Precinct 13

Aug 06, 2012 Angela rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, read-in-2012, reviewed-for-fiction-vixen

Originally posted at: http://www.fictionvixen.com/guest-rev...

Precinct 13 is the first book in a new adult urban fantasy series by Tate Hallaway, according to the author's website, and categorized as Paranormal Romance by Berkely. I would say this book leans more urban fantasy than paranormal romance. As Tate Hallaway is a new to me author, I didn't know exactly what to expect, the blurb sounded interesting and I'm always open to anything in the urban fantasy and paranormal genres.

When we meet...more Originally posted at: http://www.fictionvixen.com/guest-rev...

Precinct 13 is the first book in a new adult urban fantasy series by Tate Hallaway, according to the author's website, and categorized as Paranormal Romance by Berkely. I would say this book leans more urban fantasy than paranormal romance. As Tate Hallaway is a new to me author, I didn't know exactly what to expect, the blurb sounded interesting and I'm always open to anything in the urban fantasy and paranormal genres.

When we meet Alex, our heroine, she has just won the position of Hughes County coroner on a bet. Her first day on the job ends with a corpse walking out of her office, a snake tattooing it's self to her arm and the Sherriff directing her to a mysterious office named Precinct 13. When she arrives at Precinct 13 to report the missing corpse she is met by all manner of paranormals who will become her new co-workers and teach Alex how she fits into their magical world. What follows is an adventure of tracking down zombies, dealing with crop circles and mutilated cows and Alex using her ability to talk to the dead to help Precinct 13 solve crime.

It took me awhile to get into this story, the first 75 pages or so were a struggle. I didn't connect to Alex at all. In fact, I found her to be quite annoying and too stupid to live the first seven or eight chapters. Early in the book we learn that Alex has a past with magic, she has been able to "see" magical creatures from an early age. After her and her lover, Valentine, try to kill her Step-Mother, whom she thought was a demon, she is put away in psychiatric ward and Valentine is incarcerated. After years of therapy and being on meds she moves to small town Pierre, South Dakota to start over. So when she is re-introduced to magic and the paranormal community she is still in that denial zone..... And while I can understand her being in denial, I was turned off by her use of sarcasm and out and out stupidity about what was right in front of her face. I mean she watched a corpse walk right off the exam table and had a snake attach it's self to her body just that morning... I wanted to shake her while screaming "take it seriously girl!".

This book seemed to be in two parts, the first part where Alex is all sarcastic wit while trying to deny what is right in front of her face, and the second part where she turns into the super sleuth who seemingly is the master of figuring out clues left by the magical bad guys. I liked the second part much better than the first. Even her sarcastic wit got easier to deal with. As the cast of characters grew and Alex's interaction with them expanded I was more and more entertained. I do wish there was a little bit more romance between Alex and Valentine, I'm hoping that develops more in the future.

I will say that the story got better the further I read. This is an interesting world with some cool secondary characters. It has the potential to be a pretty fun series. I'm intrigued by Valentine, he seems to be a more interesting character than Alex actually. Tate Hallaway has left herself plenty of room to grow with both her characters and her use of so many types of paranormal creatures. This turned out to be a light, amusing read. I'm glad I stuck with it through those first pages. I'll be checking out the next one to see in what direction Ms. Hallaway takes this series next.

Favorite Quote:

"I'm Jack," he said. "You must be Alice."

"Alex, " I corrected.

"I was making a literary reference," he said with a sniff and a London accent. He stepped aside to let me in. "Because, Alex, you're about to enter Wonderland."(less)

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Feb 05, 2013 Book Binge Blog rated it 4 of 5 stars

Alex Conner is liking her new job as county coroner in Pierre, South Dakota but she's a bit more than bored. It's been 3 weeks and she's not had a body yet. When the cops do bring in a body she's told not break the rib cage while doing the autopsy which of course is impossible. Actually one of the cops mentions magic as well but since Alex has, as she puts it, a complicated relationship with magic she chooses to ignore the cop. As she's doing the autopsy not only is she attacked by a snake that...more Alex Conner is liking her new job as county coroner in Pierre, South Dakota but she's a bit more than bored. It's been 3 weeks and she's not had a body yet. When the cops do bring in a body she's told not break the rib cage while doing the autopsy which of course is impossible. Actually one of the cops mentions magic as well but since Alex has, as she puts it, a complicated relationship with magic she chooses to ignore the cop. As she's doing the autopsy not only is she attacked by a snake that comes out of the body but then the body reanimates and walks off. When she heads to the Chief of Police she expects to be thrown out and thought crazy but strangely he believes her and sends her to a place called Precinct 13.

Precinct 13 is part of the police but they are mostly magical beings. Alex has a hard time grasping the facts because she's been told that all the times she thought she saw magical things that she was hallucinating. It all turns out to be true though and Alex soon gets involved in the case of the missing corpse as well as another one involving cows – hey, this is South Dakota!

The story tells us of Alex's initiation into the magical community, the fact that she herself is magical and that her boyfriend, Valentine, isn't who she thought he was. She is, however, still in love with him despite who he is and she discovers that he has more feelings for her than she thought.

The book starts off really good but I must admit that I was definitely confused when Alex started thinking about her back story. I actually stopped and had to look both on Goodreads and the authors website to see what number book this was in a series. I was surprised when I found that this was book 1 in a new series. While I eventually got all the info that made sense I have to say that that first part wasn't my favorite.

