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The Bad Series #3
A Bad Price to Pay for Love
"If there's one thing the dead are good at, it's keeping secrets. Some longer than others."
One year after they worked together to capture a fugitive necromancer, Nella Dormanni is thrilled to welcome her colleague Mainu back in New Montres. To her surprise, the dashing lieutenant isn't merely in town for a leisurely visit, but to track down a wealthy socialite who's gone missing─and what's more, he asks Nel to help. The two of them embark on what Nel assumes to be a routine investigation, only to find there's much more to the story than her partner let on.
Across town, Thessa runs into trouble of her own when the Garden of Lilies, one of the city's most reputable red-light houses, becomes the scene of a horrific murder. Though the city guard arrests an obvious suspect, Thessa is convinced they're mistaken; and so, with the aid of her trusty friend Corlis, she offers to help unravel the mystery.
The two pairs each delve into the bowels of New Montres, from the highest society to the lowest of slums, eager to find answers to their burning questions─but do they have the courage to face how deep the roots of intrigue go?
One year after they worked together to capture a fugitive necromancer, Nella Dormanni is thrilled to welcome her colleague Mainu back in New Montres. To her surprise, the dashing lieutenant isn't merely in town for a leisurely visit, but to track down a wealthy socialite who's gone missing─and what's more, he asks Nel to help. The two of them embark on what Nel assumes to be a routine investigation, only to find there's much more to the story than her partner let on.
Across town, Thessa runs into trouble of her own when the Garden of Lilies, one of the city's most reputable red-light houses, becomes the scene of a horrific murder. Though the city guard arrests an obvious suspect, Thessa is convinced they're mistaken; and so, with the aid of her trusty friend Corlis, she offers to help unravel the mystery.
The two pairs each delve into the bowels of New Montres, from the highest society to the lowest of slums, eager to find answers to their burning questions─but do they have the courage to face how deep the roots of intrigue go?
- GenresFantasy
346 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 1, 2024
5 people are currently reading
47 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 11, 2024
Corlis and Thessa behind the scenes again
Alternate universe, magic, suspense, urban fantasy, murder mystery, proto steampunk
Despite the taciturn innkeeper's best wishes, he comes to value his friendship with the young woman working as a messenger as much for her loyalty as for her insight. In this third entry, Corlis and Thessa have given up their prior shady doings for the honest life, and this duo's involvement stems from Thessa's friendship to a high class madam and outside forces conspiring to shut her and her ladies down. If you've read book 2, you already have idea of whom I'm referring to. And the budding romance between the two cops who trace the crimes from other angles is interesting.
Well edited. Enjoyed. These seem to appear yearly, but hopefully sooner?
Alternate universe, magic, suspense, urban fantasy, murder mystery, proto steampunk
Despite the taciturn innkeeper's best wishes, he comes to value his friendship with the young woman working as a messenger as much for her loyalty as for her insight. In this third entry, Corlis and Thessa have given up their prior shady doings for the honest life, and this duo's involvement stems from Thessa's friendship to a high class madam and outside forces conspiring to shut her and her ladies down. If you've read book 2, you already have idea of whom I'm referring to. And the budding romance between the two cops who trace the crimes from other angles is interesting.
Well edited. Enjoyed. These seem to appear yearly, but hopefully sooner?
November 7, 2025
What can I say other than make sure you pick this up if you enjoyed the previous books!
More from your favourite disaster protagonists, interesting new characters, further world-building and enough mystery to keep you guessing throughout. I'm definitely looking forward to the next one!
More from your favourite disaster protagonists, interesting new characters, further world-building and enough mystery to keep you guessing throughout. I'm definitely looking forward to the next one!
June 4, 2024
In the third installment of The Bad Series, A Bad Price to Pay for Love, by Jerry F. Westinger, readers are drawn into a captivating blend of fantasy and mystery. Nella Dormanni eagerly reunites with her colleague, Lieutenant Mainu, only to discover that he is in New Montres not for leisure but to investigate the disappearance of a wealthy socialite. Nella's expertise becomes invaluable as they uncover layers of deception and intrigue far beyond their expectations. Meanwhile, Thessa faces a challenging murder case at the esteemed Garden of Lilies, questioning the city guard's conclusions. With her loyal friend Corlis by her side, Thessa embarks on a quest for justice, unearthing secrets that could shake the city to its core.
This novel skillfully encompasses themes of collaboration, crime-solving, and resilience. Nella Dormanni is a well-rounded character, displaying admirable traits such as a strong sense of duty and dedication. Her tendency to internalize criticism and doubt herself adds depth to her character, making her more relatable and engaging. This vulnerability enhances readers' investment in her story. The close relationship between Nella and Mainu, including their intimate moments, enriches the narrative without overshadowing the plot or compromising their mission. It serves as a portrayal of their vulnerability and loyalty to each other, adding a layer of emotional depth to the story. Thessa, despite her vulnerabilities and moments of self-doubt, emerges as a likable character due to her humanity and eagerness to connect with others. Her journey resonates as she grapples with an identity crisis and searches for a sense of belonging amidst uncertainty. Her determination and growth throughout the novel are compelling and inspiring. The fictional world of New Montres is vividly brought to life, with its stark contrast between high society and the slums highlighting themes of social disparity. This setting strongly mirrors real-world issues, making the story both fantastical and relevant.
A Bad Price to Pay for Love, by Jerry F. Westinger, is a highly engaging read that offers a rich tapestry of characters, intricate plotlines, and thought-provoking themes. It is a must-read for fans of fantasy and mystery, promising a journey filled with suspense, emotion, and insightful commentary on society.
This novel skillfully encompasses themes of collaboration, crime-solving, and resilience. Nella Dormanni is a well-rounded character, displaying admirable traits such as a strong sense of duty and dedication. Her tendency to internalize criticism and doubt herself adds depth to her character, making her more relatable and engaging. This vulnerability enhances readers' investment in her story. The close relationship between Nella and Mainu, including their intimate moments, enriches the narrative without overshadowing the plot or compromising their mission. It serves as a portrayal of their vulnerability and loyalty to each other, adding a layer of emotional depth to the story. Thessa, despite her vulnerabilities and moments of self-doubt, emerges as a likable character due to her humanity and eagerness to connect with others. Her journey resonates as she grapples with an identity crisis and searches for a sense of belonging amidst uncertainty. Her determination and growth throughout the novel are compelling and inspiring. The fictional world of New Montres is vividly brought to life, with its stark contrast between high society and the slums highlighting themes of social disparity. This setting strongly mirrors real-world issues, making the story both fantastical and relevant.
A Bad Price to Pay for Love, by Jerry F. Westinger, is a highly engaging read that offers a rich tapestry of characters, intricate plotlines, and thought-provoking themes. It is a must-read for fans of fantasy and mystery, promising a journey filled with suspense, emotion, and insightful commentary on society.
July 10, 2024
Book three in The Bad series details the city encompassing investigation to solve a disappearance and proving a suspected murderer’s innocence. What starts as two parallel investigations with little connection gradually becomes an intricated woven plot of political deception and intrigue. Nel and Mainu work within the police force of New Montres to solve the mysterious disappearance of a Midorean noblewoman while Thessa and Corlis race against the clock to solve the murder of an unknown person and prove Ida, an innocent mother and resident bloodsucker, had nothing to do with it. The two groups must overcome the odds, and interpersonal conflicts, to solve the mysteries. What is uncovered might just be more complicated than any of them realize.
A Bad Price to Pay for Love is rich with multidimensional, relatable characters and it’s set in a vibrant and diverse fantasy world. Jerry F. Westinger builds wonderful characters that are balanced and likeable. Each of them brings both positive and negative aspects to the table which allows for continuously evolving and growing character arcs and relationships. Ida’s internal conflict of being a single mother who desperately wants the best for a child that is growing up, making mistakes, and becoming independent. Thessa’s overarching feelings of loneliness and struggle to find her place in the city and a group of people to call her own. Nel’s valiant fight against her own indecision and cowardice to become a stronger and more assertive force in the world. These are all characters that we want to see continue to grow into themselves. The quality of the writing is also consistently high quality and professional, which makes the book enjoyable to read.
The biggest problem that this book has is a lack of propulsion and a slow pace that can be felt through a majority of the story. It feels like the characters end up wandering around the city often and revelations about the surrounding mysteries come slowly. There is a very prominent political outcry/revolution that ends up playing a very important role in the resolution to the story that felt underdeveloped and lacking a lot of details that would have made it more impactful.
A Bad Price to Pay for Love is a good installment in a consistently well written fantasy mysteries set in a vibrant diverse steampunk-esque world full of good characters. I would recommend giving this book and the rest of the series a try if you enjoy a fun twist on the traditional mystery model!
I received an ARC of this book through Reedsy and have voluntarily written this review
A Bad Price to Pay for Love is rich with multidimensional, relatable characters and it’s set in a vibrant and diverse fantasy world. Jerry F. Westinger builds wonderful characters that are balanced and likeable. Each of them brings both positive and negative aspects to the table which allows for continuously evolving and growing character arcs and relationships. Ida’s internal conflict of being a single mother who desperately wants the best for a child that is growing up, making mistakes, and becoming independent. Thessa’s overarching feelings of loneliness and struggle to find her place in the city and a group of people to call her own. Nel’s valiant fight against her own indecision and cowardice to become a stronger and more assertive force in the world. These are all characters that we want to see continue to grow into themselves. The quality of the writing is also consistently high quality and professional, which makes the book enjoyable to read.
The biggest problem that this book has is a lack of propulsion and a slow pace that can be felt through a majority of the story. It feels like the characters end up wandering around the city often and revelations about the surrounding mysteries come slowly. There is a very prominent political outcry/revolution that ends up playing a very important role in the resolution to the story that felt underdeveloped and lacking a lot of details that would have made it more impactful.
A Bad Price to Pay for Love is a good installment in a consistently well written fantasy mysteries set in a vibrant diverse steampunk-esque world full of good characters. I would recommend giving this book and the rest of the series a try if you enjoy a fun twist on the traditional mystery model!
I received an ARC of this book through Reedsy and have voluntarily written this review
November 15, 2025
I love that the story is introducing vampires aswell in this book! I love everything about mythical creatures, especially vampires and werewolf, they are so gothic and mysterious. Exactly my kind of style!
It took awhile for me to understand what was happening in the story, understanding how that person knew that person etc etc. But as the story unfolded I got more and more shocked! I really hoped for Ida to finally feel safe and loved, but how psychotic Mendel turned out to be was even cooler and more exiting! I did not see that twist!
❤️Nel & Mainu❤️
It took awhile for me to understand what was happening in the story, understanding how that person knew that person etc etc. But as the story unfolded I got more and more shocked! I really hoped for Ida to finally feel safe and loved, but how psychotic Mendel turned out to be was even cooler and more exiting! I did not see that twist!
❤️Nel & Mainu❤️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews