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Blood Trails #6
Caged
Murder hits close to home for a certain werewolf in the latest mystery by USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Blackstream
When a murder investigation starts with a mutilated corpse and a savage, newly-turned werewolf, it's normal to hope things improve from there.
But in Shade's experience, it's more likely things will get worse.
Much worse.
A mutiny is brewing in the local werewolf pack, and a homicide involving a close ally of the alpha—Detective Sergeant Liam Osbourne—is exactly the crack in his armor his enemies have been waiting for.
Together with Liam and her FBI partner, Agent Andrew Bradford, Shade will need to stretch her powers to dangerous limits to find the conspirator—not only to prevent another grisly killing, but to halt a campaign of terror reaching far beyond the blood-stained crime scene.
Can they solve the case before treason rips Liam's pack in two?
When a murder investigation starts with a mutilated corpse and a savage, newly-turned werewolf, it's normal to hope things improve from there.
But in Shade's experience, it's more likely things will get worse.
Much worse.
A mutiny is brewing in the local werewolf pack, and a homicide involving a close ally of the alpha—Detective Sergeant Liam Osbourne—is exactly the crack in his armor his enemies have been waiting for.
Together with Liam and her FBI partner, Agent Andrew Bradford, Shade will need to stretch her powers to dangerous limits to find the conspirator—not only to prevent another grisly killing, but to halt a campaign of terror reaching far beyond the blood-stained crime scene.
Can they solve the case before treason rips Liam's pack in two?
370 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2019
117 people are currently reading
97 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Blackstream
53 books512 followersJennifer Blackstream is a USA Today bestselling author of urban fantasy and paranormal romance. She is amazed and grateful to have made a writing career out of a Master’s degree in Psychology, hours of couch-detecting watching Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, and endless research into mythology and fairy tales. She firmly believes that whether it’s a village witch deciding she wants to be a private investigator, or a single mother having a go at being a full time writer, it’s never too late for a new adventure.
A fervent devotee of cooperative board games, Jennifer sets aside at least two nights a week for team-based adventures such as Mice & Mystics, Sentinels of the Multiverse, or Harry Potter: Battle at Hogwarts. She uses games with dice-based mechanics to lure in her ridiculously lucky-rolling son and daughter in the hope that they too will develop a passion for cooperative escapism.
Jennifer currently has three series going:
BLOOD PRINCE SERIES (PARANORMAL ROMANCE, COMPLETE):
Book 1 – Before Midnight
Book 2 – One Bite
Book 3 – Golden Stair
Book 4 – Divine Scales
Book 5 – Beautiful Salvation
Bonus Adventures in the Blood Prince World:
Book 2.5 – What Big Teeth You Have (free when you sign up for mailing list mentioned below)
Book 4.5 – The Pirate’s Witch
Book 5.5 – Dead to Begin With (available only between Thanksgiving and whenever Jennifer takes her Christmas tree down)
BLOOD REALM SERIES (PARANORMAL ROMANCE, IN PROGRESS SPIN-OFF OF BLOOD PRINCE SERIES):
Book 1 – All for a Rose
Book 2 – Blue Voodoo
Book 3 – The Archer
Book 4 – Bear With Me
Book 5 – Stolen Wish
BLOOD TRAILS SERIES (URBAN FANTASY, ONGOING)
Book 1 – Deadline
Book 2 – Monster
Book 3 – Taken
Book 4 – Corruption
Book 5 – Mercenary
Book 6 – Caged
Book 7 – Betrayal
A fervent devotee of cooperative board games, Jennifer sets aside at least two nights a week for team-based adventures such as Mice & Mystics, Sentinels of the Multiverse, or Harry Potter: Battle at Hogwarts. She uses games with dice-based mechanics to lure in her ridiculously lucky-rolling son and daughter in the hope that they too will develop a passion for cooperative escapism.
