The Taken (Celestial Blues, #1)

Jun 29, 2012 faeriemyst rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: amazon-vine, urban-fantasy, wtf, disappointing, abandoned-series

Even though I'm not especially fond of angels, I decided to try out this new series based on my previous experiences with Vicki Pettersson's work. Sadly, after an intriguing first chapter, any enjoyment I may have expected never came knocking (guess it was too busy knockin' on heaven's door).

Meet one of the two main characters, rockabilly girl Katherine "Kit" Craig. She's an eternally optimistic and peppy reporter whose best friend and co-worker, Nicole, was just murdered while following a lead....more

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Jun 11, 2012 Cat Russell (Addicted2Heroines) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, highly-recommend

There are books and characters I've thoroughly enjoyed that over time have blended in with others in their genre, no longer standing out in my mind. Then there are books and characters that leave such an impression that they serve as a reminder of why I initially fell in love with reading. This is one of those stories.

Pettersson has a truly impressive writing style with descriptions that are clever and incredibly vivid. She also possesses a talent for world building, providing enough detail so...more

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May 24, 2012 Melindeeloo rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

3.5 stars - The Taken, the Celestial Blues series starter, was a mixed read for me. The first chapter was a 'grabber', but I found the next few chapters to be uneven and I kept wavering as to whether I even had the patience to continue on, because I liked the parts with leading man Grif Shaw - a 'busted' (not fallen) angel and former 50's PI - but I had a hard time connecting with leading lady Kit Craig - a newspaper reporter who embraces the 50's nostalgia driven Rockabilly lifestyle and has an...more

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Jul 08, 2012 Lolly's rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: amazon-vine, paranormal-mys-suspense, paranormal-romance, angelic-host, part-of-a-series

A cute, mostly forgettable PNR. While the story at the book's heart, the one actually driving the plot, is as dark and twisted as they come, the rest of the book is fairly prosaic. There's the spunky heroine, Katherine "Kit" Craig, this time dressed up as an "I defy you to pigeonhole me" rockabilly Lois Lane, which, I'll grant you, is an interesting twist--I haven't seen too many rockabilly dolls in modern fiction. Then there's the deep and brooding hero, Griffin Shaw, with the requisite dark pa...more A cute, mostly forgettable PNR. While the story at the book's heart, the one actually driving the plot, is as dark and twisted as they come, the rest of the book is fairly prosaic. There's the spunky heroine, Katherine "Kit" Craig, this time dressed up as an "I defy you to pigeonhole me" rockabilly Lois Lane, which, I'll grant you, is an interesting twist--I haven't seen too many rockabilly dolls in modern fiction. Then there's the deep and brooding hero, Griffin Shaw, with the requisite dark past, only this particular incarnation of the trope is a not-quite-fallen, more-like-demoted angel, who died in 1960 and has enough baggage to fill one of those brass hotel trolleys. Also shuffling in and out of the story are the other contract players whom we never quite learn much about, but are necessary to fill out the plot: the schmuck of an ex-husband (who is appropriately schmuck-like and, naturally, completely different to Kit's lifestyle, so much so it makes one wonder why the author had Kit married to him in the first place, other than to lay the groundwork for a future dramatic scene); the protective girlfriend (who can also create Kit's killer Bettie Page 'do); and the supportive cop friend (who we have to take on faith as being trustworthy as we're never really introduced to him beyond a superficial intro). Basically, nothing really original, except maybe for the Vegas location and the kitschy retro backdrops.

While I must say I didn't find Kit quite as annoying as many other PNR heroines, I don't feel as though I came away from the novel knowing who she is, what drives her, what's really underneath that rockabilly exterior. (In fact, the most annoying thing I ran into was everyone else's insistence on calling her 'Kitten' or 'Kitty-Cat'. How cute. And how so completely unoriginal.) Griffin Shaw, the angel/P.I., complains constantly about Kit's incessant talking, the fact that she's too cheerful, too stubborn, flighty, contradictory, cavalier, yadda yadda yadda, but we never learn why she's any of those things, most especially when it comes to her indefatigably upbeat nature, or if those mannerisms are merely a cover for deeper issues. (We kind of get a hint that it's the latter, but that hint is never fully explored. Perhaps Pettersson is leaving that for later books.) When it came to the rockabilly part, you can tell Pettersson is fascinated by the phenomenon and respects those who belong to that particular subculture, but it never felt fully integrated into Kit's character. At times, it felt as though she was almost too "kooky" or, as one character called her, "weird," as though she was trying to hard to be insouciant and one-of-a-kind. She wore the clothes, she talked the talk and walked the walk, but it still felt a bit like a little girl playing dress-up. Basically, she seemed...unfinished.

Griffin Shaw is little better, as his main motivation is vengeance. His wife, Evie, was murdered in front of him, just before his own life was taken, and he was set up as the fall guy by whomever committed the murder. Once he returned as a Guardian (an angel responsible for ushering newly departed souls to the Everlast--which is just about the worst name for an afterlife, though highly appropriate for the book's Vegas setting, as every time I saw it mentioned, I thought of boxing equipment), he made it his mission to somehow find out who killed his beloved Evie. Or at least never stop thinking about her and her death. And believe me, for most of the first part of the book, he never does. Evie this and Evie that. It gets a bit tiresome after a while because you began to believe his memories of perfect Evie and their perfect, wedded bliss have become enhanced by the rose-tinted glasses of memory and Griffin's driving need for closure. However, it does make his gradual realization of his feelings for Kit feel a bit more realistic, even if I did want to hit Griffin over the noggin to speed up the process. For all the drama/trauma driving him, there's little more to Griffin's personality. He always acted the complete gentleman and from his actions it was obvious he had a strong moral center, but, like Kit, you never really knew what, if anything, was going on underneath that polite exterior. Once again, the word 'unfinished' comes to mind.

I think the most disappointing feature of the novel is the lack of spark. I'm not talking about romantic chemistry, which you can see between Griffin and Kit. No, I'm talking about a different kind of spark. After all, I figured with a rockabilly heroine and an authentically cool cat angel/P.I. there'd be some snappy dialogue, along the lines of the Howard Hawks/Rosalind Russell/Cary Grant type you see in His Girl Friday (the best movie of all time for that kind of one-liner repartee). Instead, the dialogue was pretty flat and occasionally awkward or forced. The book tries to strike a balance between funny and dramatic, yet usually only achieves jarring results when a scene can't decide which way it wants to lean. It wants to be noir, but can't achieve the necessary hard-boiled snappiness required to be good noir; it wants to be a romantic comedy, but can't achieve the light-hearted snappiness required to be a good romantic comedy. So it ends up being a slightly confused mishmash of all of the above.

About the only thing that makes this novel stand out is the plot line, which is dark, diabolical, and completely reprehensible. It makes you wonder if Pettersson has some issues with men or perhaps just Mormons and this is how she's working them out. While it may not be utterly believable, the plot did make me want to keep reading, just to see the villain get his well-deserved and inevitable comeuppance. However, a dark and disturbing story line does not a good PNR/urban fantasy make; it needs all the other parts to make it whole, which once again brings me to that word 'unfinished'. The book felt as though it was missing that one key ingredient which would've brought the whole mess together and made it into something spectacular.

I'm not sure I'm invested enough in either the premise or the characters to continue reading the series, mainly due to the disappointing execution of the tale. There are other authors out there who can do twisted suspense stories even better and without all the angel falderal (which is the aspect of the novel which really got on my nerves. Yes, yes, before ya'll start foaming at the mouth, I knew the book involved angels and I knew there would be some God talk, but it still seemed a bit heavy-handed at times). I don't know why angels are the new big thing lately in the PNR genre, but I think I'll stay away. They're really not my cup o' tea. And as far as Pettersson, I have the first novel of her Zodiac series sitting in one my bookshelves; I'm still interested in reading it, but I think I'll go into it a bit more reservedly than I would've before reading The Taken.(less)

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Jun 06, 2012 Michelle Leah Olson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: literal-addiction-books, reviewed

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

I received an ARC of this book from the Publisher in preparation for an Event that LITERAL ADDICTION was doing with Vicki in mid-June 2012. I'm a fan of Ms. Pettersson's, and seeing that this was the first in a new series I was seriously intrigued. Not to mention that the blurb was original and that peaked my interests even more.

In preparation of the read I did a little research and saw that the pre-release reader reviews were qui...more Our Review by Michelle L. Olson - LITERAL ADDICTION'S Pack Alpha:

I received an ARC of this book from the Publisher in preparation for an Event that LITERAL ADDICTION was doing with Vicki in mid-June 2012. I'm a fan of Ms. Pettersson's, and seeing that this was the first in a new series I was seriously intrigued. Not to mention that the blurb was original and that peaked my interests even more.

In preparation of the read I did a little research and saw that the pre-release reader reviews were quite low rated. While I didn't let that impact my decision to start the book or my thoughts, it was always in the back of my mind. After finishing, I have to say that I'm very shocked at the low reviews. I REALLY enjoyed it!

It was a heart pumping mystery with intense action, old fashioned romance, and just enough of the preternatural to keep it in my 'usually preferred' genre, and while it's a long book, I read it in 3 sittings.

I adore Grif. Maybe because I've always been an absolute sucker for the dicks & gumshoes of the past - the Humphrey Bogarts and Dick Tracys of the world. Those smart, sexy, intense, standoffish, sleuthy men who could solve a crime by finding a book of matches. Those that while maybe not classically handsome could still make your heart swoon with just their smarts, a cock-eyed fedora and a trenchcoat. *sigh* Grif is all that and a bag of chips! LOL. He's uber sexy, tortured, haunted, smart (and smart-a**), plus... he's an angel (literally).

Kit is an amazing heroine as well. She takes on the world with a smile, all the while staying true to herself despite what others think. She's also strong, smart, and compassionate and an incredible investigative journalist (a profession I thoroughly enjoy in my fiction).

Together, these two are the ultimate pair, yet their relationship is tragically flawed and utterly doomed from the start. It made you cheer them on and wish for the best even more, and made my heart swell anytime anything did go their way breaking through Grif's ice and bringing one of those wide smiles to Kit's face.

I loved the book and I'm really looking forward to the sequel!

I have to say that while I enjoyed the action, mystery and romance, my favorite part of the book was the underlying message - that life is meant to be lived, enjoyed one day at a time to its fullest, and that death shouldn't be feared, because dying means you were once truly alive.

LITERAL ADDICTION gives The Taken 4 Skulls and would recommend it to all Urban Fantasy and Mystery lovers, especially those with a penchant for vintage PI and Detective work.

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Mar 12, 2013 Fangs for the Fantasy rated it 3 of 5 stars

The number one question in Griffin Shaw's life is who killed both him and his wife Evie fifty years ago. Though he has found new love with rockabilly babe Kit, Evie continues to haunt his dreams. It's been four months since he saved Kits life and returned to the mudflat (read: earth) but he is no closer to solving this extremely cold case.

Life keeps moving and the pures keep sending him souls to guide into the Everlast. He may be part human now, but his duties as a centurion continue. It is thes...more The number one question in Griffin Shaw's life is who killed both him and his wife Evie fifty years ago. Though he has found new love with rockabilly babe Kit, Evie continues to haunt his dreams. It's been four months since he saved Kits life and returned to the mudflat (read: earth) but he is no closer to solving this extremely cold case.

Life keeps moving and the pures keep sending him souls to guide into the Everlast. He may be part human now, but his duties as a centurion continue. It is these duties that force him to do a take for Jeap Yang - a drug addict. What he does not know is that this take will be different because not only will Kit involved, she will be introduced to a fallen. This alone would be bad enough, but it will lead them on a trail to investigate a horrible new drug flooding the streets and confront both the Russian and Cuban mafia. Will Griffin and Kit manage to survive unscathed and can their fragile love survive all the forces which seemed aligned against them?

In The Taken, Pettersson included a strong message against violence aimed at women but The Lost, is absent such a message. Instead it seemed to fixate on fighting the subjugation of sexist patriarchal beliefs by showing women in charge of organized crime. These women were strong but incredibly cold. In Kit she did decide to show a softer kind of strength however but she was one person against two very domineering and angry women. The difference between Kit and the two antagonists is that Kit is never really portrayed as having to battle sexism. It seems to imply a sort of revenge fantasy rather than women being in control because they are powerful, organized and capable.

There was certainly more racial inclusion in The Taken but not only inclusion is good inclusion. Once again, Lil and Fleur made an appearance but their sole purpose was to educate Kit about Latino culture.

"Shit, girl, he probably ain't Mexicano." Screwing up her beautifully painted mouth, Lil drew back to regard Kit with disdain. "You think us Latinas all look alike."

"No I don't," Kit said defensively, but the two women gave her matching stares, arms folded across their chests, perfectly plucked eyebrows raised in identical doubt. "You two, for example, look better than anyone I've ever seen in my entire life." (pg 89)

This was a salient point for both Lil and Fleur to make. Despite being a good friend to both women, Kit remains clueless about Latino culture.

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Dec 31, 2012 drey rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads, mystery-suspense-and-thriller, urban-fantasy

My oh my, does Vicki Pettersson know how to spin a yarn, or what? I’ll give you a hint — it’s not “or what”, it’s a resounding “YES!”

The Taken starts with a dead body, and the angel sent to gather the deceased’s soul. The angel — Griffin Shaw — messes up, and next thing he knows, he’s sent down to earth as a man until he collects another soul. Kit Craig’s soul, to be exact.

Kit’s an investigative journalist, and she can’t stop poking her nose into things. Especially not now — she has to find out...more

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Dec 17, 2012 Victoria rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-in-a-series, fantasy-science-fiction

This mash-up of urban fantasy, romance with a noir(-ish)/hipster twist surprised me at how entertaining and fast-paced it was. I had a great time reading it in one sitting and it brightened my rainy Saturday quite a bit! As the first novel in the series, a lot of time was spent setting up the supernatural, angelic elements, and though a bit more exposition would have been nice, this was a pretty solid foundation - with plenty of room for the sequel to expand that base. The nostalgic Kit, the fem...more

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Sep 20, 2012 Heidi Norrod rated it 4 of 5 stars

An unassuming and entertaining read full of surprises.

Ms. Pettersson weaves a tale that masterfully blends the rockabilly subculture with mystery in this amazing new edition to the paranormal genre. And I certainly will never be able to forget the angel.

The Review:

The characters are well developed and even though you may not be familiar with the rockabilly subculture and the nuances surrounding it. You will still find this tale charming and laugh out-loud good. However, it will still demand yo...more

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Sep 13, 2012 Amy Jacobs rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own

The Taken is the first book in the Celestial Blues series by author Vicki Pettersson. I have seen this book classified as many things. It has been noted as an Urban Fantasy, a Paranormal Romance, a Steampunk, and even a regular Fantasy. Seeing it thrown into so many categories left me feeling confused. I wasn't sure it if was going to be a book that I would enjoy or come to loathe.

Starting out with the first couple of chapters, I settled in for a enjoyable read. I thought to myself that this wou...more

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Sep 12, 2012 Jaime rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, paranormal

This was the first Vicki Pettersson I’ve read, and I did so on a recommendation from Kim Harrison, whose books I LOVE.

This wasn’t bad, but she’s no Kim Harrison. There were a number of things about this story that set it apart from the usual paranormal/urban fantasy books out there. The angel stuff was new and interesting, and I also liked the focus on the rock-a-billy lifestyle. Really, the rock-a-billy stuff was necessary in order for Grif to be accepted with few questions, and I liked the “fi...more

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Aug 25, 2012 OpenBookSociety.com rated it 3 of 5 stars

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi

Griffin Shaw is a Centurion Angel, which means he helps shepherd the recently deceased, primarily those that suffered traumatic deaths, find their way to the afterlife, called the Everlast. Grif wasn’t always an angel though; he was once a human and a P.I. He had a beautiful wife, Evie, and they were both murdered fifty years ago. Grif was made into an angel and he hasn’t seen his beloved wife since.

Grif is assigned a take (a soul to bring to the Everlast), Ni...more Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi

Griffin Shaw is a Centurion Angel, which means he helps shepherd the recently deceased, primarily those that suffered traumatic deaths, find their way to the afterlife, called the Everlast. Grif wasn’t always an angel though; he was once a human and a P.I. He had a beautiful wife, Evie, and they were both murdered fifty years ago. Grif was made into an angel and he hasn’t seen his beloved wife since.

Grif is assigned a take (a soul to bring to the Everlast), Nicole Rockwell, who is distraught by being dead. It appears that she is a prostitute that was killed by a john and she is horrified to realize that she will have to spend eternity in her current state of undress. Grif feels for her and breaks the rules by reanimating her body long enough for her to change her clothes. But what she does when he’s not looking changes fate and now her best friend, Kit, is going to die as a result. And, the Pure Angels have assigned Kit as Grif’s next take. Since her death will be a direct result of him breaking the rules, his wings have been taken, he has been put back into mortal flesh, and he must watch Kit’s brutal death and bring her home to the Everlast.

But when the time comes, Grif can’t sit back and watch Kit be raped and murdered. He intervenes and sends her attackers running away in fear. But it’s not over, Kit is still fated to die and so Grif decides to stick by her side to make sure he can keep defying destiny. And, the more time Grif is on the surface, the more of his memories that had previously been erased, come crashing back. So Grif and Kit make a deal to help one another; he will help Kit find Nicole’s murderer if she helps him find out who killed Evie. What Kit and Grif don’t expect is to find themselves overwhelmed with feelings for one another. And, as they get closer to the answers they seek they find themselves in the middle of uncovering a twisted prostitution ring and every question that gets answered brings them one step closer to their own deaths.

Pattersson’s writing style drew me in right away. I found myself instantly liking Grif and being interested in learning more about the Centurions and Grif’s interactions with the deceased. I related well to both Grif and Kit and knew that they would be a couple I could completely get behind.

Also, Kat was part of the rockabilly subculture, dressing and decorating and living in an era from the past, in her case the 50s. I personally had never heard of rockabillies and found the concept to be quite interesting. And, I did have to google her car just to see what they were talking about!

But somewhere around the halfway point in the book, I hit a brick wall of boredom. Going through all the motions of Kit’s everyday life was too much for me to stay interested in; getting her hair done here, having a manicure there, then meeting her friends and the conversations that Grif was having with them was a total snooze. Although I did like Grif and Paul meeting, for the first time! I just think a lot of this mundane stuff wasn’t really necessary to the story and really bogged it down. It could have easily been cut out and I feel the book would have flowed better.

But not to worry, fellow readers, the story does pick back up and gets pretty interesting especially after the villain of the story and his men get their hands on Kit! Will Grif get to her in time to save himself from having to collect her soul? Will all of his efforts to keep her alive be in vain? I guess you will just have to read the book yourself to find out!!

Overall, I felt this book was good, but I think I could have given it a higher rating if I didn’t have to force myself to keep reading during the boring part. But it all definitely picked up at the end of the book to make up for it and I hope that the next book will continue with that momentum and that the series will get even better!

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Aug 17, 2012 Dangerous Romance Book Reviews rated it 3 of 5 stars

Book Blurb: Griffin Shaw used to be a PI, but that was back when gumshoes hoofed the streets . . . and he was still alive. Fifty years later, he's an angel, but that doesn't make him a saint. One small mistake has altered fate, and now he's been dumped back onto the mortal mudflat to collect another soul—Katherine "Kit" Craig, a journalist whose latest investigation is about to get her clipped.

Bucking heavenly orders, Grif refuses to let the sable-haired siren come to harm. Besides, protecting h...more Book Blurb: Griffin Shaw used to be a PI, but that was back when gumshoes hoofed the streets . . . and he was still alive. Fifty years later, he's an angel, but that doesn't make him a saint. One small mistake has altered fate, and now he's been dumped back onto the mortal mudflat to collect another soul—Katherine "Kit" Craig, a journalist whose latest investigation is about to get her clipped.

Bucking heavenly orders, Grif refuses to let the sable-haired siren come to harm. Besides, protecting her offers a chance to solve the mystery of his own unsolved murder—and dole out some overdue payback for the death of his beloved wife, Evie.

Joining forces, Kit and Grif's search for answers leads beyond the blinding lights of the Strip into the dark heart of an evil conspiracy. But a ruthless killer determined to destroy them isn't Grif's biggest threat. His growing attraction to Kit could cost them both their lives, along with the answer to the haunting question of his long afterlife . . .

I've never read anything by Vicki Pettersson. I’ve just bought the first book in her The Signs of Zodiac series; The Scent of Shadows and I know Laurie really liked the Zodiac series.

This series is fresh, dark, new and intriguing all at once. The Taken is filled with murder, intrinsic and complex plots, and interesting characters. There are Centurions, Pures (or angels as we mere mortals would call them), rockabillies, death and destruction and…..love. An old love and a new one.

Our two main characters couldn't be more different from each other. Griffin (or Grif) is the strong, silent type, who has a huge soft spot for damsels in distress. He died in the fifties and has been a Centurion since, carrying souls that died brutally back to Everlast.

Katherine Craig (or Kit as she prefers) is a woman who is talkative, sunny, and cheerful, a reporter who wants to know the truth, the person behind, the why’s and a rockabilly at heart.

Kit and Grif run into each other during some circumstances that just aren't perfect. Kits best friend, Nick just been murdered during their investigation of a ring of prostitutes. The same night Kit is being ambushed in her bedroom by two men, but Grif interferes and from there the snowball keeps rolling.

Grif died the same night as his beloved wife Evie and since his death (and hers) he’s been hung up on who killed them and why. For 50 years he’s been wondering and now he’s got a chance of finding out. But things happen and Grif suddenly has to decide if the past or his future is more important, before death comes knocking on Kit/s door to take her away from this world – and from Grif.

I really liked this book. It’s not fast-paced all the time, you get a chance to think things through alongside the characters, follow the leads, feel their pain and frustration. I love the way Vicki Pettersson builds it up, I enjoyed reading how the different characters grow, come to conclusions and the climax is just amazing. I closed the book and thought “what happens next?” I will not tell you more about the book, but let you read it for yourselves. There are great things and not so great things in this book, but all-in-all, a decent read.
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Jul 30, 2012 Benjamin Cheah rated it 1 of 5 stars

I wanted to like this book, but I just couldn't. The story drew me in with its first chapter and its promise of an intriguing world and dark plotline, but these were overshadowed by all the other flaws in the story.

Consider the protagonists. They are pretty bland and stereotypical. Kit Craig, the female lead, gets a few points for originality for being a rockabilly girl, but her rockabilly persona doesn't fit in with the rest of her character. It's almost as though that part of her exists simply...more I wanted to like this book, but I just couldn't. The story drew me in with its first chapter and its promise of an intriguing world and dark plotline, but these were overshadowed by all the other flaws in the story.

Consider the protagonists. They are pretty bland and stereotypical. Kit Craig, the female lead, gets a few points for originality for being a rockabilly girl, but her rockabilly persona doesn't fit in with the rest of her character. It's almost as though that part of her exists simply so she can appeal more to Griffin Shaw, the male lead. Most of the time, you think of Craig as a reporter, not a rockabilly girl. The story would not have suffered much without that aspect. Craig is annoyingly cheerful and chipper throughout the book, without any explanation for her approach to life. It's hinted that she has issues, but the author didn't follow up on that. She is a grown-up Pollyanna, her mood changing only at dramatic events. What is harder to swallow is her hard-headed refusal to believe Griffin Shaw's insistence that he's an angel, and her failing to actually research the man who mysteriously dropped into her home to save her life at the beginning. She insists on doubting Shaw's sanity instead of actually listening to him or researching what he says until it is convenient for the plot. Worst of all, though, she acts as though there aren't any killers chasing after her, confronts villains in their strongholds with little more than words and confidence -- and expects to survive. And, most of the time, she gets away without anything happening to her. She comes across as willfully ignorant, painfully chipper and just plain hardheaded.

Griffin Shaw is supposed to be a PI. He can pull off the act, walking and talking and acting with movie-style drive and charisma. He is relatively straightforward, seeking vengeance for his (and his wife's) untimely death, and later seeks to protect Craig. Unfortunately, that's almost all there is to him. His interludes with another angel are supposed to draw out deeper, philosophical points to living, but the scenes come out awkward and pedantic, adding little to the rest of the story.

What killed the story for me was everybody's lack of sense. Craig and Shaw have well-connected killers coming after them. Craig insists on using her car -- which has vanity plates -- and they stay in the homes of known acquaintances. The people they interview aren't that difficult to find or silence, and at one point they travel to the lion's den without taking any precautions. Nobody even brings up the idea of obtaining weapons in case the killers show up again. Craig thinks and acts as though her facility with words grants her power, even though the villains plainly demonstrate that this is not so, and nobody comments on it. They don't even think about hunting their hunters beyond a cursory background check, and nobody thinks of calling the police in the climax of the story, even though phones are clearly available. And one minor character somehow gets away clean with murder.

The villains, too, display the same lack of sense. In one action scene, Shaw fights off the killers from Shaw's home with his bare hands. They either don't draw weapons or are unarmed, which makes them pretty useless killers. They don't even re-arm themselves and go back in, or call for reinforcements. They just retreat into the night, appearing only when convenient for the plot. The killers don't even take the trouble to track Craig until an important plot point occurs, even though they don't make themselves difficult to find. The main antagonist refuses to throw them out of his lair, and actually invites them to keep exploring, giving them ammunition to use against him later. One character's explanation for betrayal doesn't make sense if you understand the criminal underworld, and another character is tortured and killed apparently just to make Craig suffer and to give the angels a chance to show off their power.

I get that this is primary a paranormal romance story. But it's PNR set in the world of a crime thriller, populated with men who are experienced in breaking and killing people. This lack of common sense and the cardboard characters turned reading this story into a chore. I don't expect to come back to the series unless Pettersson does more research into how her characters should think and act.(less)

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Jul 24, 2012 Nan rated it 3 of 5 stars

I liked this book, and found the protagonists appealing. However, I also had a few major complaints, which are also spoilers. They also deserve a trigger warning, I think.

If you want to find out, read on: (view spoiler)...more I liked this book, and found the protagonists appealing. However, I also had a few major complaints, which are also spoilers. They also deserve a trigger warning, I think.

If you want to find out, read on: (view spoiler)[ To help explain my objections to this book, it might be useful for you to know that I'm not a Christian. I do not practice any faith, so I do not claim any either. However, I was raised in a Catholic household, and I'm a scholar of the Gothic. As a scholar, I have seen the way that those books demonized the Catholic faith. In the early nineteenth century in England, Catholics and Jews were dangerous others that did not deserve full voting rights. Convents were depicted as merciless jails where families imprisoned their daughters against their will. Superstition ran rampant. According to those Gothic writers, no Catholic was logical. It pains me to see such religious stereotypes still in use today--although now our Christian other is the Mormon.

Here's the big spoiler: the villain is a Mormon politician. (The timing of the book's publication is also therefore suspect--I can say this as someone that doesn't even like Romney.) The big problem with Pettersson's portrayal of her Mormon villain is that she also makes him sexually deviant. He is a polygamist and runs what amounts to a sexual bacchanal in his basement. Pettersson is playing with the worst stereotypes of Mormons--the idea that they're polygamists and that they allow others to sexually abuse their daughters. This is the modern version of the Gothic stereotype of a priest using a convent as his personal supply of women. She does try to clarify that her villain is unique and not representative of all Mormons by having a trusted character as a Mormon as well. However, that character is only outed as Mormon at the very end of the book, and readers never see how his faith shapes his character at all.

