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Jackie Rutledge #3
The Lingering Dead
She cracks the FBI's toughest supernatural crimes, from Chicago's windy streets and beyond, into the next world. But a malevolent force now has her reputation--and her team--in its sights. . .
Jackie Rutledge has faced down everything from the darkest sorcery to uber-vengeful revenants. But heading up the Bureau's special paranormal unit is presenting unexpected challenges. Handling otherworldly egos and politics has never come easy to this loner agent. And opening up to her sexy vampire lover, Nick, is as unnerving as her unwanted new ability to slip between the realms of the living and the dead. . .
Now an insidious power holding helpless ghosts in thrall is using any means necessary to discredit Jackie and split her team apart for good. The only chance she has means baiting the terrifying Deadworld being stalking her dreams, hunting her every step--and growing ever more hungry for her ultimate sacrifice. . .
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
"One hell of a debut novel in what could be the most promising urban fantasy series to hit the shelves this year." --freshfiction.com
Jackie Rutledge has faced down everything from the darkest sorcery to uber-vengeful revenants. But heading up the Bureau's special paranormal unit is presenting unexpected challenges. Handling otherworldly egos and politics has never come easy to this loner agent. And opening up to her sexy vampire lover, Nick, is as unnerving as her unwanted new ability to slip between the realms of the living and the dead. . .
Now an insidious power holding helpless ghosts in thrall is using any means necessary to discredit Jackie and split her team apart for good. The only chance she has means baiting the terrifying Deadworld being stalking her dreams, hunting her every step--and growing ever more hungry for her ultimate sacrifice. . .
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
"One hell of a debut novel in what could be the most promising urban fantasy series to hit the shelves this year." --freshfiction.com
351 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
7 people are currently reading
215 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
February 3, 2017
Third in the Jackie Rutledge paranormal fantasy series that has access to an alternate plane of non-existence and revolves around an ex-FBI agent and her new team of paranormal experts in Chicago. It's been six weeks since
The Vengeful Dead
, 2.
My Take
The Lingering Dead is all about acceptance, a lesson Jackie must learn, for she has always drowned herself in alcohol and one-night stands, and she has no clue how to have a relationship. With either sex. Duncan has included a number of thoughts and actions that repeat this motif, and it does leave one with hope for the future.
The story uses third person limited with Jackie's perspective as the point-of-view character. The rest of the characters are on one side of the good vs evil divide with Jackie and her teams quite supportive (with one snarky exception) while most of the townspeople of Thatcher's Mill are more zombie-like than active. Duncan focuses more on a few characters with Charlie leading the pack.
(I suspect McManus may want to join Special Investigations; they have it too good, lol.)
Most of this story is about Jackie's conflict within herself, and Jackie is a pain-in-the-posterior protagonist with her intense insecurity. I wanted to smack her around. On the plus side, she is trying. Yeah, yeah, to overcome her issues, too. Most of Jackie's issues are from her past and is a good example of why it's a good idea to create a past history for your characters.
Unfortunately The Lingering Dead is a lot of tell with little show, which particularly shows in Duncan's treatment of Charlie. It's so detached when he could have created a much more sympathetic link to her character and caused more emotional anguish for the reader. And he could have increased the tension of Nick and Jackie's relationship so much more!
Some of my niggles include my confusion over what happened to Becca back in 1892. It sounds like she was killed by one person, and then there's the possibility of another doing the deed. Another "IMO", is Philip's actions in the house. Duncan simply lets that go. No confrontation. No "threat" to use it to manipulate Margolin. As much as Jackie hates him, it'd be a great minor conflict to make use of. And how is it that Charlie is so much stronger than Nick or Shelby? That scene did not make sense. And what's with the comment Charlie makes: "It was more fun when you were alive?" Was Charlie psychotic back then too? And why does Nick want Jackie so much?
Hmm, Nix sounds like he's going to be an interesting addition to the cast with all sorts of possibilities for conflict and drama. Even though the battle at the end was too forced for my taste. Duncan was getting lazy.
And as whiny as I'm being, I am hoping that Duncan will get around to book #4...I wanna know what Nix gets up to now that he's loose!
The Story
While Special Investigations has been at work for some time, this is the first time it's allied with the FBI. With Jackie in charge, the team quickly falls into its first cold case: a haunted town in Iowa, holding helpless ghosts in thrall.
The controlling psychotic entity of Thatcher's Mill will use any means necessary to destroy Jackie and her team, and their only chance requires a deal with the Spindly Man, a Deadworld being stalking her dreams, hunting her every step — and growing ever more demanding for her ultimate sacrifice…
The Characters
The insecure Jackie Rutledge had been an FBI agent. Bickerstaff is her cat. Laurel Carpenter had been her living partner, a psychic who sensed ghosts, until she died in Deadworld , 1.
The very talented Nick Anderson, a millionaire vampire, has been in law enforcement for over a century (he was a U.S. Marshall in 1892). He's also the CEO of Bloodwork Industries, a philanthropist, a concert pianist, and a gourmet cook who's in love with Jackie.
Special Investigations is…
… a private eye firm specializing in ghostly issues with Nick as its owner. Now it's conniving with the FBI. Cynthia Forrester, a medium, is the team secretary. Shelby Fontaine, a vampire brought over by Nick, had been Laurel's lover.
FBI: Chicago
Special Agent Ryan McManus is the FBI liaison with Special Investigations. John Belgerman is Jackie's former boss. Agent Hauser is in charge of the Geekroom. Pat Taggert is a sketch artist. Dr. Matilda "Tillie" Erikson is the office shrink. Agent Pernetti is a jerk.
Jessica Davies' home life is nothing to write home about. Petey is a now-ex-boyfriend.
Thatcher's Mill is…
…the belligerent small town, a village and family firm really, in Iowa, that's filled with ghosts. Charlotte "Charlie" Thatcher is all that's left of her original family. Rebecca is Charlie's twin. Pa-pa is Robert Thatcher, a.k.a., Isaac Larson, and Ma-ma is Beverly Thatcher, a.k.a., Mildred Wilcott…then…
Elton Carson is the cowed, yet foul, police chief. Elinore is the police receptionist. Molly is the waitress at the local diner; Tucker is the cook; and, Tom is a customer. Rachel Crenshaw is getting ideas. Old Man Wilkens is a woodworker. Pratt runs the local drug store. Mr. Peabody runs the furniture store. Dr. Kirby Matthews is on the take.
