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Detective Docherty #1

Detective Docherty and the Demon's Tears

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An alternative cover edition for this ASIN can be found here.


It was called the Great Awakening, when magickal kind returned to our world. They live among us now, renting apartments, laboring in the workforce, and paying taxes. Ares is a vampire and doing very well for himself in the modern world. Between teaching at the local university and assisting a paranormal investigator, things couldn’t be better. But when a woman dies mysteriously in her own home, the question isn’t who killed her, but what.

Alexandria is alone in the world. Having lived a complicated life surrounded by mystery and tragedy, she's quickly pulled into the world of paranormal investigating. Can she walk the border between the worlds of man and magick or will she become lost to it?

Vampires. Witches. Ghosts. Demons. Fairies and Gods.

Detective Docherty and the Demon's Tear is an all new Urban Fantasy with a Paranormal Mystery twist.

254 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 20, 2012

208 people are currently reading
333 people want to read

About the author

Sarah WaterRaven

13 books55 followers
I kill people and distract readers with pixies.

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5 stars
95 (39%)
4 stars
76 (31%)
3 stars
45 (18%)
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14 (5%)
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8 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
Profile Image for Cassandra (Thebookishcrypt).
589 reviews58 followers
August 25, 2016
*Copy provided by author in exchange for an honest review*
This was my first read by Sarah and I can't help but feel horrible for not getting to it sooner. I fell in love with the characters almost at first sight and I'm having major withdrawals just thinking about them. This is a paranormal book about other kin and humans living together on Earth, without secrecy. There's still bad blood between some but we get to see a different take on the paranormal and I enjoyed every second of it. We see how they make cohabitation work and it was a nice treat.
We follow Ares, a (very handsome) vampire who is wary of everything and anyone that gets too close to him or the Detective he works for. Well, he's an unpaid assistant but no matter. I loved how realistic his actions and reactions were to those around him. He's one of those characters that you can't help but yearn to unravel piece by piece in order to cherish every little thing you find. This was the case with all of the magnificent characters that made an appearance but Ares is number one on my list. I just can't get him out of my mind! I'm rooting for his happiness so hard...
We also follow Alexandria, the Detective's niece, who dresses in a very eccentric way. I loved how adorable her personality was. She was the full package: smart and beautiful inside and out. We get to witness how her presence sets forth certain events that I NEVER saw coming. I never thought the story would go the way it did but I'm not complaining at all.
This book gave me a serious dose of angst since I couldn't help but ship two certain characters with all I have and things just aren't going my way. Sarah, I hope you know what I'm talking about and grant my wish on the next book! (Please.)
Sarah's writing made it effortless to get lost into this world and its characters. I'm seriously yearning for more, especially Ares! *Heart eyes*
Profile Image for Aniket.
12 reviews12 followers
August 22, 2018

INTRODUCTION AND PLOT

Imagine waking up one day to find fairies in your backyard and giants on the street. Remember the creatures from fairy tales and folklore you read about when you were a kid but then you grew up and stopped believing in them? Yeah, turns out they were real--and you can see them. You see elves, centaurs, gremlins, goblins, and pixies. Apart from that, you discover that magick (yes, it has a k. I'll explain why in a minute) is real too. Witches exist and so do Wizards and Sorcerers. Pretty cool, eh?

This is what happened after The Great Awakening when humans around the world woke up to this new reality.

We, humans, aren’t known for playing nice with other beings. However, the government acknowledged that these fairy and otherkin have been here for hundreds or thousands of years, living in secret, and invisible to ordinary humans and we pretty much destroyed their homes and habitats. But after The Great Awakening there had to be a coordination between humans and otherkin. Hence came the Grand Apology and for better or worse, these otherkin and seemingly exotic creatures had to adjust to the human civilization and we were stuck with these new neighbors.

But now crimes which were previously unexplained could be believed in and there also emerged new disputes. Enter Detective Docherty and his assistant Ares (who is a Vampire).

What follows are the crazy adventures of Detective Docherty and Ares as they solve crazier cases together along with Alexandria.

The plot is well written and entertaining. The imagery is detailed and descriptive making for a beautiful and vivid narrative. I don't usually give out final opinions about a book this early in the review but it’s important that I emphasize how much I really enjoyed reading this book. This makes it difficult to write this review as I could write pages upon pages on every section and character but I’ll try to cut it down to the best of my ability.

Before you all start pointing out the error in ‘magick’ -- magic refers to card tricks and pulling bunnies out of a hat. Whereas Magick is the real deal.

Okay, now that that's been addressed, let's delve deeper, shall we?


CHARACTERS

Characters are one of the finest elements of this wonderful book. Every character is well written, nuanced, complex and realistic.

Detective Docherty is a forgetful, old man. He forgets if he’s already fed his goldfish along with a lot of other small matters but one thing he never forgets is to be kind to everyone. Docherty is one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. Apart from that, he’s an outstanding Detective with an acute sense of detail.

The Detective is assisted by Ares (Oh and did I touch on the fact that he’s a Vampire?!). Ares has literally become one of my favorite fictional characters ever. He’s calm, cold and might come off as an arse but at the same time, he’s an especially complex character whose every action makes sense. I loved that he remains faithful to his personality. He’s also become my personal yardstick for comparing other vampires.

AresCredit:@maplewitch

Alexandria is the newest member of Team Docherty (they don’t actually call themselves that). She is as the Detective says, “full of surprises”. She’s kind, cheerful, and a free spirit. She dresses in the brightest and most colorful clothes. Apart from her love for nature, animals, and everybody around her, she loves helping people. She’s definitely a wonderful and charming character.


WORLD

The world the Author has created is nothing short of “full of surprises”. I realize that I’m starting to sound repetitive but that’s the only way I could describe it.

The story is set in Toronto, Canada. The way the Author brings together humans and otherkins is admirable. For the most part, things are much more harmonious than you'd expect. She also puts her personal touches to these magickal creatures who have been written about so many times in the past by others. This adds a refreshing touch to them which is delightful. This is done while preserving the essential qualities that are associated with them (NO, Vampires don’t twinkle when they’re out in the Sun), creating a beautiful reading experience.

It was fascinating and entertaining to read about such a diverse set of beings.


CONCLUSION AND FINAL COMMENTS

I’m certain you realize that I truly relished the novel. I loved the Story, Characters, and the World.

All of them come together to create a magickal experience.

We might not have fairies in our backyards but our world can be equally magickal if you seek it. Our world and the outlying universe are equally magnificent. The creatures walking around in our world--from the microscopic organisms to the elephants to the giant blue whales are nothing less than magickal. Perhaps we can also find magick within us and those around us. Despite how varied the world in this story is from ours in terms of the community, it isn’t too different in some ways. The author makes a point about how we’ve been ruining the environment, making it unsuitable for the beings who aren’t humans and isn’t that what we’ve been doing? Perhaps it isn’t upsetting the elves, but we shouldn’t forget that we humans don’t own the planet only to ourselves.

We have different plants, animals, insects, fishes, and people growing together, doing their own thing. One thing the book can teach you is to recognize the magick in others and rather than dividing and fighting about the differences, learn to appreciate and respect them so that we can all compliment each other be the best versions of ourselves we can be and flourish.

Everyone is different and everyone is magickal.

“It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.”
- Audre Lorde

Centaur

Credit: The Author, Sarah WaterRaven drew it herself.

Team Docherty

Credit: @teabvt

One of the most entertaining books I’ve read in a long time, I recommend it to everyone. This is the first book of the series and I can’t wait to read the next books. You can also read the author’s standalone story “I Fell in Love With a Necromancer” which is set in the same universe as Detective Docherty. It is available on Wattpad.

1 review1 follower
October 23, 2012
I don't read a whole lot of books, but this one really hit home for me. I found that I got really attached to the characters and was genuinely concerned about what was going to happen tho them! Interesting plot line with several twists I garuntee you wont see coming. A hard book to put down, can't wait for the second one!
Mike-
Profile Image for Lucas.
1 review
August 27, 2012
"Detective Docherty is an absorbing read about a slice of life in a world where fantasy meets the mundane. With its memorable characters, odd mysteries, and fantastical creatures, it is an enjoyable read that paints a vibrant world to explore. Definately worth a read.
1 review
November 17, 2012
In her debut as an author, Sarah WaterRaven tells the story of a quirky, but insightful detective and his brooding, but loyal assistant. After they meet with the detective's long lost niece, they take on one of the most difficult case of the detective's career yet. Will they get to the bottom of the strange occurrences at their client's house? Will the Detective's niece be able to break through her uncle's assistant's icy persona? Where did all these unusual creatures come from anyway? Find the answers to all these questions and more in "Detective Docherty and the Daemon's Tears."
471 reviews2 followers
April 21, 2013
In Sarah WaterRaven's debut novel, a magical world beyond one's wildest imagination unfolds. The story is bold; it is no fantasy world opened up by the possibilities of the unknown future. Instead, it is today's Toronto that serves as the background for vampire, fee, and humans alike as cultures are explored, mysteries unraveled, and friendships tested in a place that seems so much like home - for many people, it is - and yet is a revelation in thought and possibility. It is not simply an afternoon's read. Docherty opens us up to an exploration that merely begins with the Demon's Tears.
Profile Image for Coco.V.
50k reviews132 followers
Want to read
November 21, 2019
🎁 FREE on Amazon today (11/21/2019)! 🎁
Profile Image for Mackenzie.
74 reviews2 followers
November 2, 2018
I met Sarah at a writer's group that I joined when I moved. She was discussing abusive relationships in books with someone else at the table. Naturally, being the person that I am, I inserted myself into the conversation. We got to talking and I mentioned I run a book review blog. She mentioned she's written some books. It was a match made in heaven.

When Sarah gave me her first book to read, she told me to be honest with the review. I told her I would be, even if it meant she didn't like me any more. She assured me that wasn't a problem.

When I picked up Detective Docherty, I realized it's the exact type of book I've always wanted to write, which made me even more excited to read it. I love that it takes place in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area, for those non-Ontario, Canada people), so I know many of the places that she mentions in the book. There's just something special about reading a book and knowing you've stood where some of the characters are standing (hypothetically). Sarah does a really good job of painting the scene even for places I haven't been before, like Docherty's office. The descriptions are wonderful.

Out of all of the characters in the book, I identify most with Ares. I don't know what that says about me. Half of the book is told from his point of view, half told from Alexandria's point of view. While Alexandria is young, cheery, and excited about life, Ares is grumpy, pulled back, and paranoid. Mind you, he is a vampire, so I feel like that comes with the territory. Both points of view are written well; I never confused who was talking. I think Sarah's hands down best talent is her ability to develop distinct characters. Not one of her characters sounds like any of the others, they're all distinct personalities, even if they're only in the story for a page.

The other thing that I appreciated about Detective Docherty was all of the mythology that Sarah's weaved in. It's done in such a way where it's completely just part of the world. She doesn't info dump, even though she has to explain these myths as the story progresses so you know what's going on. It was done really well.

The one issue I had with the book was the plot line. I felt like some parts of it were rushed or not explained enough, which did confuse me at some points. It wasn't enough to deter me from continuing the series, but it did make me stop reading a couple of times to figure out what was going on.

All in all, Detective Docherty and the Demon's Tears is a great first book in a series that I can't wait to continue. I might be a tad jealous and wished I'd written it myself ;)
Profile Image for Kit Daven.
Author 11 books7 followers
September 7, 2016
Sarah WaterRaven has created a truly wonderful storyverse in this paranormal murder mystery, set in Toronto and in a world that has awakened to the presence of Otherkin—fairies, trolls, vampires, even demons and angels and ghosts. The killer could truly be anyone, human or Otherkin.

Loved meeting the main characters, Ares and Alexandria. Their perspectives on Detective Docherty made him seem distant and mysterious at times, yet in moments of interaction with him, provided insights and depth to his character.

WaterRaven's prose is fluid and descriptive, making it easy to pick up the story again whenever life forced me to put the book down, and I had a lot of life interruptions while reading this book. Still, I enjoyed it and look forward to immersing myself in this world again with the next book in the series.
1 review
October 10, 2015
Detective Dochtery and The Demons Tears is a beautiful book, full of fantastic creatures and lovable characters. Once you open it, prepare to go to a magical world that will capture your heart. Sarah Waterraven is an amazing author and brilliant with her words. I can't wait to read the second book!
35 reviews
Read
August 21, 2020
It was a decent read, storyline progressed at a steady pace. The characters had good development though the unrequited romantic tangent gets a bit much. Detective Docherty is a traditional older eccentric gentleman style, private detective, with all the traditional quirks🕵🏼‍♂️. His assistant Ares is a typical brooding vampire, who dislikes Alex until she protects him from a ghost and then he starts being attracted to her🙄. The story is set in a fairly recent time (there’s laptops and phones) but a decade after magik and all the creatures from myth and tale have returned to the world in an event call the great awakening. Most otherkin (fairies and all the mythical) are just adapting and entering the standard human society, due to most people inexperience and inability to work out the unexplained usually Docherty and Ares take on paranormal cases.
Alex is the detectives niece who he hasn’t seen for a very long time. She turns up after her father died to be around her last remaining family. She turns out to be a witch, with a lot of surprising abilities.
She starts helping them with some cases until they get dragged into an angry ghost case. Infuriated and driven by jealousy when Alex meets and starts dating an elf, Ares drags up the past in which exposes Alex is not only the detectives daughter but half otherkin as well.
Obviously they sort out the ghost, solve the case and have a yüle party. There’s a nice little teaser at the end, to set up the next book in the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Ann Daniel.
56 reviews2 followers
March 27, 2020
Brilliant story

I loved this book it's brilliantly written and the characters are really good. The story it's self is very different from any books I've read so far and I read a lot usually around 6 books a week so it was wonderful to actually read something so different. Basically it's about a human detective who works with a vampire and witch and they go round solving problems brought on by the waking basically all humans can now see anything supernatural such as fairies elves ect and they solve any problems they may cause or solve any supernatural crime . The book is a really fun read and the story draws you in from the start so much so I'm going to start book 2 straight away
Profile Image for Connie.
70 reviews2 followers
July 3, 2020
Interesting Concept

The idea of humanity suddenly stuck sharing a world with everything from fairytale and legend? What's not to like?
On the other hand, the writing seemed cued to MG. Everything was told. Characterization seemed two dimensional at best. I might have enjoyed this quite a bit at 11. At 52, I found myself ambiguity and subtlety.




























