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Bud Hutchins Supernatural Thrillers #2
The Elixir: A Bud Hutchins Urban Fantasy
How far would you go to save a friend?
From award-winning author JB Michaels, creator of The Order of St. Michael: A Bud Hutchins Thriller and the Tannenbaum Tailors
Bud Hutchins returns in an action-packed urban fantasy set in Chicago, home to the world's most notorious urban legends. A murder rocks Chicago Metro University. Maeve, a monk of the Order of St. Michael, faces possible annihilation. A poltergeist wreaks havoc across the city. With the help of the brilliant Ivy, a doctoral candidate, Bud will need to employ the use of science and the supernatural in his most harrowing adventure yet, The Elixir: A Bud Hutchins Urban Fantasy.
˃˃˃ The Ghost of CaponeMt. Olivet Cemetery, the original resting place of gangster Al Capone, is disturbed by an ungodly menace.
˃˃˃ Resurrection Mary strikesThe forested roads of Archer Avenue are once again stalked by the deathly and cunning Resurrection Mary.
˃˃˃ Murder, Mayhem, and the ElixirA beautiful, young teacher's assistant is murdered over a mysterious elixir: an ancient concoction that could change history!
˃˃˃ From Wrigleyville to the Willis Tower, the Museum of Science and Industry to Beverly......join Bud Hutchins on an epic adventure through Chicago!
The Elixir is ready. Scroll up and grab a copy today.178 pages, Paperback
Published October 10, 2017
19 people are currently reading
245 people want to read
About the author
J.B. Michaels
21 books162 followersUSA TODAY BESTSELLING AND AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR!
Greetings! For the official site of JB Michaels head on over to http://mistermichaels.com/ for two free books!
J. B. Michaels, multi-award winning author and member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, has written stories since he was in fourth grade. He is a history teacher who loves his job.
Married and with a son, Michaels has a great love of family. He has two series: the Gold and Bronze medal-winning Tannenbaum Tailors and Bud Hutchins Thrillers.
Greetings! For the official site of JB Michaels head on over to http://mistermichaels.com/ for two free books!
J. B. Michaels, multi-award winning author and member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, has written stories since he was in fourth grade. He is a history teacher who loves his job.
Married and with a son, Michaels has a great love of family. He has two series: the Gold and Bronze medal-winning Tannenbaum Tailors and Bud Hutchins Thrillers.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
November 17, 2017
I really enjoyed reading The Elixir: A Bud Hutchins Urban Fantasy. It's a continuation of the first book, but with a new adventure.
The Elixir is a short story and easy to read. Perfect for the youth, because it contains no language issues. It took a few pages for me to get into the style of writing, but then its nonstop fantasy action was hard for me to put down. The antics of Bud is amusing as he tries to save Maeve, find a murderer, enlists and befriends Ivy (whose geniusness just might be superior to his), Bud's robotic friend runs amuck, all while a poltergeist chases him and monks of the Order of St. Michael.
A weird and fun read.
The Elixir story ends just as a new evil emerges for the next story in the series. Now I have to wait until we get the third book. Darn.
The Elixir is a short story and easy to read. Perfect for the youth, because it contains no language issues. It took a few pages for me to get into the style of writing, but then its nonstop fantasy action was hard for me to put down. The antics of Bud is amusing as he tries to save Maeve, find a murderer, enlists and befriends Ivy (whose geniusness just might be superior to his), Bud's robotic friend runs amuck, all while a poltergeist chases him and monks of the Order of St. Michael.
A weird and fun read.
The Elixir story ends just as a new evil emerges for the next story in the series. Now I have to wait until we get the third book. Darn.
November 19, 2017
The Elixir picks up after The Order of St. Michael, with Bud and Bert working hard to help their friend Maeve, who is an undead, werewolf, evil slayer - yeah, that is a real statement!
Quick housekeeping:
Bud is a young genius who can teleport, uses a fake British accent, alienates most people due to his lack of understanding social constructs, and has a best friend that happens to be an advanced android. Said android is Burt.
Bud is also a private detective in the natural world and a semi-member of the Order of St. Michael. Their purpose is to protect Earth from evil spirits. Although every female character is smart and strong, I feel these adventures skew to the young male readers in your life.
In this installment, Bud is working hard to get Maeve back to normal (relatively speaking). He takes on a simple case to make money for needed supplies and it turns into a supernatural ride. A ride that brings Al Capone, Resurrection Mary, and a slab of Robert L Stevenson's characters.
The book is a quick 178 pages.
4.4 of 5 stars. Author provided paperback for review.
From the Publisher:
Bud Hutchins returns in an action-packed urban fantasy set in Chicago, home to the world's most notorious urban legends. A murder rocks Chicago Metro University. Maeve, a monk of the Order of St. Michael, faces possible annihilation. A poltergeist wreaks havoc across the city. With the help of the brilliant Ivy, a doctoral candidate, Bud will need to employ the use of science and the supernatural in his most harrowing adventure yet, The Elixir: A Bud Hutchins Urban Fantasy.
The Ghost of Capone Mt. Olivet Cemetery, the original resting place of gangster Al Capone, is disturbed by an ungodly menace. Resurrection Mary strikes The forested roads of Archer Avenue are once again stalked by the deathly and cunning Resurrection Mary. Murder, Mayhem, and the Elixir A beautiful, young teacher's assistant is murdered over a mysterious elixir: an ancient concoction that could change history! From Wrigleyville to the Willis Tower, the Museum of Science and Industry to Beverly... ...join Bud Hutchins on an epic adventure through Chicago.
Quick housekeeping:
Bud is a young genius who can teleport, uses a fake British accent, alienates most people due to his lack of understanding social constructs, and has a best friend that happens to be an advanced android. Said android is Burt.
Bud is also a private detective in the natural world and a semi-member of the Order of St. Michael. Their purpose is to protect Earth from evil spirits. Although every female character is smart and strong, I feel these adventures skew to the young male readers in your life.
In this installment, Bud is working hard to get Maeve back to normal (relatively speaking). He takes on a simple case to make money for needed supplies and it turns into a supernatural ride. A ride that brings Al Capone, Resurrection Mary, and a slab of Robert L Stevenson's characters.
The book is a quick 178 pages.
4.4 of 5 stars. Author provided paperback for review.
From the Publisher:
Bud Hutchins returns in an action-packed urban fantasy set in Chicago, home to the world's most notorious urban legends. A murder rocks Chicago Metro University. Maeve, a monk of the Order of St. Michael, faces possible annihilation. A poltergeist wreaks havoc across the city. With the help of the brilliant Ivy, a doctoral candidate, Bud will need to employ the use of science and the supernatural in his most harrowing adventure yet, The Elixir: A Bud Hutchins Urban Fantasy.
The Ghost of Capone Mt. Olivet Cemetery, the original resting place of gangster Al Capone, is disturbed by an ungodly menace. Resurrection Mary strikes The forested roads of Archer Avenue are once again stalked by the deathly and cunning Resurrection Mary. Murder, Mayhem, and the Elixir A beautiful, young teacher's assistant is murdered over a mysterious elixir: an ancient concoction that could change history! From Wrigleyville to the Willis Tower, the Museum of Science and Industry to Beverly... ...join Bud Hutchins on an epic adventure through Chicago.
November 27, 2017
JB Michaels sent me a print copy of The Elixer, the second Bud Hutchins Urban Fantasy. He did not ask for a review, but hey, it's what I do.
The Elixer is an excellent follow up to The Order of St. Michael. While the first book has a lot of background on our hero, it is not necessarily necessary to have read it first (but you really should). Our heroes get caught up in another paranormal life and death adventure.
The action takes place in and around Chicago where Bud is responsible for more damage than a Bruce Willis movie. We have several plot lines, not all of which are resolved by the end of the book. Which means there must be another book in the works (YAY!). We have all the trappings for a good paranormal story; zombies, werewolves, ghost bad guys, ghost good guys, robots, and monks to name a few.
The Elixer is a bit more mature than the previous book (mostly language wise, that Bud is developing such a mouth). The action is great, Bud is still an enigma; is he a jerk?... a poorly socialized genius? ...or just plain clueless. Whatever he is, he is still a lot of fun to follow. He is loyal to his friends and dedicated to his scientific pursuits.
Although predominantly a YA/middle grade book, I find myself enjoying this series a lot. So is my wife. When the book arrived, she snatched it up to read before I could get to it.
The Elixir: A Bud Hutchins Urban Fantasy (Bud Hutchins Thriller Book 2) (whew, that's a lot of title) by JB Michaels continues the series admirably and keeps us wanting more. Enjoy!
Mike
The Elixer is an excellent follow up to The Order of St. Michael. While the first book has a lot of background on our hero, it is not necessarily necessary to have read it first (but you really should). Our heroes get caught up in another paranormal life and death adventure.
The action takes place in and around Chicago where Bud is responsible for more damage than a Bruce Willis movie. We have several plot lines, not all of which are resolved by the end of the book. Which means there must be another book in the works (YAY!). We have all the trappings for a good paranormal story; zombies, werewolves, ghost bad guys, ghost good guys, robots, and monks to name a few.
The Elixer is a bit more mature than the previous book (mostly language wise, that Bud is developing such a mouth). The action is great, Bud is still an enigma; is he a jerk?... a poorly socialized genius? ...or just plain clueless. Whatever he is, he is still a lot of fun to follow. He is loyal to his friends and dedicated to his scientific pursuits.
Although predominantly a YA/middle grade book, I find myself enjoying this series a lot. So is my wife. When the book arrived, she snatched it up to read before I could get to it.
The Elixir: A Bud Hutchins Urban Fantasy (Bud Hutchins Thriller Book 2) (whew, that's a lot of title) by JB Michaels continues the series admirably and keeps us wanting more. Enjoy!
Mike
September 1, 2017
The Elixir by J B Michaels is a paranormal urban paranormal fantasy tale. Bud worked as a private investigator, but more recently his payments were going to other ventures. Maeve had been a gifted member of the Order of Saint Michael, she had been killed, her throat torn from her body by a werewolf. It was only thanks to her own skill she survived. If being a zombie, forced to live in a freezer, with an artificial throat and voice box could be called surviving. For some time now Bud's wages have been going towards finding a means to reanimate her. However, there was a complication, she got out. An escaped zombie-werewolf seemed the height of their troubles, until Al Capone rose from the grave as a poltergeist, or at least it appeared to be him. But there was something more afoot, a puppeteer, a larger scheme which grows more complex the further he probes into his latest investigation.
This is a really fun, action packed read. It touches on traditional, classical, and familiar paranormal lore in a way perhaps only seen in things like Scooby Doo and the first season of the tv series Penny Dreadful. I would class it as a hybrid of the two, making it fun, but appealing to a more mature audience. In The Elixir paranormal is a fact, not fiction, and the means employed by such creatures, and researchers can be utilised. From the diary of Victor von Frankenstein to the hidden traits of ancient artifacts. This book has some serious charm.
This is a really fun, action packed read. It touches on traditional, classical, and familiar paranormal lore in a way perhaps only seen in things like Scooby Doo and the first season of the tv series Penny Dreadful. I would class it as a hybrid of the two, making it fun, but appealing to a more mature audience. In The Elixir paranormal is a fact, not fiction, and the means employed by such creatures, and researchers can be utilised. From the diary of Victor von Frankenstein to the hidden traits of ancient artifacts. This book has some serious charm.
September 13, 2017
Kindle Unlimited
Bud Hutchins returns in an action-packed urban fantasy set in Chicago, home to the world's most notorious urban legends. A murder rocks Chicago Metro University. Maeve, a monk of the Order of St. Michael, faces possible annihilation. A poltergeist wreaks havoc across the city. With the help of the brilliant Ivy, a doctoral candidate, Bud will need to employ the use of science and the supernatural. How far would you go to save a friend?
The Order of St. Michael: A Bud Hutchins Thriller
The Elixir: A Bud Hutchins Urban Fantasy (Bud Hutchins Thriller Book 2)
the Tannenbaum Tailors
See Amazon for list of books
Bud Hutchins returns in an action-packed urban fantasy set in Chicago, home to the world's most notorious urban legends. A murder rocks Chicago Metro University. Maeve, a monk of the Order of St. Michael, faces possible annihilation. A poltergeist wreaks havoc across the city. With the help of the brilliant Ivy, a doctoral candidate, Bud will need to employ the use of science and the supernatural. How far would you go to save a friend?
The Order of St. Michael: A Bud Hutchins Thriller
The Elixir: A Bud Hutchins Urban Fantasy (Bud Hutchins Thriller Book 2)
the Tannenbaum Tailors
See Amazon for list of books
October 15, 2017
This is the second book in this series that I've read. It's a fun and entertaining urban fantasy mystery. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. It's an action-packed adventure with a bit of humor supplied by our young teen hero Bud Hutchins and his highly intelligent android sidekick Bert. It also has fights between paranormal sources, including a werewolf/zombie. Check it out for an entertaining read. I look forward to reading more of Michaels' zany adventures.
December 25, 2019
Hilarious rampage through the south side of Chicago in which nothing is sacred and no architectural monstrosity left undamaged. No spoilers here except to say that I think that the only gothic monster left unmentioned and unmocked here is the vampire. Everything else puts in at least a cameo appearance.
November 11, 2017
Another great featuring Bud. What’s not to love in this story.
October 4, 2017
My first read from author JB Michaels. The Elixir: A Bud Hutchins Urban Fantasy jumps right into it. Not having read anything by Michaels before it took some getting used to his style. An entertaining read that I enjoyed. I’ll deninitely read more from JB Michaels! How do I get The Order of St. Michael: A Bud Hutchins Thriller (Book #1)?
September 19, 2017
Paranormal meets technology.
Bud has to deal with a poltergeist in Chicago, while he tries to help his friend to become alive. Technology and The Order of St. Michael help him out throughout the book. Looking forward to more in this series.
Bud has to deal with a poltergeist in Chicago, while he tries to help his friend to become alive. Technology and The Order of St. Michael help him out throughout the book. Looking forward to more in this series.
July 10, 2018
A poltergeist reanimates the corpse of gangster Al Capone, and then that of a vengeful spirit causing accidents on Chicago’s streets. Could things get any worse for Bud Hutchins? You bet your silicone-covered magic wand they can—and do. Maeve, a zombie, werewolf, priest who Bud is trying to bring back to life—or un-life, never quite sorted that one out—gets pummeled by the poltergeist and now needs emergency treatment, but Bud’s a bit preoccupied, what with having to transport around the city, with Ivy Zheng, a spunky PhD candidate who is helping him to discover who murdered Ivy’s friend.
This is just an appetizer of what’s in The Elixir by J.B. Michaels. An urban fantasy/mystery/thriller with more improbabilities than Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
The book has a few typos, and is a bit jerky—in tempo not mentality—in places, but is still an entertaining read.
This is just an appetizer of what’s in The Elixir by J.B. Michaels. An urban fantasy/mystery/thriller with more improbabilities than Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
The book has a few typos, and is a bit jerky—in tempo not mentality—in places, but is still an entertaining read.
November 25, 2017
Exciting Read!
Bud Hutchins returns in this epic story. It's a fast-paced story that is one you read from beginning to end, only stopping to take a breath. Michaels writes extremely well, and this is one of those masterpiece sequels. It's a very addictive story and story line, and I hope that there will be more "Bud" to come. The story has the right amount of humor and twists, with action and slow-downs. I really enjoyed this story, and look forward to future stories. Michaels definitely has one creative mind!
Bud Hutchins returns in this epic story. It's a fast-paced story that is one you read from beginning to end, only stopping to take a breath. Michaels writes extremely well, and this is one of those masterpiece sequels. It's a very addictive story and story line, and I hope that there will be more "Bud" to come. The story has the right amount of humor and twists, with action and slow-downs. I really enjoyed this story, and look forward to future stories. Michaels definitely has one creative mind!
May 21, 2019
This urban fantasy thriller was an unusual choice for me, but J.B. Michaels has a strong author voice and vivid writing. His books are confident and fast-paced, and I enjoyed his ability to throw together lots of unusual situations without caring if they looked silly. The result was a breakneck, surprisingly fun action fantasy that used science and history plots equally well. I'd recommend this book to people who like TV series that have a lot of cursing and fantasy elements but are still pretty clean.
March 15, 2018
Bud, Bert, Maeve, and Ivy are great characters in this book. I thought the story moved along with a nice pace. The book had enough going on to keep my interest till the end. The story was very well written. With all the evils they had to go up against, it made exciting and had me cheering them on. At some spots it had me shaking my head at the characters. I loved the book and hope to read more from the author.
Thank you for sharing your book with us.
Thank you for sharing your book with us.
November 16, 2017
Reviewed by Sarah Scheele for Readers' Favorite
The Elixir: A Bud Hutchins Urban Fantasy by JB Michaels is an exciting, contemporary, action-adventure story. It’s the second in a series and takes place in Chicago, picking up on adventures from the previous story. Wisecracking, teleporting private investigator Bud and his android friend, Bert, are launched into yet another encounter with the bizarre when a search into a college professor's infidelity leads straight into an evil poltergeist seeking an elixir from ancient times. Bud and his new ally, Ivy Zheng, race to find a killer, stop the poltergeist, keep a dysfunctional Bert from destroying everything, and—most importantly—restore health to Bud’s dear friend, Maeve. It’s beleaguered people vs. the forces of mayhem and JB Michaels does a fantastic job of storytelling.
This urban fantasy thriller lives up to its name—a real page-turner with never a dull moment. The Elixir grabbed me into its fast-paced, brisk action from the first couple of chapters and had me hooked. The sharp, visceral writing and strong protagonists make for an entertaining ride. Pacing is expert, situations use science and history inventively, and the story just keeps going right until the conclusion that hints of more to come. Bud is a great center for the story, alternately cocky and vulnerable just when he needs to be, and the breakneck plot is balanced with moments of tenderness and friendship for Maeve. Any reader of urban fantasy should grab this one right away and get hooked on the series—it’s got everything. The world is fascinating, hilarious, and involving, and puts JB Michaels high on my list of authors.