The Spindly Man — Nixtchapooliomintchoktaleee, a.k.a., Nix — is a green-eyed thing in Deadworld, threatening Jackie and all she holds dear. Nick had been tracking Cornelius Drake, a serial killer, ever since 1862. Detective Morgan of the Chicago PD's death in The Vengeful Dead forced Jackie out of the FBI.
Philip Margolin is with the Chicago Tribune and will do anything for a scoop. Deadworld is on an alternate plane, and Jackie can open that door to the dead. Carl Peterson, a cop and a.k.a., Bradley Jenkins, had been Jackie's abusive stepfather. The cold cases include Ms. Rose Shumway.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a grayed-out brown and oranges of a shootout with both Jackie and Nick firing two guns at once. Nick is in the background and wearing his black cowboy hat (looking more like Yul Brynner from Westworld) while Jackie is, natch, in jeans and a cropped athletic bra-like top with one knee on the ground and the other leg bent and to the side. Being such a practical FBI agent, she is naturally *eye roll* wearing high-heeled boots...it does go with that cropped top. It's a fast and furious gunfight with all that yellow and pale gray smoke swirling around them. The title and author's name are in yellow in the bottom half of the cover with the series information in white and tucked in a corner.
The title is a major problem, a side problem, but still bad, as The Lingering Dead point to some BIG problems.
My Take
The Lingering Dead is all about acceptance, a lesson Jackie must learn, for she has always drowned herself in alcohol and one-night stands, and she has no clue how to have a relationship. With either sex. Duncan has included a number of thoughts and actions that repeat this motif, and it does leave one with hope for the future.
The story uses third person limited with Jackie's perspective as the point-of-view character. The rest of the characters are on one side of the good vs evil divide with Jackie and her teams quite supportive (with one snarky exception) while most of the townspeople of Thatcher's Mill are more zombie-like than active. Duncan focuses more on a few characters with Charlie leading the pack.
(I suspect McManus may want to join Special Investigations; they have it too good, lol.)
Most of this story is about Jackie's conflict within herself, and Jackie is a pain-in-the-posterior protagonist with her intense insecurity. I wanted to smack her around. On the plus side, she is trying. Yeah, yeah, to overcome her issues, too. Most of Jackie's issues are from her past and is a good example of why it's a good idea to create a past history for your characters.
Unfortunately The Lingering Dead is a lot of tell with little show, which particularly shows in Duncan's treatment of Charlie. It's so detached when he could have created a much more sympathetic link to her character and caused more emotional anguish for the reader. And he could have increased the tension of Nick and Jackie's relationship so much more!
Some of my niggles include my confusion over what happened to Becca back in 1892. It sounds like she was killed by one person, and then there's the possibility of another doing the deed. Another "IMO", is Philip's actions in the house. Duncan simply lets that go. No confrontation. No "threat" to use it to manipulate Margolin. As much as Jackie hates him, it'd be a great minor conflict to make use of. And how is it that Charlie is so much stronger than Nick or Shelby? That scene did not make sense. And what's with the comment Charlie makes: "It was more fun when you were alive?" Was Charlie psychotic back then too? And why does Nick want Jackie so much?
Hmm, Nix sounds like he's going to be an interesting addition to the cast with all sorts of possibilities for conflict and drama. Even though the battle at the end was too forced for my taste. Duncan was getting lazy.
And as whiny as I'm being, I am hoping that Duncan will get around to book #4...I wanna know what Nix gets up to now that he's loose!
The Story
While Special Investigations has been at work for some time, this is the first time it's allied with the FBI. With Jackie in charge, the team quickly falls into its first cold case: a haunted town in Iowa, holding helpless ghosts in thrall.
The controlling psychotic entity of Thatcher's Mill will use any means necessary to destroy Jackie and her team, and their only chance requires a deal with the Spindly Man, a Deadworld being stalking her dreams, hunting her every step — and growing ever more demanding for her ultimate sacrifice…
The Characters
The insecure Jackie Rutledge had been an FBI agent. Bickerstaff is her cat. Laurel Carpenter had been her living partner, a psychic who sensed ghosts, until she died in Deadworld , 1.
The very talented Nick Anderson, a millionaire vampire, has been in law enforcement for over a century (he was a U.S. Marshall in 1892). He's also the CEO of Bloodwork Industries, a philanthropist, a concert pianist, and a gourmet cook who's in love with Jackie.
Special Investigations is…
… a private eye firm specializing in ghostly issues with Nick as its owner. Now it's conniving with the FBI. Cynthia Forrester, a medium, is the team secretary. Shelby Fontaine, a vampire brought over by Nick, had been Laurel's lover.
FBI: Chicago
Special Agent Ryan McManus is the FBI liaison with Special Investigations. John Belgerman is Jackie's former boss. Agent Hauser is in charge of the Geekroom. Pat Taggert is a sketch artist. Dr. Matilda "Tillie" Erikson is the office shrink. Agent Pernetti is a jerk.
Jessica Davies' home life is nothing to write home about. Petey is a now-ex-boyfriend.
Thatcher's Mill is…
…the belligerent small town, a village and family firm really, in Iowa, that's filled with ghosts. Charlotte "Charlie" Thatcher is all that's left of her original family. Rebecca is Charlie's twin. Pa-pa is Robert Thatcher, a.k.a., Isaac Larson, and Ma-ma is Beverly Thatcher, a.k.a., Mildred Wilcott…then…
Elton Carson is the cowed, yet foul, police chief. Elinore is the police receptionist. Molly is the waitress at the local diner; Tucker is the cook; and, Tom is a customer. Rachel Crenshaw is getting ideas. Old Man Wilkens is a woodworker. Pratt runs the local drug store. Mr. Peabody runs the furniture store. Dr. Kirby Matthews is on the take.
The Spindly Man — Nixtchapooliomintchoktaleee, a.k.a., Nix — is a green-eyed thing in Deadworld, threatening Jackie and all she holds dear. Nick had been tracking Cornelius Drake, a serial killer, ever since 1862. Detective Morgan of the Chicago PD's death in The Vengeful Dead forced Jackie out of the FBI.
Philip Margolin is with the Chicago Tribune and will do anything for a scoop. Deadworld is on an alternate plane, and Jackie can open that door to the dead. Carl Peterson, a cop and a.k.a., Bradley Jenkins, had been Jackie's abusive stepfather. The cold cases include Ms. Rose Shumway.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a grayed-out brown and oranges of a shootout with both Jackie and Nick firing two guns at once. Nick is in the background and wearing his black cowboy hat (looking more like Yul Brynner from Westworld) while Jackie is, natch, in jeans and a cropped athletic bra-like top with one knee on the ground and the other leg bent and to the side. Being such a practical FBI agent, she is naturally *eye roll* wearing high-heeled boots...it does go with that cropped top. It's a fast and furious gunfight with all that yellow and pale gray smoke swirling around them. The title and author's name are in yellow in the bottom half of the cover with the series information in white and tucked in a corner.
The title is a major problem, a side problem, but still bad, as The Lingering Dead point to some BIG problems.
May 27, 2012
*Rating* 3.0
Genre: Urban Fantasy
*Review*
In the third installment of the Jackie Rutledge series by J.N. Duncan, the former FBI Agent is now Operations head of the new group called Special Investigations. This came after the events of The Vengeful Dead. Her team includes the multi-millionaire vampire Nick Anderson, her best friend and former partner Laurel Carpenter who is now a ghost, vampire Shelby Fontaine, and Cynthia Forrester the team’s resident psychic.
The Special Investigations team is all about investigating paranormal activities that the FBI isn’t able to handle. When the FBI sends over boxes and boxes of unsolved cases, it’s up to Jackie to determine what case they are going to investigate first. The case brings them to the town of Thatcher’s Mill where there is definitely something strange happening. Thatcher’s Mill has a large group of ghosts hanging around, and it seems as though the town is under the thrall of a very powerful vampire who wants to keep things the same even if it means having everyone changing their names to something else.
The vampire, Charlotte Thatcher, wants nothing more than to re-create the family that was torn apart by the vampire Drake in the 1890’s. This is the same Drake that killed Nick’s family and turned him into a vampire as they watched. *Drake was eventually killed by Anderson in Deadworld after chasing after him for nearly 120 years. Deadworld was also where we found out that Jackie is a living soul who can open the door to the dead and there’s something sinister, or alien following Jackie’s every movement.
The rollercoaster ride that is the relationship between Nick and Jackie once again wears on this reader. Jackie is a highly dysfunctional character who was abused as a child by her step father. Since then, she’s been a cold fish towards everyone. For 16 years, she’s had more drunken one night stands than actual relationships. Thankfully, Nick has the patience of a saint and doesn’t push Jackie into making any sort of decision.
The ending twist was a surprise to say the least after a being named Nix not only helps Jackie rescue her colleagues, but informs her that she is the key to something that we haven’t been informed of yet. Hopefully this shall not be dragged out like certain other story lines that just drag down a series into the thralls of damnation.
It’s probably a good idea for potential readers of this series to start from the beginning and not just jump arbitrarily into The Lingering Dead. You’ve already missed too much in the series, and Duncan doesn’t make these standalones. The Lingering Dead probably is the most action packed of the three books released to this point as well. Action is always a nice plus in my book.
For cliffhanger haters like me, you will probably cringe after reading what happens in the end. It has nothing to do with this storyline, but rather Jackie's own past and should be interesting to see where Duncan takes the series from here.
The most favorable character by far is vampire Nick Anderson who has done everything right in his apparent attempt to woo Jackie only to be sent away, time and time again. Hell, I even like Shelby a lot more than I do Jackie.
Genre: Urban Fantasy
*Review*
In the third installment of the Jackie Rutledge series by J.N. Duncan, the former FBI Agent is now Operations head of the new group called Special Investigations. This came after the events of The Vengeful Dead. Her team includes the multi-millionaire vampire Nick Anderson, her best friend and former partner Laurel Carpenter who is now a ghost, vampire Shelby Fontaine, and Cynthia Forrester the team’s resident psychic.
The Special Investigations team is all about investigating paranormal activities that the FBI isn’t able to handle. When the FBI sends over boxes and boxes of unsolved cases, it’s up to Jackie to determine what case they are going to investigate first. The case brings them to the town of Thatcher’s Mill where there is definitely something strange happening. Thatcher’s Mill has a large group of ghosts hanging around, and it seems as though the town is under the thrall of a very powerful vampire who wants to keep things the same even if it means having everyone changing their names to something else.
The vampire, Charlotte Thatcher, wants nothing more than to re-create the family that was torn apart by the vampire Drake in the 1890’s. This is the same Drake that killed Nick’s family and turned him into a vampire as they watched. *Drake was eventually killed by Anderson in Deadworld after chasing after him for nearly 120 years. Deadworld was also where we found out that Jackie is a living soul who can open the door to the dead and there’s something sinister, or alien following Jackie’s every movement.
The rollercoaster ride that is the relationship between Nick and Jackie once again wears on this reader. Jackie is a highly dysfunctional character who was abused as a child by her step father. Since then, she’s been a cold fish towards everyone. For 16 years, she’s had more drunken one night stands than actual relationships. Thankfully, Nick has the patience of a saint and doesn’t push Jackie into making any sort of decision.
The ending twist was a surprise to say the least after a being named Nix not only helps Jackie rescue her colleagues, but informs her that she is the key to something that we haven’t been informed of yet. Hopefully this shall not be dragged out like certain other story lines that just drag down a series into the thralls of damnation.
It’s probably a good idea for potential readers of this series to start from the beginning and not just jump arbitrarily into The Lingering Dead. You’ve already missed too much in the series, and Duncan doesn’t make these standalones. The Lingering Dead probably is the most action packed of the three books released to this point as well. Action is always a nice plus in my book.
For cliffhanger haters like me, you will probably cringe after reading what happens in the end. It has nothing to do with this storyline, but rather Jackie's own past and should be interesting to see where Duncan takes the series from here.
The most favorable character by far is vampire Nick Anderson who has done everything right in his apparent attempt to woo Jackie only to be sent away, time and time again. Hell, I even like Shelby a lot more than I do Jackie.
May 10, 2015
4.5
Former Chicago FBI agent Jackie Rutledge is now working for Special Investigations and trying to come to terms with her new freaky abilities acquired when she crossed over into Deadworld with a vampire and a ghost to stop a psycho vampire. Unfortunately, she died there before being revived back in the normal world. So while she’s waiting for her former boss to get funding for a special FBI paranormal unit, she’s heading up a private paranormal group, figuring out her abilities and attending therapy for the loss of her FBI partner and for things she’d like to leave in the past. Then an old note in a cold case file gets them interested in a small town called Thatcher’s Mill. They decide the unusual ghost activity noted in this town is worth investigating, so they have their first case. Oh boy, does it turn out to be a doozy.
Fast-paced and well-written this story keeps you turning the pages trying to figure out what the heck is going on in this small very weird town. Favorite characters from previous books are back and Jackie seems to be making some headway in being less prickly, damaged and unlikeable. Progress! The plot is interesting and completely crazy. Loved it! The ending was totally unexpected and I hope to see Book 4 soon because I’m really liking Jackie’s world.
*Many thanks to Kensington for providing me with a review copy. Please see disclaimer page on my blog.
Former Chicago FBI agent Jackie Rutledge is now working for Special Investigations and trying to come to terms with her new freaky abilities acquired when she crossed over into Deadworld with a vampire and a ghost to stop a psycho vampire. Unfortunately, she died there before being revived back in the normal world. So while she’s waiting for her former boss to get funding for a special FBI paranormal unit, she’s heading up a private paranormal group, figuring out her abilities and attending therapy for the loss of her FBI partner and for things she’d like to leave in the past. Then an old note in a cold case file gets them interested in a small town called Thatcher’s Mill. They decide the unusual ghost activity noted in this town is worth investigating, so they have their first case. Oh boy, does it turn out to be a doozy.
Fast-paced and well-written this story keeps you turning the pages trying to figure out what the heck is going on in this small very weird town. Favorite characters from previous books are back and Jackie seems to be making some headway in being less prickly, damaged and unlikeable. Progress! The plot is interesting and completely crazy. Loved it! The ending was totally unexpected and I hope to see Book 4 soon because I’m really liking Jackie’s world.
*Many thanks to Kensington for providing me with a review copy. Please see disclaimer page on my blog.
February 3, 2012
2.5/5.0
I strongly suggest that the previous Jackie Rutledge books be studied extensively before attempting even a perusal of this installment.
For a complete review, visit Affaire de Coeur magazine, hard copy or online, April 2012 issue.
I strongly suggest that the previous Jackie Rutledge books be studied extensively before attempting even a perusal of this installment.
For a complete review, visit Affaire de Coeur magazine, hard copy or online, April 2012 issue.
May 12, 2012
Probably not a book series for everyone, but the ending of this one in particular felt incredibly emotional to me.
February 3, 2017
review coming
April 5, 2012
Review Courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: Dark Urban Fantasy with a unique twist on vampires and ghosts. Jackie finally undergoes some growth as a character. An entertaining plot but slow pacing really drags the story down.
Opening Sentence: Jessica Davies’s face was numb.
Review:
The Lingering Dead is an urban fantasy that feeds its energy off of its heroes. The tragic nature of Jackie and Nick’s past bleeds into the characters that they are. Nick was present when his entire family was slaughtered by a vampire and was forced to watch as he was transformed into a vampire. He is still the cowboy sheriff he once was but has finally moved on from his tragic past. Jackie was molested and possibly beaten by her step-father and that has really developed how she deals with relationships. She is filled with hate towards other people and she doesn’t trust people much at all. Jackie begins The Lingering Dead pretty much the same way she was in the previous two novels in this series, self-deprecating and whiney but she ends the novel a little more comfortable with herself, able to trust more than she thought and not near as bitchy.
The novel begins not too long after the events of The Vengeful Dead. Jackie is now the Operations Leader for Special Investigations, a civilian company that is attached to the FBI but is entirely funded by Nick. The FBI sends them cases that they believe have paranormal elements at work. Special Investigations decide to investigate a tip made by an FBI agent about too many ghosts in a town. Thatcher’s Mill is a unique little town that never grows or shrinks in size. It is a perfect, peaceful little town. But it’s not. An evil vampire, Charlotte, has mind-controlled all the inhabitants to keep the town as it once was in the 1890’s but the town has modernized over the years. She wants nothing more than to recreate her family as it once was and the many lingering ghosts are a victim of her madness. Unfortunately Nick and Shelby, both vampires, cannot get close to Charlotte because she can tell when a vampire is nearby.
Special Investigations travels back and forth from Thatcher’s Mill and Chicago by plane, sometimes making several trips in one day. Jackie is also being followed by a strange green monster in the Deadworld plane, no one knows what it is or why it is following her. Charlotte enlists the help of the townspeople to help stop Special Investigations. Jackie and Nick must stop Charlotte before she kills again and release the ghosts she is unwittingly holding captive.
The plot is tension filled at times and then it becomes sluggish at other points. The Lingering Dead has enough of a unique plot that keeps me entertained but at the same time is just okay. There are definitely better dark urban fantasy books out there; Stacia Kane’s Downside Ghosts is one of them.
Jackie is one of those characters that I just have a hard time rooting for. Jackie is off-putting most of the time. Nick has grown into a more likeable character but unfortunately not much of this book is from his point of view. Jackie dominates the POV but the evil Charlotte gets her fair share as well. Charlotte is one of those tragic characters who don’t truly believe they are evil. Her actions are justified in her mind. She is a powerful vampire but she has been uneducated in her powers so she is truly not unstoppable. Charlotte is a sadistic evil villain but I wasn’t too sure that she could top the bad guy from the first book, Deadworld.
The Lingering Dead is best read with the series. Deadworld doesn’t see too much action in this book and it really isn’t explained. Jackie and Nick’s backstory doesn’t really get explained either and some of the minor characters aren’t really explained as to how they fit in with the story. There may be plenty of questions to a new reader of the series.
Overall, The Lingering Dead is an enjoyable read if you like your heroines damaged or tortured from their pasts. Jackie finally undergoes a much needed change in character. The Lingering Dead is an enjoyable enough read but not enough so that I would recommend it.
Notable Scene:
“She’s charming you, Jackie! Stun her. Get the hell out.”
Laurel leaped out as Jackie staggered back, flying right at Charlotte with a scream that would impress any banshee. She did little to Charlotte, other than pass directly through her, but the moment was enough to startle, and that broke the icy vice that had clamped down on Jackie’s brain.
She dropped the grenade, releasing the handle and bolted. Fist fights, gun battles, even the previous craziness holding baby ghosts in her uterus were all preferable to having the dead, wonky eyes boring into her soul. That was a line that no longer got crossed.
One-point-eight seconds later, the ground shook and a wall of air slammed into Jackie, throwing her forward. She tucked her shoulder, turned into a roll, hit the gravel with a thud, and was back on her feet, ears ringing so loudly, she could not hear Nick’s voice yelling in her ear. At the bottom of the hill, she could see a pair of headlights coming up the drive. Without looking to see what had happened to Charlotte, Jackie ran like hell.
A high-pitched, childish scream pierced the night air. There was no pain in the sound, only rage. Jackie knew there was no chance in hell of outrunning Charlotte. She only hoped that she could reach the Explorer before Charlotte reached her. A hundred feet down the drive, Shelby slid to a stop, swinging the car around 270 degrees. Nick leaped out as she approached, eyes ablaze.
“Get in!” shouted Nick.
Jackie practically dove in, bouncing off the back of the front seat. Behind her, Jackie heard a chilling word, from a voice turned down an octave from the cute, fourteen-year-old she had just talked to. The petulance and haughtiness from before had turned into something Jackie did not recognize.
“You!”
The Deadworld Series:
1. Deadworld
2. The Vengeful Dead
3. The Lingering Dead
FTC Advisory: Kensington Books provided me with a copy of The Lingering Dead. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: Dark Urban Fantasy with a unique twist on vampires and ghosts. Jackie finally undergoes some growth as a character. An entertaining plot but slow pacing really drags the story down.
Opening Sentence: Jessica Davies’s face was numb.
Review:
The Lingering Dead is an urban fantasy that feeds its energy off of its heroes. The tragic nature of Jackie and Nick’s past bleeds into the characters that they are. Nick was present when his entire family was slaughtered by a vampire and was forced to watch as he was transformed into a vampire. He is still the cowboy sheriff he once was but has finally moved on from his tragic past. Jackie was molested and possibly beaten by her step-father and that has really developed how she deals with relationships. She is filled with hate towards other people and she doesn’t trust people much at all. Jackie begins The Lingering Dead pretty much the same way she was in the previous two novels in this series, self-deprecating and whiney but she ends the novel a little more comfortable with herself, able to trust more than she thought and not near as bitchy.
The novel begins not too long after the events of The Vengeful Dead. Jackie is now the Operations Leader for Special Investigations, a civilian company that is attached to the FBI but is entirely funded by Nick. The FBI sends them cases that they believe have paranormal elements at work. Special Investigations decide to investigate a tip made by an FBI agent about too many ghosts in a town. Thatcher’s Mill is a unique little town that never grows or shrinks in size. It is a perfect, peaceful little town. But it’s not. An evil vampire, Charlotte, has mind-controlled all the inhabitants to keep the town as it once was in the 1890’s but the town has modernized over the years. She wants nothing more than to recreate her family as it once was and the many lingering ghosts are a victim of her madness. Unfortunately Nick and Shelby, both vampires, cannot get close to Charlotte because she can tell when a vampire is nearby.
Special Investigations travels back and forth from Thatcher’s Mill and Chicago by plane, sometimes making several trips in one day. Jackie is also being followed by a strange green monster in the Deadworld plane, no one knows what it is or why it is following her. Charlotte enlists the help of the townspeople to help stop Special Investigations. Jackie and Nick must stop Charlotte before she kills again and release the ghosts she is unwittingly holding captive.
The plot is tension filled at times and then it becomes sluggish at other points. The Lingering Dead has enough of a unique plot that keeps me entertained but at the same time is just okay. There are definitely better dark urban fantasy books out there; Stacia Kane’s Downside Ghosts is one of them.
Jackie is one of those characters that I just have a hard time rooting for. Jackie is off-putting most of the time. Nick has grown into a more likeable character but unfortunately not much of this book is from his point of view. Jackie dominates the POV but the evil Charlotte gets her fair share as well. Charlotte is one of those tragic characters who don’t truly believe they are evil. Her actions are justified in her mind. She is a powerful vampire but she has been uneducated in her powers so she is truly not unstoppable. Charlotte is a sadistic evil villain but I wasn’t too sure that she could top the bad guy from the first book, Deadworld.
The Lingering Dead is best read with the series. Deadworld doesn’t see too much action in this book and it really isn’t explained. Jackie and Nick’s backstory doesn’t really get explained either and some of the minor characters aren’t really explained as to how they fit in with the story. There may be plenty of questions to a new reader of the series.
Overall, The Lingering Dead is an enjoyable read if you like your heroines damaged or tortured from their pasts. Jackie finally undergoes a much needed change in character. The Lingering Dead is an enjoyable enough read but not enough so that I would recommend it.
Notable Scene:
“She’s charming you, Jackie! Stun her. Get the hell out.”
Laurel leaped out as Jackie staggered back, flying right at Charlotte with a scream that would impress any banshee. She did little to Charlotte, other than pass directly through her, but the moment was enough to startle, and that broke the icy vice that had clamped down on Jackie’s brain.
She dropped the grenade, releasing the handle and bolted. Fist fights, gun battles, even the previous craziness holding baby ghosts in her uterus were all preferable to having the dead, wonky eyes boring into her soul. That was a line that no longer got crossed.
One-point-eight seconds later, the ground shook and a wall of air slammed into Jackie, throwing her forward. She tucked her shoulder, turned into a roll, hit the gravel with a thud, and was back on her feet, ears ringing so loudly, she could not hear Nick’s voice yelling in her ear. At the bottom of the hill, she could see a pair of headlights coming up the drive. Without looking to see what had happened to Charlotte, Jackie ran like hell.
A high-pitched, childish scream pierced the night air. There was no pain in the sound, only rage. Jackie knew there was no chance in hell of outrunning Charlotte. She only hoped that she could reach the Explorer before Charlotte reached her. A hundred feet down the drive, Shelby slid to a stop, swinging the car around 270 degrees. Nick leaped out as she approached, eyes ablaze.
“Get in!” shouted Nick.
Jackie practically dove in, bouncing off the back of the front seat. Behind her, Jackie heard a chilling word, from a voice turned down an octave from the cute, fourteen-year-old she had just talked to. The petulance and haughtiness from before had turned into something Jackie did not recognize.
“You!”
The Deadworld Series:
1. Deadworld
2. The Vengeful Dead
3. The Lingering Dead
FTC Advisory: Kensington Books provided me with a copy of The Lingering Dead. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
April 14, 2019
Interesting plot development.
March 22, 2025
The plot was so bad. I kept reading for the romance, and it never delivered. Oh well. Sometimes, it's nice to read and turn your brain off.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 18, 2017
Originally published at Dark Faerie Tales: http://darkfaerietales.com/review-lin...
Quick & Dirty: Dark Urban Fantasy with a unique twist on vampires and ghosts. Jackie finally undergoes some growth as a character. An entertaining plot but slow pacing really drags the story down.
Review:
The Lingering Dead is an urban fantasy that feeds its energy off of its heroes. The tragic nature of Jackie and Nick’s past bleeds into the characters that they are. Nick was present when his entire family was slaughtered by a vampire and was forced to watch as he was transformed into a vampire. He is still the cowboy sheriff he once was but has finally moved on from his tragic past. Jackie was molested and possibly beaten by her step-father and that has really developed how she deals with relationships. She is filled with hate towards other people and she doesn’t trust people much at all. Jackie begins The Lingering Dead pretty much the same way she was in the previous two novels in this series, self-deprecating and whiney but she ends the novel a little more comfortable with herself, able to trust more than she thought and not near as bitchy.
The novel begins not too long after the events of The Vengeful Dead. Jackie is now the Operations Leader for Special Investigations, a civilian company that is attached to the FBI but is entirely funded by Nick. The FBI sends them cases that they believe have paranormal elements at work. Special Investigations decide to investigate a tip made by an FBI agent about too many ghosts in a town. Thatcher’s Mill is a unique little town that never grows or shrinks in size. It is a perfect, peaceful little town. But it’s not. An evil vampire, Charlotte, has mind-controlled all the inhabitants to keep the town as it once was in the 1890’s but the town has modernized over the years. She wants nothing more than to recreate her family as it once was and the many lingering ghosts are a victim of her madness. Unfortunately Nick and Shelby, both vampires, cannot get close to Charlotte because she can tell when a vampire is nearby.
Special Investigations travels back and forth from Thatcher’s Mill and Chicago by plane, sometimes making several trips in one day. Jackie is also being followed by a strange green monster in the Deadworld plane, no one knows what it is or why it is following her. Charlotte enlists the help of the townspeople to help stop Special Investigations. Jackie and Nick must stop Charlotte before she kills again and release the ghosts she is unwittingly holding captive.
The plot is tension filled at times and then it becomes sluggish at other points. The Lingering Dead has enough of a unique plot that keeps me entertained but at the same time is just okay. There are definitely better dark urban fantasy books out there; Stacia Kane’s Downside Ghosts is one of them.
Jackie is one of those characters that I just have a hard time rooting for. Jackie is off-putting most of the time. Nick has grown into a more likeable character but unfortunately not much of this book is from his point of view. Jackie dominates the POV but the evil Charlotte gets her fair share as well. Charlotte is one of those tragic characters who don’t truly believe they are evil. Her actions are justified in her mind. She is a powerful vampire but she has been uneducated in her powers so she is truly not unstoppable. Charlotte is a sadistic evil villain but I wasn’t too sure that she could top the bad guy from the first book, Deadworld.
The Lingering Dead is best read with the series. Deadworld doesn’t see too much action in this book and it really isn’t explained. Jackie and Nick’s backstory doesn’t really get explained either and some of the minor characters aren’t really explained as to how they fit in with the story. There may be plenty of questions to a new reader of the series.
Overall, The Lingering Dead is an enjoyable read if you like your heroines damaged or tortured from their pasts. Jackie finally undergoes a much needed change in character. The Lingering Dead is an enjoyable enough read but not enough so that I would recommend it.
Quick & Dirty: Dark Urban Fantasy with a unique twist on vampires and ghosts. Jackie finally undergoes some growth as a character. An entertaining plot but slow pacing really drags the story down.
Review:
The Lingering Dead is an urban fantasy that feeds its energy off of its heroes. The tragic nature of Jackie and Nick’s past bleeds into the characters that they are. Nick was present when his entire family was slaughtered by a vampire and was forced to watch as he was transformed into a vampire. He is still the cowboy sheriff he once was but has finally moved on from his tragic past. Jackie was molested and possibly beaten by her step-father and that has really developed how she deals with relationships. She is filled with hate towards other people and she doesn’t trust people much at all. Jackie begins The Lingering Dead pretty much the same way she was in the previous two novels in this series, self-deprecating and whiney but she ends the novel a little more comfortable with herself, able to trust more than she thought and not near as bitchy.
The novel begins not too long after the events of The Vengeful Dead. Jackie is now the Operations Leader for Special Investigations, a civilian company that is attached to the FBI but is entirely funded by Nick. The FBI sends them cases that they believe have paranormal elements at work. Special Investigations decide to investigate a tip made by an FBI agent about too many ghosts in a town. Thatcher’s Mill is a unique little town that never grows or shrinks in size. It is a perfect, peaceful little town. But it’s not. An evil vampire, Charlotte, has mind-controlled all the inhabitants to keep the town as it once was in the 1890’s but the town has modernized over the years. She wants nothing more than to recreate her family as it once was and the many lingering ghosts are a victim of her madness. Unfortunately Nick and Shelby, both vampires, cannot get close to Charlotte because she can tell when a vampire is nearby.
Special Investigations travels back and forth from Thatcher’s Mill and Chicago by plane, sometimes making several trips in one day. Jackie is also being followed by a strange green monster in the Deadworld plane, no one knows what it is or why it is following her. Charlotte enlists the help of the townspeople to help stop Special Investigations. Jackie and Nick must stop Charlotte before she kills again and release the ghosts she is unwittingly holding captive.
The plot is tension filled at times and then it becomes sluggish at other points. The Lingering Dead has enough of a unique plot that keeps me entertained but at the same time is just okay. There are definitely better dark urban fantasy books out there; Stacia Kane’s Downside Ghosts is one of them.
Jackie is one of those characters that I just have a hard time rooting for. Jackie is off-putting most of the time. Nick has grown into a more likeable character but unfortunately not much of this book is from his point of view. Jackie dominates the POV but the evil Charlotte gets her fair share as well. Charlotte is one of those tragic characters who don’t truly believe they are evil. Her actions are justified in her mind. She is a powerful vampire but she has been uneducated in her powers so she is truly not unstoppable. Charlotte is a sadistic evil villain but I wasn’t too sure that she could top the bad guy from the first book, Deadworld.
The Lingering Dead is best read with the series. Deadworld doesn’t see too much action in this book and it really isn’t explained. Jackie and Nick’s backstory doesn’t really get explained either and some of the minor characters aren’t really explained as to how they fit in with the story. There may be plenty of questions to a new reader of the series.
Overall, The Lingering Dead is an enjoyable read if you like your heroines damaged or tortured from their pasts. Jackie finally undergoes a much needed change in character. The Lingering Dead is an enjoyable enough read but not enough so that I would recommend it.
April 26, 2012
This is my least favorite of the three so far. I'm going to include spoilers so, you know, watch out. Ok, I think the fundamental thing that bugged me about this book really is a carry over from the last one. The idea that the FBI for whatever reason thinks they have the authority to put Jackie in charge of Special Investigations. I mean obviously Nick agreed to it, so it's not like he was forced but just, how weird is that? We have to suspend you for shooting a police officer but hey! here's this totally independent paranormal investigation agency and you can go ahead and run that. She didn't run her own department at the FBI and Nick and Shelby both had more experience with paranormal crimes etc. To me it just doesn't feel realistic. It feels like she's being pandered to and all the other characters are in on it. It would have been more believable if she just joined the team on equal footing with everyone else and contributed, maybe worked her way up to being in charge. There were a few other things that bugged me.
1. How many times they flew back and forth to Thatcher's Mill. Seriously. Some planning.
2. How much of the story was told from Charlotte's POV. I didn't mind this as much in the other books because I didn't feel like it took away from the story as much. In this book though it sort of ruined any kind of surprise and made the investigation seem boring because I already knew what was up.
3.How much Laurel said "hon" she sounded like an old woman.
4.How blah Nick seemed. Maybe part of this was there was less from his POV, but he seemed to have very little personality compared to previous installments.
Just to balance this out I'll say I liked that there was resolution between Nick and Jackie, as well as some personal growth for Jackie. We'll see if the next installment is more enjoyable.
1. How many times they flew back and forth to Thatcher's Mill. Seriously. Some planning.
2. How much of the story was told from Charlotte's POV. I didn't mind this as much in the other books because I didn't feel like it took away from the story as much. In this book though it sort of ruined any kind of surprise and made the investigation seem boring because I already knew what was up.
3.How much Laurel said "hon" she sounded like an old woman.
4.How blah Nick seemed. Maybe part of this was there was less from his POV, but he seemed to have very little personality compared to previous installments.
Just to balance this out I'll say I liked that there was resolution between Nick and Jackie, as well as some personal growth for Jackie. We'll see if the next installment is more enjoyable.
July 10, 2012
First of all, this is my first from this series, it can be read as a stand alone, but it will be helpful to read the previous ones. To really understand the why, where and how this special group ended together and became who they are.
Jackie, an ex FBI agent that finds herself as head of a "special" paranormal investigation unit. The unit is formed by two vampires, Nick & Shelby; a ghost who is Jackie's ex partner, Laurel ; Cynthia, a psychic and Jackie who has the ability to connect the world of the living and the dead.
After receiving a series of boxes from the agency full of cold cases that are considered paranormal, the unit must decide which of the case will be their first. They decide on a file from a town called Thatcher Mills, where ghost seamed to be the dominate residents and where apparently nothing bad has happened in the last 100 years. During the investigation, a connection to Nick's past is discovered and the consequences of his vengeance left some loose ends that are causing the people of this town to be mind controlled by a resident.
The interaction between the unit members is interesting to say the least. Jackie is an abused and dysfunctional person incapable of holding a relationship, Nick is a multimillionaire that is head over heals in love with Jackie and has the patience of a saint. Laurel, her ex partner is a ghost with the ability to use Jackie's body as a vessel to communicate with the rest of the group and her lover Shelby.
There is action, confrontation with the town's people and the resident ghosts, as well as romance and mystery that only adds more to the the cliff hanger ending with new material for the next installment. Good and entertaining but probably would have been more enjoyable if I had read the first two books.
Jackie, an ex FBI agent that finds herself as head of a "special" paranormal investigation unit. The unit is formed by two vampires, Nick & Shelby; a ghost who is Jackie's ex partner, Laurel ; Cynthia, a psychic and Jackie who has the ability to connect the world of the living and the dead.
After receiving a series of boxes from the agency full of cold cases that are considered paranormal, the unit must decide which of the case will be their first. They decide on a file from a town called Thatcher Mills, where ghost seamed to be the dominate residents and where apparently nothing bad has happened in the last 100 years. During the investigation, a connection to Nick's past is discovered and the consequences of his vengeance left some loose ends that are causing the people of this town to be mind controlled by a resident.
The interaction between the unit members is interesting to say the least. Jackie is an abused and dysfunctional person incapable of holding a relationship, Nick is a multimillionaire that is head over heals in love with Jackie and has the patience of a saint. Laurel, her ex partner is a ghost with the ability to use Jackie's body as a vessel to communicate with the rest of the group and her lover Shelby.
There is action, confrontation with the town's people and the resident ghosts, as well as romance and mystery that only adds more to the the cliff hanger ending with new material for the next installment. Good and entertaining but probably would have been more enjoyable if I had read the first two books.
October 23, 2014
So far I've enjoyed this series even though it can be a bit slow and/or confusing at times. I'm glad that Jackie finally seems to be growing up and taking control of her life by taking on her issues because honestly her whining and self-loathing was getting a bit tiresome. Also I'm interested in who this weirdo character Nix turns out to be and even more so Jackie's confrontation with you-know-who.
A few things though I feel need to be pointed out here--
1. I don't care how much money you have there is absolutely no need to take a privet plane back and forth to the same damn town. That's what hotels, rental cars and computers are for!
2. Poor "Laur". Even in death she still needs to be Jackie's personal pep squad. And this book finally made me realize why Laurel and Shelby were able to hit it off--they're both completely incapable of calling anyone by their given name. If I hear “hon” or “babe” one more time I swear...
3. I didn't really see this mentioned elsewhere so maybe it's just me but . Just sayin'.
I haven't seen a fourth book mentioned but hopefully the author will pick up where he left off soon because I would like to know what the hell is going on.
A few things though I feel need to be pointed out here--
1. I don't care how much money you have there is absolutely no need to take a privet plane back and forth to the same damn town. That's what hotels, rental cars and computers are for!
2. Poor "Laur". Even in death she still needs to be Jackie's personal pep squad. And this book finally made me realize why Laurel and Shelby were able to hit it off--they're both completely incapable of calling anyone by their given name. If I hear “hon” or “babe” one more time I swear...
3. I didn't really see this mentioned elsewhere so maybe it's just me but . Just sayin'.
I haven't seen a fourth book mentioned but hopefully the author will pick up where he left off soon because I would like to know what the hell is going on.
April 13, 2012
I thought Jackie was kick-butt in this one! At last she has grown to become someone I enjoy reading about. She still has her faults, but in this one she finally starts to overcome her past. She leads her team skillfully and even is able to sleep with Mr. Sexy Vampire Nick.
In this installment the team goes to a small town in the middle of nowhere to look into the mystery of the never changing town. The town is a part of Nick's sordid past and they delve into the mystery feet first. Strangely enough a new odd character (green creature that has spikes coming out of him) crops up and asks Jackie to help him with some mysterious cause; he comes from the deadworld- after being deemed not ready he disappears to wonder earth until she is. (I really didn't understand his significance, but I guess we'll find out in the next.)
Cannot wait for the next because the last few pages held something overly interesting.
In this installment the team goes to a small town in the middle of nowhere to look into the mystery of the never changing town. The town is a part of Nick's sordid past and they delve into the mystery feet first. Strangely enough a new odd character (green creature that has spikes coming out of him) crops up and asks Jackie to help him with some mysterious cause; he comes from the deadworld- after being deemed not ready he disappears to wonder earth until she is. (I really didn't understand his significance, but I guess we'll find out in the next.)
Cannot wait for the next because the last few pages held something overly interesting.
September 7, 2012
I picked this up realizing that it was book three in a series. I figured if I liked it, I would pick up one and two and then carry on from there. Unfortunately, considering what I have read here, I would be saying the same thing even if it had been book one or book two.
While the characters and ideas are intriguing and this storyline is interesting, the writer makes liberal use of the F word throughout the story. And, this also includes F in combination with religious oaths that upset me a lot.
This liberal use of F contributes nothing to the story or the characters. At one point, I read the author's book bio because only the first and middle initials are used with the last name. The short bio on the last page gives no clue as the writer's gender but whether male or female, I'm not wasting my money on another book in this series. The language is way too distracting.
While the characters and ideas are intriguing and this storyline is interesting, the writer makes liberal use of the F word throughout the story. And, this also includes F in combination with religious oaths that upset me a lot.
This liberal use of F contributes nothing to the story or the characters. At one point, I read the author's book bio because only the first and middle initials are used with the last name. The short bio on the last page gives no clue as the writer's gender but whether male or female, I'm not wasting my money on another book in this series. The language is way too distracting.
November 28, 2013
I know when you want a plot to develop you don't want every problem solved by the supernatural guy doing his 'thing,' otherwise there's no suspense BUT you can also castrate your character. This story just spun it's wheels with many lost opportunities for the vampire to step up and move the mystery along. The two 'good' vampire are wusses and boring.
April 24, 2012
I like this series. :) I just can't get over how patient Nick is though. It just seems weird... The Geek squad is so cute. :) That's all I'm going to say. :P Lots of other readers there have a very good description of what the book is all about anyways.
February 26, 2013
The characters have more substance to them as this series progresses, and although sometimes the action is a bit contrived, there is an interesting new twist toward the end of this book that has me eagerly awaiting the next installment.
April 10, 2012
This was more of a 3.5 rating. This one was a little slow at times but I'm not going to give up on this series and will give the next one a try.
January 3, 2012
I wanted to like it... It was just too hard to follow in the middle of the series. Very confusing. I will go back and read the first book, Deadworld, and give it another chance.
April 17, 2012
a fine read --
February 9, 2013
Love it More than the first two
July 24, 2013
This is a great series. I've read all three and I am hoping there will be another. I've grown to care about the characters.
October 14, 2016
Really Liked this action packed funny series.
June 24, 2012
3.5* bit slow in spots s dome loose ends which hopefully will get tied off in future books.
June 24, 2012
Loved it!!!
January 21, 2013
Really enjoyed it and look forward to reading more from this author.
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