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The Darby Shaw Chronicles #1-3
The Darby Shaw Chronicles: Books 1 - 3
The first three books in The Darby Shaw Chronicles, together in one volume!
EMERGENCE: At the scene of a domestic disturbance, Officer Darby Shaw finds the wife dead—and the killer husband not twenty feet away.
Taking the suspect into custody turns into a life and death struggle for Darby, and for the dead woman who returns to life with no apparent explanation besides Darby's touch. Sequestered in a hospital room, Darby learns several government agencies are vying to take her into custody.
Can Darby fight the law she's devoted her life to when it's her freedom on the line? But the bigger question hanging over her head: Can she resurrect the dead again?
RETALIATION: A year after Detective Darby Shaw finds out she is a superhuman who can revive the murdered, she has uneasily accepted the expectations on her and settled into the new direction of her life.
Darby's relative peace is shattered when, a year to the day after her first resuscitation, the 37-year-old killer turns up dead in his jail cell—his body withered to that of an aged man. Speculation mounts that Darby and her powers are directly responsible for the death of the killer.
The Department of SuperHuman Affairs attempts to revoke her status as a super so they can whisk her off for testing. But when a motion for just that is denied by the court, even Darby will be surprised at just how far they will go to get their hands on her...
CAPITULATION: Surviving a kidnapping is not for the faint of heart, as Darby Shaw knows all too well. Two months after being rescued, she's starting to get things back to a new normal. She's making changes, subtle though they may be, doing what she can to move on.
Her latest case is just the thing Darby needs to keep her mind off the recent past: Justin Kendrick, paraplegic, is dead. Being poisoned, strangled, and stabbed through the heart seems like overkill. Together with her partner, Detective Mark Herman, and colleague, Sergeant Trent Oliver, Darby must track down Justin's killer.
After the resuscitation, all hell breaks loose, and Darby is unprepared for the consequences of her powers...Or how they will affect her...
EMERGENCE: At the scene of a domestic disturbance, Officer Darby Shaw finds the wife dead—and the killer husband not twenty feet away.
Taking the suspect into custody turns into a life and death struggle for Darby, and for the dead woman who returns to life with no apparent explanation besides Darby's touch. Sequestered in a hospital room, Darby learns several government agencies are vying to take her into custody.
Can Darby fight the law she's devoted her life to when it's her freedom on the line? But the bigger question hanging over her head: Can she resurrect the dead again?
RETALIATION: A year after Detective Darby Shaw finds out she is a superhuman who can revive the murdered, she has uneasily accepted the expectations on her and settled into the new direction of her life.
Darby's relative peace is shattered when, a year to the day after her first resuscitation, the 37-year-old killer turns up dead in his jail cell—his body withered to that of an aged man. Speculation mounts that Darby and her powers are directly responsible for the death of the killer.
The Department of SuperHuman Affairs attempts to revoke her status as a super so they can whisk her off for testing. But when a motion for just that is denied by the court, even Darby will be surprised at just how far they will go to get their hands on her...
CAPITULATION: Surviving a kidnapping is not for the faint of heart, as Darby Shaw knows all too well. Two months after being rescued, she's starting to get things back to a new normal. She's making changes, subtle though they may be, doing what she can to move on.
Her latest case is just the thing Darby needs to keep her mind off the recent past: Justin Kendrick, paraplegic, is dead. Being poisoned, strangled, and stabbed through the heart seems like overkill. Together with her partner, Detective Mark Herman, and colleague, Sergeant Trent Oliver, Darby must track down Justin's killer.
After the resuscitation, all hell breaks loose, and Darby is unprepared for the consequences of her powers...Or how they will affect her...
- GenresScience Fiction
420 pages, ebook
First published May 21, 2015
43 people are currently reading
350 people want to read
About the author
Liberty Speidel
14 books55 followersLiberty Speidel thought she found herself years ago. But she recently discovered she's not the person she believed. Always striving for more understanding of self, Liberty writes tales of people discovering themselves—and others. A native Kansan, Liberty lives with her muggle teenage daughter, hobbit preteen son, and their menagerie of pets.
