115) Penumbra by Keri Arthur

The Blurb :

Agent Sam Ryan wants out of the Special Investigations Unit. She’s sick of the attitude from her partner, Gabriel Stern. She’s sick of the paperwork. Most of all, she’s sick of feeling lonely. But her boss isn’t about to let her go that easily. He gives Sam a choice: either stay stuck in her office or guard a clone replacement of Dan Wetherton, a government minister. Sam reluctantly chooses the latter—even though she suspects she’s being used as bait to draw out the SIU’s elusive nemesis.

Gabriel would like nothing better than to be on his own, without a partner to hold him back. Then he learns that Sam has been assigned to protect Wetherton—or whatever it is that’s replaced him. Wetherton’s clone could have come from only one place: Hopeworth, the military base that contains the secrets of Sam’s past. Determined to protect her, Gabriel is drawn into a fight against unspeakable evil. And all too soon, Sam and Gabriel discover that the connection between them is far more powerful than anyone could ever have imagined.

My Thoughts :

What a disappointment.  Not a good sentence to start off a review but it is the first thing that springs to mind and I have to get out there.  I was excited to see the Spook Squad being re-released after all this time and was really happy to finally get to read this trilogy by an author I have enjoyed for years.  The first two books were interesting, original and full of promise.  The suspense has been building since the beginning. Would they get together?  What is Sam?  So many questions unanswered and lots of mystery from the first two books could only be answered in this final installment.  And thats where the disappointment comes in.

It was pretty obvious as the story progressed that the story wasn't moving along fast enough.  Those questions weren't getting answered and more were appearing with nearly every move the characters made.  It was great writing, the story and plot full of everything you need and none of that romance, girlie feeling stuff and long decisions and conversations.  However as the book progressed I started to worry.  The ending would be a rush job.

So imagine my surprise when the story just didn't finish!  Sure there was a little closure but where is book four?  I mean there has to be another installment!  It wasn't over and I felt cheated.  A small epilogue with an attempt to end things happily but none of the joy of finding out how things really ended up how they did and basically a cliffhanger epilogue!  There were, imho, lots of unfinished business, questions and conversations.

How could this 'trilogy' get re-released without the author giving it a better ending or adding a fourth book to tie things up properly!?  A novella would also be welcome but it seems that is it for the Spook Squad and who cares if you spent all that time getting to know and like the characters.  It doesn't matter that the story was well written and unique because the ending just didn't happen.

Fans of the author will be happy to read this series and see how Keri Arthur has always managed to come up with original and compelling stories. Although I am sure, like me, anyone who reads this series will also feel cheated and annoyed by the quick unfinished ending that is an insult to the reader who has invested so much into the story.

103) Generation 18 by Keri Arthur

The Blurb :

A serial killer strikes every twelve hours. A vampire takes lives at random. At first glance, these tragic incidents seem unrelated. But Special Investigations Unit agents Sam Ryan and Gabriel Stern trace them both back to a military base known as Hopeworth. Is the murder spree part of a cover-up? And are the vampire killings less by chance and more methodical?

The investigation takes an eerie, personal turn when Sam discovers a connection between herself and the victims—and a clue to her own mysterious origins. With the violence escalating and the danger drawing closer to home, the stakes are raised and the mission changes from seeking justice to ensuring Sam and Gabriel’s own survival. And the one person who seems to hold all the answers—about Hopeworth, about Sam’s past—is a mystery man she isn’t sure she can trust. They share a psychic link through her dreams, and he once saved her life, but he may just be the greatest enemy humankind has ever known.

My Thoughts :

Generation 18 is the second book in the Spook Squad series and follows Memory Zero in being re-released after ten years!  Book three will release next month and finally Keri Arthur fans can cross the trilogy of hard to get hold of books off their wishlists.  Was it worth the wait?

While the series is paranormal it is also very Sci-fi. Based in the future and there is mention of futuristic gadgets but the Science Fiction is not too enough to put me off.  The Paranormal aspects are unusual but somewhat familiar with the author managing to keep it original and interesting .  Once again I had some trouble keeping up with everything in this strange futuristic Australia but it is easy to keep the gist of the story straight and the rest of the details fall into place at some point.  The style is typical Artur and after a while you can settle into the story and get sucked in.

The plot this time around seemed slightly long-winded and predictable.  Everything obviously has something to do with Sam's unknown past and this second installment makes a big deal of showing off what she could be and what she isn't.  Sam gets closer to finding herself some answers and I am sure that the third and final book will reveal all.  However this second part felt like it could have given up all the secrets and given Sam a chance to follow something else entirely in book three and maybe give her a book four and five to deal with other cases that do not relate to her personally.

The series is worth checking out if you are a fan of the author and didn't get to read this series the first time around.  The second book is due out next month and I already have a copy to read and review on my Kindle.  I look forward to finding out exactly what Sam is, what happened to her and if she and Gabriel will finally give in to each other.   I think there are some more secrets to come and I have a feeling that there are going to be some revelations that could make this a trilogy that was well worth taking the time to read.

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96) Memory Zero by Keri Arthur

The Blurb :

For Sam Ryan, life began at age fourteen. She has no memory of her parents or her childhood. In a decade of service with the State Police, Sam has exhausted the resources of the force searching for clues to her identity. But all mention of her family seems to have been deliberately wiped off the record. Everything changes the night Sam’s missing partner resurfaces as a vampire... and forces her to kill him in self-defense. Now Sam is charged with murder. Suspended from the force, and with no one left to trust, Sam accepts some unexpected help from Gabriel Stern, a shapeshifter who conceals startling secrets.

While investigating the circumstances surrounding her partner’s strange behavior, Sam discovers that Garbriel’s been involved with a dangerous organization that’s planning a war on the human race. More immediate, someone is guarding the truth about Sam’s past—someone who’d rather see her dead than risk her knowing too much. To stay alive, Sam must unravel the threads of her past—and find out not only who she is but what she is.

My Thoughts :

Keri Artur is one of the first authors I started reading in the Paranormal genre.  Her Riley Jenson series was the werewolf story that made me pick up others instead of sticking to vampires and witches.  So I knew from research that Keri's writing career didn't start with that series but a few others that had mostly gone out of print.  Luckily, now that she has become a big name, her older books are being re-released and fans can now get there hands on the early works of a great Paranormal and Urban Fantasy writer.

Memory Zero is the first book in the Spook Squad series (trilogy as far as I know) and has been on my Kindle for a while.  I wanted to read it before the release date this week but I kept putting it off and before I knew it Memory Zero was back on the shelves again and I was running late!  So I curled up with it over the last couple of days and dived into another interesting and unique Australian based tale filled with paranormal wonders.

What surprised me at first was that this series is Sci-fi.  Well it is based in the future and there is mention of futuristic gadgets but the Science Fiction is not over bearing.  The Supernaturals elements are somewhat unusual but there are familiar types with some twists to make them Arthur's own.  It isn't easy getting to grips with the lay of the land but the author helps you find your way as the story progresses. The style is exactly what I have come to expect from Artur and it is easy to sink into the story and feel at home.

The fact that this was first released over ten years makes the depth and originality of this concept really special.  I may not be a huge Sci-fi lover as far as reading is concerned but this one was interesting enough to keep me reading till the end and wondering about how things will continue.  I don't want to give the plot away but it was a nice change to have two characters end up together in a non romantic and sexual way.  It may come to that in the next book or further down the line but anyone who has read any books by this author will know what I mean because she really does like her hot and heavy scenes and writes them really well.

Definitely worth checking out if you like this author and didn't get to read this series the first time around.  The second book Generation 18 is due out next month and the third book in October.  So there is hardly any waiting around and you have the chance to read them all in one go if you want to.  If you haven't already had the please of reading anything by this author then you can't go wrong with starting here with Memory Zero.  A well thought out adventure with lots of promise and enough unanswered questions to have you eager to read the sequel.

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