Blood Ops leader Dr. O is chained in the bowels of Steele City, the state’s maximum security prison, and the clock is ticking for Nina and Frankie to bust him out.
Now that supernatural creatures are out of the closet, Providence is descending into an apocalyptic wasteland. With the abrupt shut down Blood Ops, Nina and Frankie are forced to rely on questionable allies to battle Leila, a powerful witch/vampire hybrid hell bent on creating an indestructible supernatural army. She also happens to be Nina’s mom.
Alliances are tested and relationships fractured as Nina and her band of supernatural crime fighting misfits are pushed to the breaking point.
Steele City Blues, the third book in the Hell’s Belle urban fantasy series, is high-octane, action-packed, cinematic story by Karen Greco that fans of The Hollows and the Cassandra Palmer series will love. Join the adventure!
I've spent close to twenty years in the New York City area, working in publicity and marketing for the entertainment industry. A life-long obsession with exorcists and Dracula drew me to urban fantasy, where I can decapitate characters with impunity. After writing plays for a long time, then leaving that behind, I decided to try to write a novel. HELL'S BELLE is my debut.
*Source* Tour Host *Genre* Urban Fantasy *Rating* 3.5
*My Thoughts*
Steele City Blues is the third installment in author Karen Greco's Hell's Belle series. It is a series set in an alternative Providence, Rhode Island. It is important to read these novels in order, or you will be lost. Steele City Blues is a continuation of the Tainted Blood story. The series features half-witch, half-vampire Nina Martinez. Nina works for an organization called Blood Ops. Blood Ops is an elite team who quietly hunts down rogue supernaturals and puts them down.
This book read more like a novella to me. It wasn't packed with much new information, I didn't feel the same connection with all of the characters and it seemed to be a quick read. The first book was so good that I want that to be topped or at least give me something as good.
I received a copy from NetGalley for an unbiased review.
(RabidReads.com)Third in the The Hell’s Bells series, this book proved to me that the series is still going strong. I was late reading this only because I was unaware of its release, so I was glad I found it on Net Galley. My thanks to them for providing a copy to me in exchange for a fair and honest review. Keep in mind that if you haven’t read the previous books, this review does include some spoilers.
When the prologue to a book immediately pulls you in, even if it really doesn’t have much to do with the actual book, you know you have a winner. It was like a short story on it’s own and shows what the two main characters do for a living quite nicely. Lots of action and violence right off the bat. Vampire-witch hybrid(and still developing witch powers)Nina, and her best friend (would be boyfriend?)Frankie work for Blood Ops, a supernatural policing agency. Although now that things in Rhode Island have gone downhill in a pretty spectacular way, Blood Ops has kind of gone along the wayside. Nina’s mother, a very powerful witch, has pretty much taken over Providence and is using Steele City Prison as her headquarters. She has kidnapped werewolves and witches and is experimenting on them. The borders of Rhode Island are closed due to all of this, giving this book a kind of dystopian vibe at times. The U.S. government is involved and have missiles already pointed at Rhode Island and will be used, unless Nina, Frankie, and her various other supernatural friends can find a way to stop her mother. No love lost between her and her mother for sure!
Nina is a snarky, kick butt heroine who is now having a hard time handling her new witch powers. After the death of her aunt(and mother figure)at the hands of her mother, she has no one to help her learn. Well she does have Casper(fun nickname!)the ghost that jumps in and out of her mind at will. Casper was a young witch(eighteenish?)when he died and now only Nina is aware of him. So he stays around and has become one of my favorite of all the characters. Frankie is British, centuries old, and outranks Nina in Blood Ops. He’s very handsome and has recently been changed by the demon mayor of town to be able to go out in sunlight. Frankie has been my favorite character from the minute he was introduced in book one. He might be Nina’s best friend, but he definitely is in love with her. The two of them have major chemistry, but Nina is still friend zoning him as this book begins. An ex-love interest, Max, is still around and still a berserker due to being changed from human by the demon mayor. Berserkers are pretty easily riled, so he was the cause for some of the upset in this book at times. Several new characters are introduced as well, and I’m not telling if they are good or bad. Besides the prison, a good bit of the action takes place in the bar that Nina owns. It’s for supernatural creatures, and has its share of regulars that also fill out the cast of characters of this book.
As usual, this was a fun and exciting read and a good all around urban fantasy. There is some romance, but this is definitely not paranormal romance. Plenty of action and near death experiences for the characters kept me reading and the romance was just the icing on the cake for me. My one problem was that the book slowed down a bit for me closer to the beginning so it took me longer to read than normal for this series and me. Other than that, I enjoyed this read, and highly recommend this series to adult urban fantasy fans.
I was disappointed that the first two books really failed to use Black Ops. We're told that 5 of the characters work for Black Ops, yet they never seem to actually work at that job. That was the case here as well. Nina, Frankie and the others are basically on their own.
As the blurb mentions, they're fighting against Leila, but they do a really half assed job of it. Characters drift in and out, we get no real concrete handle on anybody. Is he/she good or bad? Nina and the other (supposed) professionals don't use their brains and, especially Nina, run around half cocked all the time. You need to find out who your real allies are and use them to the best of their ability and if you have someone that wants to make you better, work with them. Nina never seems to question anything, hints are dropped pertaining to her yet she doesn't try to get answers.
There was potential here with this series, but I think the story lines and character development need work.
I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
When your mother is a witch-vampire hybrid lunatic with a penchant for world domination what are you to do? Nina and Frankie are at it again... the world as they know it is in danger and only they can save it.
This series has lots of supernatural action - from werewolves to witches to demons to vampires, and a few other species - government conspiracies, and romantic entanglements.
**I received a complimentary copy of this ebook via NetGalley.**
Good story. Great characters. I love books that have strong females characters that can take care of themselves. This book has that and more. I hope that there is more books in the series to come.
I received this arc through Netgalley.com for free in exchange for a review.
Great third book in this series! Enjoyed seeing more of the background about Nina and her family. Hopibg rhere may be a couple more books in the series......
Steele City Blues by Karen Greco a fully charged five-star read. This is the third book in the Hell’s Bells series, the first being Hell’s Bells and the second being Tainted blood, they each follow on from each other and develop the story more as they go, the books are focused on Nina Martinez and follow her journey. We see her grow and develop over the stories into the strong independent half vampire/half witch she is now, but she faces some problems along the way. It’s important that you read the first two books before this one as it kicks off with a spoiler if you haven’t, as it gives us more background to Nina’s story, with her history with the now disbanded Blood Ops, and the death of Aunt Babe by burning at the stake as a witch. In this book, we pick up just after the second book, where the entire state of Rhode Island has been put under Marshall law to try and control the supernatural race that is running rampant there, and all the supernatural want is to go back to living in peace and harmony under the radar again. Only problem is Nina’s mother who has unexpectedly risen from the dead, Leila is pushing the charge for supernatural to be put into super max prison nicknamed Steele City, or killed and having the feds under her control this is making it difficult for everyone. While dealing with all this she has some other unexpected family arrive and they are about as welcome as her mother. But they may be more helpful in the end. Nina doesn’t care she just wants a normal life and a date that doesn’t end in disaster. FBI Agent Max Deveroux is still about but comes with his own problems after being turned into a Berserker by the local demon boss. So, he’s not in a place to date, and then there’s Frankie who has been around for a while, he was her partner in Blood Ops and always been her friend, only thing is he comes with several life times and nearly 700 years of baggage, including one life time that meant him wearing Gold Lame shorts and roller skates. (something I possibly would pay to see). Will Nina ever get a date? Or will the government drop bombs on Providence before she can? Will she every be free of family drama? And will she get her happily ever after. Only time will tell, and you need to read the book to see. Karen Greco has out done herself with this book. It’s a very well written and developed book. Well done on a five-star read.
Steele City Blues, Book 3 in the Hell's Belle Series, Karen Greco
Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews
Genre: Sci Fi & Fantasy, General Fiction (Adult) 18/01/17 Just had a reply from Karen on my blog. "no, this is not the last book. I just left her in a good place for once, so she can have a breather!" Great news for fans of the series.
I’ve read books one and two in this series/trilogy (I’m unsure which it is) and loved them so its on to book three to see what’s going to befall Nina and co next. We pick up where book two left off. Although there have been a couple of novellas between, I haven’t read them and they don’t feel necessary to read to follow the story ( though might be fun to see what else is going on!).