(And, yes, her name really is Liberty.)
Find out more about her at her website and catch her hamming it up on The Lasers Dragons And Keyboards Podcast.
To join Liberty's newsletter where you can learn about new releases, get exclusive short stories, and find out what she's up to, click here: Fans of Darby Shaw Chronicles.
(And, yes, her name really is Liberty.)
Find out more about her at her website and catch her hamming it up on The Lasers Dragons And Keyboards Podcast.
To join Liberty's newsletter where you can learn about new releases, get exclusive short stories, and find out what she's up to, click here: Fans of Darby Shaw Chronicles.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
October 29, 2017
This is a box set with three volumes--the first two are definitely novella length, and the third is closer to full novel length. There is also a bonus short story at the end. This is one of those series that is hard to really categorize. Darby is a police officer, so it definitely fits as a police procedural. However, it takes place in the future, so there are sci-fi elements, such as hover cars. Darby is a "super"--someone with superhuman powers--so it could be placed as a superhero series, but it doesn't have that comic book superhero feeling (it's more real life). The supernatural elements also give it a somewhat urban fantasy feel. And finally, the voice is a bit old-school detective. A lot, I know, but it all works together to make a very fun, very readable series.
Things jump in pretty quickly. The author goes right to the action with book one. I tend to prefer books that ease in a little more, so it took me a bit to connect to Darby and her partner Mark, but connect I did. Darby and Mark are, simply put, likable and relatable characters. Their relationship grows throughout the series in realistic way. No, this is not a romance--it's focus is taking down murderers and learning about Darby's newfound superpowers, but they are partners and they develop a strong friendship, with, um, figurative and literal sparks.
Overall, I am enjoying this series and looking forward to the next installment.
Things jump in pretty quickly. The author goes right to the action with book one. I tend to prefer books that ease in a little more, so it took me a bit to connect to Darby and her partner Mark, but connect I did. Darby and Mark are, simply put, likable and relatable characters. Their relationship grows throughout the series in realistic way. No, this is not a romance--it's focus is taking down murderers and learning about Darby's newfound superpowers, but they are partners and they develop a strong friendship, with, um, figurative and literal sparks.
Overall, I am enjoying this series and looking forward to the next installment.
June 14, 2016
One part detective procedural and one half superhuman origin story, Liberty Speidel's The Darby Shaw Chronicles are a fun, involving read that improves as it goes along. Speidel imagines a world, very similar to our own, but that includes superhumans (who have their own bill of rights), privatized police forces dominated by a small number of companies (Darby works at the KC Bendex Police Department, for instance, and Bendex appears to be the largest company in the cop biz) and a Department of Superhuman Affairs that is sort of like the Veterans Administration but for super humans.
When Darby is attacked by a killer at a crime scene, she discovers she has the ability to raise the dead. There are rules: the murdered must be less than seven days deceased and the killer must be captured. If those conditions are met, Darby can resurrect the wrongly departed. Since most superhumans discover their talent as children, this news comes as quite a shock to the mid 20s aged Darby.
There is another complication: Darby is the only person who can resurrect. The government, Bendex, people in need of something to believe: everyone is interested in the resurrectrix, and few are interested in the tough but fragile Darby...
The first two books, Emergence and Retaliation, are passable in writing terms and tepid in plot terms. There are so many juicy angles that could have been explored outweigh the ones Speidel chose. Here are two: How is it that the police departments are run by corporations now? Since Bendex cops have privileges in any Bendex jurisdiction, we end up with Kansas City cops making an arrest in another city. This is legal in this future, but is it right? I wonder about Black Lives Matter in this world where a cop can work with impunity. Maybe the answer is that this increases efficiency.
Aside: While I am on this point, I would LOVE to see a story of an unjustified line of duty police shooting where, like her first resurrection, Darby accidentally revives a murder victim.
The other plot device involves the cult in Retaliation that follows Darby and calls her Goddess. They creep Darby out and frustrate everyone else, and once their duties in Retaliation are done they vanish. Because of what we learn in that book, I would think they would only increase in size for the last book, Capitulation. I would love to learn more about their theology and thinking. It's such an interesting concept: instant, unwanted cult.
Capitulation, the third book in the series, is very well written with a solid plot and a killer twist that is surprising, yet inevitable. It bodes well for the future, whether Speidel writes more Darby books or others; she is only getting better.
When Darby is attacked by a killer at a crime scene, she discovers she has the ability to raise the dead. There are rules: the murdered must be less than seven days deceased and the killer must be captured. If those conditions are met, Darby can resurrect the wrongly departed. Since most superhumans discover their talent as children, this news comes as quite a shock to the mid 20s aged Darby.
There is another complication: Darby is the only person who can resurrect. The government, Bendex, people in need of something to believe: everyone is interested in the resurrectrix, and few are interested in the tough but fragile Darby...
The first two books, Emergence and Retaliation, are passable in writing terms and tepid in plot terms. There are so many juicy angles that could have been explored outweigh the ones Speidel chose. Here are two: How is it that the police departments are run by corporations now? Since Bendex cops have privileges in any Bendex jurisdiction, we end up with Kansas City cops making an arrest in another city. This is legal in this future, but is it right? I wonder about Black Lives Matter in this world where a cop can work with impunity. Maybe the answer is that this increases efficiency.
Aside: While I am on this point, I would LOVE to see a story of an unjustified line of duty police shooting where, like her first resurrection, Darby accidentally revives a murder victim.
The other plot device involves the cult in Retaliation that follows Darby and calls her Goddess. They creep Darby out and frustrate everyone else, and once their duties in Retaliation are done they vanish. Because of what we learn in that book, I would think they would only increase in size for the last book, Capitulation. I would love to learn more about their theology and thinking. It's such an interesting concept: instant, unwanted cult.
Capitulation, the third book in the series, is very well written with a solid plot and a killer twist that is surprising, yet inevitable. It bodes well for the future, whether Speidel writes more Darby books or others; she is only getting better.
August 1, 2018
The Darby Shaw Chronicles by Liberty Spiedel
So, I decided on a change of pace the last few weeks and only got back into Urban Fantasy after I’d finished my own novel. I was recommended the Darby Shaw Chronicles by a good friend of mine, so I decided to see how they were.
Emergence
The books are a slightly futuristic police drama. This is a world with hover cars and private police, but essentially identical to the current world. The drama starts on the first pages, where the hero has, inexplicably, become a superhuman. Under certain circumstances, she can bring back the dead.
This world does not seem to be a ‘super hero’ universe, with costumed crusaders knocking down villains. In fact, there doesn’t seem to be a costume in sight. Also, the only super villains are in the US government. There is a reasonably good set of characters, including other superhumans, and a reasonable level of understandable politics.
Now, and I think this is the most important point, the stories don’t forget their concept. I’ve seen a lot of good stories go off the rails as soon as the hero “transforms.” They start with the hero as a police officer, and at the end of the day the hero is punching bad guys. He can’t remember the basics of police procedure and evidence as soon as he is bulletproof and strong. These are stories of police, and crimes, where there is a breath of supernatural.
Positives:
As I have mentioned, these are police stories. Not as much procedural as some I’ve read, more than others. They are decent little stories. There is no sex and not a lot of violence, so the stories are perfectly acceptable to any age reader. The heroine’s relationships are generally healthy and the world confronts the issues that are generated in the story.
Negatives:
I’d say that the author is a little weak on description. I’ve little idea what the characters look like and there are few markers which stand out. The character names get a little confused for me (since I’m terrible at names), so I’ve gotten off track a couple times. Nothing too serious, as that is usually the background characters, but I’d appreciate a slightly richer world-view.
Overall:
Yeah, these are good novellas. There aren’t any “drop this” moments, and I was stuck reading Retaliation past midnight last night, to finish up the rescue. I’m not sure the ‘fun’ value rises to five, but a solid three and a half with four moments. Overall, I’ll give it a four stars rating. I’m reading them all.
So, I decided on a change of pace the last few weeks and only got back into Urban Fantasy after I’d finished my own novel. I was recommended the Darby Shaw Chronicles by a good friend of mine, so I decided to see how they were.
Emergence
The books are a slightly futuristic police drama. This is a world with hover cars and private police, but essentially identical to the current world. The drama starts on the first pages, where the hero has, inexplicably, become a superhuman. Under certain circumstances, she can bring back the dead.
This world does not seem to be a ‘super hero’ universe, with costumed crusaders knocking down villains. In fact, there doesn’t seem to be a costume in sight. Also, the only super villains are in the US government. There is a reasonably good set of characters, including other superhumans, and a reasonable level of understandable politics.
Now, and I think this is the most important point, the stories don’t forget their concept. I’ve seen a lot of good stories go off the rails as soon as the hero “transforms.” They start with the hero as a police officer, and at the end of the day the hero is punching bad guys. He can’t remember the basics of police procedure and evidence as soon as he is bulletproof and strong. These are stories of police, and crimes, where there is a breath of supernatural.
Positives:
As I have mentioned, these are police stories. Not as much procedural as some I’ve read, more than others. They are decent little stories. There is no sex and not a lot of violence, so the stories are perfectly acceptable to any age reader. The heroine’s relationships are generally healthy and the world confronts the issues that are generated in the story.
Negatives:
I’d say that the author is a little weak on description. I’ve little idea what the characters look like and there are few markers which stand out. The character names get a little confused for me (since I’m terrible at names), so I’ve gotten off track a couple times. Nothing too serious, as that is usually the background characters, but I’d appreciate a slightly richer world-view.
Overall:
Yeah, these are good novellas. There aren’t any “drop this” moments, and I was stuck reading Retaliation past midnight last night, to finish up the rescue. I’m not sure the ‘fun’ value rises to five, but a solid three and a half with four moments. Overall, I’ll give it a four stars rating. I’m reading them all.
June 14, 2016
Book Review: A female cop you wish were real bringing justice to a whole new level!
The Darby Shaw Chronicles: Books (1)-Emergence: A Superhuman Detective Novella (2) Retaliation (3) Capitulation
by Liberty Speidel
Darby Shaw lives in a world not too different from our own. Technology is more advanced than current standards, but not so far into the future as to be implausible. She's a patrol officer with the Bendex police company.
Before her shift ends she gets called to a domestic disturbance that turns into a homicide scene. The unthinkable happens. While wrestling the perpetrator, she accidentally comes into contact with the dead victim. An electric charge builds up between Darby, the perp and the victim bringing the victim back to life.
Darby had never done anything like this before. In this world Super Humans are distrusted and she just joined their ranks. Superhuman abilities usually present themselves during puberty, Darby is a late bloomer at her age of 26. Now her life is completely turned upside down.
In this world police forces are independent contractors with each city. Darby is employed by Bendex. Previous to her incident she had taken her detective test to earn the detective shield. When she thinks she's going to lose her job, Bendex officials surprise her by giving her the detective promotion permanently assigned to homicide. They see her as an asset that can bring murderers to justice instantly, as only the killer can complete her resuscitation connection to bring a victim back to life.
Author Liberty Speidel crafts a wonderful story world where the reader can't help but empathize with Darby Shaw. As the government wants to cart her off to an equivalent of Area 51, Darby has to fight for her rights. She is an unprecedented superhuman with abilities no one has ever seen before. However, her biggest desire is to live like she did before the incident.
She gets partnered with Detective Mark Herman who takes her under his wing to protect her as a partner should, and much more. As the story progresses with each episode in the series, the danger to Darby is more pronounced.
Her first criminal dies in prison exactly one year from the day he was used to resuscitate his victim. His body deteriorated as if he'd live to be 90 years old. Moral dilemmas make Darby question if she should be using her abilities to save lives when she was in fact taking the life of the criminal to do so.
Add in the nefarious government agency that abducts her and runs the tests they want on her, Darby is not sure she wants to ever use her powers again.
Then in an unexpected twist, a betrayal murder happens too close to home that forces her to choose between those she loves.
I thoroughly enjoyed the Darby Shaw Chronicles and I hope Speidel will continue on with the series. She has created a wonderful cast of characters and a story world that is entertaining and thought provoking. Beyond just the simple "what if" Shaw's dilemmas make the reader question what they would do if faced with similar circumstances. You can't help but root for her to get a happy ending to her story.
Please visit Liberty Speidel at https://libertyspeidel.wordpress.com to learn more about her other books.
FTC Disclaimer: I was given an ARC of this title by Liberty Speidel for review purposes only; no other compensation was awarded.
The Darby Shaw Chronicles: Books (1)-Emergence: A Superhuman Detective Novella (2) Retaliation (3) Capitulation
by Liberty Speidel
Darby Shaw lives in a world not too different from our own. Technology is more advanced than current standards, but not so far into the future as to be implausible. She's a patrol officer with the Bendex police company.
Before her shift ends she gets called to a domestic disturbance that turns into a homicide scene. The unthinkable happens. While wrestling the perpetrator, she accidentally comes into contact with the dead victim. An electric charge builds up between Darby, the perp and the victim bringing the victim back to life.
Darby had never done anything like this before. In this world Super Humans are distrusted and she just joined their ranks. Superhuman abilities usually present themselves during puberty, Darby is a late bloomer at her age of 26. Now her life is completely turned upside down.
In this world police forces are independent contractors with each city. Darby is employed by Bendex. Previous to her incident she had taken her detective test to earn the detective shield. When she thinks she's going to lose her job, Bendex officials surprise her by giving her the detective promotion permanently assigned to homicide. They see her as an asset that can bring murderers to justice instantly, as only the killer can complete her resuscitation connection to bring a victim back to life.
Author Liberty Speidel crafts a wonderful story world where the reader can't help but empathize with Darby Shaw. As the government wants to cart her off to an equivalent of Area 51, Darby has to fight for her rights. She is an unprecedented superhuman with abilities no one has ever seen before. However, her biggest desire is to live like she did before the incident.
She gets partnered with Detective Mark Herman who takes her under his wing to protect her as a partner should, and much more. As the story progresses with each episode in the series, the danger to Darby is more pronounced.
Her first criminal dies in prison exactly one year from the day he was used to resuscitate his victim. His body deteriorated as if he'd live to be 90 years old. Moral dilemmas make Darby question if she should be using her abilities to save lives when she was in fact taking the life of the criminal to do so.
Add in the nefarious government agency that abducts her and runs the tests they want on her, Darby is not sure she wants to ever use her powers again.
Then in an unexpected twist, a betrayal murder happens too close to home that forces her to choose between those she loves.
I thoroughly enjoyed the Darby Shaw Chronicles and I hope Speidel will continue on with the series. She has created a wonderful cast of characters and a story world that is entertaining and thought provoking. Beyond just the simple "what if" Shaw's dilemmas make the reader question what they would do if faced with similar circumstances. You can't help but root for her to get a happy ending to her story.
Please visit Liberty Speidel at https://libertyspeidel.wordpress.com to learn more about her other books.
FTC Disclaimer: I was given an ARC of this title by Liberty Speidel for review purposes only; no other compensation was awarded.
May 13, 2016
Darby Shaw is a typical detective—until she accidentally resuscitates a murder victim and discovers she’s not as typical as she thought.
Author Liberty Spiedel does a great job of blending crime-fighting, murder mystery, action, romantic, and paranormal/superhero elements in these books for a fun read. The books are very well structured and well written (although I disliked the sing-songy quality of the audiobook reader, who didn’t do the writing justice). My favorite element—other than the intriguing irony of a homicide detective who can resuscitate murder victims—is the romantic tension between Darby and her partner, Mark, which is developed very gradually over the course of the book set. Characters are likeable, flawed, unique, and come alive on the pages as real people; Spiedel’s writing provides just enough detail that I can “watch” the story unfolding in my mind like a movie.
It’s not for kids (we’re dealing with murder and a believable police force, so there is periodic strong language and a touch of frank sexual description...although no sex scenes), and I would've enjoyed more detail about the world (which is obviously not today's world), but anyone who enjoys a dramatic criminal mystery, paranormal elements, and some romance waiting in the wings will love these stories.
Author Liberty Spiedel does a great job of blending crime-fighting, murder mystery, action, romantic, and paranormal/superhero elements in these books for a fun read. The books are very well structured and well written (although I disliked the sing-songy quality of the audiobook reader, who didn’t do the writing justice). My favorite element—other than the intriguing irony of a homicide detective who can resuscitate murder victims—is the romantic tension between Darby and her partner, Mark, which is developed very gradually over the course of the book set. Characters are likeable, flawed, unique, and come alive on the pages as real people; Spiedel’s writing provides just enough detail that I can “watch” the story unfolding in my mind like a movie.
It’s not for kids (we’re dealing with murder and a believable police force, so there is periodic strong language and a touch of frank sexual description...although no sex scenes), and I would've enjoyed more detail about the world (which is obviously not today's world), but anyone who enjoys a dramatic criminal mystery, paranormal elements, and some romance waiting in the wings will love these stories.
June 28, 2017
The Darby Shaw Chronicles are a fascinating mixture of crime drama, mystery, science fiction, and a little romance. These books are unlike anything I've ever read, but I loved them! Darby was an interesting character right from the start, feisty in her role as a 5-foot-1 female police officer, but with a softer side I could relate to. I really enjoyed Mark as her counterpart - flawed, but tough, loyal, and at times unexpectedly sweet. The first book drew me in with the discovery of Darby's unusual superpower, but I really became hooked on this series in the second and third books. It was fun to see Speidel really hit her stride with the series, and I loved how different, thought-provoking aspects of Darby's superpower kept surfacing. Plus, the changing dynamics in Darby's relationship with Mark added some great tension to their scenes together. I'm looking forward to Omission!
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book*
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book*
September 14, 2015
Darby Shaw is a cop first, superhero second. At least, that's the way she wishes it was. The unique nature of her power keeps interfering with that order. The first scene in Emergence hooked me. And I was kept running through to the bittersweet end of Capitulation! Though there are three stories in this box set, the plot is cohesive throughout. I was easily able to empathize with the characters. The scenes were well-written and detailed. The only thing that could have made it better if there was more backstory and description about the world.
If you like police procedurals with elements of the fantastic, this is one box set you need to pick up!
If you like police procedurals with elements of the fantastic, this is one box set you need to pick up!
June 6, 2017
If you're looking for a fun, quick read, this collection of super-powered cop stories is a great choice. Think X-Men crossed with your favorite police drama. The heroine, Kansas City police officer Darby Shaw is a likeable character who only recently discovered she has the power to bring people back to life - but only if they've been murdered, and only if she can touch both the murder and victim. This leads to a series of complications, from Darb's kidnapping by government agencies, to pressure to find murderers especially quickly (the resurrections only work within a certain time frame), to murders committed for - perhaps - altruistic reasons. Fast-paced and entertaining!
June 20, 2015
The entire saga (so far) of Darby Shaw Chronicles in one boxed set is a great value. Start out with Darby and Mark before she realizes she has a superhuman power. Follow them as that power sets off a power struggle that results in a kidnapping, the death of her best friend and a gun battle that leaves her wounded so badly Mark despairs for her life. There are many more gripping events that will keep you turning pages, yearning for more. Liberty Speidel's expert word crafting brings to life a hero like none other. You will not regret this purchase.
February 11, 2019
Good first book. Not too interested after that. I didn't get hooked after that.
June 7, 2019
Very Good
Interesting storylines, characters are realistic, flawed, complex, and relatable. This is a world set in the future with fresh ideas and normal enough to be relative in the now. Excellent Read.
Interesting storylines, characters are realistic, flawed, complex, and relatable. This is a world set in the future with fresh ideas and normal enough to be relative in the now. Excellent Read.
August 18, 2020
I have enjoyed this new series so far. They have kept my interest throughout each book and I'm enjoying the development of the main characters.
April 10, 2016
The Darby Shaw Chronicles was a great mystery read with just a pinch of fantasy/supernatural!
At first I wasn't super hooked into this book - I didn't really know what I was getting into. It was a detective/crime story, but then suddenly the main character had supernatural powers. In the beginning it seems like some cheesey plot line just to get more people to the book, but once you actually get into the novel (about half way through the first book) you realize how genius the idea actually is.
As cheesey as it seems when the supernatural reveal happens in the beginning, Liberty Speidel then does an excellent job expanding the story and eventually series.
I did love these books. Each book got better, and they left me wanting a fourth one! Liberty builds her characters so you feel for them, but are also very cautious. With all the politics involved in both crime and supernatural possibilities, I felt very informed and not confused at any time during the books.
I would definitely suggest this book to anyone looking for a crime or supernatural novel. It's the perfect mix of both, with the tiniest splash of romance in there.
If there is anything Liberty Speidel could have worked on, it would be the supernatural reveal. I did find it cheesey compared to the rest of the book, which seems to be siding on serious half the time and light hearted the other. But, this wasn't a major issue, it just seemed like a change in tone compared to the rest of the books.
Four out of five stars. I can't wait for the next book!
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
At first I wasn't super hooked into this book - I didn't really know what I was getting into. It was a detective/crime story, but then suddenly the main character had supernatural powers. In the beginning it seems like some cheesey plot line just to get more people to the book, but once you actually get into the novel (about half way through the first book) you realize how genius the idea actually is.
As cheesey as it seems when the supernatural reveal happens in the beginning, Liberty Speidel then does an excellent job expanding the story and eventually series.
I did love these books. Each book got better, and they left me wanting a fourth one! Liberty builds her characters so you feel for them, but are also very cautious. With all the politics involved in both crime and supernatural possibilities, I felt very informed and not confused at any time during the books.
I would definitely suggest this book to anyone looking for a crime or supernatural novel. It's the perfect mix of both, with the tiniest splash of romance in there.
If there is anything Liberty Speidel could have worked on, it would be the supernatural reveal. I did find it cheesey compared to the rest of the book, which seems to be siding on serious half the time and light hearted the other. But, this wasn't a major issue, it just seemed like a change in tone compared to the rest of the books.
Four out of five stars. I can't wait for the next book!
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
July 10, 2025
*Review of audiobook edition*
In a world where superhumans don't run around in bright costumes and capes, Darby Shaw still manages to stick out.
Her power to steal life from a murderer and give it back to their victim makes her an asset to her local homicide division. But it also makes her a target for the espionage branches as well. Life is hard when a good day means dealing with dead body's and bad day might mean ending up in a secret CIA laboratory.
This boxset includes the first three Darby Shaw books as well as the first novella.
If you enjoy police dramas with a twist then this book series is perfect. It has personal drama, career drama, and all the ethical drama that comes with having superpowers.
The narrator did a fantastic job of performing this book. Her voices were perfect for the characters and she gave life to the long sections of internal dialogue.
I look forward to listening to the next book in the series.
In a world where superhumans don't run around in bright costumes and capes, Darby Shaw still manages to stick out.
Her power to steal life from a murderer and give it back to their victim makes her an asset to her local homicide division. But it also makes her a target for the espionage branches as well. Life is hard when a good day means dealing with dead body's and bad day might mean ending up in a secret CIA laboratory.
This boxset includes the first three Darby Shaw books as well as the first novella.
If you enjoy police dramas with a twist then this book series is perfect. It has personal drama, career drama, and all the ethical drama that comes with having superpowers.
The narrator did a fantastic job of performing this book. Her voices were perfect for the characters and she gave life to the long sections of internal dialogue.
I look forward to listening to the next book in the series.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews