Slice of Death

Harker and Blackthorn #1

by J.A. Ironside

Telekinesis, noun


The psychic ability to move objects without physically touching them.

A blatant disregard for the laws of physics.

An interesting way to screw up your career (see also ‘flammable’)


Amy Matthews is proud of being one of the youngest ever doctors of particle physics. Her life in Oxford is just about perfect – well, except for colleagues who won’t take her seriously, a pushy megacorporation trying to ‘buy’ her department and her inability to teach a class without the equipment mysteriously bursting into flames.

But everything is normal, right? Amy is certain she can’t be causing all those electrical fires.

A volatile encounter with a troubled stranger and a rash of mysterious deaths across the city send Amy tumbling down a path she thought she’d left in the past. Forced to admit she has no control over her growing psychic abilities, Amy pitches herself into a life and death struggle against a dangerous entity. She must master her long neglected talent or pay the ultimate price.

An inhuman presence hunts the city’s sleeping inhabitants. A creature which creeps in by night…and feeds.

But how can Amy hope to survive when she can’t stop breaking the laws of physics?



Slice of Death is the first book in the pulse-pounding Harker & Blackthorn series. If you like snarky heroines, thrilling mysteries, shadowy scientific organisations and enigmatic creatures, you’ll love this kickass urban fantasy adventure series.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Amazon, LGBT, Paranormal, New Adult

290 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 27, 2021

About the author

Urban fantasy and historical fiction author J.A. Ironside masquerades by day as member of the county library service, which strangely enough has less to do with books than you would think.

Jules grew up in Dorset in a house full of books, which probably explains a lot about how her mind works. You might think that folklore, fringe science, history, physics, magic and supernatural mystery wouldn’t go all that well together, but she’s hell bent on proving they do. Her urban fantasy series Harker & Blackthorn is now ten books long and counting. It features a sentient museum because someone needs to keep track of what’s going on. Unveiled – another UF series set in the same universe – is now complete.

Jules is also determined to show that historical fiction can be both factually correct and funny. The King’s Knight series is set during the tumultuous reign of Richard II, while the sweeping Oath and Crown Duology – co-authored with Matthew Willis – follows the events leading up to and around the Battle of Hastings.

When pried her away from her books, Jules enthusiastically engages in martial arts and playing the piano, although never at the same time. At least not yet. She lives on the edge of the Cotswold way with her boyfriend creature and two hell’s kittens. Find out more at www.jaironside.com

Reviews

[Eileen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this one! I have never heard of this author, but I loved the way she combined science and the supernatural in such a way as to blur the line between realistic fiction and fantasy. The main character is a young and talented female physicist fighting to establish herself in the world of academia. This struggle is not new, unfortunately for many women, but Amy Matthews has several added challenging, including looking like a blonde cheerleader with a bouncy personality to match, being younger than most (she's a genius), and most importantly, having a psychic talent she has been suppressing and denying for long enough that it is starting to affect electrical devices around her, which is not great when she's surrounded by electrical items in her lab. Things start to go out of control when she literally runs into a stranger who triggers her alarm bells, and mysterious deaths start occurring around her town. This story takes place in the same universe as another series, and I believe that Amy and her sisters are involved in the previous series, but I didn't feel like I was missing anything by starting with this series since the author includes enough details that it doesn't take anything away from this book. I was hooked pretty quickly and read the last 2/3rds of the book in one sitting. Although the ending is satisfying, it definitely leaves you wanting to read more. The author includes a note saying that she wrote this during the pandemic as a way to fill the time (it was her therapy), but she also wrote many of the following books so that we should not have to wait long for future books. Thank goodness. Because I can't wait to read them!

In the meantime, I'm going to have to check out the other series! I received an advance review copy for free from Book Sirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Lydia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A rare re-read worthy paranormal mystery with true friendships and realistic character growth! I will definitely be reading the rest of the series (and possibly everything else J. A. Ironside’s ever written).

THE CHARACTERS & PREMISE:

Meet Amy: the sarcastic, bubbly, intelligent, kind, conflict-averse, brave, protective, nerdy, confident, driven, psychic, telekinetic, bi physicist I didn’t know I needed in my (literary) life. She’s got a unique ability to weaponize optimism and a surplus of curiosity. Her boss hates her and it’s hard to be taken seriously as an unusually young, petite, feminine, blonde physics PhD doing post-doc research. She really would prefer to avoid the supernatural and focus on physics, if only supernatural trouble would stop following her. But when the supernatural comes for her or those she cares about, she isn't going to run away.

Now some creature’s haunting her in what she really, really hopes are just her nightmares. Her clairvoyance has taken over the rest of her dreams. Her long-neglected psychic abilities have escalated from passive powers to out-of-control telekinesis with a penchant for blowing up electronics. She’s terrible at dating and her roommate, Eddie, doesn’t believe in magic. Her psychic intuition is finding suspicious activity everywhere. She keeps chasing a very rude woman around town that her psychic intuition is screaming she’s meant to help. All the while leaving a trail of exploding electronics in her wake. Will any lamp survive the chaos?

It’s a good thing she’s not working alone for long. She teams up with Bex, a zoologist having a really bad week, and Steve, an old friend of her sister’s that is in the know about the supernatural and an expert in myths, lore, and history. Pretty soon they’re fast friends and a paranormal investigative team sure to see more “cryptid adventures and psychic shenanigans” in their future.

Bex is all rough edges, brutal honesty, sneaky selflessness, rude resilience, and jaded vulnerability. She’s driven, intense, intimidating, tall, impatient, sharp-tongued, and has quite a temper. She's a quick-thinking, control freak that projects confidence. She may not like or trust people, but she understands them. She has no patience for social niceties, but she’s got a good heart. She’s brave, impulsive, loyal, selfless, and has a great sense of humor. And she’ll be damned if she can’t understand magic as rational phenomena current scientific knowledge can’t fully understand yet. She’s a force to be reckoned with.

Steve is all social shyness, nervous loneliness, and endless academic curiosity. He’s plenty scared of facing magical foes without magic of his own, but he’s brave, loyal, and stubborn enough to face them for those he cares about without a moment’s hesitation. He’s patient, kind, cautious, calm, focused, and intelligent. He carries the perceptive wisdom of an observant introvert and a steady confidence in his knowledge and expertise.

Amy is the protagonist, but she isn’t always the star of the show or the one who saves the day mostly by herself. She’s not blind to her own faults and mistakes. Weak is one thing she isn’t. She doesn’t overshadow other main characters. Each member of the team brings something to the table and it’s truly a team effort when they stop the baddie. They’re a team of equals.

THE CHARACTER WRITING:

The characters (protagonists, antagonists, and everything in between) leap off the page and feel real. I was totally immersed in the story and invested in the main characters as they evolved. The main characters all learn and grow in this book. However, they don’t grow to be perfect. In fact, for some, they learned to not try too hard to be perfect. They’re not stagnant or flat. They’ve got backstories and a variety of interests, including ones not relevant to the plot. They’re all brilliant at some things and hopeless about others. Each has their own way of understanding magic and how it fits into the rational, scientific world. They’re adults and they act like it. They all just ooze personality.

I relate to these characters SO MUCH. It’s pretty rare that I relate to not one, but nearly all the main characters: Amy, Rebecca, Steve, and even Eddie. (Although, I might be biased about Amy, being a girly, chipper, young female physicist myself.)

While there is a romantic side-plot, it’s the friendships that take center stage in this tale. Some of the friendships are old and evolving. Others are formed brand new. These relationships don’t form or deepen instantly, but slowly and organically. This book shows friends that are empathetic with each other, nonjudgmental, call each other on their sh*t, and learn from each other. They’re not unrealistically mature or perfect. They sometimes fight. These friends are forgiving and understanding of each other’s mistakes, but not to the point of sainthood or being unrealistically willing to apologize. They’re supportive and protective, but not overbearing with each other. They keep each other honest and they like it that way. These are true, heartwarming, and realistic friendships we have here.

In particular, the burgeoning friendship between Amy, Bex, and Steve really resonates as meaningful for me. They just … fit. Their unique individual strengths and weaknesses complement each other. As a team, they balance each other. They make each other better, as all friends should.

There are multiple strong female characters and impressive LGBTQ+ characters. The protagonist is both. Ironside doesn’t make a big deal out of Amy’s sexual orientation. She’s just a woman who happens to date both women and men. Her orientation isn’t even explicitly labeled. It’s kind of perfect. Eddie’s identity as a trangender man is dealt with thoughtfully and without eclipsing the rest of his personality and life or reducing him to a stereotype. It doesn’t define his character, but it is portrayed as something that gives him insight into what it’s like to have people assume you’re something you’re not based purely on appearances and the importance of accepting the people for who they are.

THE PLOT WRITING:

The paranormal mystery plot was just the right amount of scary. Enough to keep you in suspense and without being over-the-top-horror-that-gives-me-nightmares level scary. Like all good mysteries, there are enough clues for you to have a sporting chance at correctly predicting some things, but not enough to put all the pieces together properly or spoil the big surprises. There are some weird jungle scenes in first person that don’t seem to make sense at first, but they totally do make sense eventually.

THE WORLD AND OTHER BOOKS:

Ironside has expertly woven real-world history, historical mysteries, the modern world, and supernatural elements closely derived from obscure folklore together in this urban fantasy world. At the end of the book, there’s a very interesting author’s note detailing the real life folklore and mythology that went into this book.

Slice of Death is the starter book of a spin-off series of Ironside’s Unveiled series. Events from the original series are referenced and some characters from that series make appearances. You don’t need to have read the Unveiled series to understand and enjoy this one. The magic system is fully developed and creative. As a spin off, the world is already fully-realized. Like most great spinoff series, you get the sense that the author already knows the characters well enough that each is sharply defined easily, consistently, and thoroughly in the beginning of this book.

This book could be read as a stand alone and has a satisfying resolution to the immediate plot arc. There is enough room to grow and set-up for long term plot arcs that it also serves as a great series starter. The immediate mystery is solved, but some questions are left unanswered. The bad guys’ immediate goal is thwarted but their long term goals remain a mystery and (some

of them) remain a threat.

WARNINGS: recreational drug use (one character smoking pot in one minor scene)

I received a free e-copy of this book via BookSirens. I am writing this review completely honestly and voluntarily.

[M.E. Vaughan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full Disclosure – I received a Free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I have now purchased my own paperback copy.
This book has been one of my most anticipated releases for 2021. As a long-time fan of the Unveiled series, which is set within the same universe, I was incredibly excited when I found out that J.A. Ironside would be releasing an adult series focusing on Emlynn’s little sister, Amy. To say that the first book of Harker & Blackthorn was everything I expected, however, would be a lie.
I came into this series waiting to be carried back into a story I knew, and was delighted to discover something unique and stand-alone, which could be enjoyed by old fans and new. Amy, a character whom I was always fond of, has bloomed into a gripping and endearing protagonist who has stepped out from beneath her sisters shadows, and embarked on an amazing new adventure.
While Ironside’s style, and her excellent use of description to create a vivid sense of place and character will be comfortably familiar to the reader, Slice of Death feels more mature and grounded than the fey-like quality of Unveiled, with its age-appropriate teen angst, and creeping spookiness. Here, Ironside’s own background as a Scientist shines through, weaving biology, physics and magic into one, moving us away from ghost-stories into solid Urban Fantasy territory.
Slice of Life is a triumphant introduction to the world of Harker & Blackthorn, with familiar and new characters, a great sense of pace and placement, and an exciting premise. And as someone who has been privileged enough to have now read further into the series, I can promise…It only gets better.

[Mettesknit · Rating 1 out of 5]

A fmc living life in deniel is not for me.

Dnf 26%

[Kimberley Austen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amy's as wonderful as ever and I instantly got excited when Steve showed up though I knew he was going to be important. Rebekah is simultaneously awful and wonderful and it's brilliant. Add a spooky monster and a mystery and this was an awesome start to an urban fantasy series.

[Maggie Parry-Mantel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure; I was given an advanced copy of this book for the purposes of a review.

This book walks an important line for a spin off; it builds on the series that came before it, while still managing to feel entirely new. Amy (the protagonist) is not her sister (the protagonist of the original series). She looks at things in a different way, and this carries over into the narration. The threat she faces also walks that line between feeling familiar to Unveiled while developing into its own thing.

J. A. Ironside is a master of building suspense, and this book is no different. The threat posed by the sprit feels constant, and the dread is palpable whenever it shows up.

Meanwhile, her character work is as impressive as ever. She seamlessly weaves the problems her characters face in their every day lives with the supernatural parts of the book. As a side note; I appreciated seeing another trans character show up.

As a fan of Unveiled since the days it was just one book, there were small callbacks to that series which I appreciated seeing. These call backs were used sparingly, and put across in a context that wouldn’t leave new readers feeling like they were being told someone else’s private in-joke.

Slice of Death is a fresh start for the world Ironside has created, and full of all the energy that the start of a new series should have. It both ended on a satisfying note and with plenty for future sequels to build on.

A must read for fans of Ironside’s work, particularly fans of her supernatural writing.

[Witch-at-Heart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an entertaining read I loved all the supernatural elements and the growing story with the MC Amy and her sisters as they learn to accept their gifts.

This has a slightly whimsical feel without being over the top and her motly collection of friends are actually pretty interesting. I will definitely read more in the series.

[Basil Zarahoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slice of Death

I am reluctantly giving this book five stars, not that it doesn’t deserve it, but simply because of a deeply held belief that few books can earn five stars.

It is so perfect from start to finish that any comment is redundant.

So on to the whinging.

Initially, the focus on Trans and LBGTQ relationship was a bit off-putting. No, there is nothing at all wrong with this in a character or story, just a tad of TMI so early on. I needed a bit of time to decide if I liked the characters before becoming so involved in their social and sex lives.

But by the second or third chapter, this either dissipated or I became so attached to the characters that it didn't matter.

I found most of the characters fully fleshed and believable. The central character is quickly likable and easy to identify with and root for. I did find the choice of professional interests as difficult to love as a root canal and in truth would welcome the five volumes of the Life and Times of George W. Bush before getting in a conversation about the character’s specialty. But that does not detract, okay maybe a bit, but it can be ignored.

Many of the secondary characters are easily as interesting as the lead, the scholar from the past, and the sibling are wonderful and I would hope that the foreshadowing of that sib means there is more to come. (Hint: That means I think there should be at least a sequel.)

The victim of the attack and the flatmate is another story, the flatmate being the least likable character in the story. I found it wearisome to read about the litany of fears and phobias this creature has and wondered why anyone would continue to share a space with such a whiner.

The victim of the tale who should be at least sympathetic is not even a little bit. Harsh, insensitive, and rude, I would never bother to aid such a person even with the mysterious urging of the mystical force.

But even with these irritants the story is compelling and moves at a thunderous pace driving through all of the bumps to the conclusion or was it a conclusion? The story certainly ends but there is a juicy hook for more tales and I for one am completely sold.

But the book, grab a blanket and a stiff drink, (fireplace optional) and settle back for a wonderful adventure. This fits in nicely for the void left by Devon Monk abandoning Allie Beckstrom and will hold you until Seanan McGuire’s new book hit paperback. (Yes, I know that’s Old school but there is something special about holding a book)

This one is a keeper and I’d be looking for the next.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this book, since it is my first JA Ironside read. There is another series set in the same world, with some of the same characters, but I had no trouble reading this on its own.
I found the setting interesting and Ironside does a good job of building the world without just dumping information. I enjoyed the addition of memo's and emails... it was a good way to break up the book and add an extra layer of mystery. The characters were pretty diverse, but I feel as though they were a little flat. I wanted to care about them, but in the end, I had only lukewarm feelings. The plot was entertaining, I love monster hunting stories, and moved along quickly with only a few snags to slow it down.
Overall, I had no major issues with this book, but it fell in the middle of the road for me.
I received an ARC from BookSirens and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Carol Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book honestly surprised me which is rare for me. I didn't think I was going to be able to finish it at first because the first chapter kind of bored me, but once I gave it a second chance I really got into the storyline more. Amy intrigues me with the physic power she has and I'm looking forward to learning more about her and seeing how she learns to control her powers. I think all the characters play well off each other and can't wait to learn more about them as well.

The lore of the Hmong people that was introduced in the book is really intriguing to me and I am considering looking them up to see if I can learn more about them.

I felt the book was really well written and is going to have lots of surprises in store for us. I am chomping to get into the next book already.

Fully recommend this book to everyone.

**I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily**

[Mogy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Turns out this was the perfect book to get over my recent reading slump with! I read it in two sittings because once I started I just had to know what happened next! (In hindsight, starting it on an evening when I was alone in the house until quite late at night was a questionable decision... but it definitely added to the experience... 🤣)

Having read other works by this author and other books involving some of these characters, I knew I'd enjoy it! I certainly wasn't disappointed! It was very interesting to see where all the characters I already knew and loved were after a few years had passed for them as well as getting to meet some new characters! (I can't help but love Sienna and Rebekah!)

Another thing to note, I absolutely love the diversity in the characters. It never seems forced and it is shown and handled beautifully. I love to see it and I love to read it!

I know I'll definitely read this again in the future and I'm very excited to see what happens next!

[David Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slice of Death at first feels like a YA read. I finished the book last night but wanted to think about the review.

This has elements of the supernatural and a hint of romance. The main character is a very smart young lady, teaching physics at the college level. She is one of a trio of sisters, each with a different talent. Many of the characters are in denial of the gifts that have been either inherited or bestowed (the story really never makes it clear which).

As the story progresses, the characters are forced to confront the truth of the matter and form a group to combat the entity they are faced with. The ending itself shows there will be more to the story, but could be read as standalone.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Sarah Leenart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an unexpected hit with me. I loved the whole oxford professor vibe and after what I thought might be a little shaky start (I hate the whole denial of ability routine) this thankfully panned out exceptionally well with a heroine who knows her own mind, what she is worth and the people she surrounds herself well. I loved the diverse cast of characters and personalities. Quirky in a series is one of my personal highlights, coupled with a well written British read and an original take on the supernatural world I am excited to learn this is a long running series and the author has an extensive back catalogue.

[Lauren C · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this! It's refreshing to read a fantasy with a lighter tone. It's serious when it needs to be but without the whole book feeling gloomy. Amy is a great character, I love her bubbly personality. I also liked the fact that Amy's main love interest is a woman. Read too many fantasy series where the main character is in a love triangle with two men. This is a great start to the series, I can't wait to read the next.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

[merlin513 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely stellar urban fantasy set in present day Cambridge, England.

I have not had the pleasure of reading her first series involving Emylynn, older sister of our protagonist in this series Amy. But you better believe i'm gonna be hitting up the library and requesting them!!!

Love the concept and execution of the supernatural elements of the book. The main characters are fully fleshed and enjoyable. The plot is tight and the suspense kept me reading til 3:45 a.m. to finish the book. Diving right in to book 2 now!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I enjoyed this book. Enough creep-factor to keep my on my toes, but not enough to outright terrify me. I almost sound like Goldilocks!!

Interesting characters, although some could have had a bit more depth added to them, decent writing, interesting story.

Recommended if you enjoy the supernatural with some 'magic' thrown in for good measure. Easy, enjoyable read.

[Billie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

[Dayna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, even if it had more science words in it than I was used to, it was veey charming. The characters were flawed in a way that was relatable but not so flawed that you spend the whole book yelling at them to get it together. I appreciate that real adult communication was used to move the story forward in a natural way. The author had a way of bringing up past events the same way you would getting to know a new friend, it was great!

[Michael Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent start for this spinoff series. This book has a fresh and exiting feel to it. The main characters are different but likeable. This storyline builds to an exciting climax which leaves plenty of avenues to explore in future books. A must read for fan's of this genre.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Melissa Izquierdo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Didn't love the memos at the beginning so took me a chapter or two to get into.

The characters were well written, especially MC Amy. There is a second book anf I plan on reading it very soon.

I was given a free copy and this is my honest review.

[Bookworm52732 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this story interesting but rather slow and bogged down with description. Could use better editing, not for the British/US differences like favourite and favorite, but though when it should have been thought and a few missing words.

[Hilda Baard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nicely written, full of unusual events which makes it even better to read with it's original story line. Well worth reading

[Riotkittin · Rating 3 out of 5]

An okay read. There's nothing wrong really but nothing that really stood out to me either. I liked the representation and the hmong storyline though.

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this

[Penny · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. Not for me