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Nocturnal Lives #1
Nocturnal Origins
Some things can never be forgotten, no matter how hard you try.
Detective Sergeant Mackenzie Santos knows that bitter lesson all too well. The day she died changed her life and her perception of the world forever.It doesn’t matter that everyone, even her doctors, believe a miracle occurred when she awoke in the hospital morgue. Mac knows better. It hadn't been a miracle, at least not a holy one. As far as she’s concerned, that's the day the dogs of Hell came for her.
Investigating one of the most horrendous murders in recent Dallas history, Mac also has to break in a new partner and deal with nosy reporters who follow her every move and who publish confidential details of the investigation without a qualm.
Complicating matters even more, Mac learns the truth about her family and herself, a truth that forces her to deal with the monster within, as well as those on the outside.But none of this matters as much as discovering the identity of the murderer before he can kill again.
Detective Sergeant Mackenzie Santos knows that bitter lesson all too well. The day she died changed her life and her perception of the world forever.It doesn’t matter that everyone, even her doctors, believe a miracle occurred when she awoke in the hospital morgue. Mac knows better. It hadn't been a miracle, at least not a holy one. As far as she’s concerned, that's the day the dogs of Hell came for her.
Investigating one of the most horrendous murders in recent Dallas history, Mac also has to break in a new partner and deal with nosy reporters who follow her every move and who publish confidential details of the investigation without a qualm.
Complicating matters even more, Mac learns the truth about her family and herself, a truth that forces her to deal with the monster within, as well as those on the outside.But none of this matters as much as discovering the identity of the murderer before he can kill again.
299 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 3, 2011
17 people are currently reading
50 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
May 31, 2014
Nocturnal Origins an Urban Fantasy by Amanda S. Green is an entertaining and captivating book. Amanda weaves a rich tapestry of imagery and emotions as she takes us on a ride, at near break neck speeds, through a few weeks in the life of Mackenzie Santos.
I like cop stories and I like stories involving were’s, or shifters as she calls them, put them together and you have my attention. The fact that Amanda’s shape-shifters are (mainly) cats just adds to the interest for me.
Her descriptions are so precise that by the time I was done I felt like I could find my way around Dallas, or at least some areas. Amanda not only gives you the image, she gives you the sounds, smells, and touch, something too few other authors do. You are literally immersed in this world.
The emotions of the characters are, with rare exception, as palpable as the setting. Their thoughts, feelings, and motivations are laid out side by side for you. It can be a bit overwhelming at times, but not too bad.
The plot is smooth, moving quickly from point to point with very little extraneous kipple.
The story was, over all, very good. But I did have a few issues that, regretfully, reduced the score.
She hit one of my big pet peeves: inconsistency. One of the characters’ cat goes from a lion to a cheetah. It is a small error, but one that brought me up short and had me looking back through the book to make sure I hadn’t remembered it wrong.
Eye colors. Every major character has their eye color mentioned repeatedly. By the time I was 2/3 of the way through the story, it was starting to get a bit wearisome.
Mackenzie comes dangerously close to being a Mary Sue, imo. Everyone, expect the antagonist, seems to like her, even people she has just met. Only one character, a pop-up who we learn nothing about, expresses dislike. And she seems to be “special” for some “unknown” reason. Both are key traits of the Mary Sue character. I would like to see some of her flaws. She’s got to have a few, besides her uncertainty about her new life.
Finally, a minor complaint. There was no real sense of history. You get a peek into Mackenzie’s life, but you learn nothing about her past or her family. Or any of the other characters for that matter. In a way, that’s not a bad thing, you’re not encumbered with too much information, but I really wanted to know why she became a cop. Most of us have a reason for putting on the badge.
Issues aside, it is a fun ride. The slow spots in the book are few, and I had a very hard time putting the book down. I know I will be recommending the book to my friends.
I also know that there is more to come, and that part of my complaints is addressed in the next book. I look forward to seeing what Amanda has in store for us, and Mackenzie.
I like cop stories and I like stories involving were’s, or shifters as she calls them, put them together and you have my attention. The fact that Amanda’s shape-shifters are (mainly) cats just adds to the interest for me.
Her descriptions are so precise that by the time I was done I felt like I could find my way around Dallas, or at least some areas. Amanda not only gives you the image, she gives you the sounds, smells, and touch, something too few other authors do. You are literally immersed in this world.
The emotions of the characters are, with rare exception, as palpable as the setting. Their thoughts, feelings, and motivations are laid out side by side for you. It can be a bit overwhelming at times, but not too bad.
The plot is smooth, moving quickly from point to point with very little extraneous kipple.
The story was, over all, very good. But I did have a few issues that, regretfully, reduced the score.
She hit one of my big pet peeves: inconsistency. One of the characters’ cat goes from a lion to a cheetah. It is a small error, but one that brought me up short and had me looking back through the book to make sure I hadn’t remembered it wrong.
Eye colors. Every major character has their eye color mentioned repeatedly. By the time I was 2/3 of the way through the story, it was starting to get a bit wearisome.
Mackenzie comes dangerously close to being a Mary Sue, imo. Everyone, expect the antagonist, seems to like her, even people she has just met. Only one character, a pop-up who we learn nothing about, expresses dislike. And she seems to be “special” for some “unknown” reason. Both are key traits of the Mary Sue character. I would like to see some of her flaws. She’s got to have a few, besides her uncertainty about her new life.
Finally, a minor complaint. There was no real sense of history. You get a peek into Mackenzie’s life, but you learn nothing about her past or her family. Or any of the other characters for that matter. In a way, that’s not a bad thing, you’re not encumbered with too much information, but I really wanted to know why she became a cop. Most of us have a reason for putting on the badge.
Issues aside, it is a fun ride. The slow spots in the book are few, and I had a very hard time putting the book down. I know I will be recommending the book to my friends.
I also know that there is more to come, and that part of my complaints is addressed in the next book. I look forward to seeing what Amanda has in store for us, and Mackenzie.
January 27, 2023
DNF 68%. I didn’t really enjoy the world building in the book, and felt like the plot/villain was very heavy handed. I was also frustrated with the way various characters casually dismissed/looked down on homeless, runaways, addicts, hookers and “gang bangers”. Somewhat related to this, I prefer shifter societies that are a little less violent/aggressive and disdainful, so the personalities and politics in the book didn’t win me over.
I did not enjoy how judgemental some of the detectives were when searching a murder victim’s house—they laughed and joked about her decor and items in her bedroom, in a way that felt very callous :(
I struggled to believe the way that Mac was introduced to the Pride and how her boss/pride leader handled her whole transition. It felt like everything was repeatedly bungled. The way they slow rolled any and all information about shifters and the pride had me scratching my head sometimes.
I did not enjoy how judgemental some of the detectives were when searching a murder victim’s house—they laughed and joked about her decor and items in her bedroom, in a way that felt very callous :(
I struggled to believe the way that Mac was introduced to the Pride and how her boss/pride leader handled her whole transition. It felt like everything was repeatedly bungled. The way they slow rolled any and all information about shifters and the pride had me scratching my head sometimes.
April 23, 2011
Dallas Police Detective Mackenzie Santos survived a brutal attack a few weeks earlier and has now returned to work only to find out that the monster that attacked her is still gunning for her. Mac is suffering strange after-affects and is having a difficult few days. In fact, she wonders this is real or some awful nightmare.
Mac and her new partner, Pat, leave no stone unturned in their search for the elusive and vicious killer. As she and Pat diligently work the case together Pat helps Mac come to better understand and accept her new reality. The friendship between the two women grows slowly even as their progress reports to their leader and Captain, Mike King, become increasingly alarming
The truce between the natural-born shifters and the weres is on the cusp of a total breakdown. Neither leader wants to escalate the tensions, possibly provoking a war, however, there is a faction of discontented were’s being led astray by a malcontent with a personal agenda – and Mac is at the top of his “to do” list.
I really enjoyed the fact that most of the story takes place in and around the Greater Dallas Metroplex, since I am familiar with the area. I often found my attention wandering and I would have liked there to have been more action throughout. The author did not stint on describing the thoughts, concerns and worries of the important characters, but I feel the redundancy became excessive and because of that the pacing suffers. The characters are intriguing, and the important ones are especially well-fleshed. My feeling is that Ms. Green intent was to add realism by allowing the characters to give voice, both verbally and mentally, to the fears and insecurities that any of us would feel in a similar situation. However, in my fantasies, I have to say that I prefer the main character, especially, to be less of a whiner. The plot and the mystery element both are thin. All in all, for me this was an Ok read. I would have preferred a tighter overall structure, though I do think the conversations between the characters were written well and seemed natural.
Laurie
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More
Mac and her new partner, Pat, leave no stone unturned in their search for the elusive and vicious killer. As she and Pat diligently work the case together Pat helps Mac come to better understand and accept her new reality. The friendship between the two women grows slowly even as their progress reports to their leader and Captain, Mike King, become increasingly alarming
The truce between the natural-born shifters and the weres is on the cusp of a total breakdown. Neither leader wants to escalate the tensions, possibly provoking a war, however, there is a faction of discontented were’s being led astray by a malcontent with a personal agenda – and Mac is at the top of his “to do” list.
I really enjoyed the fact that most of the story takes place in and around the Greater Dallas Metroplex, since I am familiar with the area. I often found my attention wandering and I would have liked there to have been more action throughout. The author did not stint on describing the thoughts, concerns and worries of the important characters, but I feel the redundancy became excessive and because of that the pacing suffers. The characters are intriguing, and the important ones are especially well-fleshed. My feeling is that Ms. Green intent was to add realism by allowing the characters to give voice, both verbally and mentally, to the fears and insecurities that any of us would feel in a similar situation. However, in my fantasies, I have to say that I prefer the main character, especially, to be less of a whiner. The plot and the mystery element both are thin. All in all, for me this was an Ok read. I would have preferred a tighter overall structure, though I do think the conversations between the characters were written well and seemed natural.
Laurie
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More
November 2, 2020
I've been wanting to try Amanda Green's Nocturnal Lives series for quite a while. She's a contributor to the Mad Genius Club blog, and I have enjoyed many of her posts there. When she finally put up the opening "trilogy" of the series for a very nice price on Amazon, I bit. Am I hooked?
Detective Sergeant Mackenzie "Mac" Santos of Dallas was recently attacked and left for dead, but who made a miraculous recovery from her injuries. I thought at first this was going to be some sort of Graywalker clone story, but it went a little different direction when it becomes apparent (to the reader, anyway, if not the heroine) that she's actually a shapeshifter, complete with supernatural healing powers - a were-jaguar, if you will.
The local shifter community is a bit more extensive than I feel is reasonable, but maybe it's one of those disease-clustering things. A rogue werewolf, Wilson, is murdering humans in the city, and is the same person who nearly ended Mac's career. He is violating pack law by doing so, skirting a thin line between challenging the pack leader and pretending to be submissive. The local "Pride" of feline shapeshifters has a treaty with the pack, and Wilson's actions are jeopardizing a fragile peace in Dallas.
As might be expected in the opening book of a shifter series, Mac is having some emotional issues while coming to terms with her new status, but it helps that her chief and her new partner also turn out to be members of the Pride, and that jaguars occupy a place at the top of the shifter social pyramid.
Green introduces a bit of the political into the tale with the existence of a Council which used to rule all of the shifters and weres, but which has been disbanded and has little power to enforce its dictates, though certain members are hoping and perhaps pushing for a return of the organization.
The emotional, the supernatural, and the political. Could be a winning combo. The first novel has promise, at least.
Detective Sergeant Mackenzie "Mac" Santos of Dallas was recently attacked and left for dead, but who made a miraculous recovery from her injuries. I thought at first this was going to be some sort of Graywalker clone story, but it went a little different direction when it becomes apparent (to the reader, anyway, if not the heroine) that she's actually a shapeshifter, complete with supernatural healing powers - a were-jaguar, if you will.
The local shifter community is a bit more extensive than I feel is reasonable, but maybe it's one of those disease-clustering things. A rogue werewolf, Wilson, is murdering humans in the city, and is the same person who nearly ended Mac's career. He is violating pack law by doing so, skirting a thin line between challenging the pack leader and pretending to be submissive. The local "Pride" of feline shapeshifters has a treaty with the pack, and Wilson's actions are jeopardizing a fragile peace in Dallas.
As might be expected in the opening book of a shifter series, Mac is having some emotional issues while coming to terms with her new status, but it helps that her chief and her new partner also turn out to be members of the Pride, and that jaguars occupy a place at the top of the shifter social pyramid.
Green introduces a bit of the political into the tale with the existence of a Council which used to rule all of the shifters and weres, but which has been disbanded and has little power to enforce its dictates, though certain members are hoping and perhaps pushing for a return of the organization.
The emotional, the supernatural, and the political. Could be a winning combo. The first novel has promise, at least.
September 11, 2011
I really enjoyed the fact that most of the story takes place in and around the Greater Dallas Metroplex, since I am familiar with the area. I often found my attention wandering and I would have liked there to have been more action throughout. The author did not stint on describing the thoughts, concerns and worries of the important characters, but I feel the redundancy became excessive and because of that, the pacing suffers. The characters are intriguing, and the important ones are especially well-fleshed. My feeling is that Ms. Green’s intent was to add realism by allowing the characters to give voice, both verbally and mentally, to the fears and insecurities that any of us would feel in a similar situation. However, in my fantasies, I have to say that I prefer the main character, especially, to be less of a whiner. The plot and the mystery element are both thin. All in all, for me, this was an Ok read. I would have preferred a tighter overall structure, though I do think the conversations between the characters were written well and seemed natural.
Laurie
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More
http://coffeetimeromance.com/BookRevi...
Laurie
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More
http://coffeetimeromance.com/BookRevi...
February 12, 2014
I enjoyed this story -- shapeshifters and werewolves, oh my! It's not my usual genre, and I was initially a little skeptical of the premise, but it grew on me. I liked Mac, the central character of the book, who's having to adjust to a radical change in her sense of self, and who's being introduced (as we are) to the shadow world of these beings that she had no inkling about before this.
There's a bad guy who needs to be dealt with (and is eventually dealt with, satisfyingly), and a lot of gray-area characters who show the propensity to be bad guys in future installments... you're given just enough to have a satisfying conclusion to this story, while having your appetite whetted for the rest of the story, which should emerge in later books.
A fun story and a good introduction to the "shifter" subgenre of urban fantasy. I'm not sure if I'll love the entire genre, but I certainly enjoyed this story and will be seeking out further installments!
There's a bad guy who needs to be dealt with (and is eventually dealt with, satisfyingly), and a lot of gray-area characters who show the propensity to be bad guys in future installments... you're given just enough to have a satisfying conclusion to this story, while having your appetite whetted for the rest of the story, which should emerge in later books.
A fun story and a good introduction to the "shifter" subgenre of urban fantasy. I'm not sure if I'll love the entire genre, but I certainly enjoyed this story and will be seeking out further installments!
July 23, 2013
Nocturnal Origins, by Amanda Green was a good read, with an interesting slant on the supernatural. Mackenzie Santos, a Homicide Detective finds her world turned upside down after an attack she endures, which triggers her ability to shapeshift. She had no idea of a family history of shapeshifters, and the book focuses on her attempts to adjust to this strange new world, whilst investigating a series of killings which involve the very man who attempted to kill her. The book is well written and kept my attention throughout, however it lost one star due to editing issues which were bad enough to detract from the reading experience.
June 13, 2013
I liked this book more than I had expected to. I love police procedurals, but am suspicious of books involving paranormal and shape-shifters, having read too many that were particularly unpleasant romances. This one is a fun read all the way through. The confusion of the main character dealing with her changed life rings true, as does her efforts to translate her new abilities into proper procedures. I will be reading the rest of the series happy to have found a reliable author who delivers the goods!
December 27, 2015
I appreciate the police/detective mystery genre (Connelly, Child, Gerritsen) and found it easy to get into Amanda's urban fantasy universe of police officer Mackenzie Santos. This is the first of the Nocturnal Lives series and appropriately drops officer Santos feet first into a reality she is unprepared for. Well done.
January 30, 2012
enjoyed the premise
September 12, 2015
Disappointed
Trial by combat? The author tried to present the shifter community as civilized and then that? How ridiculous is that?
Trial by combat? The author tried to present the shifter community as civilized and then that? How ridiculous is that?
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews