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Judah Black #1
Guilty by Association
Everything’s bigger in Texas…Including the monsters.
When a young werewolf is murdered on the Paint Rock Supernatural Reservation, the local cops think it’s a drug deal gone bad. BSI agent Judah Black knows better. An occult expert, she knows magick is at work from the beginning. Using only her wits, knowledge of the supernatural and her limited magickal abilities, she must untangle a web of cover-ups and lies before the killer finds his next victim.
When a young werewolf is murdered on the Paint Rock Supernatural Reservation, the local cops think it’s a drug deal gone bad. BSI agent Judah Black knows better. An occult expert, she knows magick is at work from the beginning. Using only her wits, knowledge of the supernatural and her limited magickal abilities, she must untangle a web of cover-ups and lies before the killer finds his next victim.
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First published April 1, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
May 5, 2019
Guilty by Association by E.A. Copen and narrated by Jennifer Harvey is a book that has magic, werewolves, vampires fae, and more. Kids are missing and our gals is assigned to find out what is going on. Her son is 11 and also has the genes of a werewolf. She needs to get friendly with the werewolf pack to help her son since his father died before he was born.
Lots of interesting characters and plot.
The narrator performance was great!
Lots of interesting characters and plot.
The narrator performance was great!
dnf
January 19, 2020I've forced myself to keep reading this book, but every time I tried I've put it away.
So it may be a 'case of me, not you' book slump, but it could also be a case of final boredom.
Contrary to what I read in other reviews I don't think there's much world building, if we mean the same thing with the term. There's no explanation on magic nor politics, so why human magic isn't outlawed? How can a 10 year on the force agent be that ignorant about everything Other? (How can a mother be that stupid?) Why they don't have any defense? (A gun with iron and silver bullets she never has or uses, it seems. And what? Bullets are mixed material or you shoot until the right one comes along?)
She strutters along like a lamb to slaughter and you wander how that's possible. Midway I realized that I was hurting both and I stopped reading.
So it may be a 'case of me, not you' book slump, but it could also be a case of final boredom.
Contrary to what I read in other reviews I don't think there's much world building, if we mean the same thing with the term. There's no explanation on magic nor politics, so why human magic isn't outlawed? How can a 10 year on the force agent be that ignorant about everything Other? (How can a mother be that stupid?) Why they don't have any defense? (A gun with iron and silver bullets she never has or uses, it seems. And what? Bullets are mixed material or you shoot until the right one comes along?)
She strutters along like a lamb to slaughter and you wander how that's possible. Midway I realized that I was hurting both and I stopped reading.
January 19, 2020
Audible version. I just never became engaged in the story, tbh I found it uninteresting.
Pet peeve: Kids
Pet peeve: Kids
February 15, 2016
If you enjoy Kim Harrison, I fully believe you will enjoy Copen's work. Judah Black is an agent for the government working with supernatural beings in a world where they have been made to go public about who they are. Judah has the unfortunate luck of finding a murder victim her first day in town and is subsequently thrown into the deep end of a reservation full of untrusting supernaturals with more issues than you could shake a stick at. And Judah has to work the new open cases with little help and her own family drama. This book was a roller coaster of chaos where even as Judah got close to an answer she was thrown ten more questions. I am looking forward to the series!
February 25, 2017
I was on the edge of my seat wondering whodunit, how Judah would catch them, and what she'd have to sacrifice in the process. Copen doesn't disappoint. With high stakes, excellent pacing, and unexpected twists, Guilty By Association left me relieved but anxiously awaiting book two in the series. Catch up, the author has book three releasing in February, so there's no time like the present to read this book and the next.
April 16, 2017
Three things I love:
1) Kickass ladies;
2) Genre mash-ups; and
3) Stories that start off as one thing and end up being something else entirely.
Guilty by Association, E.A. Copen's debut, checks all three of those boxes. Special Agent Judah Black, new to a middle-of-nowhere stretch of Texas stuffed to the gills with the supernatural, finds herself staring a classic whodunit in the face -- only this time, the victim is a werewolf. Before long, though, the case turns into something much larger than even the victim, and the result is an entertaining, engrossing read.
Copen treats us to an entertaining cast of characters, and even though I've never been a particularly big fan of werewolves, a few of them wound up being personal favorites. Judah Black sometimes reads as a cross between Buffy Summers and Kate Beckett (two of my all-time favorite female ass-kickers), and I can already tell she's a character who's going to stick with me.
Part murder mystery, part urban fantasy, part conspiracy thriller, Guilty by Association does a masterful job of creating and laying the foundation for a rich, vibrant supernatural world. Even if the setting makes Sunnydale seem like a bustling metropolis, Copen has done a fantastic job of showing us just enough of the world to get us interested; I'm beyond glad that I already have the next two installments in my collection, and hope there will be even more down the line.
Books like this are why I will vehemently defend independently-published books. Indie authors are some of the most creative, most daring individuals I've met, and when they create stories like this, we're all the better for it. To me, Judah Black is every bit the equal of, say, R.R. Virdi's Vincent Graves, and I'm glad to count myself among one of Copen's biggest fans going forward.
Okay, enough blabbing; I've got to read Blood Debt. If you haven't read Guilty by Association yet, do yourself a favor and change that. I promise you won't be disappointed.
1) Kickass ladies;
2) Genre mash-ups; and
3) Stories that start off as one thing and end up being something else entirely.
Guilty by Association, E.A. Copen's debut, checks all three of those boxes. Special Agent Judah Black, new to a middle-of-nowhere stretch of Texas stuffed to the gills with the supernatural, finds herself staring a classic whodunit in the face -- only this time, the victim is a werewolf. Before long, though, the case turns into something much larger than even the victim, and the result is an entertaining, engrossing read.
Copen treats us to an entertaining cast of characters, and even though I've never been a particularly big fan of werewolves, a few of them wound up being personal favorites. Judah Black sometimes reads as a cross between Buffy Summers and Kate Beckett (two of my all-time favorite female ass-kickers), and I can already tell she's a character who's going to stick with me.
Part murder mystery, part urban fantasy, part conspiracy thriller, Guilty by Association does a masterful job of creating and laying the foundation for a rich, vibrant supernatural world. Even if the setting makes Sunnydale seem like a bustling metropolis, Copen has done a fantastic job of showing us just enough of the world to get us interested; I'm beyond glad that I already have the next two installments in my collection, and hope there will be even more down the line.
Books like this are why I will vehemently defend independently-published books. Indie authors are some of the most creative, most daring individuals I've met, and when they create stories like this, we're all the better for it. To me, Judah Black is every bit the equal of, say, R.R. Virdi's Vincent Graves, and I'm glad to count myself among one of Copen's biggest fans going forward.
Okay, enough blabbing; I've got to read Blood Debt. If you haven't read Guilty by Association yet, do yourself a favor and change that. I promise you won't be disappointed.
February 22, 2017
Having just finished E.A. Copen's Guilty by Association, I can only say I'm hungry for more! Copen plunges the reader into the immersive world of Paint Rock, a reservation for supernatural beings that are being kept apart from the rest of society. In comes Judah Black, an agent from the Bureau of Supernatural Investigations, charged with tackling the high crime rate in the area... but Judah suspects the real reason she has been sent to Paint Rock is because she has a habit of stirring up trouble, and her superiors want her out of the way.
Drawing on a wide array of supernatural folklore and legends, Copen brings to life a great cast of characters that will keep you reading until the last page... and then scrambling to get the next book in the series. Judah Black is a single mother with a secret and her fierceness makes her an absolute delight to read about. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys thrillers with a sprinkle of fantasy thrown in.
Drawing on a wide array of supernatural folklore and legends, Copen brings to life a great cast of characters that will keep you reading until the last page... and then scrambling to get the next book in the series. Judah Black is a single mother with a secret and her fierceness makes her an absolute delight to read about. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys thrillers with a sprinkle of fantasy thrown in.
June 30, 2017
For a first novel... this was great! The story moved along nicely and wasn't loaded for word count.
The characters are well thought out and I look forward to getting to know the residents of Paint Rock better in the next novels.
For all Urban Fantasy/Police Drama fans!
The characters are well thought out and I look forward to getting to know the residents of Paint Rock better in the next novels.
For all Urban Fantasy/Police Drama fans!
February 7, 2019
Book 10 complete.
May 25, 2017
Guilty by Association may be EA Copen's first novel but she's hit the ground running in her writing career. This book is a page-turner and the chapters are the length that I love: just short enough that you can fit one in on a work break, while waiting on someone, etc. but long enough to be full of compelling events.
She had me guessing for most of the book who the true villain was (my guess was totally off). As someone with a BA in Anthropology with a lot of interest in culture, I found this world very immersive. Her world-building skills are deep enough I could see many sub-series and maybe even role playing games that could spawn from this. It would make an amazing television series! I also very much appreciate the culture she develops among many of the fantasy races in her book, particularly the werewolves. I am so excited to see what she does with other creatures as they are introduced! I felt very inspired by her world she's built!
She also did a really good job with characters in this one. There's characters you'll dislike (but are supposed to!) and not just antagonists. This makes the world seem realistic. There's always going to be that guy that you work with who's a jerk. It doesn't mean they're a killer. Unlike so many authors, she can make these realistic characters, some who occupy areas of gray, and avoid the pitfall of bad stuff always happening to those who dislike the protagonist. Some people are just jerks. I like this because it adds a lot of realism.
EA Copen also has a way of making you feel pity for people you are kicking yourself for pitying and thinking "What the heck is wrong with me? I should HATE this person!" and also making me dislike someone that I loved the whole book. ALL OF THE FEELS! This is what makes a good book a GREAT book.
I'm excited to read further books from this author and this series. I can't wait to see how she ties up, and ties in, old and new story lines and plots! Definitely an author to watch!
She had me guessing for most of the book who the true villain was (my guess was totally off). As someone with a BA in Anthropology with a lot of interest in culture, I found this world very immersive. Her world-building skills are deep enough I could see many sub-series and maybe even role playing games that could spawn from this. It would make an amazing television series! I also very much appreciate the culture she develops among many of the fantasy races in her book, particularly the werewolves. I am so excited to see what she does with other creatures as they are introduced! I felt very inspired by her world she's built!
She also did a really good job with characters in this one. There's characters you'll dislike (but are supposed to!) and not just antagonists. This makes the world seem realistic. There's always going to be that guy that you work with who's a jerk. It doesn't mean they're a killer. Unlike so many authors, she can make these realistic characters, some who occupy areas of gray, and avoid the pitfall of bad stuff always happening to those who dislike the protagonist. Some people are just jerks. I like this because it adds a lot of realism.
EA Copen also has a way of making you feel pity for people you are kicking yourself for pitying and thinking "What the heck is wrong with me? I should HATE this person!" and also making me dislike someone that I loved the whole book. ALL OF THE FEELS! This is what makes a good book a GREAT book.
I'm excited to read further books from this author and this series. I can't wait to see how she ties up, and ties in, old and new story lines and plots! Definitely an author to watch!
March 4, 2016
"Either you can run or you can turn and fight. That's not particularly true. There's a third possibility: you stand toe to toe with the threat and, out of either stubbornness or stupidity, you simply refuse to engage."
***ARC received via author in exchange for an honest review***
It's been a while since I read a truly good indie book, especially an adult-targeted once. There were so many good points about this book I don't know where to start. So I'll start listing. The blurb instantly caught my attention- you could tell it was an act of a lot of thinking and time to make it just right to appeal to the majority of people as possible. The cast is diverse and are hilarious. The moments that are meant to cause you the most intense pain possible without actually physically banging your head against the wall (I was going to say book, but mine was on the kindle so...) are heartbreaking. The relationships between the characters are palpable from Sal and, Judah and her son, her son and Sal, and all the mixes in between with other characters.
The one thing that bugged me was near the end. Suddenly Judah was thrown to a wall and ended up in a locked in area with several other characters. It happened so fast that I'm not sure how it happened. So I deducted some points from that.
Overall, I look forward to seeing Judah and others grow later on in the series. I recommend this book 100%
***ARC received via author in exchange for an honest review***
It's been a while since I read a truly good indie book, especially an adult-targeted once. There were so many good points about this book I don't know where to start. So I'll start listing. The blurb instantly caught my attention- you could tell it was an act of a lot of thinking and time to make it just right to appeal to the majority of people as possible. The cast is diverse and are hilarious. The moments that are meant to cause you the most intense pain possible without actually physically banging your head against the wall (I was going to say book, but mine was on the kindle so...) are heartbreaking. The relationships between the characters are palpable from Sal and, Judah and her son, her son and Sal, and all the mixes in between with other characters.
The one thing that bugged me was near the end. Suddenly Judah was thrown to a wall and ended up in a locked in area with several other characters. It happened so fast that I'm not sure how it happened. So I deducted some points from that.
Overall, I look forward to seeing Judah and others grow later on in the series. I recommend this book 100%
September 18, 2016
I received an ARC for an honest review...
And I can honestly say I loved it. EA Copen weaves together an amazing world where supernatural entities are out in the open and nothing about their world falls flat.
The main character is a detective who is sent to a reservation in Texas to help police it. When a werewolf turns up dead, she begins unraveling an interesting web that begins pointing to a whole number of people and sets her down a wild path. Along the way quite a bit of her own hidden past comes to light.
If you enjoyed The Dresden Files, The Greywalker Series, or Grave Beginnings then I highly recommend Guilty By Association gets added onto your list.
And I can honestly say I loved it. EA Copen weaves together an amazing world where supernatural entities are out in the open and nothing about their world falls flat.
The main character is a detective who is sent to a reservation in Texas to help police it. When a werewolf turns up dead, she begins unraveling an interesting web that begins pointing to a whole number of people and sets her down a wild path. Along the way quite a bit of her own hidden past comes to light.
If you enjoyed The Dresden Files, The Greywalker Series, or Grave Beginnings then I highly recommend Guilty By Association gets added onto your list.
February 27, 2018
Solid writing
While the bad guy was obvious as soon as he appeared on screen, his motivations and true identity are only hinted at until late in the novel...just the way it should be. Good characters and plenty of mystery.
A few moments of proofreading errors. Nothing terrible.
The fight scenes were a bit odd, especially the final fight. Again, not terrible.
I am going to buy the next book right now. The best recommendation is that I am going to spend money.
While the bad guy was obvious as soon as he appeared on screen, his motivations and true identity are only hinted at until late in the novel...just the way it should be. Good characters and plenty of mystery.
A few moments of proofreading errors. Nothing terrible.
The fight scenes were a bit odd, especially the final fight. Again, not terrible.
I am going to buy the next book right now. The best recommendation is that I am going to spend money.
February 17, 2017
Beautiful cover. Found book in back of Dangerous Ways book. From Sweden with love. Strong woman character, smart, complicated, great mother in tough situation. Great great book! Please read it!
August 1, 2018
I really enjoyed this urban fantasy. Judah Black has been assigned by the BSI, a federal group who polices the Supernatural reservation, to Paint Rock reservation in Texas just in time to be dropped into a vicious murder of Elias, a drug-addicted werewolf. She has little support from either the local cops (who do the stereotypical resent the FBI sort of thing) or the local supernaturals. Worse, Judah's a single mom raising a son who is facing something that is going to change his (and her) life forever.
In this world, a short 'war' was waged and the supernaturals were herded into reservations and even their breeding rights are policed by the federal government so you can imagine no one wants Judah around even if she's there to help them (I don't blame them. As a former reservation doctor I can speak to how well reservation are fun (snort) and the affect it can have on people).
To top it off at least three illegal babies have been kidnapped. In the mix is a strange Catholic priest, a werewolf pack, including one member who lives next door to her, his pregnant ex and her weird doctor boyfriend and a faerie run fantasy club.
I liked Judah for the most part, Sal (the werewolf) and even Father Reed. The world building was good but there were a few strange transitions or maybe it was just I didn't have a clear picture of Judah and her business armorment (like when and where did she get a stake in that scene, and what kind of magic does she really have at her disposal etc).
I'm definitely looking forward to more.
In this world, a short 'war' was waged and the supernaturals were herded into reservations and even their breeding rights are policed by the federal government so you can imagine no one wants Judah around even if she's there to help them (I don't blame them. As a former reservation doctor I can speak to how well reservation are fun (snort) and the affect it can have on people).
To top it off at least three illegal babies have been kidnapped. In the mix is a strange Catholic priest, a werewolf pack, including one member who lives next door to her, his pregnant ex and her weird doctor boyfriend and a faerie run fantasy club.
I liked Judah for the most part, Sal (the werewolf) and even Father Reed. The world building was good but there were a few strange transitions or maybe it was just I didn't have a clear picture of Judah and her business armorment (like when and where did she get a stake in that scene, and what kind of magic does she really have at her disposal etc).
I'm definitely looking forward to more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 24, 2019
Guilty By Association - a review by Rosemary Kenny
FBI Special Agent Judah Black (not her real name), has a fascinating and convoluted private life to say the least, in Guilty by Association by the amazing fantasy writer E A Copen. For instance she used to be married to a werewolf, although she didn't know that until he was lynched and murdered in front of her.
Secondly, her son Hunter, now approaching puberty, turns out to be about to undergo his first Change - into his father's hidden side as a Werewolf by the next full Moon - and Judah is helpless to explain or warn him what she dreads will take her son away from her for good.
Who can Judah turn to for help? How does she get to know Chanter Silvermoon? What is special about Chanter and his extended family?
When is Judah sent on a case to the Supernatural Reservation - and what does she find out there? Who wants to stop Judah being involved?
Who are Saloso and Zoe? What secret are they hiding from the authorities? Why does Judah need to use her special skill - and what is it?
When Hunter, Judah, Chanter and others end up facing an ancient enemy of Mankind, the chips are really down and emotions run very high.
Can Judah get the help she needs from an outside source, or will she have to pit her own wits and wisdom - and even her life - on the line to save her son and the other Reservation occupants? Only reading E A Copen's fantastic book, Guilty By Association, Book 1 of the Judah Black series, will reveal the answers!
FBI Special Agent Judah Black (not her real name), has a fascinating and convoluted private life to say the least, in Guilty by Association by the amazing fantasy writer E A Copen. For instance she used to be married to a werewolf, although she didn't know that until he was lynched and murdered in front of her.
Secondly, her son Hunter, now approaching puberty, turns out to be about to undergo his first Change - into his father's hidden side as a Werewolf by the next full Moon - and Judah is helpless to explain or warn him what she dreads will take her son away from her for good.
Who can Judah turn to for help? How does she get to know Chanter Silvermoon? What is special about Chanter and his extended family?
When is Judah sent on a case to the Supernatural Reservation - and what does she find out there? Who wants to stop Judah being involved?
Who are Saloso and Zoe? What secret are they hiding from the authorities? Why does Judah need to use her special skill - and what is it?
When Hunter, Judah, Chanter and others end up facing an ancient enemy of Mankind, the chips are really down and emotions run very high.
Can Judah get the help she needs from an outside source, or will she have to pit her own wits and wisdom - and even her life - on the line to save her son and the other Reservation occupants? Only reading E A Copen's fantastic book, Guilty By Association, Book 1 of the Judah Black series, will reveal the answers!
February 22, 2023
It’s been a while since I’ve actively disliked a book. This book it’s a complete waste of time. The main character makes no decisions and takes no actions that affect any part of the plot. You could remove her entirely and it would make no difference.
She is also very unlikeable. She leaves her adolescent child at home alone constantly, but the author does nothing to show familial intimacy interact when they are together. We see no bond between them. No mother-son relationship at all that is not negative - she abandons him all day, he doesn’t even seem to enter into her thoughts when she can’t be with him. She knows the father was a werewolf but does nothing to prepare him for a possible change, despite the fact her job is policing supernaturals. Not only is she seemingly ignorant of her target policing demographic, she is also constantly unaware of anything magical that occurs around her.
The dialogue was completely unrealistic. The ending, like everything else, happens around her without any significant action from her. I can’t remember if I paid any money for this garbage but I sincerely hope not. Avoid this one, it’s not even an entertaining hot mess.
She is also very unlikeable. She leaves her adolescent child at home alone constantly, but the author does nothing to show familial intimacy interact when they are together. We see no bond between them. No mother-son relationship at all that is not negative - she abandons him all day, he doesn’t even seem to enter into her thoughts when she can’t be with him. She knows the father was a werewolf but does nothing to prepare him for a possible change, despite the fact her job is policing supernaturals. Not only is she seemingly ignorant of her target policing demographic, she is also constantly unaware of anything magical that occurs around her.
The dialogue was completely unrealistic. The ending, like everything else, happens around her without any significant action from her. I can’t remember if I paid any money for this garbage but I sincerely hope not. Avoid this one, it’s not even an entertaining hot mess.
July 18, 2016
More reviews available at my blog, Beauty and the Bookworm.
Guilty by Association is E. A. Copen's first book and also the first in a series focusing on a paranormal regulatory/investigative agent named Judah in a world where supernatural creatures are out in the open. She works for a government agency called the BSI, and I do not remember what that stands for, but they handle all issues relating to vampires, werewolves, and fae, and probably some other creatures we haven't encountered yet. Judah is also a code name, hinting that name magic is something to be taken seriously in this world. Anyway, Judah has just moved to Paint Rock, Texas with her eleven-year-old son, Hunter, after something went down in their old home in Cleveland to get her reassigned. Paint Rock was once a normal town but was emptied of most of its human inhabitants and turned into a reservation for the area's paranormals, including a vampire coven, a werewolf pack, and a handful of fae. The book opens with Judah discovering a dead werewolf in the laundromat, and it gets crazier from there as she tries to solve both the murder and what appears to be a connected series of kidnappings.
This was a great book. In style and general feel, the thing it reminds me of most is Rachel Caine's Weather Warden series. I'm not sure why this is, precisely, because the two aren't actually very similar in content at all other than that they're paranormal fantasies. Maybe it's the writing style? I've always found Caine's writing style to be very engaging, and that was definitely the case here. All of Copen's characters were fully fleshed-out and served their purpose without seeming superfluous. The most superfluous one I can think of was Patsy, but I suspect she'll be a bigger player in future books. (I do hope there will be future books.) At first, I really didn't like that Judah had a kid because 1) I do not like children and 2) The last book I read that heavily featured a child of the main character featured long and detailed descriptions of the child-friendly playlists they listened to and then ended in a ridiculous kidnapping plot. That didn't happen here. I think Hunter fit very well into the story, and his background and character development lend themselves heavily to the plot as a whole. That was great; it's so annoying when children are featured as characters just as "wallpaper" for the sake of them being there, without them actually having any impact on the story. Hunter had impact, and that makes him A-okay in my book!
The world building here was also well-done, though a little confusing when I think about it a bit more in depth. The basic story is that vampires came "out of the coffin" to steal a Sookie Stackhouse phrase, and they dragged the werewolves and fae out with them in order to help share the heat. That made sense. What also made a lot of sense to me was the rampant discrimination against these "new" types of being. Having them being forced out of their regular homes and onto a reservation was a very clear comparison to historical discrimination seen in the United States and I thought the point was very clearly made, though occasionally handled with some well-deserved lightheartedness, like when one character mentions that the cops manning the checkpoints between the reservation and the outside world are racist and another goes "Against werewolves or Indians?" or something like that. What was a little more confusing was the way humans with magic are treated. Judah has some magic, though not a lot, and it's implied that some humans have a lot more. (Does Father Reed fall into this category or not? He would seem to, but I have a suspicion that he's not actually human... Hm...) But these humans, despite their supernatural abilities, don't seem to face any discrimination at all. Judah faces a little bit of jibing when she first breaks out her abilities, but after that no one questions or avoids her due to them. I wonder why humans with magic weren't lumped into a different sort of "other" group and also persecuted, though maybe not to the extent that the beings who very obviously are not human were.
I'll tell you what I missed in this book: a romantic subplot. I know, I know, I am not obligated one, but I think it's the whole "this reminded me of Rachel Caine" thing that had me looking for one around every corner, because romance features pretty heavily in her books. Did this book need a romantic subplot? No. Judah is a strong independent woman who don't need no man. I can see where a romantic plotline, had there been one, could have been seen as pandering. (But then, I like being pandered to.) Did this suffer for not having a romance? No... But come on, Sal was so awesome, how could you not be hoping they would hook up the entire time? Granted, that might have made the whole episode in the Ways a little weirder, but still. I wanted it.
This is getting a bit long, so I'll wrap it up with this: overall, this was a great book, and I would definitely read the next one. I think Judah and the other inhabitants of Paint Rock have a lot of potential, and that there's probably some "big bad" brewing in the middle distance for them to face, if the end was any indication. It's one of those books that wraps up all the plot points and has closure, but still leaves plenty of room for more. Was it one of my absolute favorite books that I'll reach for over and over and over again? Probably not; those books are few and far between. But I would recommend it to anyone who likes a good, developed paranormal fantasy with a strong female character as the lead.
Also, I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest review--but I liked it so much I went out and bought a copy afterward, so that probably speaks for itself!
A solid 4 stars out of 5.
Guilty by Association is E. A. Copen's first book and also the first in a series focusing on a paranormal regulatory/investigative agent named Judah in a world where supernatural creatures are out in the open. She works for a government agency called the BSI, and I do not remember what that stands for, but they handle all issues relating to vampires, werewolves, and fae, and probably some other creatures we haven't encountered yet. Judah is also a code name, hinting that name magic is something to be taken seriously in this world. Anyway, Judah has just moved to Paint Rock, Texas with her eleven-year-old son, Hunter, after something went down in their old home in Cleveland to get her reassigned. Paint Rock was once a normal town but was emptied of most of its human inhabitants and turned into a reservation for the area's paranormals, including a vampire coven, a werewolf pack, and a handful of fae. The book opens with Judah discovering a dead werewolf in the laundromat, and it gets crazier from there as she tries to solve both the murder and what appears to be a connected series of kidnappings.
This was a great book. In style and general feel, the thing it reminds me of most is Rachel Caine's Weather Warden series. I'm not sure why this is, precisely, because the two aren't actually very similar in content at all other than that they're paranormal fantasies. Maybe it's the writing style? I've always found Caine's writing style to be very engaging, and that was definitely the case here. All of Copen's characters were fully fleshed-out and served their purpose without seeming superfluous. The most superfluous one I can think of was Patsy, but I suspect she'll be a bigger player in future books. (I do hope there will be future books.) At first, I really didn't like that Judah had a kid because 1) I do not like children and 2) The last book I read that heavily featured a child of the main character featured long and detailed descriptions of the child-friendly playlists they listened to and then ended in a ridiculous kidnapping plot. That didn't happen here. I think Hunter fit very well into the story, and his background and character development lend themselves heavily to the plot as a whole. That was great; it's so annoying when children are featured as characters just as "wallpaper" for the sake of them being there, without them actually having any impact on the story. Hunter had impact, and that makes him A-okay in my book!
The world building here was also well-done, though a little confusing when I think about it a bit more in depth. The basic story is that vampires came "out of the coffin" to steal a Sookie Stackhouse phrase, and they dragged the werewolves and fae out with them in order to help share the heat. That made sense. What also made a lot of sense to me was the rampant discrimination against these "new" types of being. Having them being forced out of their regular homes and onto a reservation was a very clear comparison to historical discrimination seen in the United States and I thought the point was very clearly made, though occasionally handled with some well-deserved lightheartedness, like when one character mentions that the cops manning the checkpoints between the reservation and the outside world are racist and another goes "Against werewolves or Indians?" or something like that. What was a little more confusing was the way humans with magic are treated. Judah has some magic, though not a lot, and it's implied that some humans have a lot more. (Does Father Reed fall into this category or not? He would seem to, but I have a suspicion that he's not actually human... Hm...) But these humans, despite their supernatural abilities, don't seem to face any discrimination at all. Judah faces a little bit of jibing when she first breaks out her abilities, but after that no one questions or avoids her due to them. I wonder why humans with magic weren't lumped into a different sort of "other" group and also persecuted, though maybe not to the extent that the beings who very obviously are not human were.
I'll tell you what I missed in this book: a romantic subplot. I know, I know, I am not obligated one, but I think it's the whole "this reminded me of Rachel Caine" thing that had me looking for one around every corner, because romance features pretty heavily in her books. Did this book need a romantic subplot? No. Judah is a strong independent woman who don't need no man. I can see where a romantic plotline, had there been one, could have been seen as pandering. (But then, I like being pandered to.) Did this suffer for not having a romance? No... But come on, Sal was so awesome, how could you not be hoping they would hook up the entire time? Granted, that might have made the whole episode in the Ways a little weirder, but still. I wanted it.
This is getting a bit long, so I'll wrap it up with this: overall, this was a great book, and I would definitely read the next one. I think Judah and the other inhabitants of Paint Rock have a lot of potential, and that there's probably some "big bad" brewing in the middle distance for them to face, if the end was any indication. It's one of those books that wraps up all the plot points and has closure, but still leaves plenty of room for more. Was it one of my absolute favorite books that I'll reach for over and over and over again? Probably not; those books are few and far between. But I would recommend it to anyone who likes a good, developed paranormal fantasy with a strong female character as the lead.
Also, I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest review--but I liked it so much I went out and bought a copy afterward, so that probably speaks for itself!
A solid 4 stars out of 5.
November 19, 2017
Guilty by Association is the first in a series introducing a strong female protagonist named Judah Black. The story is set in Paint Rock, a hostile setting where supernaturals have come out and they have been segregated by the government on Paint Rock Supernatural Reservation.
Judah is new to town and works for the BSI (the Bureau of Supernatural Investigation). No one appreciates her being in Paint Rock, neither the Police or the residence. When she digs deeper into the murder of a werewolf to find supernatural, illegal children are going missing, Judah has to prove her worth and rely on those she cannot trust to work alongside her to find the missing children and fight a particularly evil supernatural creature.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and look forward to reading others in the series.
If you're searching for a new urban fantasy series with a strong female protagonist I recommend you give Guilty by Association a read.
Judah is new to town and works for the BSI (the Bureau of Supernatural Investigation). No one appreciates her being in Paint Rock, neither the Police or the residence. When she digs deeper into the murder of a werewolf to find supernatural, illegal children are going missing, Judah has to prove her worth and rely on those she cannot trust to work alongside her to find the missing children and fight a particularly evil supernatural creature.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and look forward to reading others in the series.
If you're searching for a new urban fantasy series with a strong female protagonist I recommend you give Guilty by Association a read.
March 4, 2018
A fantastic supernatural crime novel started with a murder that leads to a more serious mystery of supernatural children being kidnapped. There's an amazing plot and in depth character development. It's like I was reading a supernatural suspense horror movie. The world building is intricate and the story engaging. I couldn't put the book down because I had to know what happens next with Judah's investigation. I'm a big chicken and don't like watching or reading scary, so the fact that I stayed up til 2am to finish the book speaks volumes. There's gore and scary af supernatural beings that's far from being romanticized. Ever heard of a windigo?? I know it's just lore used in a book, but that doesn't make it less scary. I'm not sure if I will get much sleep tonight! I really enjoyed the writing. I'm looking forward to the other books...that I will probably read during the day hahahaha.
February 16, 2019
Excellent story! Meet Judah Black who is a BSI agent. She has been sent to a reservation for paranormals. It seems she irritated a few people off she went to Paint Rock Supernatural Reservation. As she goes into the laundromat she discovers a dead body and the mystery begins. She meet the local police and medical examiner and the fun begins. There is not one mystery but several subplots with a twist. You have lots of action, love of a mother for a child with bit and pieces of humor.
The book is very interesting and I throughly enjoyed it! I highly recommend this book if you are looking for an excellent mystery with lots of action!
The book is very interesting and I throughly enjoyed it! I highly recommend this book if you are looking for an excellent mystery with lots of action!
April 2, 2018
Inventive and engrossing supernatural thriller
Well-written supernatural thriller that includes a nation of newly declared supernatural creatures fighting for equal rights in a bigoted world. With many supernatural brings forced to live on reservations, and required to apply for permission to marry, and to breed, as well as to do most anything else, hostilities against government officials run high. Then, there are strange murders and kidnappings. Judah Black hopes to be able to solve the case before the children are killed. Kept me riveted from beginning to end.
Well-written supernatural thriller that includes a nation of newly declared supernatural creatures fighting for equal rights in a bigoted world. With many supernatural brings forced to live on reservations, and required to apply for permission to marry, and to breed, as well as to do most anything else, hostilities against government officials run high. Then, there are strange murders and kidnappings. Judah Black hopes to be able to solve the case before the children are killed. Kept me riveted from beginning to end.
March 11, 2022
Werewolves, vampires and more thrown to a reservation
This is one series of Copen's I hadn't read and decided to try. Having now read it, I still not sure if I like it or not. Judah has some magical power but it really isn't explored. Both the reservation she is assigned to as punishment and the urbanization she works for are left unclear. The story does pave the way for details to emerge in later books. Since I am an E.A. fan, I am hoping the next book draws me in more than this one did.
This is one series of Copen's I hadn't read and decided to try. Having now read it, I still not sure if I like it or not. Judah has some magical power but it really isn't explored. Both the reservation she is assigned to as punishment and the urbanization she works for are left unclear. The story does pave the way for details to emerge in later books. Since I am an E.A. fan, I am hoping the next book draws me in more than this one did.
March 3, 2017
Kindle Unlimited. Paranormal investigative agent named Judah, working for a government agency BSI {Bureau of Supernatural Investigations}. Reminds me of a little darker Special Unit 2, which was one of my favorite shows when it was on. I don't do synopsis; read the books.
Guilty by Association (Judah Black Novels Book 1)
Blood Debt (Judah Black Novels Book 2)
Chasing Ghosts (Judah Black Novels Book 3)
The Judah Black Novels: Boxed Set of books 1-3
Guilty by Association (Judah Black Novels Book 1)
Blood Debt (Judah Black Novels Book 2)
Chasing Ghosts (Judah Black Novels Book 3)
The Judah Black Novels: Boxed Set of books 1-3
October 6, 2017
Fantastically well written. Strong, clever female protagonist. New use of magic I haven't seen before. A great new setting, as well as both the touch on the cultural issues in that world/people, and the supernatural. Judah is a complex character handling an even more complex life with a government job, but it dealing with the preternatural, being a mom, and living on a thin budget. It's hard hitting, resonating, and more. Wonderful story telling.
October 24, 2017
Judah Black. Cool character name.
New author of urban fantasy. Has a bit of a Supernatural/patricia briggs. feel to it. Decent first book in a series. I felt it could’ve used some fleshing out here and there, particularly interactions between Judah and her son. Nevertheless, i’m curious to learn more of Judah’s past and find out what is lurking in her future. Loved the cover art.
New author of urban fantasy. Has a bit of a Supernatural/patricia briggs. feel to it. Decent first book in a series. I felt it could’ve used some fleshing out here and there, particularly interactions between Judah and her son. Nevertheless, i’m curious to learn more of Judah’s past and find out what is lurking in her future. Loved the cover art.
March 7, 2018
Paranormal action to the max
Copen has written a story that picks you up like a whirlwind that has so much action it will leave you breathless. Follow Judah Black, a paranormal detective, and her son Hunter as they move to a reservation in Paint Rock, Texas where nearly all the residents are some type of paranormal. Cracking good start to this series.
Copen has written a story that picks you up like a whirlwind that has so much action it will leave you breathless. Follow Judah Black, a paranormal detective, and her son Hunter as they move to a reservation in Paint Rock, Texas where nearly all the residents are some type of paranormal. Cracking good start to this series.
March 29, 2018
Reminds me of Moon Called
Judah is not so bright, but she makes up for it by sheer stubborn unkillability. The big bad is obvious and the loose ends slightly maddening. However, pacing is slick; the world is good; characters are unique and interesting; plot is solid; and the writing is above average. I'd buy the second one.
Judah is not so bright, but she makes up for it by sheer stubborn unkillability. The big bad is obvious and the loose ends slightly maddening. However, pacing is slick; the world is good; characters are unique and interesting; plot is solid; and the writing is above average. I'd buy the second one.
July 11, 2018
One hell of a ride...
...that you can't get off...and frankly don't want to! This is an amazing story, with some fantastic characters, both good and bad. Werewolves, wendigos, fae, and a whole lot more. I couldn't put it down, which certainly meant working was difficult lol but this is certainly a series that will become addictive....roll on the next adventure
...that you can't get off...and frankly don't want to! This is an amazing story, with some fantastic characters, both good and bad. Werewolves, wendigos, fae, and a whole lot more. I couldn't put it down, which certainly meant working was difficult lol but this is certainly a series that will become addictive....roll on the next adventure
August 25, 2018
I'm mad! Mad that the book was so good, that when I finished,I wanted more! E.A. Copen, omg, You out did yourself! I knew, when you told me about this book at Awesome Con, that it was a must read. This book makes you really connect with the characters and feel as if you were with them, going through all the trails and tribulations. Part 2, here I come!!
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