The Elixir: A Bud Hutchins Urban Fantasy by JB Michaels is an exciting, contemporary, action-adventure story. It’s the second in a series and takes place in Chicago, picking up on adventures from the previous story. Wisecracking, teleporting private investigator Bud and his android friend, Bert, are launched into yet another encounter with the bizarre when a search into a college professor's infidelity leads straight into an evil poltergeist seeking an elixir from ancient times. Bud and his new ally, Ivy Zheng, race to find a killer, stop the poltergeist, keep a dysfunctional Bert from destroying everything, and—most importantly—restore health to Bud’s dear friend, Maeve. It’s beleaguered people vs. the forces of mayhem and JB Michaels does a fantastic job of storytelling.
This urban fantasy thriller lives up to its name—a real page-turner with never a dull moment. The Elixir grabbed me into its fast-paced, brisk action from the first couple of chapters and had me hooked. The sharp, visceral writing and strong protagonists make for an entertaining ride. Pacing is expert, situations use science and history inventively, and the story just keeps going right until the conclusion that hints of more to come. Bud is a great center for the story, alternately cocky and vulnerable just when he needs to be, and the breakneck plot is balanced with moments of tenderness and friendship for Maeve. Any reader of urban fantasy should grab this one right away and get hooked on the series—it’s got everything. The world is fascinating, hilarious, and involving, and puts JB Michaels high on my list of authors.
October 5, 2017
Bud and Bert are back in "The Elixir," the second Bud Hutchins thriller in J.B. Michaels wonderful action adventure series. I love the humor scattered throughout the book, as well the many unique and eclectic characters, old and new. This is a fast-paced series that starts off with a bang, literally, and continues to jump from one escapade to the next with nary a pause in between. It can definitely be enjoyed by adults, as well as children, and probably even more so, since adults would probably get some of the witty observations more readily than children.
As with the first book in this series, it's very hard to explain what makes this series so fun and enjoyable. I've never run across an author who can combine so many genres and pull it together so brilliantly. I love when I find books like this, because they literally defy description, but will entertain you to the moon and back.
**I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review**
As with the first book in this series, it's very hard to explain what makes this series so fun and enjoyable. I've never run across an author who can combine so many genres and pull it together so brilliantly. I love when I find books like this, because they literally defy description, but will entertain you to the moon and back.
**I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review**
September 26, 2017
Reviewed by Sarah Scheele for Readers' Favorite-
This urban fantasy thriller lives up to its name—a real page-turner with never a dull moment. The Elixir grabbed me into its fast-paced, brisk action from the first couple of chapters and had me hooked. The sharp, visceral writing and strong protagonists make for an entertaining ride. Pacing is expert, situations use science and history inventively, and the story just keeps going right until the conclusion that hints of more to come. Bud is a great center for the story, alternately cocky and vulnerable just when he needs to be, and the breakneck plot is balanced with moments of tenderness and friendship for Maeve. Any reader of urban fantasy should grab this one right away and get hooked on the series—it’s got everything. The world is fascinating, hilarious, and involving, and puts JB Michaels high on my list of authors
This urban fantasy thriller lives up to its name—a real page-turner with never a dull moment. The Elixir grabbed me into its fast-paced, brisk action from the first couple of chapters and had me hooked. The sharp, visceral writing and strong protagonists make for an entertaining ride. Pacing is expert, situations use science and history inventively, and the story just keeps going right until the conclusion that hints of more to come. Bud is a great center for the story, alternately cocky and vulnerable just when he needs to be, and the breakneck plot is balanced with moments of tenderness and friendship for Maeve. Any reader of urban fantasy should grab this one right away and get hooked on the series—it’s got everything. The world is fascinating, hilarious, and involving, and puts JB Michaels high on my list of authors
February 7, 2018
I received a free copy of this book to review. I haven't read the first book of the series, but there was enough backstory included in this one. I very much liked the Chicago settings of the story, and much of the plot was interesting. I couldn't get past the editing (or lack thereof), though. The writing was usually choppy and detracted from the story. The characters did not come alive for me. In general, I was disappointed.
February 21, 2018
Three and a half stars.
Fast paced and packed with action and tension, along with some humorous moments.
The monks of St. Michael certainly have no lack of evil to battle, there's always some sort of extremely unpleasant creature popping up.
More adventures with Bud, Bert and Maeve. A little violent and some swearing, but a quick fun read.
Fast paced and packed with action and tension, along with some humorous moments.
The monks of St. Michael certainly have no lack of evil to battle, there's always some sort of extremely unpleasant creature popping up.
More adventures with Bud, Bert and Maeve. A little violent and some swearing, but a quick fun read.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews