.
Micaela was meeting Francois in his hotel room, but there was no answer at the door. As she knocked again, the door opened on its own. The living room was in a shambles. The bedroom was covered in blood, it was everywhere. Even though she didn’t want to, she went to the bathroom thinking he could still be alive. When she saw him in the tub, his throat and chest had been ripped out. As she fought the scream, she fumbled with her cell phone trying to dial 911.
Thank God her friend responded with the others. Nikki was a cop and her friend, there to help. She had accumulated time and said she was taking it. Micaela was determined to find out what happened and Nikki was going to help.
At first she was surprised when she looked across the room and saw Francois. They were having his wake at the Salmon Run Inn. What was he trying to tell her?
She headed back to Bridewell for some leisure time. She needed to regroup. She stopped at a diner for a quick bite. When she felt a tingle, she looked around to see why. Lately she had been having more and more psychic events and tried her best to control them. She spotted a Hummer she thought was following her. When he rammed into the back of her car, she thought of Francois. The road was abandoned and the police were too busy to respond to her call for help. When she gunned the Porsche to outrun the Hummer, two motorcycles took over the chase. She managed to lose them. The only thing watching her now was a large bird, black as night, as she headed to Bridewell and Una hoping she wasn’t bringing the bad to her.
When she arrived and was leaving the car, she saw a black feather on the dashboard and took it with her. It felt like it was humming to her and she looked up to see the Raven above her parents bedroom.
Everyone was there, Nikki, Liam, Una, Reece, the Pokanoket Ethan Lowell, Sons of Danu, Sean Murphy… What was going on? Whoever had been after Francois was now after her.
Liam and Micaela walked to the creek to talk, he told her she should come to the gathering in the Grove, that plans for Beltaine were set. She said no, she never came to the Grove but she would be at the Ceili.
She felt her gift was out of control, she had to talk to Una before she left again. Micaela told her about seeing the entire Grove when Reece was missing, seeing Francois beat up and dead, and how at the dance she was there, yet somewhere else. Una told her to remember what her father used to tell here while they were out sailing. “Don’t fight the currents or the wind, use them.” Una assured her the Grove was there to help her.
3 STARS – Would Recommend to Others
I won this in a Goodreads First Read Giveaway. Karen was gracious enough to sign my copy for me. Thank you Karen.
I liked the cover and the title. I always like a simple, clean look, with a little mystery. I like it when they make me think what the book might be about before I read the book blurb. I thought the cover and title both were relevant to the book.
Events start happening at the very beginning of the book. The suspense and mystery continue through the book, keeping you on your toes while you try to figure out what is going on. Karen doles the story out in small pieces so you can’t quite be sure of what will happen next.
Characters were interesting. Really had me wondering about Lowell and Ivan. Couldn’t quite figure out who was good or bad. Even when I thought I had them figured out, it kept twisting and turning making me unsure again.
“When she thinks the spirit world is a much a part of her childhood as the NE Patriots and the Boston Red Sox”, it made me smile. My husband is an avid Red Sox fan and his brother is a Patriots fan. It makes the story feel more real when I can relate to it in a personal way.
Other than a few editing errors, nothing that interfered with the flow of the story in any way, I thought it was well written and easy reading.
Dark Dealings Karen Victoria Smith
.
Peggy, Reece’s wife was Yankee. She was at the house when Micaela arrived and told her Reece was missing. Because of her “gift” , Micalela had been treated as a pariah but now that they needed her help, they wanted her to use her “gift” to find Reece. She had buried it deep when she left Bridewell and wasn’t sure if she could pull it out at will. As she held Adam’s hands, she found her way to Reece. It was if she was really with him, not sitting on the porch with Adam. The horror was more than the mind could imagine and she told Reece to hold on, Peggy was pregnant and they were coming to save him.
Micaela returned to New York just in time for the party at the Metropolitan Museum. While she was there she met Francois Leveque, who tried to get her alone. She could tell he was afraid, but they were interrupted by Baron Vasilievich before they could talk. She arranged to meet him in a couple of days at his hotel.
She had a recurring nightmare for the past four years. She was fleeing something and ran into a clearing. Her Una and mother were there and told her they were glad she had come to take her rightful place, but there had never been a beast before.
Micaela was meeting Francois in his hotel room, but there was no answer at the door. As she knocked again, the door opened on its own. The living room was in a shambles. The bedroom was covered in blood, it was everywhere. Even though she didn’t want to, she went to the bathroom thinking he could still be alive. When she saw him in the tub, his throat and chest had been ripped out. As she fought the scream, she fumbled with her cell phone trying to dial 911.
