Private Eye

Tiger's Eye Mystery #2

by Alyssa Day

When Tess Callahan, new owner of Dead End Pawn, meets her grandmother the banshee, life is about to get complicated. When Tess’s partner Jack Shepherd, tiger shapeshifter and P.I., gets involved to help them investigate a banshee-kidnapping spree, life is about to get deadly. Because nothing is ever simple in Dead End, Florida, and sometimes it takes a tiger’s eye to see the truth.

Genres: Mystery, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Romance, Shapeshifters, Fantasy, Cozy Mystery

257 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 19, 2016

About the author

ALYSSA DAY is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of romantasy, paranormal romance, and mystery novels whose books have sold more than a million copies and been translated into many languages, although she’s holding out for Klingon. She has lived with and battled chronic depression for her entire life and finally admitted it to her family—and the world—in 2014. Life is better now, because depression lies and tells us we’re alone.

We’re not.

Alyssa (as Alesia Holliday) is a diehard Buckeye from The Ohio State University who graduated summa cum laude from Capital University Law School in Ohio and practiced as a trial lawyer for several years before coming to her senses and letting the voices in her head loose on paper. She has lived all over the country and all over the world, including the Philippines, Turkey, and Japan.

When she’s not traveling to new adventures, she lives in Florida with her Navy Guy husband, spends time with her two amazing kids, and rescues dogs.

Especially pugs.

Reviews

[Jacob Proffitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is second in a series and as with most UF, the story and character arcs build over time. So you're better off reading in order.

This is shorter than it seems from the page count. Maybe novella length. Fun story, though. If you read the first (and you should, at least before you take on this one) then you know what to expect. This delivers very well, though the slow-burn on the romance is ridiculously slow. Not that there's anything wrong with that...

Anyway, it delivered what I want but I could have done with, well, more? Length, complexity, I don't know. So I'm going with four stars and I'm looking forward to the next.

A note about Chaste: There's a kiss or two, but that's it. Like I said, really slow-burn. I'm not sure what Tess is waiting for, but I'm willing to go with it. For now.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

Review posted on Got Fiction?

When a woman proclaiming to be Tess Callahan's grandmother walks into the shop, there are two things Tess knows. One, this woman is a banshee, and two, she's going to be trouble.

Tess is partially right. Her grandmother is a banshee. But the trouble isn't for Tess. Her grandmother is worried because many banshees across the States have gone missing and are presumed dead. Tess and Jack join forces to help figure out what's going on. Jack is a private eye, after all, and former co-leader of the rebel army.

Tess and Jack's relationship is progressing beyond work and flirting into something...more. But when Tess becomes a possible target, Jack's protective instincts flare to life. Oh, did I forget to mention? He's a tiger shifter.

I really enjoyed this, and I love the Cozy Mystery meets Urban Fantasy vibe, but I will say it's really hard for me to mentally switch gears from the PNR Warriors of Poseidon vibe where we originally met Jack. Luckily her writing and the characters are interesting enough and exciting enough to help kickstart my brain into this new series.

I did feel the ending was rushed, and ended too easily. That's the main reason for not quite being a 5 star read for me. However I do enjoy the new direction Ms. Day is taking with her writing. It's fun, light, and new. Day's witty prose and interesting world will always keep me hooked, no matter the genre.

***ARC courtesy of the author

[Nancy D Miz-Firefly aka Sparky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laugh out loud funny and Waaaaaaaay too short.

[Elisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are very cute, easy paranormal novellas. I like them cause they are silly, have wacky characters and are little bites of fun.

[Jen (That's What I'm Talking About) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Private Eye, the second book in Ms. Day’s entertaining Tiger’s Eye Mystery, takes place a short time after first book. Tess is settling in as the owner of the pawn shop: updating it, but keeping it the same. In a surprise, a banshee comes in and claims to be Tess’s grandmother, Leona. After some arguing and debating, Aunt Ruby verifies they Leona is Tess’s maternal grandmother and Tess is part banshee, which is why she sees how someone will die if she touches them.

Leona is in town tracking down an assassin who is abducting banshees. She wants Jack’s help on the case, and because Tess is tied into it, they agree to help. Tess is a bit hurt that her grandmother never came to see her, but the family felt it was best because her grandfather was a horrible man.

Overall, I enjoyed my second trip to Dead End, but after loving the first book, Dead Eye, I found Private Eye a bit of a let down. Private Eye has many of the fun attributes that made the first book so hilarious and entertaining, but at times the humor was too silly or felt forced, and the story seemed to suffer because of it. For example, when Tess and Jack are tracking down assassins in town (why are there multiple assassins in Dead End?!), Tess confronts a pair in an almost ridiculous interaction. It gets confusing and interrupts the flow of the story.

I loved seeing Tess settle in and take on a leadership roll now that she’s had time to process Jeremiah’s death (Jack’s uncle, previous owner of pawn shop). She’s gained confidence and it shows, especially in her interactions with Jack. She’s not as intimidated by Jack or her feelings for him, and Jack notices. The pair share a sexy kiss or two, leaving me (and Tess) breathless and excited to see where their relationship is headed.

While I didn’t love Private Eye as much as I wanted to, I still enjoyed the crazy adventure. I love the residents of Dead End, most especially Tess and Jack, and want to know more. I want to see how they deal with each other and their feelings, and how the pair will continue to solve crimes.

My rating: B-

[Ami · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remembered the first book had that cozy mystery vibe to it, and that it fell onto more of the light spectrum of paranormal fiction, so that was how I approached this sequel. I didn't have any long-term history with Jack as a character because I didn't read Day's Warriors of Poseidon series. So I was good with Tess being the main narrator for this one instead of Jack.

I found this sequel to be highly enjoyable. Just like the first book, it had that light and fun cozy mystery vibe -- think of the earlier Stephanie Plum books maybe, but with shifters and banshee. I found myself chuckling along when I read the crazy situations that Tess found herself into. I LOVED the characters, including the colorful kind of customers coming into Dead End Pawn, Tess' pawnshop, or Tess' family. I missed young Shelley, though.

So yeah, it didn't feel like a very serious mystery or urban fantasy book. There were missing banshees and the villain was a little bit insane, but it didn't felt too edgy for me. It also wasn't highly charged with sexual elements, which I welcome with open arms. Still, there was a progress to Tess and Jake's relationship for those of you who wanted romance. I cannot wait for Tess and Jack to go on that date :)

[Tori · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun blend of a cozy mystery and urban fantasy.

[Miki · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. I doubt if I will continue these Reader's Digest editions of real, complete books.

[Eden · Rating 4 out of 5]

2019 bk 258. This second offering in the series has a plot that is more even in temperament - across the plot. There is not bland to excitement to terror to bland as in the first book. The book opens with a banshee visiting Dead End Pawn, not just any banshe, but a banshee claiming to be Tess' grandmother. The one she thought dead, or at least not interested in her. She isn't just there to see Tess, however, it is Jake and his P.I. skills she needs as Banshees are disappearing from all over the country, with leads pointing the Banshee organization at the swamp by the town of Dead End. So sorry, Tess, No, it still isn't all about you. This book is a fun read for a very hot Saturday afternoon when the heat was so bad, it hurt to turn the pages as that required energy that built up more heat - but the book was worth it! Enjoyable read for a quirky mood.

[Marta Cox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whilst I am enjoying this light hearted series I just didn't love this as much as the previous book. At times I just wanted things to move on and sadly this time I frequently grew fed up of Tess. Yes there's a lot on her plate but her almost childishly adolescent attitude to her attraction to Jack really got on my nerves. He reads as an adult and yet here Tess just felt YA which is a bit creepy although I hasten to add that's because of her internal dialogue and not her actual age ! I just felt pulled out of the story so much that when the big reveal happened I wasn't really that interested anymore and it just felt quick and somehow flat. I will continue with this series though as I did thoroughly enjoy the previous stories I've read.

[Dallass · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must have series

Yep, I think I have just discovered my new ‘automatic buy’ series.

So far the Tiger’s Eye series is ticking all my boxes...

a fun sassy protagonist
a mysterious, protective partner, and potential love interest ✔️
interesting secondary characters ✔️
great dialogue ✔️
a good murder mystery ✔️
great world building ✔️

chhheeeecck 😄


Now I’m left in the position of desperately wanting to read the next book - but it’s not out yet. Story of my life 😉

.

[Sharni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ahhh, most enjoyable! I did have a good chuckle over the line about even killers being able to enjoy sweet potatoes as I’m still nursing my own sweet potato related injury (can’t say I enjoy them at all anymore!) my only complaint is that this outing felt short - the characters in this series are so vivid - I’d love to spend some more time with them.

[JadeShea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Private Eye begins with Tess finding out she has a long lost relative who apparently needs her help. Thinks with Jack are also kind of strange, but she's taking it all in stride, now she will do what she can to learn more about her family and help them out of this jam.