After an event, humans find that all the folk of fairytale and legend are real and living among them.
What's not to like?

But the writing seemed cued toward MG
Profile Image for KLynn.
1,507 reviews25 followers
November 21, 2022
2.75 rounded up because this genre and writing style is just not my cup of tea.

This book read like a classical novel, long winded and a little boring. (Jmo) It was recommended to me on scribd and I feel like I was hoodwinked. If I hadn't needed an audiobook today I would have probably dnf'd after the first paragraph. Just not my style of book.
Was it bad? No ... Had I been assigned this in highschool for a book report I would have rated this better than other required readings, but alas. This was a voluntary read 😬
Profile Image for Mel.
341 reviews3 followers
March 6, 2020
Enjoyable

I have enjoyed the first book of this series.
A good plot with some twists and turns. I liked the characters but would have loved more detailed description and information of the city were it all took place, bit more history maybe.
On some parts it was very slow and sometimes dragged, because nothing exciting happened. And at the end she could have called him Dad and not Detective. I also found it quite sad what for memory
Not sure if I get the second book.
Profile Image for Chyina Powell.
Author 12 books25 followers
July 13, 2020
Okay, this novel is undeniably cute without trying to be. Add a witch, a forgetful detective and his vampire assistant and what else do you expect to get? I love the concept of this novel, of fairy tale creatures one day just popping into our vision when they have always been there and the ways humanity relates to them. Detective Doherty is our protagonist's uncle but it can be said that he is also the lynch pin of the story.
Profile Image for Guy Worthey.
Author 11 books82 followers
February 11, 2018
The first third read like a first novel; wordy and clunky. But the momentum picked up, and the characters kept getting fleshed out deeper and deeper.

I think the vampire is a whiny brat and I was rooting for the sexy elf to teach him to GET OVER HIMSELF, but Alex and Detective Docherty were very human and charming. The plot had nice momentum.
Profile Image for Lesley Hewitt.
832 reviews7 followers
October 9, 2019
A cracking good read

Well worth five stars , I really enjoyed reading this book. All the different supernatural creatures and the slightly dotty detective. Murder and a touch of mayhem with a little bit of romance thrown in. I couldn't put this book down until I'd finished reading it.
Profile Image for Dallass.
2,233 reviews
December 19, 2019
Quirky and fun, but needs work

I won’t say that I didn’t enjoy this, because I did. Yet the pacing was a bit off, and it dragged in places and waffled about in others. However, the plot, characters and the world building were interesting so I guess I’ll be picking up book two to find out what happens with Alex, Ares and the Detective.

3 stars ⭐️
Profile Image for Jagged.
1,076 reviews31 followers
July 7, 2020
So boring

I kept waiting for something to happen.
Alex is a wonder woman, but oddly has no life to her.
Ares is a creep, but I guess it's okay because he knows it.
The pace is a crawl. It never picks up.
With all the exciting creatures, this book is so bland.
I need a lot more going on than what was offered here.
Profile Image for Kerry Sharp.
Author 5 books5 followers
September 28, 2019
Well crafted

The characters are deeply drawn and power the story. They are dimensioned, we know them and care for them. Though not fast the story keeps us engaged. The story's universe is creative but respectful to the lexicon.
I may well but another in the series.
Profile Image for Rebecca.
77 reviews2 followers
October 15, 2019
Would read again.

Difficult to follow at first, but does pick up. wonderful world and likeable characters. Ready for the next one. 🥰
Profile Image for Marisa.
144 reviews2 followers
April 22, 2020
I felt the story was a bit longwinded and because of it i felt like i was never going to finish the story. Can't say that i would read the next story
Profile Image for Jennifer, Just beyond normal ♑.
484 reviews
March 15, 2021
On the fence with this one. It was good, but I just kept feeling like I wanted more and hoping this does not turn into a love triangle, which it kinda feels like it
Profile Image for Laura Zapirtan.
479 reviews4 followers
December 7, 2021
I got this book because of its cover and was not disappointed!

Definitely a must read!
9 reviews
April 24, 2022
Riveting

Catches you and makes you want to keep reading. I really enjoyed the way everything unfolded. It was a Very good book!
Profile Image for George Floyd.
205 reviews
January 21, 2024
Fast read

Somewhat of a romantic novel. Weird love triangle and a detective, with all kinds of supernatural characters. I really enjoyed this and will order the next in the series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews

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