Jennifer currently has three series going:
BLOOD PRINCE SERIES (PARANORMAL ROMANCE, COMPLETE):
Book 1 – Before Midnight
Book 2 – One Bite
Book 3 – Golden Stair
Book 4 – Divine Scales
Book 5 – Beautiful Salvation
Bonus Adventures in the Blood Prince World:
Book 2.5 – What Big Teeth You Have (free when you sign up for mailing list mentioned below)
Book 4.5 – The Pirate’s Witch
Book 5.5 – Dead to Begin With (available only between Thanksgiving and whenever Jennifer takes her Christmas tree down)
BLOOD REALM SERIES (PARANORMAL ROMANCE, IN PROGRESS SPIN-OFF OF BLOOD PRINCE SERIES):
Book 1 – All for a Rose
Book 2 – Blue Voodoo
Book 3 – The Archer
Book 4 – Bear With Me
Book 5 – Stolen Wish
BLOOD TRAILS SERIES (URBAN FANTASY, ONGOING)
Book 1 – Deadline
Book 2 – Monster
Book 3 – Taken
Book 4 – Corruption
Book 5 – Mercenary
Book 6 – Caged
Book 7 – Betrayal
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
October 7, 2019
I feel like I'm losing interest in this series. I'd love for the "main story" to move forward - Flint's nefarious agenda, what / who is Scath, Andy and his whole dealing with the Otherworld... but instead we get barely a hint of that and instead we get a whole book on shifters' politics that feels very... repetitive in places.
March 1, 2022
4.5 Stars:)
March 14, 2020
Caged was really good! I enjoyed Shade and everything that happened. Although, I wish we could figure out Andy a bit more and move onto the year being done for her.
October 8, 2019
Fantastic series
The world building in this series is incredible. I love the author's take on the various types of paranormal. The characters are truly amazing, and the storylines draw the reader in every time. This really is a book that is very difficult to put down.
The world building in this series is incredible. I love the author's take on the various types of paranormal. The characters are truly amazing, and the storylines draw the reader in every time. This really is a book that is very difficult to put down.
March 11, 2020
1. Adrenaline rushing non stop.
2. Betrayal will exposed what is Flint agenda.
3. Will be more Shade x Liam💕. I love this slow burn relationship. Getting to know each other. Their special relationship. Not to forget Shade and Liam good disguised and acting. Sweet combination.
4. I like Liam. His character are not cliche like typical Alpha werewolves on heat and ready to pin you down to his bed. He more gentleman. This is what should be an Alpha character. Not mentioning mate whatsoever. Not typical werewolves fantasy romance having mate.
2. Betrayal will exposed what is Flint agenda.
3. Will be more Shade x Liam💕. I love this slow burn relationship. Getting to know each other. Their special relationship. Not to forget Shade and Liam good disguised and acting. Sweet combination.
4. I like Liam. His character are not cliche like typical Alpha werewolves on heat and ready to pin you down to his bed. He more gentleman. This is what should be an Alpha character. Not mentioning mate whatsoever. Not typical werewolves fantasy romance having mate.
September 21, 2020
un excellent livre que j'ai dévoré sans pouvoir m'arrêter.
Les personnages évolues très bien et bien que Andrew Bradford soit présent il n'est pas le personnage principal ni secondaire. Tant mieux.
C'est avec un grand plaisir que le détective Sergeant Liam Osborne partage la vedette avec Shade pour une nouvelle enquête.
Le Side ne fait qu'un lègère apparition vers la fin du roman, et c'est bien ainsi.
Les personnages évolues très bien et bien que Andrew Bradford soit présent il n'est pas le personnage principal ni secondaire. Tant mieux.
C'est avec un grand plaisir que le détective Sergeant Liam Osborne partage la vedette avec Shade pour une nouvelle enquête.
Le Side ne fait qu'un lègère apparition vers la fin du roman, et c'est bien ainsi.
December 27, 2024
I like these books better the more the werewolf characters are in them, and this was all werewolf all the time, plus an actually decent mystery and a very surprising reveal at the end. It would probably be my favorite of the series except for how tedious it was for one of the characters to be at 90% of max testosterone fury the whole time. It was eventually revealed to be for Plot Reasons, but books and characters need ups and downs; Liam Is Always Ready To Dismember Someone got exhausting.
July 29, 2023
Another great story. At this point I care about the main characters so much, I can barely handle the tension and suspense! I dreamt about it last night. So it’s a much pain as it is pleasure, but of course I can’t stop reading.
April 10, 2020
Aaahhh
The search for missing werewolf was twisty and kept me on my toes. Scath is human...oh my. The tension between shade and liam is crazy . I hope the next book books them up.
The search for missing werewolf was twisty and kept me on my toes. Scath is human...oh my. The tension between shade and liam is crazy . I hope the next book books them up.
May 6, 2020
Team Shade and Liam
This is an awesome series. I love the different paranormal species and I really love Shade the witch. Please hurry, I need the next book in this series.
This is an awesome series. I love the different paranormal species and I really love Shade the witch. Please hurry, I need the next book in this series.
September 9, 2020
It's sad when you can no longer binge read an excellent series --- have to wait 2 weeks uuntil next in series.Surely you can write faster
September 27, 2020
Unable to post review due to heath issues will post later 4 stars.
July 7, 2021
3.75*
May there be more Liam in rest of the series because that Andy bloke is the most boring one.
May there be more Liam in rest of the series because that Andy bloke is the most boring one.
August 25, 2023
This book was really great. The storyline was pulling and developed around Liam's pack problems. I really like how Shade acted towards pack members and solved the mystery. Great work by the author.
May 20, 2024
Paranormal shifters and magic-users investigate murders and disappearances. Lots of trickery, betrayal, changing loyalties, secrets, politics, and hidden romances. A few typos.
December 11, 2019
Captivating read
Love the main character, Shade. The attraction between Shade and Liam is swoon worthy. Can't wait for the next series.
Love the main character, Shade. The attraction between Shade and Liam is swoon worthy. Can't wait for the next series.
October 8, 2019
It's another wild ride with Ohio's resourceful village witch-turned private detective Shade Renard and her impulsive and tough-talking pixie familiar Peasblossom, this time through the minefield of werewolf politics and delicate alliances.
Shade's been working hard to earn the trust of her two stand-offish sometime partners in crime-solving: Rocky River werewolf pack alpha and metroparks ranger Detective Sergeant Liam Osbourne and FBI Agent Andrew Bradford. The latter is still adjusting to the presence of the Otherworld's supernatural creatures on his turf and Shade worries he's a bit too at ease with shooting the "monsters" he deems threatening.
Her rock-and-a-hard-place pact with a notorious fey is proving more treacherous a pitfall than ever before. Especially since she's put off telling Liam about what she owes...or sorting out her feelings for him and what he wants from her.
Shade and Agent Bradford are drawn into Liam's private world when the murder of a would-be big game hunter by a newly turned werewolf forces him to invite them into New Moon Recovery Center, where vulnerable and volatile new werewolves become acclimated to life as shapeshifters.
It soon comes out that someone from Liam's family may have been kidnapped OR may be responsible for unleashing the out-of-control new werewolf on the murder victim. Liam's desperation to find the truth puts him on edge at precisely the the time he needs control the most to stop an uprising by his pack's newest and brashest wolves.
Much of what I loved in this book is too difficult to discuss without spoilers. As always the series' banter and snark are great fun (usually Peasblossom), the combat scenes (which in most series I skim) are intense and riveting, the mythical monsters revealed are truly menacing, and hero Shade is tough without needing a gun or advanced martial arts.
On a personal note I appreciated that the author takes an unflinching look at the devastating ripple effects of drug addiction as Shade's investigation deepens. Anyone who says genre fiction can't (or won't) engage with serious aspects of the human condition just isn't paying close attention. That's my opinion.
And here's another...
When you love a series, you should speak up---BOOST THE SIGNAL!
Shade's been working hard to earn the trust of her two stand-offish sometime partners in crime-solving: Rocky River werewolf pack alpha and metroparks ranger Detective Sergeant Liam Osbourne and FBI Agent Andrew Bradford. The latter is still adjusting to the presence of the Otherworld's supernatural creatures on his turf and Shade worries he's a bit too at ease with shooting the "monsters" he deems threatening.
Her rock-and-a-hard-place pact with a notorious fey is proving more treacherous a pitfall than ever before. Especially since she's put off telling Liam about what she owes...or sorting out her feelings for him and what he wants from her.
Shade and Agent Bradford are drawn into Liam's private world when the murder of a would-be big game hunter by a newly turned werewolf forces him to invite them into New Moon Recovery Center, where vulnerable and volatile new werewolves become acclimated to life as shapeshifters.
It soon comes out that someone from Liam's family may have been kidnapped OR may be responsible for unleashing the out-of-control new werewolf on the murder victim. Liam's desperation to find the truth puts him on edge at precisely the the time he needs control the most to stop an uprising by his pack's newest and brashest wolves.
Much of what I loved in this book is too difficult to discuss without spoilers. As always the series' banter and snark are great fun (usually Peasblossom), the combat scenes (which in most series I skim) are intense and riveting, the mythical monsters revealed are truly menacing, and hero Shade is tough without needing a gun or advanced martial arts.
On a personal note I appreciated that the author takes an unflinching look at the devastating ripple effects of drug addiction as Shade's investigation deepens. Anyone who says genre fiction can't (or won't) engage with serious aspects of the human condition just isn't paying close attention. That's my opinion.
And here's another...
When you love a series, you should speak up---BOOST THE SIGNAL!
October 5, 2019
AWESOME!! I had to finish Mercenary (Blood Trails Book 5) before starting this new book and so I had a good, long spell of Shade Renard and all her friends (and non-friends/enemies). I definitely enjoyed myself these last two weeks as I was "stuck" getting my Jennifer Blackstream fix.
I had some surprises as this story progressed and I really am looking forward to see where they take the series. There were places in this book that I wasn't expecting to find myself going and I love it when that happens.
I had some surprises as this story progressed and I really am looking forward to see where they take the series. There were places in this book that I wasn't expecting to find myself going and I love it when that happens.
October 25, 2019
I love this series
Blackstream has written one of the best main characters that can possibly be found in the urban fantasy/paranormal genre. Shade Rennard is an old school witch in a modern world. She seems to have a personal mission to modernize witchery and she does it by using her skills to solve criminal mysteries. The mysteries are great too and coincide with obvious growth of characters. This series is satisfying on a visceral level, at least for a book devourer like me. Each entry has been consistently excellent.
Blackstream has written one of the best main characters that can possibly be found in the urban fantasy/paranormal genre. Shade Rennard is an old school witch in a modern world. She seems to have a personal mission to modernize witchery and she does it by using her skills to solve criminal mysteries. The mysteries are great too and coincide with obvious growth of characters. This series is satisfying on a visceral level, at least for a book devourer like me. Each entry has been consistently excellent.
October 30, 2019
I just love this series.
We have our frumpy witch and her iity bitty familiar pixy , the FBI guy , the Werewolf Alpha Ranger and the "evil" Fae whom I am not so sure is actually evil. I cant wait to read the next one, find out whats up with Scath (fae werecat), see if our alpha can manage to stay way from shade for longer than the 3 months and all in all just read another mystery in the life of our private detective witch.
We have our frumpy witch and her iity bitty familiar pixy , the FBI guy , the Werewolf Alpha Ranger and the "evil" Fae whom I am not so sure is actually evil. I cant wait to read the next one, find out whats up with Scath (fae werecat), see if our alpha can manage to stay way from shade for longer than the 3 months and all in all just read another mystery in the life of our private detective witch.
October 4, 2019
What a whirlwind of emotions! So full of passion, twisting and turning, throwing the unsuspecting reader into an abyss or high above the clouds at the drop of a hat. You never know what will happen next, who to trust, nothing can be taken for granted and I just couldn't put the book down until I devoured it completely. And Peasblossom with the grappling gun? Just so adorable! I love this series!
October 5, 2019
Loved it!
A really exciting read, and a great addition to the series. I enjoyed seeing the tension between Liam and Shade. And Shade’s partnership. Looking forward to finding out what happens next!
A really exciting read, and a great addition to the series. I enjoyed seeing the tension between Liam and Shade. And Shade’s partnership. Looking forward to finding out what happens next!
October 8, 2019
Wonderful urban fantasy series continues
Watch out the werewolves are back, and Shade might just lean into Liam again. Great expansion of this series, and it includes some world building and intriguing hints of where the series might be heading. Grab the whole series!
Watch out the werewolves are back, and Shade might just lean into Liam again. Great expansion of this series, and it includes some world building and intriguing hints of where the series might be heading. Grab the whole series!
October 4, 2019
If you give a pixie a grappling gun...
Peasblossom and Scath are still healing from their last case when Mother Renard is called to help with a murder that turns into a conspiracy.
Peasblossom and Scath are still healing from their last case when Mother Renard is called to help with a murder that turns into a conspiracy.
October 18, 2019
Enjoyable read
Not as good as the other books in the series but still an enjoyable read. Can't wait to see what happens in the next book!
Not as good as the other books in the series but still an enjoyable read. Can't wait to see what happens in the next book!
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews