This Case Is Gonna Kill Me

Aug 21, 2012 Carly rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: detective-noir, fantasy, fantastic-elements, real-world-with-magic, urban-fantasy

Ms. Bornikova, I really, really hope you're working on a sequel. Because I can't wait to find out where this series goes!

Imagine a place where the lawyers are literal bloodsuckers, movie star glamor isn't just a metaphor, and where the top CEOs really are "lead wolves". Welcome to Linnet Ellery's world. In the 1960s, the fantastic creatures came out of hiding, and humans discovered that vampires, werewolves, and elves weren't only real but were effectively running the world. It's now 2010, and m...more Ms. Bornikova, I really, really hope you're working on a sequel. Because I can't wait to find out where this series goes!

Imagine a place where the lawyers are literal bloodsuckers, movie star glamor isn't just a metaphor, and where the top CEOs really are "lead wolves". Welcome to Linnet Ellery's world. In the 1960s, the fantastic creatures came out of hiding, and humans discovered that vampires, werewolves, and elves weren't only real but were effectively running the world. It's now 2010, and most humans have become accustomed to a world led by these "spooks," or, to use the politically correct term, "the Powers." Most law firms are led by immortal vampires and promotion to partnership involves receiving a bite as well as an office upstairs. Powerful human families vie to send their children to live with vampires as their "foster lieges." Werewolves are running both the military and Wall Street with animal savagery. Elves (called Alfar) split their time between bewitching humans on stage and screen and carrying children off to Faerie.

Linnet, child of a wealthy family from the American aristocracy, was sent at the age of eight to live with a vampire as her "foster liege." Now a recently graduated hotshot lawyer, she's starting her new job at a prestigious White Fang law firm. It turns out that her application was utilized in a power struggle between the firm's partners, so while she was hired, she's been shunted aside to work under the slovenly Chip Westin on a dead end, 17-year-old arbitration battle over an inheritance. Her co-workers, already scornful and dismissive of Chip, see Linnet as a patronage hire and go out of their way to make her life miserable. But Linnet's struggles to fit in with her co-workers are abruptly cut off when a werewolf invades and brutally murders her boss. Now forced to take over all of his cases and plagued with the fear that she's next on the killers' list, Linnet is determined to solve the crime. Her life swiftly becomes a balance of legal battles at the firm and bizarre escapes from death as she goes to greater and greater lengths to discover the secrets behind her boss's death.

I really, really enjoyed reading this. It was a breath of fresh air in the increasingly overcrowded urban fantasy genre. It's a thriller rather than a mystery and some of the adventures are quite improbable, but I got so caught up in the enjoyment of the world that I just didn't care. Not only is this the first time I've come across the combination of a legal thriller and urban fantasy, but rather than the UF standard exploration of the "seedy underbelly" of a city, this takes place among the richest, most privileged members of society. For me, at least, a world where people own $800 shoes and enjoyable exercise involves taking a Grand Prix horse out for a gallop was just as bizarre and fantastical as the vampire lawyers, and I liked seeing a glimpse of it. In some ways, I thought the world was too similar to the present; I would have preferred the intrusion of the Powers to have made more of a difference in the way the world developed. For example, wouldn't the radical changes in power have warped the development of, say, laptops, the internet, Facebook, or Starbucks? At the same time, I thought the presentation of the creative and subtle changes to the world was great. Restaurants keep "fresh stock" to feed their inhuman guests. Police carry shock collars to subdue rogue werewolves. The human gesture of submission to a vampire, which involves exposing the jugular, has become commonplace. Linnet is accustomed to the status quo and presents this world with its subservient human population, as natural and reasonable. It makes for a great read, and caused me to start thinking about what flavour of monsters I take for granted in my own world.

I found Linnet a sympathetic character and enjoyed her interactions with most of the incidental characters, from her surly vampire co-worker to the Sam Spadelike elf PI. Bornikova also presented a more diverse world than is usually seen in the typically virulently homophobic and aggressively white UF: there are several PoC characters (even if not one of the main characters) and Linnet's best friends are a gay couple who are presented as both supportive and endearing. The book is definitely not a romance. There is a bit of a romantic sideplot; however, there are probably less than ten pages of (to me) uncomfortably amorous language--far less than The Dresden Files or most of the other UFs that I have read. The story isn't for everyone and, with its strong feminist slant, is probably geared more towards female readers. One moment in particular made me want to cheer out loud would probably be dismissed as a "girl power scene" by my male friends. (view spoiler) I actually appreciated the way that Bornikova opened some unanswered mysteries and left the ending as a bit of a cliffhanger (although still very satisfying). The plot still felt tight to me; the unsolved details just felt like allusions to a larger world that Bornikova already has completely mapped out. Overall, I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a strong female protagonist with minimal romance or a totally new spin on the UF genre. I just can't wait for the sequel!

Note: I received this book through the Goodreads First Reads promotional program.(less)

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Aug 23, 2012 Kristin (MyBookishWays Reviews) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

You may also read my review here: http://www.mybookishways.com/2012/08/...

When Linnet Ellery begins working at the White-Fang (yep, vampires) law firm of Ishmael, McGillary, and Gold, she realizes rather quickly that her professional life may be a bit boring for a while. Taken under the wing of lawyer Chip Westin, she’s recruited to help out on a case that’s been in litigation for many years. Stagnation seems inevitable, until a werewolf invades the law firm one evening, brutally murdering Chip,...more You may also read my review here: http://www.mybookishways.com/2012/08/...

When Linnet Ellery begins working at the White-Fang (yep, vampires) law firm of Ishmael, McGillary, and Gold, she realizes rather quickly that her professional life may be a bit boring for a while. Taken under the wing of lawyer Chip Westin, she’s recruited to help out on a case that’s been in litigation for many years. Stagnation seems inevitable, until a werewolf invades the law firm one evening, brutally murdering Chip, and nearly killing Linnet. Who would have wanted to kill the gentle,kindly Chip? And why?

I really enjoyed this fun, unusual urban fantasy! The alternate world the author created is just to the left of ours, and vampires, werewolves, and the fae (the Alfar) have revealed themselves and are collectively thought of as the Powers. It’s a boy’s club, however, at least when it comes to vamps and werewolves. You see, they’re not allowed to turn women, under any circumstance, under the penalty of death. Linnet was, in fact, fostered by a vampire liege from the age of eight, with whom she’s still very close to, so she’s sensitive to the discrimination that they sometimes face. Working at a White-Fang law firm doesn’t intimidate her, but knowing that she, and the rest of the women in the office, will never make partner, can be bothersome. As she follows the clues to find out who killed Chip, with the help of handsome PI (and Alfar) John O’Shea, she finds herself in danger more than a few times over, but she’s determined to get to the bottom of it. A shadowy firm called Securitech and its head werewolf, Deegan, seem to have something to do with his death, but she’s not quite sure what. She does know that Deegan is perfectly capable of tearing her limb from limb.

This book is described as Anita Blake meets The Firm, but I’d describe it more like Stephanie Plum meets The Firm. Linnet has the charm of Plum, but is plenty capable in her job, and I loved how the author actually gives her a life in between the werewolf attacks and law office politics (of which there are plenty). Linnet is an accomplished horsewoman, and I loved the passages that involved the ins and outs of competitive riding. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the action, but woven in with traditional urban fantasy themes are explorations of gender equality, and a rather sweet romance. It also wouldn’t surprise me to learn that the author is very fond of New York City, since it’s almost a character unto itself. I highly enjoyed This Case is Gonna Kill Me and I’ll be crossing my fingers for more adventures with Linnet!(less)

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Sep 25, 2012 Snail in Danger (Sid) Nicolaides rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Snail in Danger (Sid) by: http://www.tor.com/stories/2012/07/this-case-is-gonna-kill-me-excerpt

Shelves: fantasy-fiction, cover-pretty-white-girl

In case you're the kind of person who cares, the cover on here is not the correct one. This had at least two preliminary covers — one showed the main character from the neck down, holding a briefcase; the other (currently displayed) shows a woman who looks a little gothy but very sour and cross. In the version I read, the cover shows a blonde lady wearing the same clothes as the gothy one.

Something that bothered me slightly: this was presented (here, here, here) as the debut of a new author. In...more

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May 04, 2013 prk rated it 4 of 5 stars

Linnet Ellery is from a good, affluent Connecticut family who can trace their ancestry back to the settling of America. However money doesn't mean much without power, and in this world, it's held by the various supernatural races - the Vampires, Werewolves and Alfar (elves).

Linnet was fostered with vampires as a young child, grew up around them, graduated University as a Lawyer, and has now been placed at the prestigious White Fang Law Firm, Ishmael, McGillary, and Gold. Her first task is to as...more

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Feb 03, 2013 Debbie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, paranormal-stuff

ok -this story was ok - but there were parts that bugged the heck out of me and some were the author's fault and some were the publisher's fault..

there may be spoilers ahead...
first of all I hate that the author dropped designer names when describing clothing...it seemed so 'sex in the city' and reminded me of when you are watching a tv show and two of the characters start talking about the features in their Prius...but when I mentioned this to a friend she said it happens a lot in romance novel...more ok -this story was ok - but there were parts that bugged the heck out of me and some were the author's fault and some were the publisher's fault..

there may be spoilers ahead...
first of all I hate that the author dropped designer names when describing clothing...it seemed so 'sex in the city' and reminded me of when you are watching a tv show and two of the characters start talking about the features in their Prius...but when I mentioned this to a friend she said it happens a lot in romance novels so maybe this is a feature? I don't know - whenever it happened it dropped me out of the story.

And, second, there were lots of hints that perhaps Linnet and her dad aren't quite what they seem to be (Linnet herself, is in the dark as well) and the author hints that more will be revealed in later books in the series.. to me that is a cheap trick. If you want me invested in your world and characters give me the scoop now because I am not interested in slow dribbles book after book...so will I read another - I don't know - I know I won't be waiting or looking for the next one.

Now the publisher's stuff - it is noted in the novel that the character Linnet has black hair - more than once. But if you look at the cover of the book there is a blond woman. WTF is that all about. This book is never going to appeal to men - so why put a blond woman on the cover?

And second, when I read the 'praise blurbs' on the back cover- I have to wonder where they come from? M.L.N. Hanover states that this book is 'John Grisham meets Buffy teh Vampire Slayer' - and I have to ask if M.L. N Hanover ever read Grisham or watched Buffy? There is a law firm so maybe that makes it like Grisham? There are vampires... but that is the only thing it has in common with the world of Buffy and Linnet is nothing at all like Buffy - oh wait, Buffy is blond and the strange woman on the cover is blond...

Jaye Wells states that Linnet 'tackles the cutthroat world of vampire law' - except the story is about which family is entitled to inheret a multimillion dollar company - who has the valid will? There is nothing about vampire law at all in the story ..

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Jan 26, 2013 Sara rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: linnet-ellery

As many reviews have stated, there is no resemblance to the Anita Blake series. The book felt similar to the Edie Spence series by Cassie Alexander - regular human with no combat skills becomes involved in the affairs of the supernatural - Edie is a nurse and Linnette is a lawyer.
I've read many books with metaphysical elements recently so the straight-forward plot was refreshing. From the first attack you know who the main bad guy is - the real story is how Linnette is going to prove it. I thoug...more

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Jan 26, 2013 Rebecca rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, urban-fantasy, won

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

I think I won this from author Suzanne Johnson's blog, Preternatura, but it's been awhile and I'm not sure. I do know that I won a copy, just FYI.

If I could rate aspects of this book separately, I would. Linnet, the heroine, and the premise of the book rate a 4 or slightly higher. She's really intriguing and a lot of fun. You definitely have a vested interest in her future at the firm and in general. I loved her reaction to how her colleagues, male and female, treated her at...more

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Dec 07, 2012 Stephen Ormsby rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is an awesome story. Linnett goes to work at a White Fang (read vampire) law firm after one of the partners recommends her. Quickly enough she learns she was hired as part of a power struggle between partners. Great start to a new job, huh? It couldn’t get worse you would reckon? Try having your boss ripped apart by a werewolf. That’s as far into the story as I am going, as I already feel I’ve gone too far.

I thought the new take on vampires and werewolves was great without displaying any of...more

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Nov 25, 2012 Kat rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really liked the premise and the heroine, but it got boring past the mid-point. The amusing idea is that vampires, werewolves, and elves turn out to be real and come out of the closet, or the underworld, or Faerie, or wherever they have been hiding all this time. It is a world exactly like present day America (there are Facebook and Ipad references), but with those additional creatures. They fit in well in the cities, especially NYC, but the country folk tend to be creeped out by them and call...more

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Nov 07, 2012 Mara rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

Ah, the joy of "lying" blurbs.

-This book had nothing in common with The Firm or the Anita Blake series, as long as you don't consider "things in common" the setting (a law firm). (I can't really find anything in common with AB.)

-The phrase "After some initial missteps, she finds herself sidelined and assigned to unpromising cases" is false. Linnet does nothing wrong, except finding herself between two partners in conflict. She is immediately assigned one "lost-hope" case.

-In this book, Linnet...more

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Oct 26, 2012 Dark Faerie Tales rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed-by-kristie

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: Paranormal legal urban fantasy set in a richly detailed world but with a character that is hard to connect with and many questions left unanswered this novel may not appeal to all.

Opening Sentence: “This case is gonna kill me.”

The Review:

Fresh out of college, Linnet Ellory gets the opportunity to work for one of the best law firms in New York City. She is given the worst job as a lawyer, working on a case that has been in and out of court fo...more

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Oct 07, 2012 Darcy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, uf, vampires, shifters, elves

I am not even sure how this book ended up on my radar, but I am sure glad that it did. There is a blurb on the book that labels this as John Grisham meets Buffy, and that is just what this book is. Part of it reads like a Grisham books, but it is filled with vamps and werewolves, which adds for some excitement among all the petty lawyer politics.

It is hard not to like Linnet, she is surprising down to earth, seems to know just where her place is in this world and is ok with it. Her being raised...more

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Oct 02, 2012 David Hill rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Originally posted at: http://davidesmalehill.blogspot.com/2...

I get really nervous when I want to review a book and feel like the review itself will turn out really negative. Everyone writes differently. Everyone enjoys reading slightly different things. Which is all as it should be. But 'This Case Is Gonna Kill Me', by Phillipa Bornikova, just fell flat for me, for a number of reasons.

First off, the profanity was just a bit much. I can already hear people responding with "it's more realistic" o...more

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Aug 30, 2012 Dianne Socci-Tetro rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: galleys-arcs

This Case is Gonna Kill Me - Phillipa Bornikova

*ARC supplied by publisher*

Contrary to the synopsis, I did not see anything of Laurell K Hamilton’s protagonist Anita Blake in this book. What I did see was an interesting mix of genres blended nearly seamlessly into something a little new, a little different. It was something that I enjoyed very much for the most part, but I still had some problems with it. There is very little back-story and I suspect that this will be rectified in upcoming rel...more
This Case is Gonna Kill Me - Phillipa Bornikova

*ARC supplied by publisher*

Contrary to the synopsis, I did not see anything of Laurell K Hamilton’s protagonist Anita Blake in this book. What I did see was an interesting mix of genres blended nearly seamlessly into something a little new, a little different. It was something that I enjoyed very much for the most part, but I still had some problems with it. There is very little back-story and I suspect that this will be rectified in upcoming releases. I enjoyed the lack for the most part since it forced me to use my imagination more than normal while reading a book like this.
We meet Linnet Ellery on her first day of her new job in what is known as a “White Fang” law firm. This firm is headed by Vampires, (only men can be vampires - only men can be werewolves!) so all of the upper echelon are men. Very sexist. Her very first case is a long drawn out inheritance case, which soon proves to be deadly. Along the way she will make a misstep with one of her vampire bosses that looks like it may be interesting fodder for up-coming books. A very interesting relationship looks as if it could go the right wasy with the firms Fey P.I. but you’ll have to read the book to see just how that is going to go. It is another loose end that looks like it will be picked up in the next book
I do enjoy the fact that this was like reading a paranormal James Patterson since I have always been fond of that sneaky, lawyerly type of book. I did not enjoy all of the horse talk and found that it took my concentration away from the main plots in a very bad way.

The characters are fairly well fleshed, but there is enough room for them to grow and I do hope that with this growth Linnet will mature and season some more. She seems a bit naïve, at least at first, and she seems as if she may be spending all her time as a damsel in distress. I think that this will change with subsequent books also.

While Linnet seems to be having a relationship with one man, I have a feeling that there is going to be something between her and one of the other Vamps in the office, later on down the road.

All in all this was a very satisfying read, but the author still has some minor issues to work out in later books
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Aug 28, 2012 Cynthia rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book was an unexpected delight. Lawyers? Meh. Even lawyers with paranormal spice.

But Linnet Ellery is no ordinary lawyer, even for a young lawyer in a White Fang law firm. She has no end of backbone and smarts, not to mention luck - or should I say Luck? Because fortune swirls around her like nobody else, making her a nexus of events and a little too conspicuous for her very discreet employers.

That's not to say that she doesn't make her share of mistakes - that wouldn't be any fun, now wo...more

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Oct 21, 2012 Cherry Mischievous rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: alltimefavorites, audiobook, favourites, own, willreadthisauthoragain, i-ve-read

Review:

I am not fond of books with too long a title. If this book didn't have Therese Plummer's name attached to it, I would never have bought it. I am obviously an old Therese Plummer fan, that usually means that the narrator would rate a 5 out of 5 even before I started listening to the audiobook. But I have learned that nice though her voice is, she is the kind of reader who is not for all genres. I don't think her personality fits this book at all. I find Therese Plummer's too "soft-hearted...more Review:

I am not fond of books with too long a title. If this book didn't have Therese Plummer's name attached to it, I would never have bought it. I am obviously an old Therese Plummer fan, that usually means that the narrator would rate a 5 out of 5 even before I started listening to the audiobook. But I have learned that nice though her voice is, she is the kind of reader who is not for all genres. I don't think her personality fits this book at all. I find Therese Plummer's too "soft-hearted-seeming" voice to fit a bespectacled librarian more, than a kick-ass lawyer. Or it could also be that I've listened to her as Aurora "Roe" Teagarden too long and my brain associates her voice with Roe already, that it is having a hard time switching from Roe to Linnet. Or more likely, I do not agree with her interpretation of this book. Nevertheless, her voice is still as nice as it ever was so although I cannot give her a 5 out of 5 anymore with this book, I cannot give her a less than 4 either.

The world building is fantastic! I would love to read more of Linnet's world! It got all my favourite fantasy elements in it. Vampires and werewolves with ipads and smartphones! Hah! Can't beat that combined with fantastic story telling quality!! Though I admit it kinda started slow for me that I abandoned it after chapter one and picked up another book. But it did pick up and it was smashing fights and impossible odds and running for their lives until the end. Fab! I have one complaint though, the fight scenes are not very realistic. [Werewolf artist rendition by Lintufriikk.]

"So an elf and a werewolf were duking it out mano-mano and the werewolf does not use his sharp claws on his enemy to draw blood?"

That scene is not very likely. And that is not the only close-combat fight scene that needed polishing up. But I choose to ignore those little nitpicking issues given the wonderful listening time I got out of the book. And at the end of it, I enjoyed this book immensely and wondering when the second Linnet Ellery book is gonna come out...?

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4
Character development = 4
Story itself = 4
Ending = 4
World building = 4.5
Cover art = 4
Pace = N/A (9 hrs and 22 mins listening time)
Plot = 4.5
Narrator = 4.5

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 (less)

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Sep 07, 2012 Darrell rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Some of the other reviews compare this character & world to that of Laura K. Hamilton's Anita Blake. I respectfully disagree. In Linnet Ellery's world the vampires and werewolves are the powers in society (collectively the Powers). Unlike Hamilton's world where the undead and shape-shifters are more behind the scene and not looking to control society. There also is the addition of the Elves. Which in this world, is a mixture of the Fae and the traditional Elves. This approach is unique for...more

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Feb 12, 2013 Jeffrey rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: legal-thriller, read-in-2013, supernatural, urban-fantasy

"This Case is Gonna Kill Me" is unique in the oversaturated urban fantasy area. Its an enjoyable blend of the action packed legal thriller set in a re-imagined present day world filled with vampires, werewolves and elves. It’s a winning combination.

The vampires, werewolves and elfs came out of the “closet” and have risen to powerful positions in society, owning industry, running their own law firms, and now interacting openly with their former “prey”. The world has learned to accommodate these...more "This Case is Gonna Kill Me" is unique in the oversaturated urban fantasy area. Its an enjoyable blend of the action packed legal thriller set in a re-imagined present day world filled with vampires, werewolves and elves. It’s a winning combination.

The vampires, werewolves and elfs came out of the “closet” and have risen to powerful positions in society, owning industry, running their own law firms, and now interacting openly with their former “prey”. The world has learned to accommodate these monsterous captains of industry. There are restaurants with security screens for vampires who want to feed on select donor humans “au natural” and rich humans who seek power and congress with the vampires and wolves.

Linnet Ellery, a top graduate from Yale Law School, has a lot of history with vampires because her rich family, who can trace their lineage back to signing the Declaration of Independence, fostered her at 8 years old with a powerful vampire.

Now, she has just joined a prestigious "white fang" law firm, but, instead of working directly with the vampire elite, she is relegated to helping Chip Westin, an older human associate, with his 17-year old probate litigation between the heirs of a dead werewolf’s fortune. Chip's clients are the former wife and children of the werewolf. Meanwhile, prior to his death, the werewolf bit Deegan, one of his employees in his billion dollar Securitech business, and converted him into a werewolf, thereby making Deegan his immortal heir. Chip has assigned Linnet to re-read deposition transcripts and other documents in the huge case file to see if there is anything she can learn to help his case against Deegan.

Linnet is an engaging character. She understands the culture of the vampires while not falling victim to their power. She has already proved her mettle by outing a lothario vampire of the firm, who illicitly seduced her and the other woman lawyers at the firm. She soon finds herself having to prove herself against werewolves as well.

One night, while reading the file, she witnesses a werewolf attacking Chip. As a result of a strange set of circumstances (more on that later), Linnet barely escapes with her life, while poor Chip is eviscerated. Asssigned Chip’s case files, Linnet doggedly tries to pierce together why Chip was killed and how it connects to the case.

She quickly finds a cryptic note showing that Chip learned of another possible claimant to the estate, a daughter of a stripper, who knew the dead wolf and that Chip might have been working with them. A seedy lawyer claims that he even drafted up a new Will leaving the entire estate to the daughter, but while bargaining with him, they are attacked by another wolf. Again due to odd circumstances, Linnet somehow escapes while the lawyer is slain.

Calling on the services of John O’Shea, an elvin private investigator, who independently works for the firm, Linnet must use her legal acumen to try to obtain a good settlement from Deegan for her clients, while also saving the stripper and her daughter from Deegan’s wereworlves. It’s a thrill ride, with bare knuckle escapes from the wolves, negotiations with John’s elvin mother and romantic entanglements plus smart lawyering on this case and others. And to top it off, we are left with the impression that Linnet’s otherworldly escapes from the werewolves were the result of some unknown power. There is obviously more to Linnet than a hot bod and brain.

It’s a treat.

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Oct 23, 2012 Ami rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy-paranormal-futuristic

I am sorry, but I just cannot take a character seriously, when this adult lawyer-third in class at Yale, is calling her parents "Mommy" and "Daddy". I lose any respect for her when she keeps describing "Daddy this, Daddy that". NO. JUST. NO.

In addition, I feel like Linnet in the whole book, either screams, cries, sobs -- and I don't see any evidence of her being smart and wins a case based on her own merit. Oh, and also from being a 'victim' of her player-of-a-boss then jump into sexual relation...more

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Sep 21, 2012 Kristen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: magical, mystery, paranormal, romance, shapeshifters, wolves-vamps

GENRE: YA Fantasy
THEME: Urban Fantasy
GENRE: Romance, Mystery/Paranormal
RECEIVED: Tor
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/

REVIEW:
Such a great start to a new a Urban Fantasy. This book definitely keeps the mystery and cases rolling, never really slowing down and giving the character a break. This Case Is Gonna Kill Me has been compared to Anita Blake with some of The Firm mixed in and I can say that yes it does, but only a hint, this book stands on its own and introduces some great character and...more GENRE: YA Fantasy
THEME: Urban Fantasy
GENRE: Romance, Mystery/Paranormal
RECEIVED: Tor
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/

REVIEW:
Such a great start to a new a Urban Fantasy. This book definitely keeps the mystery and cases rolling, never really slowing down and giving the character a break. This Case Is Gonna Kill Me has been compared to Anita Blake with some of The Firm mixed in and I can say that yes it does, but only a hint, this book stands on its own and introduces some great character and an really exciting world of paranormals.

This Case Is Gonna Kill Me follows Linnet Ellery, who was born from a wealthy family that is connected to a powerful vampire family. In this world paranormals exist and Linnet works at a law firm run by vampires. She is put on a case that deals with politics, werewolves and a lot of money. But it turns out to be a lot more than she and her boss thought, and when he’s killed and werewolves are going after her Linnet tries to get to the bottom of this case before she ends up like her boss.

Linnet is a tough character because she has great instincts of survival, for a human stuck in a paranormal world. She’s a bit emotional, but you can’t blame her when people are getting killed and werewolves keep tracking her down. She’s really good at her job and wants nothing more than to close this big case and find out who killed her boss and why. I do hope she gets a bit more backbone, being fosterling to a vampire family I hope she learns to take care of herself more than her family helping her out with their connections. But in the end this girl is a great new lawyer and stand up for herself, even to the most powerful.

John, he was a whole bundle of fun. John is a PI who works once in a while for Linnets law firm. When her case starts to get hairy, she goes to him for help in digging up more information. Together they become super sleuths and try to stay alive while picking up clues. He is also a changeling and one super nice guy. At the end of the book his character gets into a sticky situation and I so need to know what’s going to happen to him. His chemistry with Linnet is great and has a lot of heat but sweetness mixed in.

Overall I enjoyed this series, it really focuses on the mystery of the cases and yes, there is more than one. The characters still have growth but they each a very memorable and I can’t wait to find out more about them. The beginning took me a bit to get into but once the actions starts it never stops until the end. I’m defiantly going to continue this series and highly recommend urban fantasy readers to get their hands on this book.

RECOMMENDATION:
This is an adult with a bit of violence and sexual content meant for a mature audience. Fans of Chloe Neills Chicagoland Vampire series and Jennifer Esteps Elemental Assassin series will enjoy Phillipa Bornikova’s This Case is Gonna Kill Me.
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Sep 08, 2012 Turtles rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-modern

It's hard to decide whether this book fit in as more of a mystery or an urban fantasy. The Mystery was much more prevalent and seemed to contain fantasy elements. But the action/violence and sexy bits are much more akin to an UF, so I'll shelve it there. I enjoyed the mystery very much, it kept growing and branching out as more tangents were discovered. I thought the author went a little too overboard in some of the side descriptions. I don't mind learning what the cat looked like but I got a li...more

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Sep 04, 2012 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal, ebook, earcs, contemporary, urban-fantasy, law

What a fun debut! For once the hook is a proper description of the book: when Anita Blake meets THE FIRM. THIS CASE IS GONNA KILL ME has a lot of funny banter, lots of action, and a satisfying story with a positive ending. There is also some not-so-nice "sexy" action, but it's balanced out by the toughness of the main character, newly-employed female lawyer Linnet, who does get some of the romance she deserves. There were some moments at the beginning when I was a bit lost, since the world isn't...more

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Sep 02, 2012 Julia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, fiction, arcs, urban, dropbox

It is clear that THIS CASE IS GONNA KILL ME is just the beginning for Linnet Ellery. A quirky mix of privilege and deprivation, I had a hard time bonding with her as more than just the narrator describing a great world. Still, Linnet is the sort of person who listens to that inner voice that tells to do the right thing (even when that means going head to head with a murderous werewolf with nothing more than hairspray), and I like her enough to want to read more.

Linnet's point of view makes for a...more

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Sep 15, 2012 bookczuk rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, first-novel-or-book, great-title, i-liked-it, made-me-look-something-up, paranormal, read-for-review, satisfying, taught-me-something, vampires-ghosts-and-other-creatures, will-look-for-more-by-this-author, tor

"White fangs" and Werewolves and lawyers! Oh my!

This was a fun excursion of the paranormal, urban fantasy sort. Clever world, where the supernaturals and humans coexist relatively peacefully. And though the vampires are heavy into the legal system, the werewolves are in the military, and the elves are into the glamorous parts of life, humans still have their say. Of course, those with loyalty to a particular branch of supers are rewarded in their careers and personal lives, some even being "tur...more

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Dec 01, 2012 Deena rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: bosler, fantasy-paranormal

I'm not entirely sure about the 4 stars. Maybe 3.75?

I really like Linnet. i like the world Ms. Bornikova has designed, and the fact that she doesn't bog down her story by giving the reader a mass of details about it (although conversely, we could arguably have used a bit more world-building than we get). The cast of characters is very large - which is normally something that doesn't work for me - but Ms. Bornikova has been careful with this and they are mostly drawn with sufficient distinction,...more

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Sep 25, 2012 Tracy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, netgalley-arc

~* 3.5 Stars *~
Original World, Likable Heroine
Maybe it used to be a dog-eat-dog world, but since humans became aware of the existence of the Powers - vampires, werewolves, and elven Álfar who have been integrated into society and hold positions of power in the country and around the globe - it's a different sort of feeding frenzy altogether. Not that Linnet Ellery feels that way. She was fostered in a vampire Household and groomed for the law.

