The Sweet Scent of Blood (Spellcrackers.com, #1)

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The Sweet Scent of Blood (Spellcrackers.com #1)

by Suzanne McLeod (Goodreads Author)

3.68 of 5 stars 3.68 · rating details · 1,114 ratings · 163 reviews

Genevieve Taylor is a sidhe - one of the noble fae - and she's unusual even in a London where celebrity vampires, eccentric goblins and scheming lesser fae mix freely with humanity...

Genny is a rising star at Spellcrackers.com, where she finds the "M" in magic - which can mean anything from mischief to malice to murder. The spellcrackers are run by the Witch Council, whose...more

363 pages

Published September 4th 2008

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Apr 26, 2010 Melindeeloo rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, vampires, fae-fairy-faery-elves-pixies, magic

When a vamp master calls in a marker, Fae magical troubleshooter Genny ends up trying to clear a young vamp in the murder of his human lover and ends up the prize in a vampire power struggle.

There was quite a bit that I liked in this first Spellcrackers novel: I liked the idea of the Fae heroine, Genny, and magical problem solving agency in this new UF offering, I really thought that Genny's hidden nature was quite interesting. I also liked some of the supporting Fae characters Genny's Satyr bos...more

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Apr 23, 2012 Claire rated it 5 of 5 stars

Because I am re-reading this book in advance of the 4th book you can probably guess that I like it, and I do, I absolutely love it. Ms McLeod has created a fantastic world filled with all sorts of supernatural beings plus it is set in London which is awesome as I live in the UK and the sort of books I read are very very rarely set in my home country.

Gen is a great character and I warmed to her immediately she has led a troubled life as a Sidhe Fae whose blood is coveted by vampires. There is a b...more

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Apr 02, 2013 Book Chick City rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

Reviewed by Rebecca for www.BookChickCity.com

THE SWEET SCENT OF BLOOD is a unique novel, contradicting typical vampire fiction to mix together a wealth of different supernatural elements whilst keeping true to a murder mystery. The novel is exciting and fresh, with McLeod creating a heroine strong enough to take on whatever the vampires, witches and other beings can throw at her.

Genevieve Taylor is a sidhe fae, a kind of faerie, and the only one in London. She works for Spellcrackers.com, a witc...more Reviewed by Rebecca for www.BookChickCity.com

THE SWEET SCENT OF BLOOD is a unique novel, contradicting typical vampire fiction to mix together a wealth of different supernatural elements whilst keeping true to a murder mystery. The novel is exciting and fresh, with McLeod creating a heroine strong enough to take on whatever the vampires, witches and other beings can throw at her.

Genevieve Taylor is a sidhe fae, a kind of faerie, and the only one in London. She works for Spellcrackers.com, a witch company that removes unwanted spells for its clients – as long as they aren’t vamps. The ongoing witch vs. vampire feud is never fully explained in the novel, but there is an animosity between the species with Genny stuck in the middle, not fully belonging to either side.

The vampires are like celebrities in the human world, so when one of them is accused of murdering his girlfriend it hits the front page, with the vampires trying to sweep it under the carpet. However, when the vamps start coming to Genny asking her to discover the truth behind the murder, her life becomes more and more complex as she struggles to hide her own secrets whilst trying to uncover everyone else’s. It doesn’t help that her sidhe blood is more attractive to the vamps than a humans, not enabling her to properly interrogate any of her key suspects without becoming a vamp snack. Will Genny make it out of this investigation alive?

Our heroine, Genny, is an incredibly strong protagonist, trying to hold her own against all of the strong males she comes up against. It is clear that she has a lot of murky secrets in her past that she tries her best to cover up, with the reader only given inclinations to some of these secrets throughout the book. Hopefully the author will reveal more about her past in future novels in the series, because it certainly sounds like her past could fill a whole novel by itself, and I’d love to hear more about it.

Genny has a number of interactions with men in the novel from a variety of different species. However, there is not a single man whom she appears connected to the most, as her attention is very much divided between two. First we have her co-worker, Finn, who is a different species of fae and as such there is a magical bond between their fae blood that draws them together. Finn is gorgeous (aside from having horns!), and takes a special interest in Genny, looking out for her during the investigation. It is clear that his affection is not purely the result of their fae connection, but can Genny really take the risk in spilling her secrets to him?

Her next lot of male attention comes from vampire Malik Al-Khan, an incredibly attractive vampire elder who takes a particular interest in both Genny and the investigation. He has the power to manipulate Genny into doing whatever he wants, as well as using his vampire powers to put mind locks on humans and even become invisible. He wants control over her, and like all the other vamps he lusts for her blood. However, is he just flirting with her for information, or is there something else behind his manipulation?

As much as I loved the characters of this novel, there were still some things about main character Genny that irked me. For one, despite her blood and magic being to blame for attracting male attention, it feels like every male in the novel is interested in her, regardless of their species. This wouldn’t be so frustrating if we hadn’t already been told that her appearance is far from human, with her eyes being ‘amber-coloured, with oval pupils, rather like a cat’s’, and her hair a matching shade of amber. Another thing is that she seems to find herself losing her clothes at every opportunity, with there being a number of naked scenes when it doesn’t seem to fit with the plotline for any specific reason. There were times when I just wanted to scream at Genny to put some clothes on!

Overall, I did thoroughly enjoy this book, as I love any good twist on the vampire legend that keeps vampires as being scary and seductive. The heroine was smart and powerful, and there were some truly surprising twists when the truth of the murder is revealed. I look forward to finding out more about her past in subsequent novels, and really hope that the series continues to be as exciting as this first novel!

VERDICT:

I really enjoyed this book, the series kicking off to a great start with some fantastic characters to draw you in. I loved how the sidhe fae element contrasted with typical vampire fiction, with McLeod putting her own spin on vampires that works brilliantly. Her vampires are sexy, scary and shocking, and combined with the murder mystery the book is truly brilliant.
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Apr 16, 2012 Yasmeen (Yaz) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, british-authors, bom, bookshelf

The Sweet Scent Of Blood is the first in the Spellcrackers.com series and British author Suzanne McLeod's debut book. The story is jam packed with action, the plot is intricate and the world building complex; which keeps you guessing to the end.

The Sweet Scent Of Blood hooks you from the beginning and takes you on a wild ride through a modern London where supernaturals exist side by side with the mundane. Suzanne McLeod has written vampires the way they should be written, as well as a array of w...more

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Aug 19, 2010 jD rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 1_library-no, different-and-strange, fantasy_strange, magic_fae, magic_wizards-and-such, skip-this-series

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Aug 06, 2009 Mardel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

Suzanne McLeod (from England) has written a refreshing book about sidhe, vampires and witches, along with some wonderful side characters that are trolls, satyrs, brownies and goblins. Pixies and gremlins are also mentioned in this book. But it all works. In this alternate reality, England has the works. Vampires have used public relations to present themselves as celebrities, even putting out calenders, (Mr. June, Mr October, etc).

The main character, Genevieve Taylor has been coerced into trying...more Suzanne McLeod (from England) has written a refreshing book about sidhe, vampires and witches, along with some wonderful side characters that are trolls, satyrs, brownies and goblins. Pixies and gremlins are also mentioned in this book. But it all works. In this alternate reality, England has the works. Vampires have used public relations to present themselves as celebrities, even putting out calenders, (Mr. June, Mr October, etc).

The main character, Genevieve Taylor has been coerced into trying to find out the real cause of death of a young woman. From the beginning, complications arise in the form of vampires and witches. They lead Genevieve (Genny) through twists and turns until she gets to the truth. Genevieve has some secrets of her own, that gradually are revealed. Even though I thought I knew what would happen next, I was always surprised. Even at the end, a character that I thought was one person, ended up to be someone else. Nice work. And Genevieve is no shrinking violet. She's tough, though not invincible, and usually uses her head- though there are two times that I wanted to say, come on Genny, think before you run into those wards! She can see spells and wards, though twice, in the heat of the moment, she neglects to look first.

Ms McLeod's writing is excellant, with great dialogue between characters {one of my pet peeves while reading books is "sucky" dialogue. I could rant for a while on that, but what for? Although bad dialogue is enough to make me put a book down for good}. Througout the book we learn bits and pieces about this world, I didn't notice any large info-dumps that interrupts the flow of the book. Although, usually I don't really mind the insertions of that kind of thing, as long as it doesn't take pages, inserted right in the middle of a conversation- where, when the conversation resumes, I'm going "huh", and have to find where the conversation last left off. hehe. I liked the way Ms McLeod handled the giving of information here.

There's quite a few secondary characters, and they are interesting characters, that I enjoyed reading about. You can get a little taste of The Sweet Scent of Blood by reading chapters one or two. {this is from Suzanne's website} I love when authors are willing to put up a taste of their work on their websites. That's how I became so interested in this book. I stumbled on Suzanne McLeod's website (following comments) and saw she writes, then saw her excerpts and loved the writing. I waited as long as I could, hoping to see her books in Borders here in America, but finally just ended up ordering both (there's a sequel-just released) from the Book Depository {no shipping charges!}.

I rate this 5 stars, (wish there were a 6 star option for those extremely good books) which for me, means I'm keeping this book and recommending it to everyone I know. And looking for anything else Ms McLeod writes. If her debut novel is this good, it's entirely possible that it's just going to get better.

If at all possible, this is a book that should be puchased and savored. It was one hell of a read. The sequel, which was just released, is The Cold Kiss of Death. Look for both, you won't be disappointed. Totally worth ordering online - and keeping(less)

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Apr 22, 2011 Laura Lulu rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fae, vampires, urban-fantasy, i-own

I really enjoyed this book. The main character, Genny, was really likable--I've read a few books lately where I didn't like the main character, so I've found myself paying more attention to that.

Lots of different supes in this one--fae, witches, vamps. I really liked all the different fae that were introduced. It was pretty cool how they're all just integrated into humanity--satyrs, brownies, trolls, goblins, leprechauns, etc.

There were a few continuity issues I had with it, and I wasn't crazy...more

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Mar 29, 2013 Miki rated it 3 of 5 stars

This Review was first published on my blog Lecture toute une Aventure

Interesting but not captivating enough for me. I had some difficulty to immersed myself in the story and even after I wasn’t completely in. It’s a less dark book than the other urban fantasy ones I’ve read this month so I though I would appreciate more but in fact it was the opposite. I don’t like to have so many unanswered questions because yes the murder is solved but there is a lot of unknown….for example who is her father...more This Review was first published on my blog Lecture toute une Aventure

Interesting but not captivating enough for me. I had some difficulty to immersed myself in the story and even after I wasn’t completely in. It’s a less dark book than the other urban fantasy ones I’ve read this month so I though I would appreciate more but in fact it was the opposite. I don’t like to have so many unanswered questions because yes the murder is solved but there is a lot of unknown….for example who is her father …we know he was a vampire.. an important one but not at the top of the hierarchy either because he was giving her to his master. ..Who is the “prince” she is trying to avoid. Etc etc

I’m guessing this would be revealed slowly as the series continues but for me it wasn’t enough to catch and keep my interest. Same, the reaction of Hugh is strange… first he tells her to avoid others faes, but then he confesses he wasn’t fully honest and that some would love to help her… then why didn’t he tell her that when she needed that help. She still needs it so why not directly tell her the ones he knows and trust that could be on her side. Then Finn, I like him but I’m curious about what he knows and how. Also there are all the questions about Rosa….
I’m not sure I really understood what happened there or the reasons she acted like that…the consequences are evident or plausible but having just the point of view of Malik isn’t enough for me.

The characters are well built, and it was interesting to see a world where the paranormal creatures were under the light, living between the mortals but where a category was more ostracized. The witches have their councils, have jobs, the vampires have special laws that give them the right to take care of their problem… but the fae.. they are suffering from discriminations, in the laws, for the job and the humans seems to be hard bend against them while all the others are tolerated or even loved like a cult. All while at the same time they are the more vulnerable since they can even use their own powers because the humans decided it was too dangerous….strange. It’s something I liked to see and learn from.

So it’s not a favourite series , not even one I loved to be honest but it was a good read and I want to follow up this series to see if I will love it more as the next books explore and answer the questions I have or not. If you want a book about witches, fae and vampires this is a good shot ^^
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Oct 04, 2012 Elizabeth rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

Book 1 in the spellcrackers.com series, which I picked up after reading a short story involving the main character.

Genevieve is the only sidhe fae living in London, she works for the witches who run spellcrackers.com where she uses her magical ability to suck spells away from their current location or target and into herself. She is also addicted to vampire venom, which means she stays home at night and as far from the fanged as she can. Until she is forced to take a case involving a vampire who...more

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Aug 28, 2012 Ruth rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: spec-fic

C2008. FWFTB: Sidhe fae, witches, vamps, celebrities, spellcrackers.com. I stumbled across this book in the library catalogue.Why have I not heard about this series before? It was brilliant and so much more to it than just another urban vamp story. It was pacy, breathtaking, different, great character building and a worthy competitor to Kim Harrison and the hugely admired Jim Butcher.
The main character is likeable, mysterious and surprising. A great protagonist. I had not heard of Ms McLeod befo...more

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Aug 28, 2012 Ellie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy, favorites

Genny is sidhe, a noble fae living in London and she has a secret, well perhaps more than one. She works for Spellcrackers, a witch run organisation which helps remove spells for their clients. Genny’s fae magic means she can see the spells and unwrap them but she’s not so good at casting them herself. She blames this on her condition, infected with V3, vampire venom which draws her close to the very creatures she wants to avoid. When a celebrity vampire is accused of murder, she finds herself b...more

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Aug 27, 2012 Kathy Davie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, urban

First in the Spellcrackers.com urban fantasy series revolving around Genevieve Taylor, half-fae, half-human? -vampire? and her ages-long fight against the 3V and her flight from her prince.

My Take
The premise is good and unique to my reading list, however, McLeod is irritating with her primary character AND the activities that occur throughout the story. It's one thing to tease the reader into continuing to read. It's another thing completely to tease with very little release. It almost reads as...more

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

THE SWEET SCENT OF BLOOD AND COLD KISS OF DEATH

I get very excited when I find a new author that rocks my world. Two years ago I stumbled on a gently used copy of THE SWEET SCENT OF BLOOD by Suzanne Mcleod. In some ways, it is standard Urban Fantasy. An attractive young woman with magical abilities works in an environment where Vampires and the Fae are public. Somehow, Mcleod takes standard Urban Fantasy tropes and makes them all seem fresh and new. The Spellcrackers novels have deeply layered pl...more THE SWEET SCENT OF BLOOD AND COLD KISS OF DEATH

I get very excited when I find a new author that rocks my world. Two years ago I stumbled on a gently used copy of THE SWEET SCENT OF BLOOD by Suzanne Mcleod. In some ways, it is standard Urban Fantasy. An attractive young woman with magical abilities works in an environment where Vampires and the Fae are public. Somehow, Mcleod takes standard Urban Fantasy tropes and makes them all seem fresh and new. The Spellcrackers novels have deeply layered plot lines, unforgettable characters, strong love interests, complicated mysteries, with world building that keeps coming up with new surprises. I'm completely in love with this series.

The protagonist Genny Taylor works for a company called Spellcrackers.com, and her job is to undo spells that are disrupting people’s lives, like say a malicious kitchen Faery making trouble in an upscale Bistro’s kitchen. I fell instantly in love with McLeod’s world building and characters. I saw there was a sequel out and thought, ‘Yay! I’ll just pop over to Amazon and buy THE COLD KISS OF DEATH.’

That however is when I realized I was screwed. McLeod didn’t just write about a Magical Britain, she lived there (well at least the Britain part!) and her books were ONLY published in the UK. The sequel was at the time up on Amazon for (and I kid you not), about $30.00. For a paperback. Someone had gotten a copy in the states and in traditional Capitalistic fashion decided to make a buck.

I was so frustrated. I’d go in about once a month and look and see if anyone else had any for sale, thus lowering the price. I haunted all the online bookstores, but I couldn’t find a copy in the states. It is a sign of how much I enjoyed THE SWEET SCENT OF BLOOD that I was ready to break down and buy the expensive copy when I learned Penguin’s ACE imprint had bought the US rights to McLeod’s works and her books were going to be published in the states. My wonderful contacts at Penguin’s publicity department were kind enough to fold under my relentless cajoling and I recently received copies of both books from ACE for review purposes, for which I am SO grateful.

THE SWEET SCENT OF BLOOD: Set in a Magical London. Genny Taylor is half Fae, and works with her friend/boss Finn at Spellcrackers.com which is run by the Witch Counsel, whose ancient Tenets prohibit any contact with Vampires. Genny has reasons of her own for wanting to stay as far away as possible from the Vampires, but when a young Vampire is accused of killing his lover, Genny is forced by an old debt to help prove his innocence. This puts everything in jeopardy; her job, her burgeoning feelings for gorgeous Satyr Finn, her safety and most of all, her own deep dark secret. Because working for Vampires not only has brought the wrath of the Witches down on Genny, it has brought her to the attention of a man she has struggled to forget and prayed would forget her, Malik Al Khan.

I just got delicious chills writing that part. I love me some Malik. Don’t get me wrong, Finn’s a close second but Malik….when I read about him I always see Oded Fehr in my head, circa the Mummy, but sans the face tattooes. Malik is a Vampire from Genny’s past, and he is also about to find out something our Genny has been up to that will make him want to kill her.

THE COLD KISS OF DEATH: Genny is trying to come to terms with some of the fall out of the first book. Finn is acting strange around her. He’s gone from hitting on her constantly in the last book to being awkward and distant around her now. She should be relieved, but she finds she’s kind of hurt. A ghost she’s nicknamed Cosette keeps following her around demanding her help. Her neighbor the Witch is trying to get her evicted for consorting with Vampires and keeps planting spells around her living quarters that are extremely unpleasant and difficult to get around. The Vampires have learned too much about her and they are bombarding her with invitations, all of which come with strings of course, some of which aren’t really invitations so much as threats. She is also now seen as being the answer to Faery’s fertility problems and is basically being courted or chased by nearly every Fae in the greater U.K.

All this fades into the background when a friend of hers is murdered and she is framed for it by persons unknown. She is only saved from being killed at the scene of the crime by Malik, at great personal expense to himself. This leaves Genny on the run from the cops, the Faery’s, and the Vampires and trying to find out who killed her friend so she can clear her name.

The world building in this series is complicated and dense. You can’t skim through these books and have a chance of following what is going on. I paid attention and I’m still a little unclear on a few details, not in a bad way but in a …now I want to go back and read both books over again way. The characters are very memorable (years later after reading book one, I remembered most of the names and people from the book, something my brain can't ususally hold onto more then a day or two after closing a book) and Genny is a terrific protagonist. She is strong without being the type who bristles with weapons, and she’s smart. She occasionally makes bad choices but it is just often enough to make you relate to her and not often enough to make her TSTL.

There are great action scenes. The sexual chemistry and tension between Genny and Malik is intense. There is sweetness to her scenes with Finn that makes you wonder which one she should really end up with. Ultimately, she would probably be happier with Finn, but it is the scenes with Malik that keep bringing me back for a re-read. There is also a new character, a Kelpie, who is fascinating without being a real threat to the love triangle.

My only complaint in THE COLD KISS OF DEATH is that I wish there had been more (or any really) Spellcracking goin’ on, but there was so much plot and action and storylines, I don’t know how it could have fit into the book. You can’t have a Heroine doing her job if she is on the run for her life. She does use her skills to try to figure out who is framing her and how. I just hope in book three we get to go back to seeing Genny working at Spellcracking again because her gift is so unusual and fascinating, just like these books. If you haven’t read the Spellcrackers Novels, you are missing some of Urban Fantasy at its finest.
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Aug 20, 2011 Cheryl rated it 4 of 5 stars

I’d actually give this one a little over 4 stars.

Genny is a sidhe fae living in a London where vampires, trolls and the like live side by side with humans. There are rules regarding interaction between the groups, and a vampire named Roberto October, aka Bobby Hinkley, has been charged with breaking a big one; he’s accused of killing his girlfriend, Melissa. His father, Alan, hires Genny, who works at Spellcrackers, a company run by witches that finds and breaks spells, to look at Melissa’s body...more I’d actually give this one a little over 4 stars.

Genny is a sidhe fae living in a London where vampires, trolls and the like live side by side with humans. There are rules regarding interaction between the groups, and a vampire named Roberto October, aka Bobby Hinkley, has been charged with breaking a big one; he’s accused of killing his girlfriend, Melissa. His father, Alan, hires Genny, who works at Spellcrackers, a company run by witches that finds and breaks spells, to look at Melissa’s body and see if she can find a spell, despite the fact that the police and independent witches have said no magic was involved.

Also involved are a couple of big time vampires: Declan, the Earl and Malik. There are a lot of others who find Genny very desirable, in more ways than one, because fae blood is like a delicacy to vampires. The fae are also apparently hot and bothered much of the time and don’t deny themselves, but Genny does, for the most part, because of a secret she has. She even resists the flirtations and charms of a hot satyr named Finn. As she tries to solve the mystery surrounding Melissa’s death, it seems that nearly everyone wants something from Genny, and they all have secrets and ulterior motives.

One Seinfeld-like, nitpicky thing that started making me grind my teeth was the way Genny always said that something was so not going to happen or this or that was so not good; it really started driving me nuts. However, my biggest complaint about this book was that there were so many damn secrets, which is fine, but McLeod just gave us scraps along the way. It seemed to take forever to learn something, and when I did, it usually led to me mentally scratching my head and saying, “Huh?” because the tiny reveal led to more questions than they answered. It’s very rare that I’m more than halfway through a book and still feel like I have next to no clue what’s going on or that I must’ve missed a few pages that explained something (yes, Rosa, I’m talking to you). Also, between the fae, Glamour and (view spoiler) induced lust, I don’t know how this chick functioned at times. It was like every time she got near someone, she got horny. There were a couple of times I was reading and thought, cue the lust; it got to be a little sigh heaving and eye rolling inducing at times.

Some of the many questions and mysteries are resolved though others, some kind of big, are left unanswered. While it makes sense since this is a series, I seriously hope that they all don’t get dragged out for another book and we get some answers. The Sweet Scent of Blood is one of the books I picked up trolling the aisles of the closing Borders (thanks Borders corporate!) in a bit of a book buying frenzy. I picked it up on a whim and am really glad I did. I thought the world building was interesting and different, for the most part I liked Genny and there was a good cast of secondary characters; I'll definitely be picking up the sequel.(less)

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Apr 04, 2011 Lorelei rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

A refreshingly original urban fantasy set in London. It's strange, I know it's London but those opening pages took me to a bright airy place and I stayed there throughout the story.

Superficially the plot seems similar to a lot of what's already out there, but it's all in the writing and the attitude of the writing. This is an author who is not not hung up on puritanical issues of sex and monogamy. I'm completely over this obsession in so many American writers. In this book there is no agonising...more

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Oct 20, 2010 Amber rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2010, owned

Suzanne McLeod's first Spellcrackers novel has a murder mystery, vampire high society, and more magic than you can shake a stick at. In an alternate London where vamps are out of the coffin and numerous other supernatural races mix freely with the human populace, Genny Taylor is an oddity even among oddities- a sidhe fae working with the local witch councils to crack magical spells and help people. Genny works with the witches to keep herself out of the clutches of the vampires, but when a young...more

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Aug 10, 2010 Imalady rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, ugh-love-triangle

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 23, 2010 K. Bird rated it 3 of 5 stars

Urban fantasy set in London, cool accents and all. Vampire and fae-centric, this one has a half-fae "spellcracker" who gets caught up in vampire politics despite the fact that she's got vampire venom in her that makes her very wary of the vampires.

The main character is kind of cool, as well as some of the bad guys/gals. However, nothing new for me in the vampire department, as well as confusing array of characters, motives, and plots (not one but FIVE master vampires and their desire to get thei...more

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Nov 26, 2009 Ailsa rated it 5 of 5 stars

(First posted by me over at The Book Bundle

Since I’ve been re-reading it in preparation for the sequel, which comes out on July 16th, I just had to review this book. It’s been a while since I’d read it, and I’d forgotten how much I loved it.
‘The Sweet Scent of Blood’ is about a Sidhe fae called Genny Taylor, who lives in present day London, working at finding magic while trying to stay away from vampires - she knows from experience exactly how bad they can be.
From the website:
When Mr October, a...more (First posted by me over at The Book Bundle

Since I’ve been re-reading it in preparation for the sequel, which comes out on July 16th, I just had to review this book. It’s been a while since I’d read it, and I’d forgotten how much I loved it.
‘The Sweet Scent of Blood’ is about a Sidhe fae called Genny Taylor, who lives in present day London, working at finding magic while trying to stay away from vampires - she knows from experience exactly how bad they can be.
From the website:
When Mr October, a sexy calendar pin-up vamp, is accused of murdering his girlfriend, an old debt is called in and Genny is forced to help prove his innocence, risking her job and the protection it offers – and threatening to expose her own dark secrets. Searching for the killer plunges Genny deep into the hidden heart of vampire society. It’s not long before she realises that she and Mr October are both unwitting pawns in a centuries-old power struggle between London’s non-human communities . . . and it’s not just her own neck that’s at stake, but the lives of all London’s supernaturals.

This book grabbed me straight away, and it wastes no time in getting to the action. By the end of the first chapter (which you can read on her website) I was totally hooked. Genny is a very interesting narrator, and as the book progresses, we learn more and more about her history with vampires, and get to meet some of her interesting friends.

There are so many things I love about this book. One of them has to be the characters. They are all so vivid and real, and there are a lot of hot, sexy vampires - which to me is always a plus. Then there’s the fact that you just don’t know who Genny can really trust.
The writing style was another thing I loved - it was just fantastic, not letting down those characters or the intricate plot. I’ll admit that the first time I read this, I was rushing through so quickly that I then had to go back and re-read the last few chapters to make sure I really knew what had happened. It’s one of those rare books where I think you can appreciate it even more with each subsequent reading.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Nov 08, 2009 Larissa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own

In an alternate world, vampires have come out of the coffin to become the most sort-after of celebrities, but they're not the only ones out in the open, witches are a foot, goblins roam the streets, trolls wear the badges of law, and faeries take paid employment.

Genny is a fae living in London and working for the witch company Spellcrackers.com, it's a job she enjoys for she is good with magic, well with finding it anyway. But suddenly Genny has found herself to be in demand, and not just for he...more

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Apr 14, 2012 Noodle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance, urban-fantasy, witches

Now this was a little gem. I've been reading a lot of PNR & UF books lately, particularly with vampires in them. I freely admit I am on a vampire binge right now and have no intention of stopping any time soon. This little story was slightly different from the rest although definitely featuring vampires, the main protagonist is a fairy. But that is not where the differences occur.

Faeries and vampires tend to go hand in hand, but what I truly liked about this take, were the vampires themselve...more

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Jan 10, 2012 Lady Entropy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Ora bem, isto é claramente uma série de fantasia urbana à americana: tem a formula esperada, os elementos típicos... mas é escrito por uma inglesa, o que acaba por fazer disto nem carne, nem peixe.

Temos a protagonista que é linda de morrer (check), mas graças a deus tem montes de problemas e defeitos. Toda a gente quer saltar-lhe à espinha (check), porque a) ela pode ajudar as fae a quebrar uma maldição se tiver um filho e b) porque como é Sidhe, todos os vampiros adoram o sangue dela. Tem um va...more

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Jun 29, 2011 Liv rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: couldn-t-finish

Seriously, I really tried. I did. I took a break from this book, went to another one, before coming back to it again. I picked it up again and after about 25 more pages into it, I just couldn't take it anymore. I had to tell myself that my time could be better spent elsewhere. I simply could not bring myself to continue finishing this book. In all fairness though, my review was purely based on after reading 131 pages (which took me to the end of chapter 14 and was a good 1/3 of the way through)...more Seriously, I really tried. I did. I took a break from this book, went to another one, before coming back to it again. I picked it up again and after about 25 more pages into it, I just couldn't take it anymore. I had to tell myself that my time could be better spent elsewhere. I simply could not bring myself to continue finishing this book. In all fairness though, my review was purely based on after reading 131 pages (which took me to the end of chapter 14 and was a good 1/3 of the way through) of the book. So if something amazing happened afterwards, I wouldn't know and so my review was biased and purely based on what I read so far.

This book failed to capture my interests and attention. I was actually bored and couldn't understand where things were going. The overall writing pose and passages were choppy and the plot jumped all over the place. I understood the overall premise - Genny, the heroine, had been asked to solve a murder mystery of sorts and ran into troubles along the way. Genny was a sidhe fae, who appeared to suffer from vampiric bloodlust (likely due to vampire infection years before). However, I didn't care for her one bit. Nothing stood out about her. She tasted flatter than plain old room temperature water. From a plot perspective, she just went from place to place and perhaps I was just dense, but I didn't and couldn't see where this whole thing was going. If it was going somewhere, well, it had lost me 1/3 of the way because I got off the bus already.

As the first installment in a series (I do believe there are other books sequels to this), this book introduced way too many characters in a short space of time and flooded pages with insignificant details. Really, I didn't care for the stupid waitress that Genny met in the bar. She had no relevance or significance (well, at least up to the end of chapter 14 anyway) and added no plot value at all. There were so many characters that I had a hard time following and remembering everyone's names. The problem was further exacerbated by the fact that none of the characters were interesting. Okay, no, I should correct myself, there was one character that stood out for me, and he was Finn, who was Genny's charming co-worker. He also had fae blood and took a romantic interest in Genny. Other than Finn, I didn't care for anyone else and had no desire to read further. There were these supposely mysterious, attractive, powerful vampires in the book, but again, MEH, I didn't care for them.(less)

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Feb 26, 2011 Blodeuedd Finland rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, awesomebooks

I do love Urban Fantasy and this book was also refreshing because of the simple fact that it was set in London.

Now I feel that I can't give justice to how good the book was. The good ones are always the hardest to write about.

To the story then. Genny is a Fae in a world where supernaturals walk among us. The vampires have gone for fame and "groupies", but Fae like her have it a bit harder. They never were human at all. There are also trolls, brownies, goblins, witches, and lots more. And they al...more

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Jul 02, 2011 Roxanne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm really surprised how much I liked this after reading some iffy reviews. It was a little confusing at times though because we only get told about her past in small snippets and flash backs but it still leaves more to learn in the following books.

Genny is the only sidhe in London and she also works for Spellcrackers.com, her job is to 'crack' spells or un-weave them. Her blood also tastes great to vampires so she's very sought after for a snack but she has a few dark secrets herself and needs...more

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May 13, 2010 Jess rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, urban-fantasy

I give this one 3.5 stars.

What I really liked about this book was that it seemed very different from other things I've read. Granted, this might be because I haven't read all that many books about the fae, but it still seemed unique to me. The main character is Genny (Gen for short) and she works for a company called spellcrackers.com. She is a sidhe, and she breaks spells for a living. In this world, vampires have been given "human" rights for the past 20 years or so. And lately, they have bee...more

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May 02, 2010 Jade rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010

This book is really a two and a half but I'm trying to be optimistic for the author, and take most of my faults with the book onto myself. Firstly, it wasn't original. Given the mass of this genre out at the moment I found that it stayed in the same boat as Charlaine Harris and Layrell K. Hamilton, but didn't do as good a job. Also it was really confusing. There were too may bits left unexplained and then given clarity in the last chapter. I understand about suspense, but these details involved...more

1 like · like · see review

Nov 24, 2010 Jessica(Spinecracker) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Originally posted at http://thespinecracker.blogspot.com/

When I finished the last page of The Sweet Scent of Blood I sat there for a few minutes staring at the back cover, still sifting through everything that just happened. Wow! You know how sometimes there are movies you just have to give your undivided attention to; no bathroom brakes or popcorn refills? This is the book counterpoint to that kind of story-telling. Suzanne McLeod brings new meaning to the phrase "a smart read."

Genevieve Taylo...more Originally posted at http://thespinecracker.blogspot.com/

When I finished the last page of The Sweet Scent of Blood I sat there for a few minutes staring at the back cover, still sifting through everything that just happened. Wow! You know how sometimes there are movies you just have to give your undivided attention to; no bathroom brakes or popcorn refills? This is the book counterpoint to that kind of story-telling. Suzanne McLeod brings new meaning to the phrase "a smart read."

Genevieve Taylor, our heroine, is cut from a different cloth. And when you read as much UF as I do, I fully appreciated the originality of her character. Genny is a sidhe, a court fae to be exact, but she has anomalies {which I can't tell you} that set her further apart from your run of the mill fae. Even though Genny is one-of-a-kind, a special creature among millions in London, that doesn't mean she's perfect. Actually, she can't perform spells used to train toddlers. I enjoyed looking inside a character that could do wrong for a change. There are still parts of Gen that are a complete mystery, and I suspect that over the course of the series the holes will fill. I will admit that I'm normally one of those readers that likes things rather buttoned up at the end, nice and tidy, but the way in which McLeod teases you with information has me intrigued not frustrated.

Actually all the characters introduced throughout the book are creative and well planned. Though admittedly, in the beginning I was a bit confused about all the character's relation to the story and consequently their relationship to our protag. Now, everything became straight in my head quickly enough, but when there are several rich characters demanding my attention I need a lot of reinforcement as to their possible purpose to the plot and I didn't get that here as much as I'm use to.

The world McLeod has created is so inventive I'd suspect we have a long running series in the makings; I can't imagine ever becoming bored with this new version of London. She's created so many new rules and believable truths that I wonder if McLeod actually resides in a fantasy version England where she can borrow from her everyday. Her plot is constant, and original, and slightly frustrating. {in a delicious sort of way...yes I'm using the word delicious} Much the way Sherlock Holmes keeps going and going and you're merely along for the ride, Mcleod {through Genny's POV} dangles the answers in front of you but keeps them just out of reach. It kept an exciting game of "what if" playing the entire story.

Bottom Line: I know that saying "A Whole New World" is a little Disney, but Mcleod's London is original, her characters are refreshing, and the plot is imaginative...so call me princess Jasmine. (less)

1 like · like · see review

Jul 20, 2011 Jessica Bronder rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Genny is part fae and working at Spellcrackers, a witch company that is called in to crack spells and handle different magical situations throughout London. But along with witches and fae, there are also weres, vampires, and everything between. It is a common occurrence to find any one of the magical creatures somewhere around. The big thing is the vampires and the Calendar models from the Blue Heart.

The vampires in this story have a new twist to them. They have two sets of teeth, one pair that...more

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Jul 16, 2011 Melliane rated it 4 of 5 stars

Après en avoir entendu parlé par un auteur j'étais curieuse de voir ce que donnait ce premier tome, et je dois dire qu'il est vraiment trés bien !

Geneviève est la fille d'une sidhe et d'un vampire, ce qui est quelque chose d'étrange et impossible, mais la voilà. Elle garde pour elle précieusement ce secret et fait tout son possible pour ne pas être en relation avec un quelconque vampire.
Elle travaille auprès d'une boite dirigée par les sorcières et qui lui confère une protection quant aux vampir...more

1 like · like · see review

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Girls, Guns and G...: April 2012 BOM The Sweet Scent Of Blood (Spoilers)	23	22	May 04, 2012 06:48pm
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About Suzanne McLeod

Welcome to my Goodreads page! I write the Spellcrackers.com urban fantasy series about magic, mayhem and murder – liberally spiced with hot guys, kick-ass chicks and super-cool supes! I live on the sunny (sometimes) South Coast of England with my wonderful, long-suffering husband and our demanding, geriatric rescue dog.

More about Suzanne McLeod...

Books by Suzanne McLeod

The Cold Kiss of Death (Spellcrackers.com, # 2)

The Bitter Seed of Magic (Spellcrackers.com, # 3)

The Shifting Price of Prey (Spellcrackers.com, #4)

The Sharp Bite of Ritual (Spellcrackers.com, #6)

The Hidden Rune Of Iron (Spellcrackers.com #5)

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The Sweet Scent of Blood (Spellcrackers.com #1)

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