This one was interesting and really funny, but the heroine was frustrating at times. I just wanted to shake her sometimes, so much so that I ended up shaking my Nook with frustration! Other than that, I thought the book was really funny and enjoyable.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tess finds out she has a grandmother, and that she is a banshee. And that there are people in Dead End trying to kill her. Another mystery and adventure ahead for Tess and Jack.
Also, another pawned animal. In book 1 it was the taxydermied alligator Fluffy, book 2 gets a live goat with tiny ears.

Funny, quick and light read. A little bit repetitive in its pattern, but enjoyable nonetheless.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A continuation of the Dead End mystery romance series featuring a paranormal woman and a tiger shifter.
I enjoyed this entry in the series, but to me the plot was weaker than the previous book, and it wrapped up much more quickly.

[Debrac2014 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute short story! Someone is killing banshees!

[Una · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, quick read book, but the story was good and kept my interest.

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars:)

[Elisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it just as much as the first one the only disappointment was how much shorter it was than the first one, I would have loved more.
Tess and Jack are back with another mystery to solve a banshee grandmother to meet and feelings to fight...lol

I love Tess she is strong and when you try to harm someone she loves well Tess becomes a force to be reckoned with. I love how Tess is trying to live a normal life....lol like she is normal and seriously with her feelings for Jack she just needs to go for it.

Jack is amazing, not just gorgeous and a shapeshifting tiger Jack is an amazing person and seriously you can feel the Sparks between him and Tess a mile away Jack is not going anywhere and he will protect Tess with his last breath.

[Sandee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Banshees! The fun continues with additional family members arriving and the romance between Tess and Jack is heating up. This book is much shorter than the first one so I was surprised that it finished so quickly. I wish it had been longer but I enjoyed every minute of it!

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short...

I guess I didn’t realize this book was only 120 pages but gosh it was short. That’s my only complaint, the book it self was good, I enjoy Tess and Jack but $4 for 120 pages and the next is only 117 these seem more like a kindle unlimited series for how small they are.

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

[Kathy Davie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second in the Tiger's Eye Mystery paranormal mystery series and revolving around Tess Callahan, a half-banshee pawn shop owner, and Jack Shepherd, tiger shifter, ex-rebel commander, and private eye. The focus is on the kidnapping of banshees.

My Take
Sad to say, marital abuse exists everywhere, even in a paranormal marriage.

Day uses first person protagonist point-of-view from Tess’ perspective, which provides us with her thoughts, emotions, and view of events. She's certainly a different sort of protagonist, so warm and friendly, with the events taking place with a pawn shop as action central.

I am enjoying this series with its town that welcomes supernaturals, for its homeyness, and mostly supportive characters. I mean, how many characters do you know who admit to wearing Donald Duck pajamas?

Read this if you’re looking for a cozy mystery and could use a few laughs.

The Story
Someone is abducting banshees and Tess’ newly revealed banshee grandmother wants Tess’ help. Well, actually she wants Jack’s, which ticks Tess off.

The Characters
Tess Callahan, who sees a person’s death if they touch her and has a penchant for Donald Duck PJs, has inherited Jeremiah Shepherd’s pawn shop in Dead End. Lou is the cat she rescued. She’s also inherited Jack Shepherd. Her paternal Uncle Mike and Aunt Ruby Callahan raised Tess. Shelley is a newly adopted sister ( Dead Eye , 1). Bonnie Jo is their sweet ancient horse.

Leona Carstairs, Tess’ newly re-met maternal grandmother, is a banshee. She’s also president of the North American Organization for Banshee Rights (NABR). Trey, her grandfather, had been a vicious brute. Kate had been Tess’ mother. Ned Pendergast is Leona’s boyfriend — and one of the rare male banshees. Brenda Norris and Perrin Jones are also banshees.

Jack Shepherd is Jeremiah’s nephew. He’s also a tiger shifter who retired from being a rebel commander in Day’s Warriors of Poseidon series. Now he’s opening Tiger’s Eye Investigations next door to Dead End Pawn. The Atlanteans consider Jack a valued friend.

Dead End, Florida, is . . .
. . . outside the governance of Florida and the US. Martha, Ruby’s friend, had hip surgery. Susan Gonzalez is the new sheriff ( Dead Eye ). The red-haired Deputy Andrew Kelly. The mean and ancient Doc Ike is the only doctor and the county coroner.

Molly is Tess’ best friend since kindergarten. She’s currently touring with her band, Scarlett’s Letters. Dice is her stress-causing drummer. Dave, Eleanor’s son, has a construction business and is a friend of Tess’ as well as Jack’s best friend. Beau’s Diner is the only eat-in restaurant and is gossip central. Lorraine has been a waitress there for the past 50 years; she's also a former mayor. Owen, a dentist, is Tess’ ex-boyfriend. Rooster Jenkins, a mostly retired smuggler, wanted to pawn his goat, a genuine American LaMancha. The ancient Mr and Mrs Quindlen don’t have matching guns. Bubba McKee has a pet boa constrictor.

Dead End Pawn is . . .
. . . half Tess’ and newly painted a cheerful yellow with bright teal shutters. It has a mascot, Fluffy, a taxidermied alligator. Jeremiah Shepherd perished in Dead Eye . Eleanor Wolf is her only employee and the best negotiator.

The Swamp Commandos are . . .
. . . a group of ex-military, most of whom suffer from PTSD, who now live out in the swamp. Lucky and Dallas and Austin Fox, computer geniuses, are some of the men. Louise Fox is their sister.

The hot Special Agent Alejandro Vasquez is with P-Ops, the FBI’s Paranormal Operations division ( Dead Eye ) and had fought on the side of the Atlanteans. He’s also married to Rose, a garden witch.

The Golden Years Swamp Tours (GYST) brings a busload of tourists to Tess’ shop a few times a week. Mr Holby is the bus driver. Felix Wildenhammer, a forest Fae, creates the magical toys. Oskar is Felix’s son. Oglethorpe wants to buy one of his trains. The Darken is a hidden Internet for magic users. Annabelle Hannah Yorgenson was the first person whose death Tess foresaw.

The scraggly Chet DeKalb was pestering Brenda. Everett is Trey’s evil, illegitimate son (who thinks Leona cheated him of his inheritance) who’s trying to be a movie star. Thug One and Thug Two are also known as “Bob” and “Joe”.

Quinn Dawson had been a fellow rebel commander with Jack. She’s now married to Alaric ( Heart of Atlantis , 8). Queen Riley is Quinn’s sister ( Atlantis Rising , 1).

The Cover and Title
The cover is a casual graphic of the red-haired Tess in a teal tank top and black jeans (wearing black heels??) sitting on the gray porch steps of the yellow Dead End Pawn shop with its teal shutters. It's a smug Jack in his tiger form lying on the porch behind her. At the very top is an info blurb in white. The author's name is in a shadowed blue. On the left is a burgundy sign with pale gray lettering announcing it's Dead End. At the bottom, in a white distressed font, is the title with the series info below it in yellow.

The title is Jack's debut as a Private Eye.

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG!!!  I am so in love with this series.  If you were a Sookie Stakehouse fan then these books are for you.  They have the same flair as the famous Sookie books.  I love it!  The characters are amazing and fun.  I love the banter between Jack and Tess.  They have that attraction to one another that is continuing to build with each book, leaving you wanting more of them.  These books are so much fun to read.  They are funny and mysterious and have wonderful stories that keep you turning those pages and guessing who done it.  Not to mention the one question on everyone's mind.... Are Jack and Tess ever going to be a couple?

In this book Tess is at the center of it again, this time in the form of a lost grandmother that she never knew existed.  When dear grandmother shows up in the shop looking for Jack's help, Tess can't help but wonder is it true?  Is this really my grandmother?  

When banshees are going missing and Tess is pulled  into the middle of it Jack is on high alert.  He will not let anything happen to her.  But Tess is hard-headed and thinks that he is being overbearing.  But when danger hits close to home Tess is at risk of losing her grandmother before she even gets to know her.  Can Tess and Jack solve the case of the missing banshees?

Oh my.  The heat has kicked up a notch between Jack and Tess.  Man that Jack can kiss me anytime. ;)  whoo! HOT!  This book was just as good as the first with some very dangerous stuff happening.  I laughed so hard.  I tell you what I am hooked.  I hope another one comes out soon.  I just may have withdrawals.

[TINNGG · Rating 4 out of 5]

The pb copy I have also includes the short story that marks the beginning of the series.

So our h's grandma she never knew about shows up. Now, to be honest, I have to wonder exactly where did she think her parents came from. I suppose her aunt and uncle just gave vague answers to the question. All that aside, she discovers she's part banshee and that her grandfather was an abusive jerk. Oh, and that banshees are being killed off. Hmmm.

Of course, naturally it's a local who she'd thought of as a nice fellow but who does hate banshees. He has other issues too as we come to discover. He tries v. hard to kill the h.

The novella was interesting. Jack is at this point, heading to Dead End. He's also without direction now that the fights over the past 10 years have come to a conclusion. At least he's back though - one of the last times he was seen in the Atlantean series, he'd lost his human side. He stops to eat, notices a pretty girl, and gets sucked into drama of figuring out who shot and kidnapped Santa. His take on the whole adventure? Avoid women wearing shoes with red soles...and possibly eat at Wendy's instead of diners the rest of the way.

[Tania · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Private Eye" by Alyssa Day. Book 2 in the Tiger's Eye Mystery series.

I liked this second installment in this mystery series about Tess and Jack. It's short, sweet and to the point mixed in with a hint of a romance blossoming between Tess and Jack.

In this story, Tess discovers she has a long lost grandmother who happens to be a banshee! And she needs Jack's PI skills to solve the case of who is killing other banshees. And if Jack and Tess can't find the killer in time, Tessa's new grandmother may end up dead next!

LOL! Yeah. That's basically the story line of this book. Obviously, much more involved and there are many interesting characters you meet along the way. The book is full of humour which is really quite funny. The mystery itself is not bad but a little predictable. The growing relationship between Tess and Jack is actually quite fun to read and really quite humourous. The two of them have great chemistry together.

Overall, I liked this book. A nice light read when I need a break from my normal genre of paranormal romance.

[Penny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a fan of Ms. Day's since I read the first book of the Warriors of Poseidon series so many years ago. This series has not changed my opinion of her writing at all! Tess Callahan inherited Dead End Pawn and, through the events of book one, became sole owner. In this book/novella, she and Jack meet her grandmother the banshee. Her grandmother needs Jack's help in finding out who is killing the banshees before she becomes the next victim. Hilarity ensues as Tess gets to know her grandmother and, in the process, find out why no one told her she still had one. Ms. Day's books are so full of fun, great writing, and wonderful plots, I have a hard time putting them down. If you are in the mood for a great, fun mystery, look no further than this book/novella. You don't need to have read the first one to enjoy this one, although I do recommend reading from the beginning. And, I do recommend all of her books. Try this one today! Thanks to the author for the e-copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

[B.W.Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

1 star for the characters, 2nd for being well written, 3rd for the storyline, 4th for the humour.
I read this book in a day almost directly after reading the first and I have to say it had me laughing out loud so often my cat quit jumping and started glaring instead.
Storyline and the simple mystery was what you expect of a cosy mystery book that now has an extra bit of romance in.
I was disappointed that there was a few holes, I was hoping to learn more about Tess’ grandma and the light she could shed on Tess and her visions. Instead a fair amount was left unsaid perhaps or I hope it’s been left so it can be said in the third book.
The humour in this book was outstanding, honestly it’s been while since I’ve read a book this fun. It seemed to be that this element was taking over at times and the story itself wasn’t as focused on as it could be which is why it only got 4 stars rather than 5.
Overall the book was fantastic, the relationships are progressing nicely (to say the least *wink*) and I looking forward to reading the third very soon.

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Urban Fantasy meet Cozy Mystery. May you live long and prosper!

The lead in this series is Tess Callahan. In some ways, she's like the best friend you wish you had. She thinks things that you wish you had the nerve to say in such a sassy way. I mean things like he's "so hot that butter probably melted when he walked by the dairy case in the grocery store." You just know you need to fan yourself when someone like that walks by.

The love interest/muscle/shapechanger is Jack Shepherd. Talk about your ultimate cat fantasy; this tiger is sexy yet still comfortable as an overgrown, protective tiger housecat can be.

The book is short, so it is perfect for a summer read or when you are behind on your yearly "read X books in a year" list. It is a satisfying mystery, too, as the author plays fair with the solution.

The book is recommended for folks who enjoy cat mysteries or paranormal mysteries or fantasies with a hint of mystery. Myself, I've already gotten the next book in the series.

[Mary Howard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this series but there were a couple of things that bothered me. First, I don't know where the author lives but she's forever saying that folks could drive from Orlando to the 'heart of the everglades' in an hour. Not true, not true at all. It takes, on a good day with little to no traffic, about four and a half hours. This was irritating to me. Second, a character in her first book was a guitar player in a band with anger management issues. In the second book this character was the drummer in the band. Keep track of your characters because we readers most definitely do. This error was irksome. The author reiterates the first issue at the beginning of every book and sometimes it's mention elsewhere in the book. If the book was on kindle unlimited I might not be so picky but having to pay for these books I just can't do it. I'll pass on further books.