Leila can’t be allowed to continue her actions, she’s destruction in person form and a complete nutter power freak. She's creating what seems to be a supernatural army. Who needs her running the world? Who can stop her though? Blood Ops doesn’t exist now, Max seems to have thrown in with Mary Jane and the Gov but they don't have the skills and knowledge to fight supernaturals. Bertrand the demon is untrustworthy, he seems to be on their side but who knows, he’s totally unpredictable and what’s best for him only is what drives him. He’ll help so longs as he benefits, and when it doesn’t he’ll swap sides easily and seamlessly. Dr O can't help, he's in Steele city, the prison for those of a supernatural bent, and the team miss him and his advice and magical talents. With Babe gone and Dr O locked up its really down to just Frankie, Nina and friends to save the day..and the world. Tough times eh?
Its a fun read once more, full of humour and snark, puzzles to unravel, sides to take and wondering just where Nina is going next, what's going to happen and how. I love the core group of friends, Frankie, Nina, Matty and Darcie, and Caspar...a great group, very diverse, and at times it seems like herding cats trying to get them to agree. Max is kind of in the group but not, he's very allied to Mary Jane, and TBH I was disappointed in some of his actions and decisions. He’s very pro helping people, saving lives and yet seems to have no issues with Mary Jane’s announcements about what she’ll do if Nina and co don’t succeed in stopping Leila very quickly...it just didn’t feel right to me him being OK with that. There’s a new player to the game too, someone who may – or may not – be a help and who comes from a very unexpected place.
There some great humour too tucked in with the drama, and its the kind of quirky snark that pervades Kim Harrison’s Hollows series and made that such a must read for me. I do like some fun in among my dark and dramatic, the end of the world is nigh...but there’s time for a coffee first sort of stuff! Nina seems to have curbed her anger a little in this book, it was beginning to grate on me that she had a shoot first policy, so for me that’s a real improvement. After all there are only so many times you can get away with it! I said Max was a bity of a disappointment, but that’s made up for by Frankie – I Love that guy, he’s so perfect, humorous when the situation needs it, but ready to defend Nina to the death. I love the thought of him in the 70’s in gold lame and roller skates!! He and Nina are getting closer, its clear he wants her and she’s attracted but will she ever take that final step?
Its fun and games, drama and deception, snark and sensuality and another hit read for me. I’m not sure if this is a trilogy or a series, can’t find out from author site or anywhere on net. It ends...kind of..so it could be a wrap, but there’s so much left open that I think there’s room for more books, and am hoping they are coming.
Stars: Five, a fabulous read once more, packed with magic and mayhem and fantastic characters.
ARC supplied for review purposes by Netgalley and Publishers
I’m not giving any more away, but this book wraps up the arcs satisfactory even though it leaves the series open for more – but it could even end here and it would be okay (and I hope not). There is a touch of romance in this, but it’s not overwhelming the story, it just enhances what’s already here. There isn’t much to dislike – it’s what urban fantasies should be.
I have read the first two books in the Hell's Belle series, and I was excited when I accidentally stumbled across the third one on NetGalley. In this book, Leila is still holding Dr. O, and it is up to Nina and Frankie to rescue him. Adding to the mix, and to the problems, is a member of Nina's family she thought was long gone, and she doesn't know if he's an ally or an enemy. Nina will call in favors to help her rescue Dr. O, and even use her enemies if that's what it takes because she will do whatever it takes to get him back, even if it takes dying. I was drawn in quite quickly to the story, and even though it has been awhile, it didn't take long to remember everything that had happened before. That being said, if you are new to the series, I would start at the beginning to get the full benefit of nuances, of which there are many. As in the previous books, this book was well-written, the plot interesting, and the characters fun. Even after I finished the story and realized there were some glossed-over problems in the plot (i.e. they really didn't think through the first break-in at the prison), I still really enjoyed this story; it was just so fun and action-packed! If you like a fast-paced, well-written urban fantasy with many paranormal creatures, look no further. This is a thrill-ride adventure. Highly recommend!
Thanks to NetGalley and Karen Greco for the e-book which I voluntarily reviewed. This exact review posted on both Amazon and Goodreads.
This book was just bursting with action, mayhem, betrayal, and a teeny bit of romance. I would not recommend reading this book if you haven't read the ones previous. You'll be a little lost because this definitely continues right where we left off.
So - we are exactly where we left everything last time. Dr. O is in prison. Nina's mom is still evil and on the loose. Max is still a broody berserker. And Nina and Frankie still have some seriously unresolved sexual tension. To top all of this off, Nina's mysterious and powerful grandfather turns up on her doorstep with ideas of training her as a witch. Everything sort of meanders its way to a few final battles here. I was worried about halfway through about things getting wrapped up in a decent way, but have no fear!
We get Nina's mother issues worked through, even though that looked a little touch and go for a while. The way we go about getting that resolution was a little less than optimal, but, hey, that's Blood Ops for you. Dr. O and the prison storyline also gets tidied up nicely. We meet some new characters in the form of border crossing werewolves. We also, sadly, get some bureaucratic nonsense from a new lead for Blood Ops. Who knew things could get more crappy than having your leader arrested? All of this bundles together in a messy and gritty look at Nina's insane life. I really hope she follows through on that vacation.
My first read with Karen Greco and of course it had to be a supernatural battle with a mother from hell. Nina had to battle her mother, Lelia, the supernatural hybrid vamp/witch bitch determined to destroy the world and create an army that will never die. That kinda sums it up. Well, not quite. This one was a serious battle of the genes. I have not read any of the other but let me say. I had to get on it. This was a fabulous read. I had no major issues navigating things going on.
Nina was an ass kicking special ops or blood ops operative. With all that was going on, she had more family appear on the scene, all was not bad. It all depended on how you looked at things. Nina was needed to kick ass, not take name, not linger on being dateless, or at the least not dating whom she wanted. Needing help to correct a lot of issues her mother created, including locking up the paranormal factors in the state of Rhode Island.
I must say that I was on one HELL of a ride with this one. I got action and family drama. I got a frustrated female with her family, no date, and way too much to get done in a day. What possibly could come next for Nina???
Nina and Frankie have their hands full trying to Dr.O from Steele City prison without the sudden appearance from Nina's grandfather. They make a failed attempt at breaking into Steele City and instead of breaking Dr. O out they find out some horrifying things that are going on behind the prisons door. Not only do they have a monumental task of getting back into the prison to free those in there but they also have a deadline that will impact everyone.
This series gets better with each book! While I love Nina and Frankie I really enjoyed Casper more this time around. He's sassy, powerful and just a funny guy to have around. The interaction of the characters is deeper and there are way more secrets that unfolded as well.
I love this series and hope that there are more books to come but the way it ended leaves me thinking it is the end but who knows.
ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Reading this book is like riding a rollar-coaster. Full of twists and turns it starts the reader off on a high speed run and never slows down. (I was exhausted just from reading it.) It is my favorite book of the series so far. It sees the end of the love triangle and fell into a fast but steady flow that I highly enjoyed. I am most differently a fan of Ms. Greco and hope this is a long running series and not jut a trilogy. I can see this series getting better and better and can't wait for book # 4. So please let there be a book #4 and #5 and #6 and #7 and... well you get the idea.
I was hooked because the heroine is witch and vampire plus she kick ass as a special ops or blood ops operative. Damn that's a cool title in my book. This was action pact, full of twists and turns, mayhem, and betrayal. Along with great family drama, I will say mom and grandpa stole this story. Fans will have humor and and will not forget her mom is no joke.
I received this book from Netgalley for an honest review. Nina and Frankie, Blood Ops no longer functioning, work to save the witches from Leila and free Dr. O from prison.Paranormals are outed. Powerful help arrives to quell the army Leila is trying to build. Fast paced, magic and action filled.
This book picks up Nina's story very quickly taking her into a whole new set of problems. It was interesting for me to enter into this fast paced story because I hadn't read the other books in this series but had heard a great deal about them. I was able to quickly sort out who was who in this world of vampires, demons and witches and it was hard not to become rapidly fond of Nina and Frankie. Their chemistry was strong and they worked really well together as characters.
Nina is fighting to control the vampire inside her while at the same time learn to use the witch abilities that she has. She is about to get some unexpected help from an uninvited source - a relation that she had no clue about. Hopefully this relation is a little more supportive than Nina's mother, Leila, - an evil force that Nina and her companions are fighting against before Leila takes control of all the paranormals she can and imprison those she can't.
This book is full of twists and turns especially as you can never be quite sure who are the good guys and who might turn out to betray Nina just at a crucial moment. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and do feel the need to go back and read the previous ones just to bring myself up to date about Nina's life to this point. Good to know there is probably more to come as it will be interesting to see what's next for Nina and her crew.
I was lucky enough to receive a copy from NetGalley and the publisher in return for an honest review.