Snake Oil Bullet

Harmony Black #8

by Craig Schaefer

It should have been a routine mission: stop the sale of a bio-organic weapon, round up the bad guys, and fly home before breakfast. Harmony Black and Jessie Temple are field agents for Vigilant Lock, a covert agency that defends humanity against supernatural threats; espionage, monsters, and mayhem are all in a day’s work. What they find this time, though, is a puzzle demanding an answer.

An old nemesis of the team has been murdered, and they didn’t pull the trigger.

Unsure if they’re dealing with a friend or a foe, the investigation leads Harmony and Jessie into a world of big money and bigger lies. The trail of clues leads from a shady tech startup in Silicon Valley to a “wellness retreat” for millionaires in the Catskill Mountains, a whirlwind tour through the lifestyles of the rich, famous, and dead.

As the ghosts of the team’s past come back to haunt them, a new enemy is rising in the shadows. An enemy who knows exactly who Harmony and Jessie are, what they’re capable of, and how to take them down. This mystery is a trap woven from lies and illusions, and it’s about to spring shut.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Thriller

348 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 16, 2024

About the author

Craig Schaefer's books have taken readers to the seamy edge of a criminal underworld drenched in shadow (the Daniel Faust series), to a world torn by war, poison and witchcraft (the Revanche Cycle), and across a modern America mired in occult mysteries and a conspiracy of lies (the Harmony Black series).

Despite this, people say he's strangely normal. Suspiciously normal, in fact. His home on the Web is www.craigschaeferbooks.com.

Reviews

[✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.998987899899999 stars.

“If anybody draws on me in there, I will wolf out and start eating faces.”

And, just like that, we are back in business! 😍

Okay, I'm not going to ramble on and on and on and on (and on and on) about this one because this book is the eighth installment in this series and either you're familiar with it (in which case you'd learn nothing new from my fascinating Schaeferistic musings) or you have no bloody shrimping idea what it's about (in which case you'd have no clue what the fish I might be rambling about). So let's keep it super extra simple and stuff:

① Jessie is the real star of this show (but we already knew that).

② Color me flabbergasted, I just realized I no longer dislike Harmony 😱. (No need to hyperventilate, this doesn't mean I've become her #1 fan. This doesn't mean I'm her fan at all, actually. It simply means I stopped harboring slightly murderous thoughts toward her eyerolling my poor eyeballs out of their sockets whenever she is around/opens her mouth.)

③ AI is evil incarnate (but we already knew that).

④ So many villainous villains, it feels like Christmas! 🤗🤗

⑤ Nadine = 😍😍 (but we already knew that).

Also, this:

Heads coming off with a wet slurping pop + having one's whistling privileges revoked + hahahahahaha + Taylor Swift refs that are completely lost on clueless little me + being psychoanalyzed by robots + zombie juice + dreaming of electric sheep (nice one, Heather 😬) + scams of epic proportions + mayhem galore + having the digital brain of a squirrel who has been repeatedly hit by a car =



P.S. I DEMAND to know where my boyfriend Fontaine is!

👋 See you next time and stuff.

· Book 1: Harmony Black ★★★★
· Book 2: Red Knight Falling ★★★
· Book 3: Glass Predator ★★★★
· Book 4: Cold Spectrum ★★★★
· Book 5: Right to the Kill ★★★
· Book 6: Black Tie Required ★★★★
· Book 7: Never Send Roses ★★★★★



[Pre-review nonsense]

Will it be a 3.49865699 or a 3.56315697963? Stay tuned and stuff.

[Lukasz · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5

Excellent! I will never tire of the adventures of Harmony and Jessie. I don't need to convince fans of the series to read Snake Oil Bullet because they're probably already doing so.

For those who haven't heard of Harmony Black, I'll just say this: if you enjoy and appreciate fast-paced, brutal action, unexpected plot twists, and henre mash-ups (urban fantasy, noir, and horror), pick up the first book in the series and enjoy Schaeffer's insane plotting skills.

[Ashley Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably the loudest anti-AI book I've read yet, and in 2024, that feels important. (alternate title: Fuck Off and Die For Real, Bobby Diehl. It even rhymes!) We really ran the gamut of Harmony's rogues gallery here and what an adventure it was. Excited to see how things pan out against the new baddies in the next book! I still want to know how The Treatment works!!

[Todd · Rating 5 out of 5]

May be the best book in the series to date. I definitely don't recommend reading this before the previous books since there are way too many hanging chads being dealt with here.

All the mayhem l have come to expect in a Harmony Black book, along with many old "friends".

[Sean · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the book has a lot of the usual Schaefer pulp charm, it sorely needed another editing pass. The characters discussing their interpretation of events and their implications for the investigation can be a necessary evil, but to rehash effectively the same points several times in sequential chapters is... not great.

Fitting in a plot point about generative AI being flashy vaporware, on the other hand, was a nice touch.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: Snake Oil Bullet
Author: Craig Schaefer
Pages: 348
Rating: 4/5

Available on Kindle Unlimited.

After reading strange beasts and a character reminding me of Harmony Black I was super chuffed to see that @craigschaeferbooks had released the next one in the series and boy oh boy did it not disappoint.

Reading the acknowledgements it looked like it was a closing in disguise in change of publishers if it meant that CS could bring the storyline to his original plot. It was so good to see some of the old enemies come back for revenge.

The use of AI was brilliantly scary. It had a black mirror vibe that just sent shivers down my spine. An AI therapist?? No thank you!!!

I've been obsessed with CS books since discovering Daniel Faust ten years or so ago? (I think) The interlinking of each series from the revanche cycle, Faust and black are subtle but a lovely inside nod to regular readers.

The world building that Craig has taken the time to create is fantastic. The plots and twists keep coming and just as I think I know what's going on he slaps me with something different.

Another fantastic adventure with harmony and I cannot wait to see what happens next

Like his characters, he's definitely in it for the long haul and I'm here for it!

You'll love this book if you like
- urban fantasy
- ride or die friendships
- strong female leads
- low romance
- detailed action
- plot twists
- spin off series

Will you be putting this on your tbr? Have you read it already, what were your thoughts??

[Mihir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review over atFantasy Book Critic

OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: The Joker had quoted something intriguing in the Dark Knight “I believe that whatever doesn't kill you, simply makes you... stranger”. I don’t know if Heather Schaefer took this as a motto for Harmony Black to live by but it certainly seems to be a guiding statement for this series. Within the past three books Harmony, Jessie and team have had their backs against the wall, Harmony especially has had a horrid time with her powers being erratic as well.

Snake Oil Bullet deals with a lot of plot threads and characters from the past seven books. There’s not a lot I can say about the main plot without spoiling it but the least I can say that a certain doctor from book 7 makes his reappearance as well as other heinous villains from the team’s past. All in all this volume has a lot going on within. This is also a book which acts as a bookend to the second arc of the Harmony Black series while also setting up a tantalizing future.

I was thinking there would be a Hannibal Lecter-Clarice Starling going with Harmony and her tormentor-in-chief demon but the author neatly sidestepped this scenario and sets up something else. There’s also a lot of things that are revealed about Harmony’s past which set up future intrigue. The author has definitely settled the question of who the Paladin is but Harmony will have a huge part to play based on what is revealed about her heritage. This book has some interesting action sequences and the best part is the author’s usage of mirror opposites during the climax (you’ll know what I mean when you read the book).

The Vigilant Lock team has come a long way from where it started and with the end of the second arc. The author has shaken up the board and now things are moving slowly but surely towards the big Enemy-Paladin conflict that has been teased over both the Faust and Black series. Rest assured there will be plenty of alien & extra-dimensional trouble heading the team’s way and we the readers will be here to enjoy it. I also loved how incredibly intricate this series is with the First Story saga and yet has its own weird ongoings as well. The ending promises more carnage of both the personal and team kind but Jessie and Harmony are no pushovers either.

Snake Oil Bullet is a fun and twisted story that uses all the pillars which have been set up in the past and creates a dark canopy for readers to enjoy. The plot is streamlined, packed with action, and twisted reveals. As a fan this book helped satiate my Harmony Black cravings while giving me more to ponder. I can’t wait for more of Harmony and whichever title Heather releases next.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly, would've given it an easy 4 but the book felt rushed. I was surprised at how quickly this book came out after the last, so I was happy to have something new to read and so fresh off the last book even.

Well sacrifices were apparently made to get this out on time and that was editing. Caught lots of tiny mistakes, words missing (sure, context was still there but it made my brain stutter) and once he called a character by the wrong name which was confusing for a second, but I spent more time wondering how that got overlooked. So, kinda disappointed with the editing on this one.

Book itself was another one of Schaefer's fun romps through the nefarious dealings with the otherworld's most wanted. So still a good read, just not a great read.

[Hans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Snake Oil Bullet directly follows the events of the previous Harmony Black novel and basically doesn't pull the brakes from start to finish. Harmony, Jesse and the rest of the team have a rematch with a bunch of longtime enemies, some of whom they believed to be dead, and a new major adversary is set up. I personally would have loved to get a few more answers regarding Harmony's new powers and also a resolution to the whole Nadine situation, but Schaefer seems to want to drag that one out a bit longer. Other than that, good stuff as always with many hints as to what might come in the future.

[Ellanet456 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just when I was thinking the author conveniently forgot a crucial part of the earlier books,I was pleasantly surprised.

when I discovered the Daniel Faust books and the spin offs earlier this year I had no idea the adventure I had before me,I would finish a book and hop to the next one,feeling excited for what each one would bring and was never let down,this was definitely a fulfilling experience and I can’t wait for new books to release!

[Val Ras · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing new, but another solid supernatural adventures of Harmony Black and Vigilant Lock. This time they face a bunch of evil characters from previous novels gathered together by the new and powerful enemy, Praeda Electronics (umbrella company) that we don't know much about yet. I am sure we will find out more in the next installment.

[John E · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twisted urban fantasy

This series keeps getting stranger yet remains engrossing. Harmony and the rest of the crew keep peeling back layers only to uncover more layers. At the end of the day, the combination of magic, tech, sleuthing and the occasional battles, all keep drawing me back to the series.

[Susan Pelletier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always a pagec turner

Craig Schaefer never fails to grab my attention. Once started, I can't wait for the next page. All the caricatures are well thought out and described so well I feel like I know them. There is nothing better than reading a wonderful book at the end of the day. This whole series warms my heart! Thank you Craig Schaefer. Keep them coming.

[Vinay Badri · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book thats filler in the sense that it sets up the major players and conflict for the next arc of this series - but so much fun and whizzes like a bullet. Some developments for our leads as well while the final conflict had a bit of a Justice League vs the Injustice League feel to it

[Menzie Chase · Rating 5 out of 5]

this series never disappoints

These books are so much fun. They follow a secret small govt group that fights magical threats. Great characters. Every book is of the “stopping the big heist” variety, and has tons of twists and turns.

[Pedro Marroquín · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buen final a muchos hilos sin resolver en los 7 libros anteriores. Y nuevos hilos que aparecen con nuevos enemigos. Esta serie que mezcla la investigación de “agentes federales” con la magia sigue siendo muy entretenida. B+

[Wendy Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic! Can't wait for the next one!!

[Fiona Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this series, so excited to see where Harmony et al are going after this.

[Mel Horne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some good bits in it, humour and action, but only half a book with the ending held over for the next in series . I would rate this as 2.5 stars if I could .

[Ken Melton · Rating 5 out of 5]

And Another One

Love this series! Craig Schaefer can’t miss. I only wish Netflix would pick this up. The cliff hanger and twist was good. Always leaving wanting more.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The twists probably land better if the previous books were fresher in my mind, but it's still good to get clarity on certain things.

[Katie Seehusen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book in the Harmony Black series. I just love following Harmony and Jesse as they kick butt and save the world.

[Stephanie Cleaver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best yet!

You need to read the predecessors first to really understand the flow of this one, but if you have then it is an absolute belt!!

[Charlene Mattson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought I knew what was happening throughout (long time reader who has reread the series a few times) but still some surprises in this addictive read!