Finally, I was disturbed by the emphasis on rape throughout the book. More big spoilers ahead! It is a constant threat, although one that is downplayed often. I want to say that Pettersson wrote about rape with the appropriate gravity, but the more I think about the book, the less I can justify that stance. Despite realizing that she was almost the victim of a sexual assault, the female protagonist seems to have no reaction to the event. She moves out of her house (temporarily) for safety, but that isn't traumatic either. My home was burglarized years ago, and I dealt with it very well. Even without the physical assault (no one was there when the thieves broke into my home), I still had more mental trauma than Kit did after a physical assault--within her bedroom--that almost became sexual. Also, the "rape festival" (pardon the name--I can't think of any other way to describe it) at the end of the book is just too much. A number of unnamed but respected citizens engage in an auction to buy a pubescent teen's virginity (against her will) and sit back to watch a gang rape as pre-auction entertainment. Of course, everyone is saved and nothing bad happens. I can't help but think that it's just too easy. Sexual danger is a constant part of paranormal fiction, but it's frequently invoked only because the idea of it is horrific. If a writer is unwilling to go through the follow through--the recovery, the work to heal and regain trust in others--writers need to stop using rape or the threat of rape as a plot device. (hide spoiler)]

I do think I will read the next book in the series, as my complaints are likely to apply to this book and this book only. I do wish that I didn't have them at all though. (less)

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Jun 19, 2012 Julia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, fiction, arcs, urban, mystery, dropbox

An angelic Sam Spade with a softer side, a fast talking reporter who sees the good in everyone, the two main characters of THE TAKEN are two of my favorite tropes brought to glorious new life on the Vegas strip. Pettersson's rich writing style brings the witty banter and glamorous fashion of noir mystery into modern day technicolor, and I could not be more fascinated by this intriguing new world.

THE TAKEN asks you to buy into two main conceits: the Rockabilly lifestyle that drives Kit Craig and...more

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Jun 13, 2012 Qwill / The Qwillery rated it 4 of 5 stars

My thoughts:

There is a lot to enjoy in The Taken. The two main characters, Griffin 'Grif" Shaw and Katherine 'Kit' Craig, are wonderful. I love Kit. She's an interesting mix of incurable optimist and pit bull. She tries to live life beautifully, adopting a Rockabilly aesthetic, while at the same time relentlessly pursuing stories as a journalist. She will not stop until she gets the truth. Griffin Shaw, Grif, is the real noir deal. An authentic P.I. from the 50s who was violently killed and has...more My thoughts:

There is a lot to enjoy in The Taken. The two main characters, Griffin 'Grif" Shaw and Katherine 'Kit' Craig, are wonderful. I love Kit. She's an interesting mix of incurable optimist and pit bull. She tries to live life beautifully, adopting a Rockabilly aesthetic, while at the same time relentlessly pursuing stories as a journalist. She will not stop until she gets the truth. Griffin Shaw, Grif, is the real noir deal. An authentic P.I. from the 50s who was violently killed and has a chance to find out what happened 50 years ago. He is the epitome of tall, dark, and silent with a little grumpy thrown in. He definitely sees things differently than Kit. The dance of their relationship is one of the highlights of The Taken.

What draws Kit and Grif together are 2 murder mysteries set 50 years apart - what happened to Grif and his wife and what is happening now. While working on solving the mysteries we see what makes both Kit and Grif tick. Ms. Pettersson does a terrific job of giving us information about both of them over the course of the novel to show how they became who they are now. Because of the difference in eras in which the murders were committed we get to see into Las Vegas of 50 years ago and Las Vegas now. I like how Rockabilly ties Grif's era with Kit, who embraces the Rockabilly lifestyle in the present day.

Another highlight of The Taken is the angelology. Ms. Pettersson's take on angels, the heavens, and what happens after death iss outstanding. This also is nicely doled out over the course of the novel.

My only quibble with The Taken is the slow going in the beginning. The Taken picks up steam, however, and is well worth the read. I must also point out that Ms. Pettersson slings descriptive phrases with the best of them. I can't tell you how many times I noted a phrase from the novel that delighted me.

Bottom Line: Ms. Pettersson combines the celestial, the underbelly of Las Vegas, Rockabilly, noir, and mystery, mixes in some wonderful characters, and delivers a great read. The Celestial Blues series is on my must buy list.

I give The Taken 4 1/2 Qwills.

Posted at The Qwillery(less)

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Aug 15, 2012 Christal rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: angels, death-as-a-character, ghosts, multiple-leads, pi-detective-cop, reapers-and-ghost-whispers, shady-government-agency, urban-fantasy

The Taken combined angel mythology with noir-style mystery and the retro rockabilly subculture to create a unique story. I am hooked on this new world and definitely interested to learn more about the characters, especially Grif.

Griffin Shaw is a "busted" angel who finds himself trying to protect Girl Friday and rockabilly enthusiast, Katherine "Kit" Craig from some very influential people. These men don't want their prostitution ring investigated and they will kill Kit to stop her. Grif helps K...more The Taken combined angel mythology with noir-style mystery and the retro rockabilly subculture to create a unique story. I am hooked on this new world and definitely interested to learn more about the characters, especially Grif.

Griffin Shaw is a "busted" angel who finds himself trying to protect Girl Friday and rockabilly enthusiast, Katherine "Kit" Craig from some very influential people. These men don't want their prostitution ring investigated and they will kill Kit to stop her. Grif helps Kit in her investigation and, in the process, hopes to learn who killed him and his wife back in the 50's.

The world building was very good in this novel. The different classes of angels were well-crafted and explained pretty well. I imagine we will be given more details in the future novels. The rockabilly scene was cool and not something you find in many other novels.

Grif was a great character. He has a murky past filled with mysteries and Vicki Pettersson doesn't give us all the answers here. I can't wait to read the other two books in this trilogy to find out everything about Grif and his wife, Evie. Kit wasn't fleshed out as well as Grif for me, but I am still okay with her character. I hope she is given a little more depth in the next novel because she has a tragic past that could make for an interesting psychology.

The beginning of the book was a little slow. Ms. Pettersson had a lot of setup to do with the angel world and introducing Grif and Kit to each other and the audience. I don't think this should be a problem in the next books. Once the story got moving, about 1/3 of the way in, I didn't want to put this book down. The villain was pretty easy to identify once he was introduced, but I was sucked into the ride and couldn't wait to see him brought to justice. The romance between Grif and Kit was a slow burn but it adds a dimension to both characters that elevates their story.

I've sampled Ms. Pettersson's Signs of the Zodiac series in the past, but I have to say this novel captured my attention in a way that series never did. The Celestial Blues trilogy has the potential to be something unique and different in the urban fantasy/paranormal romance landscape and I can't wait to be taken along for the ride!(less)

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Jun 27, 2012 Cindy Crawford rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'd really give this book 3.5 stars. This is a great premise: a Las Vegas reporter who lives a rockabilly lifestyle meets an angel who actually lived during the period she adores. Together they investigate the murder of the reporter's best friend.

The only problem I had, and it was a small problem, was the amount of explanation at the beginning of the book. Since this is the first book of a new series, the characters and the world have to be established, and that took some time. By the end of the...more

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Apr 12, 2013 Sinn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Centurion, Grif, is cast back into the flesh after giving a Take a simple break. What he thought was a kindness turned out to be something that altered the course of history and fate. Now, stuck back on the mudflap, he is determined to keep Kit Craig from paying the ultimate price for his split second decision. He also hopes to track down his wife’s murderer.

Kit Craig, a rockabilly reporter, gets pulled into the political maelstrom of corruption when she decides to investigate a prostitution rin...more Centurion, Grif, is cast back into the flesh after giving a Take a simple break. What he thought was a kindness turned out to be something that altered the course of history and fate. Now, stuck back on the mudflap, he is determined to keep Kit Craig from paying the ultimate price for his split second decision. He also hopes to track down his wife’s murderer.

Kit Craig, a rockabilly reporter, gets pulled into the political maelstrom of corruption when she decides to investigate a prostitution ring. However, she doesn’t expect the help of a tall, dark, and sexy man in Sinatra threads.

While Grif battles to keep Kit safe, he must choose between a budding romance, the desire to bring his wife’s killer to justice, and his angel wings.

Admittedly, it took me a little bit to build up the steam to really tear into this book. Even though the subject matter was interesting, I just couldn’t find my traction. However, that isn’t a comment on the writing style or the book.

It was obvious that Pettersson did a lot of research into the rockabilly lifestyle, the fashions, and so on. Also, Kit really did seem to fit into the lifestyle. However, Kit just got on my nerves. Granted, it was obvious that she was a stereotypical reporter, but her constant peppiness was pretty annoying. After nearly getting killed, beaten to death, and possibly raped, I couldn’t understand how she is able to easily put on a real smile and laugh. It kind of seemed a little canned.

Grif was the typical 1950s P.I./Dick Tracey: tall, dark, mysterious, sexy, aloof, and so on. I felt as though I was watching Casablanca as I read this book. Aside from the fact that he couldn’t let go of his past, he was a rather bland and one dimensional character.

The whole concept behind the angels and the religious aspect of the book was interesting; however, I found myself getting rather confused at times. The part of the story which followed Anas was a little strange, especially at the end. Also, I wish Pettersson would have spent a little more time fleshing out this part of the book.

The mystery and prostitution ring was interesting, as well as the political aspect. Since Las Vegas was a big mob watering hole back in its day, the corrupt politicians and police fit very well. However, at points, it felt as though it went a little too far. The auction was way too much for me, and it was very hard to read.

All in all, I did enjoy the book. There was a lot of action, mystery, drama, and romance. It was definitely a different take on urban fantasy and angels. However, I feel as though Pettersson has a little way to go before these ideas are fully developed. I am very curious to read future books in the series and to see how Grif’s changing role will play out. (less)

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Aug 07, 2012 Kathy rated it 5 of 5 stars

A Fantastic Whodunit Debut!

Vicki Pettersson has once again created a unique addition to the urban fantasy genre. All her books are so original and darkly complex. I loved her Sign of the Zodiac series and I can tell that I will love this new series just as much.

I really enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. I generally don't gravitate towards the life after death or ghost type books. However, this is no ordinary ghost chaser novel. The action was plentiful and the story, fresh and excit...more

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Jul 25, 2012 Kristina rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: brain-candy, fiction, my-book, hated-em, vamps-werewolves-zombies-angels, paranormal-weird

Really, what was I thinking when I bought this book? While I liked Vicki Pettersson's writing style, her previous series got convoluted and ridiculous. This book is competently written, but I didn't care for any of the characters. The mystery didn't interest me and the author's fictionalized version of heaven (Everlast) and the angel hierarchy just annoyed me.

Griffin Shaw is a Centurion, which means it is his job to find the newly dead and escort them to the Everlast. However when he botches a...more Really, what was I thinking when I bought this book? While I liked Vicki Pettersson's writing style, her previous series got convoluted and ridiculous. This book is competently written, but I didn't care for any of the characters. The mystery didn't interest me and the author's fictionalized version of heaven (Everlast) and the angel hierarchy just annoyed me.

Griffin Shaw is a Centurion, which means it is his job to find the newly dead and escort them to the Everlast. However when he botches a Take, he is sent to Earth to atone by making sure the next Take goes smoothly. This becomes complicated for Grif when he meets the woman who is destined to die, Katherine "Kit" Craig and becomes involved in her life and her search for the murderer of her friend (Grif's botched Take). They work together to find who killed her friend and Grif uses his time on Earth to try to solve two old murders--that of himself and his wife, Evie.

Meh. I'm not sure what interested me about this book to begin with because the whole "angel falls in love with mortal woman" thing is so played, but I unfortunately spent money on this book. Grif is an okay guy but Kit irritates the snot out of me. Her "rockabilly" lifestyle (which I never heard of) sounds ludicrous. The 50s were so awesome you want to model your life on the time period? When Grif tried to explain to her that the 1950s weren't a simplier, happier time in America (racism, segregation, gender inequality, etc.) she did the equivalent of putting her hands over her ears and shouting to drown out his words of reason. I didn't care for her at all. She is supposedly a journalist, however she never wrote a damn word or filed a story during the whole book. The love affair between Grif and Kit is shallow and fast-developing; it's more likely he hasn't had sex in 50 years (since he was busy being dead) and they just have the hots for each other (since he, like all sorta half dead/half angel guys, is phenomenal in the sack).

The author goes into extensive detail throughout the book about Everlast and the creatures who dwell there (the Centurions, the Pures, Guardians, Dominations and Virtures and of course God himself) and there is so much God talk within the novel (God's mysterious ways and why isn't God helping? and Where is God?) that I felt as if I were reading a thinly veiled Christian novel. I don't want to read Christian fiction. If I did, I'd go buy it. Blech. I'm also wondering if the author has some kind of vendetta against the Mormon church since the baddie is a Mormon leader. She could have written the exact same story and left out the Mormon connection; the bad guy could have been a leader in any big Christian church.

Anyway, I don't recommend it. It does start out well (which is probably why I bought it) but it devolves into complete yuckiness. I skimmed the last 50 pages just to find out if Grif is made human again or beamed up into Everlast. The answer wasn't worth the effort.(less)

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Jul 17, 2012 Amy A rated it 4 of 5 stars

It took a couple of chapters for me to get into this story, but once I did I didn't want to stop. Told from both hero and heroine's POV, The Taken is a throw back to the nostalgic detective novels with a hint of the supernatural thrown in. I liked the fact that the supernatural aspect (here it's angels) wasn't the main focus, the main focus was figuring out how to bring down the bad guy, because really we pretty much know who's behind it from early on.

Griffin "Grif" Shaw, our narrator number 1 i...more It took a couple of chapters for me to get into this story, but once I did I didn't want to stop. Told from both hero and heroine's POV, The Taken is a throw back to the nostalgic detective novels with a hint of the supernatural thrown in. I liked the fact that the supernatural aspect (here it's angels) wasn't the main focus, the main focus was figuring out how to bring down the bad guy, because really we pretty much know who's behind it from early on.

Griffin "Grif" Shaw, our narrator number 1 is a Centurion. He's and angel that leads newly deceased souls into the Everlast. After messing up his latest Take, he's grounded until he can turn things to right again. Balance out the universe if you will. This brings him back into his human skin and when he gets there he has a few personal matters he wants to attend to regarding his own death. Mainly, who killed him and his wife 50 years ago.

Katherine "Kit" Craig, our narrator number 2 is a reporter at her family's newspaper and was working on a story with her best friend when her friend was murdered. Figuring the story is what got her friend killed, Kit is more determined than ever to solve it and her friend's murder.

Grif's mystery is something that will continue to unfold for the two remaining books in the trilogy. I liked the slow build with it and the fact that we get just little bits and pieces into what really happened that night. I look forward to where the story is going since their's obviously more going on than a typical murder.

Like I stated previously, we learn basically who the villain is early on. The trouble for our characters is figuring out how everything connects. Finding the implications / clues. But going with the story this way accentuates the crime / detective novel feel to the book even when events are taking place in the modern day, which then balances out well with Grif's own mystery from 50 years before.

The romance between Kit and Grif seemed a little too quick. I would have liked to maybe have it happen in the second book. I think there are some things that authors forget can be better when built up. This is illustrated very well with Grif's story, and I would have liked it with the romance as well, but maybe because this is only planned as a trilogy there's a little less time for the development.

As I said before, the supernatural element was definitely not the main focus of the story as a whole, but Pettersson definitely put her own twist on the angel mythology. I liked it, and I think like with Grif's murder mystery, there's more going on than we know about. I think it will be interesting to how tihngs unfold in the other books.

Overall, I think this is a promising start to the trilogy. I went into the book not reallly knowing a lot of what it was about and ended up really enjoying it. It felt very unique as compared to the other books I've been reading lately. I can't wait until book 2. Until Then!(less)

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Sep 27, 2012 Theophania Elliott rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Vicki Pettersson is a good writer. No two ways about it. She's good at characterisation, she's good at dialogue, she's good at plot.

However, I have to say that this is not her best work.

Her two main characters are stereotypes (Strong, Silent, Sexy Guy With A Past, and Pretty, Plucky [but not too gifted with common sense] Heroine With Troubles. She writes them well, and in some authors' hands they'd have all the emotional impact of cardboard cutouts. But Grif and Kit do have life to them. Enough...more Vicki Pettersson is a good writer. No two ways about it. She's good at characterisation, she's good at dialogue, she's good at plot.

However, I have to say that this is not her best work.

Her two main characters are stereotypes (Strong, Silent, Sexy Guy With A Past, and Pretty, Plucky [but not too gifted with common sense] Heroine With Troubles. She writes them well, and in some authors' hands they'd have all the emotional impact of cardboard cutouts. But Grif and Kit do have life to them. Enough that I wanted to smack each of them, but for different reasons. There is tension between them, and some of the scenes are extremely believable and well-written. However, the fact that they were so obviously tick-list stereotypes spoiled them as characters for me - their actions, while well-written, were predictable. In some cases, almost to the page. We had a bit more variety with some of the bit-part characters, some of whom I would like to see again - Ms Pettersson back on form, freed from the constraints of urban fantasy tropes.

The plot, unfortunately, had more holes in it than Swiss cheese, if you stopped to think about it (tip: if you want to enjoy the book, don't think about it) and, without giving away any spoilers, certain important - even crucial - aspects of it showed a woeful lack of research. Possibly one of those instances where the facts that 'everyone knows' and therefore nobody bothers to check, turn out not to be facts at all. There were also a couple of occasions where I thought "Darling, your prejudices are showing, and it's not attractive," which is always a bit of a jolt for me, and spoils the book. Or maybe it was just clumsy writing.

So, to sum up, with formulaic lead characters who appear to have been assembled from standard urban-fantasy parts (angels are In, I think), and a plot that is more cobweb than kevlar, this book could have been truly dire. Luckily, Ms Pettersson is a good enough author to make it work, up to a point. Am I glad I read it? Well, kind of. Would I read the second in the series? I'm not sure. Maybe, if I don't have anything better to do.(less)

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Sep 04, 2012 Brenda rated it 5 of 5 stars

I've been a fan of Vicki Pettersson for years now because of her epic series, The Signs of the Zodiac. When the series ended I was completely satisfied with how she wrapped it all up, but I was sad because I didn't know when we would see something new from her. She gave hints as early as she could, and slowly revealed the deets on her next series. I was very interested, but after the cover was released I was giddy with anticipation. Rockabilly? Noir? Hard-boiled P.I.? Angels?

A summer of teen dr...more I've been a fan of Vicki Pettersson for years now because of her epic series, The Signs of the Zodiac. When the series ended I was completely satisfied with how she wrapped it all up, but I was sad because I didn't know when we would see something new from her. She gave hints as early as she could, and slowly revealed the deets on her next series. I was very interested, but after the cover was released I was giddy with anticipation. Rockabilly? Noir? Hard-boiled P.I.? Angels?

A summer of teen drama and freelance writing kept me from reading The Taken until this week. I found myself nervous as I started it. What if I didn't like it? Perish the thought. I plowed in with abandon and as soon as I saw dialog like this I knew I would love it:

"Look, I'm sorry to the one to tell you, kid. But you've been rooked."

Griffin Shaw, one of the main characters, is straight out of 1950's Las Vegas. He doesn't have to shop at vintage clothing stores because he IS vintage. He still wears the Fedora he had on when he died. He's a Mickey Spillane character come to life, thrown into modern Las Vegas where nothing is at it was, which makes him a tad cranky. He's an angel brought back to the "mudflat" to correct a mistake.

Kit Craig is a female reporter with style, finesse, and intelligence who sees the best in everyone, and refuses to let life get her down. She's the polar opposite of Griffin Shaw, and she's determined to help him while helping herself, even if he is cranky and crazy. It doesn't hurt that he looks like he stepped out the 1950's with a presence and style that takes her breath away. The Taken is truly a breath of fresh air for me, because of the writing, which blew me away, and the unique world the author has created with it's quirky characters. I can't recall ever reading this amazing mix of mystery, romance, and urban fantasy with a noir twist. It's fast paced with action in all the right places, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat.

Vicki Petterssen has the ability to bring the people and streets of Las Vegas alive, mixing the past and present together with the unseen paranormal aspects of the fictional world she has created. The Taken is dark and gritty, yet hope shines through Kit and her relationship with Griffin, taking the reader's breath away over and over.

(less)

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Jun 13, 2012 MaryBookSwarm rated it 4 of 5 stars

A fan of Vicki Pettersson's Sign of the Zodiac series, I jumped at the chance to read THE TAKEN, the first in a new series. And I'm so glad I did. Fast-paced, filled with snappy dialogue, strong characters, and a great plot, THE TAKEN swept me away and kept me up late reading.

This book is my first introduction to the rockabilly culture and I love it! Kit is a serious rockabilly girl, complete with an awesome wardrobe, pinned hair, gorgeous makeup, and a period home. But while rockabilly is huge...more

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Jun 12, 2012 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Okay, how perfect is this book cover for this blog? You know I had to read it. Okay, now that you know I love the cover, now what about the book?

I have to admit that the beginning of this book was a bit uneven. It had it's moments, but did meander quite a bit toward the middle. Also, although I did enjoy both the main characters, I have to admit that it did bug me that their was SO much about her being a "billie" (person who loves rockabilly). I understood why some characters couldn't get over i...more

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Sep 14, 2012 Francesca the Fierce ~Eyelet Ecstasy~ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-2012, genre-urban-fantasy, read-audio-books

This review was posted at Under the Covers

I will come clean and admit that the only reason I read this book was for the cover. When I first saw it I thought it was beautiful and I've always loved the fashion of the 50's so I thought it would be cool to read a book set in that time. Of course, I did not read the blurb and I dove head first into reading the book.

I'm not really sure exactly what I was expecting but it wasn't what I got and I was more than pleasantly surprised. This book has a class...more This review was posted at Under the Covers

I will come clean and admit that the only reason I read this book was for the cover. When I first saw it I thought it was beautiful and I've always loved the fashion of the 50's so I thought it would be cool to read a book set in that time. Of course, I did not read the blurb and I dove head first into reading the book.

I'm not really sure exactly what I was expecting but it wasn't what I got and I was more than pleasantly surprised. This book has a classy feel to it with just a bit of edge. It's mystery and a touch of romance. Add in a good dose of paranormal. It reminded me at times of the "Fallen Angels" series by J.R. Ward even though they are nothing alike aside from the angels. It was more of an overall feeling of the book/world.

One of my favorite things was how the author managed to blend two completely different eras by simply making the characters fit a different time than what they were living. Our hero, Griffin Shaw, was a PI in the 50s. He was murdered and is now an angel. The heroine, Kit, lives the Rockabilly lifestyle. The clothes, the hairstyle, the makeup. She has a fascination for everything 1950s and breathes it. Now put these two in modern day Vegas and let the fun begin.

So basically Kit is a journalist and she's trying to uncover a prostitution ring in which some politicians and some very powerful people are involved in. Her leg work and research leads to the death of her very good friend Nicole. When Griff comes to help Nicole pass, as is his angely duty, he commits one offense. He is then punished and bound to earth for penance. Still an angel, and still with some powers. Kit and Griff start working together to solve the murder of her friend, uncover the prostitution ring and dig information on who killed Griff and his wife more than fifty years ago.

This was my first book by this author and I have to say the writing is superb! Definitely like watching a movie. Of course it might've helped as well that I listened to this on audio and the narration is amazing!

I feel like this book had it all. An edge of my seat plot, twists and turns, mystery, action, a great bad guy, and even though the romance was somewhat secondary, it still played a bit part in the story I still enjoyed every bit of that as well. From the immediate attraction between these two and through the struggles, especially Griff had, of why their relationship wouldn't work and that Griff was sure he still loved his dead wife.

I just have to say that I cannot wait to read the next book in this series! And as a good cover whore...again...I gotta have it if only for that alone.(less)

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Apr 13, 2012 Sheryl rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arcs, urban-fantasy

I have never read Vicki Pettersson before but her "Sign of the Zodiac" series has been on my "to read" list for quite some time (I just have never gotten around to reading them). So, when an advanced reader's copy of the first book in her new series became available for me to read and review, I thought I'd give it a try. After finishing this book, I think I may be moving her other series up higher on my "to read" list. Despite the mixed reviews I have seen for this book, one thing I can definite...more I have never read Vicki Pettersson before but her "Sign of the Zodiac" series has been on my "to read" list for quite some time (I just have never gotten around to reading them). So, when an advanced reader's copy of the first book in her new series became available for me to read and review, I thought I'd give it a try. After finishing this book, I think I may be moving her other series up higher on my "to read" list. Despite the mixed reviews I have seen for this book, one thing I can definitely say for sure is that this author knows how to write well. Whether or not the characters or storyline are your "cup of tea" (and at the beginning of the book, I wasn't sure if they were for me), the quality of the writing in this book are top notch. It reads like the work of a seasoned author.

It took a me while to really get into this novel (to the point where I didn't want to put it down), but from the very beginning something about the writing and the characters drew me in. I just had the feeling that if I kept going, I wouldn't be let down. And I wasn't. The main characters are unique. Griffin Shaw, an ex-PI, died violently in the early 1960s and has spent the last 50 years or so as a Centurion (an angel who guides victims of violent deaths into the Everlast). Kit Craig is a dedicated reporter who lives a 1950s lifestyle (clothes, hair, car, etc.- a Rockabilly subculture) in a modern world. When Grif inadvertently changes "destiny" while trying to guide Kit's best friend and murder victim, Nicole Rockwell, to the other side, he is pushed back into mortal flesh to make sure that this new future plays out as it should. Unfortunately, this new future includes the death of Kit Craig, someone he finds both fascinating and frustrating. He teams up with Kit to find out who murdered her best friend and to help prevent her death. He also decides to take advantage of his new earthly existence and find out who murdered him and his wife back in 1960 (something that has been haunting him for 50 years). The case that unfolds as Grif and Kit investigate Nicole's death is dark, disturbing and very, very dangerous.

Both Griffin and Kit were multi-dimensional characters with a lot of depth. Griffin, in particular, is complex- emotionally torn between his past and his present as well as between his celestial and his mortal existence.

There is a lot going on in this book and not all of it is resolved (probably to be explored in future books in the series, if I had to guess). Despite this, the book did have a complete feel to it and did not really leave you hanging (which is a plus in my opinion). It did, however, leave me interested for future books, so kudos to Ms. Pettersson for that.(less)

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Apr 02, 2012 Amanda rated it 2 of 5 stars

The Taken is my second attempt to read one of Vicki Pettersson’s novels. My first try was the First Sign of the Zodiac novel, which I never really got into. I thought I’d give her another try with this new series, especially when it looks like such a fun noir/mystery type deal with a good dose of urban fantasy fun.

Kit is an investigative reporter in Sin City, where she prides herself on finding the truth. After a young girl is found dead in a motel, Kit knows this is her next big story. Just as...more

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The Taken (Celestial Blues #1)

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