After graduating top of her class and passing the bar...more

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Sep 07, 2012 Nafiza rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, net-galley

Whoever named this novel must have been on crack because honestly, along with book covers, no, more than book covers, it is the titles of books that lure me in and This Case is Gonna Kill Me does not, in any way, attract me as a reader. The book could have been called so many other things that would have aptly, more attractively, reflected the story within but alas.

Moving on, the novel has a very interesting set up. Vampires, werewolves and fairies all inhabiting the world of law. Lawyering and...more Whoever named this novel must have been on crack because honestly, along with book covers, no, more than book covers, it is the titles of books that lure me in and This Case is Gonna Kill Me does not, in any way, attract me as a reader. The book could have been called so many other things that would have aptly, more attractively, reflected the story within but alas.

Moving on, the novel has a very interesting set up. Vampires, werewolves and fairies all inhabiting the world of law. Lawyering and law are hardly the stuff made for excitement – unless it is criminal law of course. But Bornikova succeeds in creating a fresh new world where vampire lawyers exist and female vampires do not. Where werewolves are violent and faeries are fae. Linnet is a human lawyer who is also a vampire fosterling and following her acceptance at one of the most lauded law firms, gets inexplicably embroiled in hair raising situations. She has an uncanny knack for survival and this tells me that there is more to Linnet than meets the eye. Where law, lawyering and the business are concerned, the writing is crisp and on point. The plot, while predictable, is exciting and keeps you turnings the pages. What I had problems with is the romance.

Bornikova needs to work on her characterizations. Linnet is not very interesting or compelling but the love interest, the fae whose name I can’t remember, is even flatter. I do not understand why he drops everything to help her out – to the point that he even got out of bed with another woman to come rescue her. The mush factor is huge and feels very improbable. The love interest is created more as an ideal partner than a person in his own right, with his own foibles and flaws. Linnet has, not very originally, gay best friends. She also is not very secure about her looks. I would have thought that someone with the smarts to be a lawyer would have more esteem and confidence that she shows.

Despite my quibbling, however, I did enjoy the novel. I just hope that the sequel tones down the romance and fleshes out the characters.(less)

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Oct 04, 2012 Dayla rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: action, adult-fiction, creepy, death, faeries, family, fantasy, fun-read, murder, mystery, new-york-city, powerful-women, promising-series, romance, sassy, series, society, surprising, suspense, tough-chicks, vampires, law, urban-fantasy

Article first published as Book Review: This Case is Gonna Kill Me by Phillipa Bornikova on Blogcritics.

Review also appeared on my blog: Book Addict 24-7

I received a copy for review

Set in New York City, This Case is Gonna Kill Me is an urban fantasy novel by Phillipa Bornikova that features vampires, werewolves, and fairies. Bornikova challenges the romanticized image of vampires, werewolves, and other mythical creatures in today’s literature. Her novel draws the reader in with its fast-paced an...more

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Jan 19, 2013 Starfire rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: supernatural-chick-pr0n, urban-fantasy, 7-10

Hmmmm... this book was REALLY slow to pick up for me - I wasn't actually sure if I was going to finish it or not for much of the first half. Eventually, however, it found its stride, and I kept turning pages.

There's a lot of potential in the world Ms Bornikova has created... but I'm not sure how well it's executed. Linnet didn't grab me as a character in and of herself - she seemed more of a plot nexus for things to happen around. I liked the way she took on the office sleazebag, and I liked he...more

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Sep 05, 2012 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-or-review-copy, contemporary, fantasy, read-in-2012, tor

3.5/5 stars

This Case is Gonna Kill Me is one of those urban fantasy books that is a lot of fun on one hand, and kind of lacking a bit on the substance on the other. However, while I usually complain about that, minus a few small issues here and there, this book really stands on its own feet. This Case is Gonna Kill Me features a believable and engaging protagonist struggling through a prominent law firm. This isn’t a cheap urban fantasy thrill; rather it’s a cut above the rest. With an ending ni...more

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This Case Is Gonna Kill Me (Linnet Ellery #1)

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