Thank God her friend responded with the others. Nikki was a cop and her friend, there to help. She had accumulated time and said she was taking it. Micaela was determined to find out what happened and Nikki was going to help.
At first she was surprised when she looked across the room and saw Francois. They were having his wake at the Salmon Run Inn. What was he trying to tell her?
She headed back to Bridewell for some leisure time. She needed to regroup. She stopped at a diner for a quick bite. When she felt a tingle, she looked around to see why. Lately she had been having more and more psychic events and tried her best to control them. She spotted a Hummer she thought was following her. When he rammed into the back of her car, she thought of Francois. The road was abandoned and the police were too busy to respond to her call for help. When she gunned the Porsche to outrun the Hummer, two motorcycles took over the chase. She managed to lose them. The only thing watching her now was a large bird, black as night, as she headed to Bridewell and Una hoping she wasn’t bringing the bad to her.
When she arrived and was leaving the car, she saw a black feather on the dashboard and took it with her. It felt like it was humming to her and she looked up to see the Raven above her parents bedroom.
Everyone was there, Nikki, Liam, Una, Reece, the Pokanoket Ethan Lowell, Sons of Danu, Sean Murphy… What was going on? Whoever had been after Francois was now after her.
Liam and Micaela walked to the creek to talk, he told her she should come to the gathering in the Grove, that plans for Beltaine were set. She said no, she never came to the Grove but she would be at the Ceili.
She felt her gift was out of control, she had to talk to Una before she left again. Micaela told her about seeing the entire Grove when Reece was missing, seeing Francois beat up and dead, and how at the dance she was there, yet somewhere else. Una told her to remember what her father used to tell here while they were out sailing. “Don’t fight the currents or the wind, use them.” Una assured her the Grove was there to help her.
3 STARS – Would Recommend to Others
I won this in a Goodreads First Read Giveaway. Karen was gracious enough to sign my copy for me. Thank you Karen.
I liked the cover and the title. I always like a simple, clean look, with a little mystery. I like it when they make me think what the book might be about before I read the book blurb. I thought the cover and title both were relevant to the book.
Events start happening at the very beginning of the book. The suspense and mystery continue through the book, keeping you on your toes while you try to figure out what is going on. Karen doles the story out in small pieces so you can’t quite be sure of what will happen next.
Characters were interesting. Really had me wondering about Lowell and Ivan. Couldn’t quite figure out who was good or bad. Even when I thought I had them figured out, it kept twisting and turning making me unsure again.
“When she thinks the spirit world is a much a part of her childhood as the NE Patriots and the Boston Red Sox”, it made me smile. My husband is an avid Red Sox fan and his brother is a Patriots fan. It makes the story feel more real when I can relate to it in a personal way.
Other than a few editing errors, nothing that interfered with the flow of the story in any way, I thought it was well written and easy reading.
Dark Dealings Karen Victoria Smith
June 13, 2012
True Blood meets Blue Blood
Micaela works for a company with family and business connections going back to the birth of the nation and previous. A trip to broker a major deal introduces her to a world of cut-throat politics even worse than she's already accustomed to.
Along the way we meet a host of supernatural creatures with their own part to play. There are a ridiculous number of extremely handsome hunks running around, but to be fair, it's relevant to the story. Even with all of the boys in the picture, Micaela's most important relationships in the story are with her best friend Nikki, a cop with an mysterious past, and "Kat" the personal assistant and possible rival of Micaela's love interest the Baron.
The foreshadowing and hints are just enough to capture interest without interrupting the forward momentum. Mingling local histories and folklore into a believable business setting, Dark Dealings provides a very satisfying entertainment experience. While there were a few scenes toward the end of the book that felt formulaic, the story kept me engaged through to the end.
Karen Victoria Smith (2012-05-02T03:11:26+00:00). Dark Dealings ARC v2 (Kindle Location 3050). Three Worlds Productions. Kindle Edition.
Micaela works for a company with family and business connections going back to the birth of the nation and previous. A trip to broker a major deal introduces her to a world of cut-throat politics even worse than she's already accustomed to.
Along the way we meet a host of supernatural creatures with their own part to play. There are a ridiculous number of extremely handsome hunks running around, but to be fair, it's relevant to the story. Even with all of the boys in the picture, Micaela's most important relationships in the story are with her best friend Nikki, a cop with an mysterious past, and "Kat" the personal assistant and possible rival of Micaela's love interest the Baron.