As the story went on I got more into it all with all the many characters. I really liked the sense of humor that was dry and a bit self-effacing on Alex's part, as well as her obvious intelligence. I liked that others in Precinct 13 were just as intelligent and that Alex wasn't the only one who could figure things out.

As Urban Fantasy goes this was a decent read. It had lots of fantasy/paranormal characters and an interesting story. There was a bit of a romantic element between Alex and her boyfriend, Valentine, that was quite sweet but definitely nothing over the top. (FYI – no descriptive sex scenes.) I'll be interested to see if Hallaway writes more stories set in Alex's world.

Rating: 3.75 out of 5

This review was originally posted on Book Binge by Tracy.(less)

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Sep 01, 2012 OpenBookSociety.com rated it 4 of 5 stars

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Verushka

Precinct 13 begins with an introduction to Alex, the new coroner in Pierre. She entered the election for coroner on a bet, and cruised to a win because the former coroner was corrupt, among other things.

She expects an easy gig, and if she’s lucky a year without having to deal with any inhabitants in her morgue—yes Pierre is that small, and quiet. Which is exactly what Alex needed after fleeing Chicago and her past there, including a demon step-mother.

Yup, a...more

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Aug 22, 2012 Kale rated it 4 of 5 stars

Alex Connor is trying to make a small town fresh start far from her big city sins. Unfortunately just when things start looking up for Alex, everything comes crashing down. Strange things are happening in the seemingly sleepy town as Alex delves deeper into a secret society of supernaturals and the case of the missing corpse, she's finding the crazy from her past might not be crazy at all.

Tate Hallaway flips the traditional thinking of magic and the supernatural in new and exciting ways, deliver...more

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Aug 17, 2012 Dangerous Romance Book Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recent college grad Alex Conner is thrilled to have landed a job as the Hughes County coroner/medical examiner in Pierre, South Dakota. But when her first day on the job ends with a missing corpse, Alex starts to wonder if she would have been better off collecting unemployment...

When the cops made some cryptic comments about being careful with the body they brought in, Alex just thought the boys in blue were messing with her. That is, until something freaky happens that no amount of med school c...more Recent college grad Alex Conner is thrilled to have landed a job as the Hughes County coroner/medical examiner in Pierre, South Dakota. But when her first day on the job ends with a missing corpse, Alex starts to wonder if she would have been better off collecting unemployment...

When the cops made some cryptic comments about being careful with the body they brought in, Alex just thought the boys in blue were messing with her. That is, until something freaky happens that no amount of med school could have prepared her for. By the time Alex gets herself together, the body has disappeared and the other residents of the morgue start talking her ear off.

After working up the courage to report the missing body, Alex is transferred to the mysterious Precinct 13 where she discovers that her new co-workers—including a cute technomage named Jack—are paranormals just like her. Now, Alex is being encouraged to use her ability to speak to the dead to solve crimes. And despite being in the middle of nowhere, Hughes County sure does have a lot of paranormal activity…

I'm going to admit that when I started reading this book, I kinda felt like I might have landed in the middle of a series and was playing catch up. I haven't read Tate Hallaway's previous books, so I don't know if this character, Alex Conner was mentioned as a side character in another series or not. Either way, it didn't take me long to get past that feeling and land smack dab in a wonderful, smart, sexy and hilarious new world.

Alex has a past. A past that is alluded to and takes us all awhile to figure out. I don't want to spoil it because it is part of the fun of figuring out along with the rest of the mystery. But because of this past, she has cut all ties with her family, her friends, and in paricular....a very special friend. She has moved to a small town, Pierre, South Dakota, in the middle of the Midwest, almost like she is in the witness protection program (she's not). A girls gotta eat however, so when she figures out that in many small towns, the Medical Examiner/Coroner's position isn't one where the most qualified Forensic Pathologist is hired, but instead it is an elected position that almost anyone can run for, she basically throws her hat in the ring on a bet with her roommate. After all, in this economy, a job that pays 60K a year with benefits is something to consider, even if it means cutting up dead people and it isn't like she is totally unqualified, she graduated with a degree in Forensics. How was Alex to know that the current Coroner, who had held the position for decades, was completely corrupt and his nefarious ways were discovered before the election. Alex Connor won in a landslide, on a bet.

Life in Pierre, South Dakota is quiet. There had been 1 murder in 70 years, so other then the occasional autopsy, she felt certain she was going to be drawing a healthy paycheck for a job with little stress. Three weeks into her new job however, two police wheel a suicide into her morgue and make some not funny jokes about the dead guy maybe being magic and she should be careful of spells when she cuts him open. She is furious, thinking they are making fun of her (due to her mysterious past), and after throwing them out, proceeds to do her job and NOT do what the cops warned her about. Seems she should have listened, cause her first body on the job...gets up and walks out the door, after throwing something at her that sticks to and adheres to her skin, looking like a snake tattoo. A snake tattoo that moves.

All this is adding up to the worst day on the job ever. Alex has to go tell the police chief that she has a missing body. She expects him to ridicule her when she explains what happened, or at the very least, call for guys in straight jackets to take her away. Instead, he gives her a name (Precinct 13), and tells her to go to another office, that they are in charge of mysterious happenings in the county. Alex, confused and freaked out, finds Precinct 13 and is quickly introduced to a group of crime solvers who all have something in common. They believe in magic, can all do something magical that is useful in solving crimes, and they want her to join them. Seems the dead body that walked away, is a very bad dude who needs to die....again.

This is all a little more than Alex can take, and she sneaks off and calls the one man she swore she'd stay away from, the man her Doctors and family swore she must never contact again....Valentine, and once he arrives, the fun really starts up.

This was a delightful book. It was a hilarious, snarky adventure that read like a magical CSI. The main character started out uncertain and alone and by the end of the book, she was a confident woman who knew who she was and what her place in the world was, and she was surrounded by co-workers and friends and a lover who is a fantastic addition to the plot. Every girl who wants magic in her life, should have a Valentine. For some reason they are marketing this book as Parnormal Romance; and in my mind it is clearly Urban Fantasy with a strong romantic subplot, since there is actually very little sex, and it is implied rather than explicit, but in this case, less is more. I LOVED Valentine and his secret. His character was so well written. I feel this book would be fine for older Y/A. There is the whole "dead people talk to her" thing, which could make it seem like a story heavily influenced by that TV show I for one loved, called "Tru Calling," but actually the whole talking with the dead thing is really really not a big part of the plot. It is much more about Alex using her intellect and solving problems with the help of a team.

Precinct 13 is one of those books that I never saw coming, it just showed up one day from Penguin. I didn't read pre-press, didn't know the author, had no idea what I was getting into, but wow am I glad I found it. I can't wait to read the further adventures of Precinct 13, Alex Connor and Valentine.
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Aug 17, 2012 Dark Faerie Tales rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-by-michelle

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: Precinct 13 is funny, full of wit, and refreshing.

Opening Sentence: I never dreamed of being a coroner.

The Review:

I’m new to Tate Hallaway as an author, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. The cover is interesting with the many faded symbols all throughout the background. The blurb on the cover, under the title, says “The dead have tales to tell. And sometimes they just won’t shut up.” I knew I was going to enjoy this, and that Hallaway would t...more

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Aug 16, 2012 Paranormal Haven rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviews-by-beth-guest-reviewer

Alex Connor gets a job in a small town as a corner. She moved there after some trouble with her father and stepmother. It isn’t long before one of the bodies that is brought in gets up and walks away during an autopsy. Not knowing what else to do, she reports it and is pointed to Precinct 13. There she discovers that paranormal problems are very real, and she might be more of a part of them than she bargained for.

Precinct 13 is a mystery kind of Urban Fantasy. It stands out due to its dark humor...more Alex Connor gets a job in a small town as a corner. She moved there after some trouble with her father and stepmother. It isn’t long before one of the bodies that is brought in gets up and walks away during an autopsy. Not knowing what else to do, she reports it and is pointed to Precinct 13. There she discovers that paranormal problems are very real, and she might be more of a part of them than she bargained for.

Precinct 13 is a mystery kind of Urban Fantasy. It stands out due to its dark humor that can be more cute than dark at times. It isn’t a mystery I found myself trying to figure out. A lot of the details are held back from Alex, and I enjoyed discovering them with her.

Alex has had problems with the paranormal in the past. She was led to believe by doctors that she was mentally unstable. Her past boyfriend, Valentine was the only one that believed her in the past, so when strange things start happening he is the first one she calls. Valentine is a big part of the story, and a big part of Alex’s life. He is dangerously attractive, but the naughty scenes are glossed over. It is more an Urban Fantasy than a Romance. Even without knowing the bedroom details it does a good job of making Valentine desirable.

The actual precinct is like a police station for paranormal happenings within their town. Alex is quickly counted among them. At the precinct we meet a number of very interesting characters. In charge is half human, half fairy, Jones. As they try to discover more about the dead guy that walked out of the morgue, Alex quickly notices that Jones doesn’t always go about things the right way. It isn’t long before she feels as if she is the only one trying to solve what is going on.

The magic system here is really neat. We discover this world as Alex does, so the reader isn’t just tossed in. Because of the comic and cute parts it was a very easy to read story. It isn’t very complex and it rides easy to the end. It could easily be finished in one or two sitting with the time sliding by. Despite the dark notes in the novel it is a light easy read and I am hoping this turns into series.
- Beth (Guest Reviewer)(less)

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Aug 13, 2012 Kathy Martin rated it 4 of 5 stars

This first book in a new urban fantasy series introduces Alex Connor who is the new coroner for Hughes County in Pierre, South Dakota. Alex ran for the post on a bet. She is a new college graduate in forensic science who is a med school dropout. Things got in the way. Like a conviction that her stepmother was a demon, a boyfriend jailed for assaulting her stepmother, and Alex's own mental problems and hospitalization. After all, the things Alex has seen all her life, including trolls under bridg...more

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Aug 12, 2012 Ornella rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ah, such a refreshing book. It had action, romance, a SMART MC, not like those ditzy Mc's you see so much, where they are supposed to be smart yet they miss the most obvious things. Plot actually moved along quite nicely, the only Duh! moment was what Valentine was, but she still knew she just didn't really want to accept it. I really liked how she got over he denial of magic in a timely fashion, she didn't spend most of the book whining about all her insecurities. But it wasn't like she was mag...more

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Dec 28, 2012 Rebecca added it

I am really loving urban fantasy at the moment and Precinct 13 was really good in satisfying my hunger for more urban fantasy.
I really liked the world in this book, it was our world but there were people who didn’t believe in magic and others who didn’t. Tate introduced a theory that could possibly explain how the magic works in that world and I thought that was quite interesting.
I really liked Alex, I thought she was pretty cool. I liked her friends/co-workers in the book too. Jack, Valentine,...more

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Aug 22, 2012 Leslie Stovring rated it 5 of 5 stars

Alex is a new college grad looking for a job, on a whim she runs for coroner for Pierre, South Dakota. One of those where you are elected into the office and no need for a medical degree, but she does have a degree in forensic science so that works. She didn't campaign, but after the incumbent is found to have been very corrupt, she was elected in and so it goes.

All her life she was seen as crazy by her stepmother, for hearing ghosts, seeing fairies, etc. Turns out she wasn't crazy and is drafte...more

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Aug 07, 2012 Kristen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: zombie, fae, magical, mystery, paranormal, romance, shapeshifters, urban-fantasy, witches, vamps

GENRE: Urban Fantasy
THEME: Zombies/Vampires/Werwolves/Fae
RECEIVED: Received for review from Penguin
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/

REVIEW:
Precinct 13 I found to be a huge bundle of fun and a great new urban fantasy series that includes every kind of paranormal being there is. I haven’t read anything by Tate Hallaway yet, but if this series continues I’m definitely going to get the next book. I loved the characters, humor and really interesting plot.

Precinct 13 follows Alex, who made a be...more GENRE: Urban Fantasy
THEME: Zombies/Vampires/Werwolves/Fae
RECEIVED: Received for review from Penguin
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/

REVIEW:
Precinct 13 I found to be a huge bundle of fun and a great new urban fantasy series that includes every kind of paranormal being there is. I haven’t read anything by Tate Hallaway yet, but if this series continues I’m definitely going to get the next book. I loved the characters, humor and really interesting plot.

Precinct 13 follows Alex, who made a bet with her best friend and soon ended up as the new county coroner. Little does she know that her new job is going to take a major one eighty and bring back things that she was trying to forget. All her life she was told she was crazy thinking magic was real, until one of her corpses gets up and walks away, thus meeting the crew in Precinct 13. She works with the precinct to find the body and stop whatever havocs it might bring.

Alex was hilarious; I love when the female lead has not only spunk but also a great sense of humor. She gets the shock of her life when she discover that she may have some magic of her own, along with an interesting new tattoo. Her character becomes more important and powerful as the book moves on and I’m curious to see how her power develops later on. Even though they were short scenes I loved her interactions with her best friend Robert that made me laugh and wish he was in more scenes.

Precinct 13 itself is full of some great colorful characters, which includes a technomage, whom I loved even more because he wears a Yoda hat, a fairy prince with an attitude problem and a werewolf/vampire fellow who I found very amusing. The whole gang working together makes for some great scenes because they just get a bit crazier and more exciting as the get deeper into the case.

Then there is the mysterious tall dark and handsome Valentine, Alex’s longtime lover and the person who told her about magic. He is her protector and so much more, which I wont give away. I enjoyed what he brought to the story and how what he is makes Alex even that more powerful.

Overall I enjoyed this series; there were a couple gaps that I hope Hallaway will dive into in the next book. She mentions Alex’s stepmother who put her in therapy and that she could be something paranormal too. Also with the mention of Alex past, I wished we could of started more from the beginning of her meeting Valentine instead of him just popping into the story. But nonetheless I did enjoy this new series and the world created was so full of fantastic details, creatures, romance and humor that Hallaway really brought it to life.

RECOMMENDATION:
This is an urban fantasy series and has some minor sexual content. Fans of Laurell K. Hamilton and Kim Harrison will enjoy this new world in Precinct 12 by Tate Hallaway.
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Aug 25, 2012 Marsha rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Adults

(2.5 Stars) When I first read the summary for "Precinct 13" it sounded like a book I could truly enjoy. The overall concept was intriguing and had such potential; unfortunately, the book proved to be a mediocre read for me.

Alex Conner's roommate Robert has bet her to run for office as coroner in Pierre, South Dakota. This is an elected office and the previous coroner was outsted for corruption. So, Alex places her name in the hat for the $60k a year job and actually wins the election. Her first...more (2.5 Stars) When I first read the summary for "Precinct 13" it sounded like a book I could truly enjoy. The overall concept was intriguing and had such potential; unfortunately, the book proved to be a mediocre read for me.

Alex Conner's roommate Robert has bet her to run for office as coroner in Pierre, South Dakota. This is an elected office and the previous coroner was outsted for corruption. So, Alex places her name in the hat for the $60k a year job and actually wins the election. Her first day on the job proves to be quite disconcerting when a body is rolled into the office and the cops inform her to avoid opening the chest cavity or risk releasing magic. Since Alex is taking prescription medications for a myriad of phychoses she thinks someone has tapped into her background to discover her little vacation to the sanitarium.
Soon she discovers that the officer's advice had merit when the body walks out of the coroners office leaving her with a bad snake tattoo.

Alex learns that Pierre, South Dakota is more than just a sleepy little town. It is filled with magical folks and magical crimes; so much so, that there is a special unit to handle it, Precinct 13. She quickly becomes a part of this team in an attempt to locate missing body. With all of the crazy going to, the return of her ex-lover, Valentine only adds another layer of madness to the mix.

As I stated earlier, this book had such potential but relied too heavily on the ideas and chessy reference to movies and fairy tales. There are references to gollums and The Lord of the Rings, Sparkly vampires in Twilight, the ability to erase people's memory from Men in Black, Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland etc. It was not very original and the characterizations, world building, and relationships were cursory and not well developed. For the first half of the book, I thought I might not be able to finish the book but then, it began to get better. However, I never truly felt as if I knew Valentine or understood his relationship with Alex. One minute they are kissing and the next we are back in the office on the next day.

I believe I read a review from a reader that indicated that the author is planning to make this into a series. I am fairly confident I will not be moving on to the other books. It just did not do it for me. However, read it for yourself, most of the other reviews I read were 3-4 stars. It just didn't do it for me!(less)

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Aug 19, 2012 Beth Dawkins rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

Alex Connor gets a job in a small town as a corner. She moved there after some trouble with her father and stepmother. It isn’t long before one of the bodies that is brought in gets up and walks away during an autopsy. Not knowing what else to do, she reports it and is pointed to Precinct 13. There she discovers that paranormal problems are very real, and she might be more of a part of them than she bargained for.

Precinct 13 is a mystery kind of Urban Fantasy. It stands out due to its dark humor...more Alex Connor gets a job in a small town as a corner. She moved there after some trouble with her father and stepmother. It isn’t long before one of the bodies that is brought in gets up and walks away during an autopsy. Not knowing what else to do, she reports it and is pointed to Precinct 13. There she discovers that paranormal problems are very real, and she might be more of a part of them than she bargained for.

Precinct 13 is a mystery kind of Urban Fantasy. It stands out due to its dark humor that can be more cute than dark at times. It isn’t a mystery I found myself trying to figure out. A lot of the details are held back from Alex, and I enjoyed discovering them with her.

Alex has had problems with the paranormal in the past. She was led to believe by doctors that she was mentally unstable. Her past boyfriend, Valentine was the only one that believed her in the past, so when strange things start happening he is the first one she calls. Valentine is a big part of the story, and a big part of Alex’s life. He is dangerously attractive, but the naughty scenes are glossed over. It is more an Urban Fantasy than a Romance. Even without knowing the bedroom details it does a good job of making Valentine desirable.

The actual precinct is like a police station for paranormal happenings within their town. Alex is quickly counted among them. At the precinct we meet a number of very interesting characters. In charge is half human, half fairy, Jones. As they try to discover more about the dead guy that walked out of the morgue, Alex quickly notices that Jones doesn’t always go about things the right way. It isn’t long before she feels as if she is the only one trying to solve what is going on.

The magic system here is really neat. We discover this world as Alex does, so the reader isn’t just tossed in. Because of the comic and cute parts it was a very easy to read story. It isn’t very complex and it rides easy to the end. It could easily be finished in one or two sitting with the time sliding by. Despite the dark notes in the novel it is a light easy read and I am hoping this turns into series. (less)

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Aug 20, 2012 Dianne Socci-Tetro rated it 2 of 5 stars

Precinct 13 by Tate Halloway

College graduate Alex Conner, is looking for a new beginning to her life so she lands up with the coroners job in Pierre, South Dakota. After all she just got finished with accusing her step-mother of being a demon, and at the same time her boyfriend Valentine spends 18 months in jail for assaulting the step-mother (or step-monster) for again…being a demon. Now everyone thinks that Alex may be a little crazy. That is until she makes her move out to Pierre and things...more

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Aug 03, 2012 Kt from A Book Obsession.. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: received-for-review, hardcopy

Review originally posted on my blog: A Book Obsession..

Through a funny set of circumstances, Alex Conner finds herself in a new job as the Hughes County Coroner. Considering there hasn't been any murders in the area for over two years, Alex thinks she's in for an easy paycheck. But those ideals quickly go out the window when a corpse comes in with a cryptic warning about magic. With Alex's troubled past involving magic and the psychiatric ward, she thinks she's become the brunt of a nasty joke,...more Review originally posted on my blog: A Book Obsession..

Through a funny set of circumstances, Alex Conner finds herself in a new job as the Hughes County Coroner. Considering there hasn't been any murders in the area for over two years, Alex thinks she's in for an easy paycheck. But those ideals quickly go out the window when a corpse comes in with a cryptic warning about magic. With Alex's troubled past involving magic and the psychiatric ward, she thinks she's become the brunt of a nasty joke, at least that is until some very strange things happen ending with the corpse getting up and walking away. Her chief sends her straight to Precinct 13 where she learns that magic and paranormals exist after all, and she may just be one of them.

I was really impressed with Tate Hallaway's world building in Precinct 13. There was a plethora of supernatural characters that should have been overwhelming, but weren't due to the way things were handled. Each new element was introduced to Alex, and due to her acceptance were easily taken in stride as it they were directly tied into whatever she was currently facing. There wasn't a single info-dump, which was rather impressive considering the very large amount of things that needed to be covered in such a short amount of time. In fact the entire story was paced very well with no dull or slow moments keeping me sucked in the entire time.

I really loved the characters in this book, Alex most of all. She is incredibly tough and doesn't take nonsense from anyone. Most people would have collapsed long ago under the extreme stress of being told she was literally crazy for seeing and believing in magic. All the years of therapy and anti psychotics definitely took a toll, but she came out the other side much stronger. In fact when she learns that magic is real, she only protests for a short while before accepting it and getting down to business with her case. This is where she really shines as her drive and determination make for the perfect investigator. As far as the rest of the characters go, each one stood out, being well developed and fully realized. The many different personalities at the Precinct made for a very interesting rag tag team, that only furthered my enjoyment of the book as I watched the dynamics between them play out. However, aside from Alex, one character really stood out. There was just something so mysterious and rather yummy about Valentine, that I loved him from the moment he arrived, and the reveals centering around him only made me love him even more. Take my word for it, he is awesome!

I really enjoyed Precinct 13 and felt it was a great opener to this new series. Everything from the characters to the incredible world felt fresh and unique making Precinct 13 a stand out in the Urban Fantasy genre. This is one new series you won't want to miss!(less)

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Aug 16, 2012 Heather Book Savvy Babe rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: review-on-blog, urban-fantasy, witches-magic, book-bonanza-2012

With a reluctant heroine, a colorful cast, and supernatural occurrences taking over, Precinct 13 is an paranormal read that urban fantasy readers will not want to miss.

Alex Connor has been convinced that something is wrong with her. She has always been able to “see things,” but after lots of therapy, medications, and moving to a small South Dakota town, Alex thought she could finally leave her past behind. She begins her new job as the coroner, and once she experiences her first case where the d...more With a reluctant heroine, a colorful cast, and supernatural occurrences taking over, Precinct 13 is an paranormal read that urban fantasy readers will not want to miss.

Alex Connor has been convinced that something is wrong with her. She has always been able to “see things,” but after lots of therapy, medications, and moving to a small South Dakota town, Alex thought she could finally leave her past behind. She begins her new job as the coroner, and once she experiences her first case where the dead body bespells her and walks away, her life will never again be normal. Alex is directed to the mysterious Precinct 13, a supernatural police force. It turns out that there is much more going on in the South Dakota town than meets the eye, and the supernatural does indeed exist.

I really enjoyed this urban fantasy. I like the heroine a lot, I feel for her and am simultaneously frustrated with her at the same time. Alex had been accused of being crazy her entire life, to the point of being medicated. So, when she is confronted with proof that she was not crazy all along, the poor girl has a tough time. She holds onto some denial, but she manages to make a place for herself in the Precinct and she begins to show more supernatural abilities of her own. There is a random quality to the magic (especially Alex’s) and the supernatural in this book that provide humor and kept my attention.

The secondary characters are all very interesting too. There are supernatural beings of all kinds and entities in Precinct 13, and I enjoyed the variety and the uniqueness to each of them. Valentine, Alex’s quasi-boyfriend, is a very intriguing character. He is big and bad, but he is not overly dominant of Alex. Alex proves that, even when she doesn’t know what she’s doing, she can take care of herself.

There is a good balance between humor, action, and plot that made this book stand out as a good urban fantasy read. While there are still some open ends to the story, I would love to see a series develop out of Precinct 13, to tie up more questions and to get to know the characters more. I am curious to see how Alex develops and grows as a character. Plus with a job as a coroner, there is definite potential for all kinds of stories to come.

Urban fantasy and paranormal readers, I highly recommend giving Precinct 13 a try. This was the first book I have read by Tate Hallaway, but definitely not the last.

*I received this book for review*(less)

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Aug 30, 2012 Linda Lonetto rated it 5 of 5 stars

could not put it down. i really like tate halloway's unconventional writing and am sick of all the 50shades wannabe's. c'mon get an imagination. tate has filled this request with her tautly written plot and good charecter development. i want a dragon!!!the blending of what is real and what is not is seamless. you really want to know what happens to jones,how stones date went and how she deals with her evil(literally)step monster.plus the big,her relationship with Valentine. Alex has good instinc...more

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Apr 14, 2013 Piseog rated it 2 of 5 stars

2.5 Stars

I was really looking forward to this book but it was a big disappointment. The start was good and I would have given it 3.5 stars, and then my attention and interest dwindled the more I read. Eventually I was just skimming until I got to the end. The author focused on the boring parts (stupid investigation, Jones, confusing explanations of magic) and skipped over the interesting parts (Valentine, love scenes, Devon, the danger). After a while I was like "who cares about the bloody necro...more

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Feb 28, 2013 Sue rated it 3 of 5 stars

I ended up liking this book more than I originally thought I would. I'm not certain how many books this author has written, but I found the beginning of this book rather distracting, with sudden jumps of perspective and scene that were a bit clumsy and unpolished. However, as the story continued, the characters were well-drawn enough, and sympathetic enough, to overcome any issues I had with the ometimes unpolished writing. Overall, this urban fantasy (with a bit of romance, but not enough to di...more

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Aug 12, 2012 Laureen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Alex Conner is a newly minted coroner with a bit of baggage when it comes to magic. She's determined to believe that it doesn't exist and the anti-psychotic medication is there to back that theory up. Too bad she's proven wrong when the man she was in the middle of doing an autopsy on walked out on her (his liver in hand, no less).

The book was surprisingly light in places, the opening made me laugh out loud and there were a few lines that were really well done. It wasn't as neatly tied together...more

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Sep 16, 2012 mlady_rebecca rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction__speculative, genre__urban_fantasy, pov__first_person_female, genre_sub__demons_or_angels, genre_sub__faeries, genre_sub__lycanthropes_and_shifter, genre_sub__witches_psychics, genre_sub__vamps, 2012, genre_sub__necromancers_or_reapers

Loved this book. If I wasn't falling asleep, I probably would have finished it in one sitting, and that is rare for me these days.

I'll start by getting two "marketing" nitpicks out of the way. The book is labeled paranormal romance. It's clearly urban fantasy. The main female character does have a boyfriend, but that relationship is certainly not the main focus of the book. (Although, it is important to the story.)

And, two, the blurb on the back is wrong. It says "her first day on the job [as a...more Loved this book. If I wasn't falling asleep, I probably would have finished it in one sitting, and that is rare for me these days.

I'll start by getting two "marketing" nitpicks out of the way. The book is labeled paranormal romance. It's clearly urban fantasy. The main female character does have a boyfriend, but that relationship is certainly not the main focus of the book. (Although, it is important to the story.)

And, two, the blurb on the back is wrong. It says "her first day on the job [as a coroner] ends with a missing corpse...." when it's actually about three weeks into the job. The first three weeks only included one natural death, who was in the morgue waiting to be transported out of state. Seems like an odd thing to get wrong, but I doubt that copy is the author's domain entirely.

Hmmm, where to start. Beautiful cover art. And, yes, this is a book you can safely judge by it's cover. *g*

This is a closed world - magic and the paranormal aren't out in the open. As the book opens Alex is starting a new job in a new state, trying to get a fresh start. She has been in and out of medical institutions for most of her life, assured that seeing faeries means she's mentally disturbed.

When her first autopsy involves a corpse who gets up and walks away, she's afraid things are starting up again. Only this time, the chief of police believes her. He sends her to Precinct 13, the branch of the local police department that deals with the paranormal. And apparently Pierre, South Dakota has more than it's fair share of oddness.

Although the book does include vampires and lycanthropes, that's not the focus of the book. Neither is faerie. It's more like hanging with the psychic division of a law enforcement agency. Alex herself is obviously gifted, since she can see magic, but she has no idea what she is. (At least as the book opens, she has a pretty good idea by the end of the book.)

Love Alex, her boyfriend Valentine, and the whole cast of characters. I'm hoping this is the start of a series, but there is no indication on the book itself. And the book was just published in August 2012, so unless the author wrote more than one before selling the first one, I doubt a potential sequel is written yet.

This author also writes science fiction under the name Lyda Morehouse. From the dedications and copyright page, I believe Lyda Morehouse is her real name. Glanced at her books under both names, but I haven't picked anything out yet. What I really want is more of Alex.

But, anyway, great urban fantasy. And, despite the Mary-Janice Davidson quote line on the cover, it isn't in the least bit chick-lit-ish. (I'm not particularly fond of the chick-lit portion of the paranormal market.) Recommended to anyone who enjoys urban fantasy with first person female leads.(less)

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Sep 21, 2012 Dr susan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-again, need-to-buy

I do not like reviews that discuss plot details; the reader should discover the characters as the writer intends. I have not read any of Hallaway's other books, but I love Precinct 13. I flew through this book, even though I had a bit of a migraine. Precinct is labelled paranormal romance, but I believe urban fantasy is more appropriate. I laughed out loud, shed a few tears, and was thoroughly grossed out several times. Alex is a great character and her supporting cast is wonderful. I hope there...more

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Aug 13, 2012 Marisa rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Brandy

Shelves: fantasy-mystery, fantasy-urban, fantasy, ebook, 2012

Un libro muy, muy entretenido, con todos los tópicos de la magia pero de una manera muy "mundana", incluidos los prejuicios y la división entre buenos y malos en la comunidad mágica. Una investigación policíaca bastante decente, una protagonista bastante sensata y que no es "super-woman" y una escritura muy entretenida y divertida en algunos casos (en absoluto de risas, de sonrisa por detalles, que es lo que más me gusta).Espero que sea una serie y por los menos siga con otro libro, y sepamos al...more

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Oct 31, 2012 Star (The Bibliophilic Book Blog) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

As a result of a bet, Alex Conner is now the Hughes County coroner. Trying to put her checkered past behind her, she’s happy to have the job. Especially since it’ll be quiet, right? Wrong! When a couple of cops bring a new body, Alex is in for a real shock as she starts the autopsy. She didn’t expect to be attacked nor for the corpse to get up and walk away under his own power. Thinking she may be going crazy (again), she reports the runaway corpse to the police captain and he transfers her over...more

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Oct 01, 2012 Lyn Nicholas rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, reviewed, 2012-reviews

A witty and exciting new paranormal adventure!

Alex Connor is a snarky sarcastic character who is able to see all sorts of magical creatures. She's a bit of a reluctant heroine at first but about halfway through the book, she really begins to come into her own. She starts to become the kick-ass woman she was meant to be and her transformation is something that you just have to see for yourself!

The entire book is hilarious and the main character will knock you off your feet. There are some killer...more

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Sep 15, 2012 Nissanmama rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, twimom227-blog

Precinct 13 came to me categorized as paranormal romance. While it does have some romantic elements, that is definitely not the focus of the book. There are no explicit love scenes and even those are few in number. I would say it reads more like urban fantasy. In my opinion, the story starts out a little too light for the story that follows. We are introduced to Alex Conner who has an undergraduate degree in forensic science and some medical school. She has not completed medical school for reaso...more Precinct 13 came to me categorized as paranormal romance. While it does have some romantic elements, that is definitely not the focus of the book. There are no explicit love scenes and even those are few in number. I would say it reads more like urban fantasy. In my opinion, the story starts out a little too light for the story that follows. We are introduced to Alex Conner who has an undergraduate degree in forensic science and some medical school. She has not completed medical school for reasons not delineated until later in the book. Over too many beers and whining about being unemployed, her buddy makes a $20 bet with her to run for county coroner of a rural corner in South Dakota. Virtually unopposed, she wins.

Despite the clumsy way in which Alex reaches Pierre, South Dakota, the story that follows is a promising beginning to what will most likely be a series. There seems to be an unusual amount of paranormal activity in Hughes County and Alex is now seated squarely in the thick of it. The potential is there for any number of stories and books to follow.
I enjoyed the premise, what would a police force look and sound like if they all had some kind of supernatural talent—a mage who specializes in technology, witches, familiars, vampires, bag ladies who are not what they appear, even rumors of dragons? Alex herself can speak to the dead; an interesting if useful trait in a coroner trying to solve a murder.

There isn’t a lot of humor in this book, but Alex doesn’t take herself too seriously either. With a slightly sarcastic eye out for all that is clearly ridiculous about whom she is and what’s going on under the noses of the “ordinarium” community we get quotes like this, "…I figured it was still my duty to inform him [the police chief] that there was a corpse wandering around town. In case, I don’t know, they needed to put out an APB for a gutted guy carrying his liver."

Hallaway’s website bio discloses that she is a witch, though not part of any coven, she just believes in magic. I think it is, perhaps, revealing when the character Jack explains about the ordinarium,
“All children…can see magic. This is one of the reasons we love fairy tales when we’re little. We recognize the truth in them…. Teenage hormones change everything…. Ordinarium like to call it ‘growing up.’ But it’s really growing out of magic.”

Because Alex is just learning about her paranormal skills and finding her niche in Precinct 13, we get the benefit of learning along with her. For all her stumbling however, the action doesn’t slow down, right through to an explosive ending. Hallaway is creative in a market which is unfortunately full of too many mediocre paranormal books. I like these characters enough, especially Valentine, to definitely come back to Pierre, South Dakota if Hallaway chooses to make this a series. She’s certainly set it up that way, but does it without leaving you feeling like you’re missing anything at the conclusion of Precinct 13. There are no annoying cliff-hangers and that alone is a huge recommendation in my mind.(less)

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Jul 17, 2012 Candace rated it 5 of 5 stars

First of all, lets get the genre label cleared up. My copy of the book is labeled as a paranormal romance, but I can tell you that this reads much more like an urban fantasy. The one thing (for me) that differentiates the two is paranormal romance has sex. Well, more descriptions of it anyway. And while we know that there IS sex in the book we see none of it. For me that's a good thing, I like UF better than PNR. However, there is romance and I assure you, you'll do plenty of swooning! And this...more First of all, lets get the genre label cleared up. My copy of the book is labeled as a paranormal romance, but I can tell you that this reads much more like an urban fantasy. The one thing (for me) that differentiates the two is paranormal romance has sex. Well, more descriptions of it anyway. And while we know that there IS sex in the book we see none of it. For me that's a good thing, I like UF better than PNR. However, there is romance and I assure you, you'll do plenty of swooning! And this opens it up to the younger readers. I would say this is entirely appropriate for mature YA readers (my opinion).

Okay, so have you read Tate Hallaway yet? I love her Garnet Lacey books (though I still need to read the last one) but they are a little bit extreme. I mean, her books teeter on the edge of a little too much, like not realistic feeling anymore, or slightly ridiculous. I still liked them, but I'm pointing this out because this series doesn't seem to teeter quite on the ridiculous. While it's chock full of supernatural beings of every type, it all felt kind of real. And there was funny thrown in without going over the top and touching ridiculous.

So the thing is... I loved this book! First of all, Alex is a great character! It took a bit to warm up to her (like a chapter or two) but then I saw her awesome personality come out and I adored her. She's kick ass and not at all shy. She's been in the dark about the supernatural until a dead body walks out of her morgue. Suddenly she realizes that she really did know more than she thought. She's introduced to Precinct 13, which deals in all manner of supernatural and it's like she's suddenly found her home, her true self and her passion. And she's good at it. She loves it almost right away. It's like she's waited her whole life for it to happen. And while this book has a lot to do with her learning about it and accepting it, it really didn't slow down for her learning or explanations. There was nothing heavy about this book at all. It was constant action and moved along without going too fast and leaving us behind.

Then comes Valentine and well, I can't even say anything about this dude, other than you want to know his secret. Trust me, you do. And you'll love it!

This is one phenomenal world. I loved each new thing that came into play. I was stunned by how creative the author managed to be in a world that's inundated with UF books and supernatural beings. Not everyone can pull off such a big magical feat, but Tate Hallaway did it, this book rocked my socks!

This book was provided for review. All opinions expressed are my own and I was not paid or influenced in any way.

You can find this review and others like it at http://www.candacesbookblog.com (less)

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Jul 12, 2012 Michelle rated it 2 of 5 stars

Precinct 13 is a Paranormal Romance by Tate Hallaway from Berkley Trade.

Blurb:

Recent college grad Alex Conner is thrilled to have landed a job as the Hughes County coroner/medical examiner in Pierre, South Dakota. But when her first day on the job ends with a missing corpse, Alex starts to wonder if she would have been better off collecting unemployment...

When the cops made some cryptic comments about being careful with the body they brought in, Alex just thought the boys in blue were messing wi...more

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Aug 30, 2012 Michelle Leah Olson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: literal-addiction-books, reviewed

Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Pack Alpha - Michelle L. Olson:

I’m from a small town in Wisconsin (very close to where Tate bases her other series) and my beau is from a small town in South Dakota and has family in Pierre. When I saw that the story was based in Pierre it was just one more reason for me to want to read it after being lucky enough to receive an ARC from the Publisher.

Upon completion of Precinct 13, my exact words were “An absolute breath of fresh air! As a paranormal junkie it...more

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