The foreshadowing and hints are just enough to capture interest without interrupting the forward momentum. Mingling local histories and folklore into a believable business setting, Dark Dealings provides a very satisfying entertainment experience. While there were a few scenes toward the end of the book that felt formulaic, the story kept me engaged through to the end.
Karen Victoria Smith (2012-05-02T03:11:26+00:00). Dark Dealings ARC v2 (Kindle Location 3050). Three Worlds Productions. Kindle Edition.
May 23, 2012
Dark Dealings is the beginning. Be fore-warned as you'll fall for these characters. Hard.
Smith introduces us to the world of Macaela O'Brien, a druid who has turned her back on her legacy. From the opening chapter, we are thrown into a search and rescue, and from there the reader travels around the globe from New York to Brussels, Boston to Ireland. Murder, mayhem and plot twists abound as challenges force Macaela to choose between her old life and new, friends and foes and make sacrifices along the way.
This is an engaging story, well thought-out and plotted. Rich in detail with characters who will resonant with the fans of fantasy, this is good old-fashioned storytelling.
One nit (and there is always one, isn’t there?) is that the beginning was a bit confusing and unfocused. All became clearer shortly thereafter, but I found myself initially confused by all the names thrown at me. Your experience may vary.
All in all, on small critique aside, a marvelous weekend read.
Smith introduces us to the world of Macaela O'Brien, a druid who has turned her back on her legacy. From the opening chapter, we are thrown into a search and rescue, and from there the reader travels around the globe from New York to Brussels, Boston to Ireland. Murder, mayhem and plot twists abound as challenges force Macaela to choose between her old life and new, friends and foes and make sacrifices along the way.
This is an engaging story, well thought-out and plotted. Rich in detail with characters who will resonant with the fans of fantasy, this is good old-fashioned storytelling.
One nit (and there is always one, isn’t there?) is that the beginning was a bit confusing and unfocused. All became clearer shortly thereafter, but I found myself initially confused by all the names thrown at me. Your experience may vary.
All in all, on small critique aside, a marvelous weekend read.
May 25, 2012
Dark Dealings
Karen Victoria Smith
Micaela is a strong, independent woman running from who she really is. Dark Dealings is the story of a young woman coming to terms with her heritage and the power within herself.
Dark Dealings is a paranormal suspense novel that has you wondering what is going to happen next from one page to the next. Micaela, a financial analyst, is dedicated to her job and her family…just not the aspects of her life that draw attention to how she is different from other people. Trying to live as close to a normal life as possible, Micaela is in the middle of a big deal when her life and the lives of those closest to her are jeopardized, Micaela steps up, to be there for her friends and family.
I enjoyed the play between Micaela and Liam, the connection that bound them together and drew me in, hoping that something more would develop between them….did it? You’ll have to grab your own copy of Dark Dealings to find out!
Karen Victoria Smith
Micaela is a strong, independent woman running from who she really is. Dark Dealings is the story of a young woman coming to terms with her heritage and the power within herself.
Dark Dealings is a paranormal suspense novel that has you wondering what is going to happen next from one page to the next. Micaela, a financial analyst, is dedicated to her job and her family…just not the aspects of her life that draw attention to how she is different from other people. Trying to live as close to a normal life as possible, Micaela is in the middle of a big deal when her life and the lives of those closest to her are jeopardized, Micaela steps up, to be there for her friends and family.
I enjoyed the play between Micaela and Liam, the connection that bound them together and drew me in, hoping that something more would develop between them….did it? You’ll have to grab your own copy of Dark Dealings to find out!
October 7, 2012
This book hooked me from the start. It grabbed me and never let go. I had a hard time putting it down, and even read late into the night because I wanted to know what happened next. Karen has a way of drawing you in, making you feel for her protaganist, rooting for her. The scenes are alive and vivid, making me see what her characters were seeing, and I felt as if I were part of the story. A must read for fans of this or any genre.
September 10, 2012
I read this book on a recommendation. Urban Fantasy is not normally what I read, but for the person that likes this type of book it was pretty good. The only criticism that I would have, would be, that the characters could have been a little better defined, and the story seemed a little scattered at times. But then again, maybe that is the way Urban Fantasy stories are told.
August 20, 2014
Not a fan of this writer's style.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews