Dead on the Delta (Annabelle Lee, #1)

Mar 20, 2012 Dija rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of Downside Ghosts, Kate Daniels, Mercy Thompson, and Night Huntress.

Recommended to Dija by: Jamie and Miss Vain - remind me to never doubt you ladies again! ;)

Shelves: 2011, my-reviews, read-in-2012, second-chances, surprisingly-good, uf-or-pnr, wow, first-in-series

Dead on the Delta features a different take on fairies than the one most children grow up believing. In Annabelle Lee's world, fairies are mosquito-sized, murdering little monsters, out for the blood of any human they can sink their teeth into, and for most, their bite results in death. Annabelle is one of the Immunes, however, and her job is to help the higher-ups out by doing all the dangerous work that involves contact with fairies.

I had a number of issues with this book, mostly pertaining to...more Dead on the Delta features a different take on fairies than the one most children grow up believing. In Annabelle Lee's world, fairies are mosquito-sized, murdering little monsters, out for the blood of any human they can sink their teeth into, and for most, their bite results in death. Annabelle is one of the Immunes, however, and her job is to help the higher-ups out by doing all the dangerous work that involves contact with fairies.

I had a number of issues with this book, mostly pertaining to Annabelle, but no matter how repulsive I found some actions of hers, Dead on the Delta is one of the most gripping stories I've read in ages. This is one book that doesn't waste any pages getting into the action or building up the suspense, but dives into the plot and mystery from the very first sentence.

Jay has outstanding talent in bringing her characters and their stories to life. I'm positive I wouldn't have liked this complicated book nearly as much if Jay hadn't written it so well, with the romance and humor placed exceptionally well amidst all the action and suspense.

Annabelle is selfish, snappy, weak, and plain mean at times. And she knows that. She knows exactly how she is (even though she's in pretty strong denial about her "habits") and I think that's why it's impossible to pity or even hate her. She is a fascinating and complex character who you can't help but wish with all your heart gets her happy ending, because no one deserves it more. Her character development, narration, witty comebacks, genuine concern over the fate of innocents, all hint at a strong woman with a heart of gold hidden beneath the drunkard she has become due to all the trauma and grief in her past and present, and I'm sure it'll come out gradually, as long as there's someone around who believes in her.

Now, who that "someone" might be, I have no idea. I love Tucker, mostly because he seems like the one love interest with the least baggage, but there's not enough about him in Dead on the Delta to say anything for sure. Between Cane and Hitch, Hitch clearly loves Annabelle more (view spoiler) but Cane could give her everything she wanted, if only she'd come to truly love him. Basically, I'm rooting for whichever man gives Annabelle the most happiness and the least pain, even though I'm not sure who that is just yet.

The ending left me utterly speechless, more than a little disgusted (not with Annabelle though), and completely in awe of Jay's amazing story-telling prowess. I can't believe I put off reading Dead on the Delta for so long, but I'm also immensely relieved that there's just one more week to go before Blood on the Bayou comes out. What started off as something I was very, very reluctant about reading quickly turned into an unputdownable, so-absorbing-you-read-it-in-one-sitting read, and I can't wait to find out what happens next in Annabelle's messed-up life.

For more reviews, visit my blog.(less)

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Sep 26, 2011 MISS VAIN rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of Chess Putnam

Recommended to MISS VAIN by: Jamie

Shelves: stacey-jay, series-that-i-m-obsessed-with

"I can't believe you're dating the hottest piece of ass in town. You must be as filthy in bed as you are out of it."

What a fantastic and refreshing start to a new series and world created around killer Fairies! Dead On The Delta is a story set in present day Donaldsonville, Louisiana after the fairies have mutated and become beautiful killers. To those that have the misfortune of receiving a fairy bite, if they don't die instantly are sent to iron camps to live among the infected for the safety...more

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Jul 23, 2011 Rane rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

The mere premise of this book drew me in, I mean cute little fairies that drink the blood and kill humans by their bites and a few people immure to this? Whoa!

The story holds up in some places, excels in others and kinda loses the reader along the way, but the story, as a whole is a good start to this series.

Annabelle Lee is on her way to hitting rock bottom, through meds that help her sleep to that one more drink to help her going through the day, the life as an one immure to fairy bites has...more The mere premise of this book drew me in, I mean cute little fairies that drink the blood and kill humans by their bites and a few people immure to this? Whoa!

The story holds up in some places, excels in others and kinda loses the reader along the way, but the story, as a whole is a good start to this series.

Annabelle Lee is on her way to hitting rock bottom, through meds that help her sleep to that one more drink to help her going through the day, the life as an one immure to fairy bites has placed her at crime scenes and areas that would slowly break anyone. Her life becomes more stressed when she finds the body of a young six year old, and in a small town with a few deep and dark secrets, Annabelle is stuck between a rock and a hard place and someone waiting in the deep dark fairy filled forest …

Authors take a chance when they write characters from one someone who pops pills to an alcoholic, Annabelle is made a sympathetic character but comes off strong enough to get the job done while sort of fumbling along the way with very human mistakes. Your given glimpses in Annabelle’s past as she started to spiral out of control, the people she’s lost or hurt along the way like her ex-lover Hitch whom enters her life again as an FBI agent whose looking into the new case of the killing of the young girl and fairy drugs. And the people who try to anchor her from hitting rock bottom like her now detective boyfriend Cane Cooper. I never found myself not liking the character Annabelle but rooting for her to finally find the healing she needed. In a small town where everyone knows everyone and prejudices still there even with the threat of fairies, Annabelle is still holding on by a mere thread- added to what she’s discovered from a house full of Breeze (a fairy drug that causes the user to go crazy) everything is going down quicker then Annabelle can grasp at. She's is able to somehow hold it together and pulled it off with a few surprises along the way that threw me for a loop.

The world of Annabelle Lee is set in a small town but the bigger effects are felt through the world when the mutation stuck and fairies came into their own blood thirsty selves by story telling of Annabelle from the immure whom makes millions in cotton as many of the fairies have taken over that part of the US to the drugs harvested by-products of fairies called Breeze. I enjoyed the world center in the small town with the feeling your given of darker secrets that may be lurking just around the corner and not knowing thy neighbor as well as you thought.

The book was far from perfect though, the book while rated a 4 star, it’s a weak 4 stars for two reasons. One was the romance part. I enjoy a dash of romance by only if it flows the story along, the author I felt had a hard time balancing between the main story and Annabelle’s romances, the stories felt very separate and wobbly. Next were the main story and the breadcrumb clues. There were way to many red herrings and not enough clues, and when everything finally reveled it lacks that punch or that AHHA moment. Everything is placed quickly on the plate by the villains and some of it felt a tad overdone.

For a first in the series is has it’s weakness by it’s strong points, Looking forward from more of this author and this world.(less)

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Jun 27, 2011 Cat Russell (Addicted2Heroines) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Cat Russell by: Jamie

Shelves: favorites

Exceptionally good!! Even better that it's this outstanding and the first in a series.

Annabelle Lee is far from your ideal protagonist. You won't find a hundred different variations of her character in every heroine you read about in the urban fantasy world.

She is fascinating.... in a morbid way. She has questionable morals and is unapologetic. She has people she cares about, but could care less what people think of her. She is severely lacking in ambition and is addicted to alcohol and sleeping...more

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Sep 05, 2011 Penny rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone looking for a new UF series

Shelves: faebook, grrrl-power, guilty-pleasures, urban-fantasy, reviewed-books

This is the third book by Stacey Jay that I've read. The first one--YA Fiction--You Are So Undead to Me, was a fun and entertaining read. It was so enjoyable I was glad that I took a chance on an author I'd never heard of before. The second--also YA Fiction--Juliet Immortal, was decidedly not so entertaining. Or fun. Or imaginative. Or worthwhile. Heck, I'm almost done reading it but I just can't muster the strength to finish--I just don't care what happens anymore.

So why did I buy this book wh...more This is the third book by Stacey Jay that I've read. The first one--YA Fiction--You Are So Undead to Me, was a fun and entertaining read. It was so enjoyable I was glad that I took a chance on an author I'd never heard of before. The second--also YA Fiction--Juliet Immortal, was decidedly not so entertaining. Or fun. Or imaginative. Or worthwhile. Heck, I'm almost done reading it but I just can't muster the strength to finish--I just don't care what happens anymore.

So why did I buy this book which, by the way, was purchased while I was in the middle of forcing myself to slog through the pages of Juliet Immortal? Because it was marked 60% off at Borders, that's why. Also, like I said Stacey Jay's first offering was quite good, so I was willing to give her another chance. I'm so glad I did.

Dead on the Delta is a new UF series--not YA--that isn't horribly original. Meaning there is a Kick-A Protagonist who has some sort of special ability or power. This Kick-A Protagonist? Has--you guessed it--a troubled past, intimacy issues and a drinking problem that goes hand in hand with her tendency to pop pills. Did I mention this story is set in Louisiana? Because it is. Also? This book has killer fairies.

That's right. Killer. Fairies.

So why did I like Dead on the Delta despite the fact that it doesn't seem to have anything new to bring to the table, you ask? The protagonist, a 20-something FCC employee/former debutante/med school dropout by the name of Annabelle Lee, is a loveable, albeit prickly, character that I couldn't help but root for. Also her "special power"--immunity to poisonous fairy saliva--is actually not all that special, though only about 5% of the population is immune. So it's not like she's an all-powerful (read: unbearable) Mary Sue.

Honesty Time! Look, I could give you a pretty good rundown of what this book is all about, but it's going to be a unoriginal variation of what's posted in the book description box, though my description wouldn't include the word 'sexy'(because, for whatever reason, every time the word 'sexy' is used in a book description it makes me cringe; makes the book sound trashy--which, by the way, this book isn't trashy). And anyway, I'm tired--it's been a long day. Maybe I'll take the time to type something up later, but until then just read the description provided by the publisher.

Anyway, if you're looking for a new UF series to pick up I suggest you give Stacey Jay's Dead on the Delta (book #1 in the Annabelle Lee series) a try.

(4 stars because I was genuinely entertained by this book despite the fact that there were a few things that didn't quite work for me. I will be reading the next book in this series).

(less)

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Aug 02, 2011 CJ - Secret Charm rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: forced-or-skim-through

Got to Chapter Eight and then stopped.

With an unlikeable heroine that I couldn't bring myself to care about, to a mystery that isn't quite a mystery ... yet...an annoying boyfriend and a jerk ex....needless to say I didn't get hooked.

I had to stop reading this so maybe it got better?

Don't know. Not caring.

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Jan 14, 2012 JennyJen rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Faerie fans, Stacia Kane fans, fans of gritty UF

Recommended to JennyJen by: Stacia Kane's blog =)

Shelves: antsy-for-the-next-book, deliciously-gut-wrenching, faeries, gritty, read-2012, the-bestest-sidekick, solid-series-start, romance-sans-the-cheese, favorites

*Sans spoilers.

New favorite series? Yes, I think so. Wowsers. I loved this book. I’d liken it to Stacia Kane’s Downside Ghosts series, not because it’s similar in plot, but because they’re both gritty and emotional. Makes sense as I read it based on Kane’s recommendation. =D From the first paragraph, you can tell that the author isn’t going to hold back any punches. It’s pretty much all-in right off the bat. I woulda read this in one sitting had my body not protested the all-nighter.

First off,...more

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May 22, 2012 Katie rated it 2 of 5 stars

It was okay. I usually am go-go-ga-ga over a faery book with cops and robber action...but for some reason I wasn't feeling it. For me Annabelle should have been more disturbed by the murder and mutilation of a small child in the beginning. Then she hops on her bicycle and rides around town on her way to the police station? After being attacked by a drug addict. Was there any signifigance to the woman? Is she supposed to be with Cain, or Hitch? I don't know...I don't much care for either man. The...more

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Aug 10, 2011 Lilli Perspice rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone who likes the thought of tiny vampiric fairies let loose in America.

Recommended to Lilli by: Random Goodreads searches.

Shelves: reviewed, series-worth-continuing, urban-fantasy, paranormal, they-live-in-my-house

This book really impressed me. After a string of mediocre urban fantasies, this one makes me believe in the genre again. And let me tell you, in the hands of a less talented author, this book could have been a mess. Writing a troubled, near alcoholic, but still sympathetic main character (first person, no less!) in the form of Annabelle Lee is no easy task, but Stacey Jay manages it well. Annabelle is flawed, but she never once struck me as a helpless, whiny victim wallowing in her own self-pity...more

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Aug 29, 2011 Cathy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Cathy by: Stacia Kane

Shelves: elves-fae, urban, fantasy, great-cover, people-of-color, mystery, paranormal, read-in-2011, everyone-says-i-should-read, magic-users

I've read some terrific reviews of this book, so I'm not going to try to recreate them or give you a recap of the story since that has already been very well done. I'm just going to tell you what I thought was different and fun about it, which is mostly Annabelle.

What I liked best was that Annabelle isn't a hero. She's a regular, screwed up woman. More screwed up than some, sure, but really, despite a lot of the criticism, not so terrible a person at all, just different than the lead characters...more I've read some terrific reviews of this book, so I'm not going to try to recreate them or give you a recap of the story since that has already been very well done. I'm just going to tell you what I thought was different and fun about it, which is mostly Annabelle.

What I liked best was that Annabelle isn't a hero. She's a regular, screwed up woman. More screwed up than some, sure, but really, despite a lot of the criticism, not so terrible a person at all, just different than the lead characters in most of the adventure books we read. She's been fighting a major anxiety disorder her entire life, exacerbated by living in a situation where everyone is afraid and anxious all of the time because of the fairy threat. Her sister died under circumstances that aren't entirely clear, but she blames herself and her family fell apart because of it. She pulled her life back together only to have it fall apart again under more foggy circumstances as an adult. Her response was to drop out, drop out of med school, of the fast track, of city life, of responsibilities, just drop out. She still fights the crippling anxiety every day, using alcohol and sleeping pills, not much different from the frightened people around her except in the degree that she does it. And yet when something happened and it was important, when a kid died and she wanted to help find the killer, or when her friend was wrongly accused of murder, she did what she had to do to help despite how bad she felt. I think that a lot of people are going to judge her as weak, as though if she were just strong enough she could stop drinking and be more responsible. But it seemed clear to me that there's a lot more going in that a whiny girl who can't figure out if she wants to commit to her boyfriend or is nervous about her boss yelling at her. She has a serious anxiety disorder and she can't just overcome that with a little bit of willpower. Her condition influences everything she does in the book, and it makes her a really interesting character to follow.

So yes, she's grouchy, sarcastic, but not mean, she claims not to care but goes out of her way to help people, she is very generous with her money but anonymously, she's fallen for her man but afraid to admit it, and she'll risk her life over and over for both friends and strangers because in an emergency that's just what you do. She also makes terrible decisions, says stupid things at the wrong time, is stubborn beyond what's wise, and did I mentions the grouch? And she adopted an ugly cat because he adopted her, so what can you do really? Gotta give in or shoot him. Just saying, she's a smart, educated, somewhat broken woman, who chooses to live a small town life with people she likes. Maybe it's not so bad after all, if she can just realize that for herself. I'm very curious how the changes that happened at the end might influences all of this. If anxiety has been the center influence of her life for so long and she can learn to control it, how would that change everything for her?

So that's all about her, not much about the story. Well, I did have to read the whole story to get all of that. What else? The mystery was good, I was curious, it was creepy and held my attention. It feels like there were a few more elements in play then necessary but real life isn't always neat and clean either. I'm not too sure how the Tucker stuff will work out, it's a small element in this book that's left to play out more in the next, but I'll let myself be intrigued for now. The guys were fine, but the romance wasn't the center of the story, which was a nice change.

I enjoyed that the book was full of people of color. The premise included the idea that the environmental disaster of the fairies made most people with money flee north, leaving the area's population strongly skewed toward people with African American or Latino backgrounds. And unlike one of the reviews I read, I didn't think that the author was preachy or pushy with a social action or class equality agenda. Yes, Annabelle was outspoken about her opinions, but it rang true to the character, she didn't lecture outside of what made sense for the situation or her background, and I thought it all was tight and felt legitimate for who this woman and this town was described to be. And the person who had a problem with things only read the first few pages. When you read the whole book you see that there are as many people of color in positions of power as positions of trouble, just as there are is a horrible skanky white woman and a classy (troublesome?) white FBI agent. People are people in this world. As for fairies, they're all bad.

But as you can see, to me, Annabelle was the story. Going through the journey, figuring out what she wants and doesn't want, learning what she can do now and what secrets are being revealed, all while trying to reestablish her relationship with Cane while still dreaming of the Hitch that got away, solving the mystery, getting beat up a few times and then almost dying in that basement, it all pulls together a complete and exciting story but it was Annabelle's store that was central, for me at least.

Stacia Kane blurbed this book and was one of the author's critique partners. And I'm not surprised that they're friends because I thought often of Stacia's character Chess from her Downside series as I read this story; Chess is also troubled, complex, depressed/anxious, determined to do the right thing for her friends even when it's dangerous, and fascinating. If you liked this book, check out Unholy Ghosts.

One last note on a very long review - great cover! Thanks, Pocket Books, I love seeing a cover that actually reflects the story. A disheveled red-head next to a swamp with her bike and a big basket for her things is just a perfect cover. It looks spooky and mysterious and intriguing and lovely and it's always really nice to see publishers supporting their authors with covers that will make readers want to pick up the book and read!(less)

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Aug 02, 2011 Shelley aka Gizmo's Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-releases, urban-fantasy

*Rating* 3 1/2 stars
*Genre* Urban Fantasy

*Review*

Dead on the Delta, by Stacey Jay, is the first book in the Annabelle Lee series. The premise behind this story is that 12-years ago there was an attack on a chemical manufacturing plant that led to what the author is calling the Mutations and the realization that Fairies have been living with us all along. These killer fairies now feast on the blood of human beings causing insanity and death.

You could put this book into the post-apocalyptic catego...more

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Jul 12, 2011 Kindle-aholic rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: uf

Good start to the series and I'll get the next book. Annabelle is "prickly" (as another side character says) - she's an alcoholic, nurses her demons, tries to refrain from close relationships, and is in a dead end job (that doesn't have to be, she just doesn't have any ambition). At the same time, she deeply cares for the few friends she does have, and when one is in trouble, she does what she can to try to help.

The unlikeable hero/heroine is a difficult one to pull off. It works here because e...more

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Aug 04, 2011 Tasnim rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: UF fans, Stacia Kane fans,

Recommended to Tasnim by: Melanie

Shelves: uf

I loved this book so much I stayed up till like 3am reading this! Whilst I was reading it, it really reminded me of Stacia Kane's 'Downside Ghosts' series, but better. The protagonist was not some kick-ass heroine who can do no wrong like we normally find in a UF book, Annabelle had insecurities and she'd had traumatizing experiences just like normal people, which made her so much more believable. I actually loved her! I also really liked the two love interests. On the one hand there was Cane, t...more

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Jun 05, 2012 Fangs for the Fantasy rated it 1 of 5 stars

Dead on the Delta is set in Louisiana town in a world in which the fae exist. Unlike other fae stories, Jay does not actually allow the supernatural to become characters in her story. The fae in this case have mutated and survive on human blood. One bite from fae can call instantly but in most cases it leads to insanity. Jay is not shy about using ableist language to describe this. "For seventy-five percent of the human population, Fey venom leads to insanity, with a slow build to batshit crazy...more Dead on the Delta is set in Louisiana town in a world in which the fae exist. Unlike other fae stories, Jay does not actually allow the supernatural to become characters in her story. The fae in this case have mutated and survive on human blood. One bite from fae can call instantly but in most cases it leads to insanity. Jay is not shy about using ableist language to describe this. "For seventy-five percent of the human population, Fey venom leads to insanity, with a slow build to batshit crazy that makes syphilis look gentle by comparison."[page 14] All surviving towns in the south are surrounded by iron gates to keep the fae out and people must travel in completely iron covered vehicles. There is a percentage of the population that is immune to fae venom and that is where our protagonist Annabelle Lee comes in.

Annabelle Lee of course has the tragic past that we have become accustomed to for urban fantasy protagonists. A night of partying with her sister leads to her sisters death from fae bite. For some reason she holds herself accountable for her sisters death. Annabelle has no relationship with her parents because they always favored her sister and supposedly would have preferred her death. None of this by the way reads at all realistic. Annabelle is also a drop out from medical school and she has a massive drinking problem which she is in denial about. Her job is too pick up fairy droppings and investigate fae concentrations because she is immune.

When we meet Annabelle she is collecting a body that has been left out for the animals to destroy. Though she is told by Cane, her police officer boyfriend to stay out of the case, Annabelle quickly becomes involved. The tension escalates when her ex boyfriend, now a member of the FBI comes out to investigate the murder. To make matters worse, Annabelle is attacked by an invisible man. She knows that no one will believe her if she tells them. Her body is also beginning to change and she finds that she can move things without touching them.

This book is 270 pages long but it felt like it was well over 1000. Jay spends fire too much dumping info at the start of the book and much of it is irrelevant to the story. Annabelle is anything but a sympathetic character though she is clearly suffering from PTSD after watching her sister die and the deaths that she saw once the mutation occurred. Annabelle sees herself as a true minority.

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May 29, 2012 Cari rated it 4 of 5 stars

Dead on the Delta is the first book I've read by Stacey Jay. I found it in the Frisco Library - the best library I've visited in a long time. The cover art caught my attention - gloomy/supernatural background with a young fierce looking woman sitting down, staring at the reader. The tag line "If you believe in fairies...run." made a promise (to me) of good supernatural fun. After reading the back cover, I thought it would be a quick read along the lines of the Sookie Stackhouse novels - some mys...more Dead on the Delta is the first book I've read by Stacey Jay. I found it in the Frisco Library - the best library I've visited in a long time. The cover art caught my attention - gloomy/supernatural background with a young fierce looking woman sitting down, staring at the reader. The tag line "If you believe in fairies...run." made a promise (to me) of good supernatural fun. After reading the back cover, I thought it would be a quick read along the lines of the Sookie Stackhouse novels - some mystery, some supernatural elements, and some romance. It was actually a bit more complicated and thoughtful than the usual supernatural romance brain candy I expected. The story is more supernatural mystery with a dab of romance.
The main character of the story is Annabelle. She is a human that has a rare immunity to fairy bites. Annabelle uses her immunity to help the government, usually by collecting fairy poop, eggs, and other remnants. Annabelle's current love interest is Cane and when we first meet the two of them, they are collecting evidence from the body of a young girl that was recently kidnapped and murdered. During the investigation, Annabelle has to deal with the return of her former lover, Hitch, and his FBI partner Stephanie. Annabelle is not an ambitious, hard-working fairy poop collector and she has to deal with the consequences of occasionally being a drunk slacker. The murdered young girl and the discovery of a breeze house (breeze is a new fairy drug) are the plot vehicles for most of the novel.
The love triangle of Annabelle, Cane, and Hitch is interesting as well is the interaction between Stephanie and Annabelle. Annabelle is not a likable character. I don't relate to her world or her choices. Does Annabelle care about the consequences of her actions? I couldn't really tell. Her ambivalence about life made me somewhat ambivalent towards her. My desire for some fairy carnage kept me reading. I enjoyed the world that Jay created with the mutant Fairies, but I would like to know more about what caused the mutations and how/why the Delta was the only area that seemed to have the mutated fairies. To fully believe the angst that Annabelle feels at Hitch's return, I would like more back story and give that back story earlier in the novel. I'd also like to know more about Cane and why he is so attracted to Annabelle. What is it about her? And, because I like zombies, I'd like to know more about people that are bitten by the fairies. What really happens? I'd like to SEE that.
This is an interesting novel and I will read the second book in the series. I recommend it if you enjoy supernatural mysteries with a bit of romance. I do hope for more action, carnage, and back story in the 2nd novel.(less)

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May 09, 2012 Michelle rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was in a rush. I'd borrowed this book from the library and you all know how time creeps up on you and all of a sudden it needs to be back the next day or my impeccable record will be damaged for life. No one likes a person who holds onto a book past it's due by date.
Thank goodness it pulled me right in from the first line... "Losing your lunch sucks". I love my lunch and I wanted to see how this character had lost hers. Was it a good lunch, did someone take it off her? Annabelle Lee is immune...more

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Mar 26, 2012 Invisibleink rated it 4 of 5 stars

There was a lot to like about this book, but my nagging issues with the premise landed it between 3.5 and 4 stars. I just can't believe that if fairies did mutate and become so insanely deadly to humans, the government wouldn't do more, or at least try to do more, than put up iron gates. If they're so easily killed by the blood of immune humans, wouldn't someone be trying to set up blood banks so they could evacuate everyone but the fairies from the areas and spray the fairies to death? Maybe it...more

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Sep 22, 2011 Kale rated it 4 of 5 stars

Folklore becomes reality when a mysterious mutation allows the fey to come out of hiding and begin feeding on humans. Unfortunately fairy bites lead to insanity and death in most of the population. Only a small percentage of humanity are immune, their very presence repelling the ferocious tinkerbells.

Annabelle Lee is striving hard to live the life unextraordinary. Her time is measured in the amount of drinks it takes to get her through the day and the number of sleeping pills it takes to make i...more Folklore becomes reality when a mysterious mutation allows the fey to come out of hiding and begin feeding on humans. Unfortunately fairy bites lead to insanity and death in most of the population. Only a small percentage of humanity are immune, their very presence repelling the ferocious tinkerbells.

Annabelle Lee is striving hard to live the life unextraordinary. Her time is measured in the amount of drinks it takes to get her through the day and the number of sleeping pills it takes to make it through the night. Her life is a series of losses that have lead her to her current lifestyle choice. She is an avid avoider, underachieving at her job content to being a field collector or a fairy pooper scooper and contenplating how to dump her perfect boyfriend before like becomes love. Basically opting for the least of what life has to offer as possible, but she is going to have to put aside her lush, lazy ways to solve the murder of a young girl, save her friend from the blame, and keep her own sanity when she finds the ability to do things that shouldn't be possible and starts seeing or not seeing strange people. Annabelle is definitely going to be needing a stiff drink after juggling all that, while being investigated by an FBI agent with a personal score to settle, a very unhappy boyfriend, and the reappearance of the man who ripped out her heart.

Dead On The Delta was an entertaining read. I don't think the main storyline was terribly original. You could see all the possibilities and the twists weren't anything new. The strength of the book was world building and most of the characters. The Fernando character seemed like a weak play on Lafayette from Trueblood. I have a few theories about the mutations and where Stacy Jay is going with the series. Only future books will reveal if Jay's other threads are as transparent as the main plot of this book.

I am interested most in how things will progress with Annabelle and Hitch, two people coping with similar experiences in different ways. Hitch committing himself fully to work and hiding under the guise of conformity. Annabelle is the complete opposite outwardly using alcohol to numb herself, shunning material things, and pushing away anything that could mean something.

I think Dead On The Delta could be a promising new series. It's a bit light on the supernatural but has the potential to become more than a murder mystery with a few fairies and abnormal human abilities thrown in. It was definitely good enough to give the next book a chance.
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Aug 24, 2011 Madame X rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-urban-fantasy, love-triangle, extra-gritty, damaged-heroine, favorites

Really, really enjoyed this book. After I finished I checked Amazon twice to see when the sequel would come out: once because I wanted it to be out immediately, and twice because I wanted to find out that the first answer (as far as i can tell, the second book doesn't have a title or release date yet - waah) had been wrong, and it would be out immediately.

So now you already know my least favorite thing about DEAD ON THE DELTA: the sequel is not out yet.

I loved Annabelle. She's damaged and self...more Really, really enjoyed this book. After I finished I checked Amazon twice to see when the sequel would come out: once because I wanted it to be out immediately, and twice because I wanted to find out that the first answer (as far as i can tell, the second book doesn't have a title or release date yet - waah) had been wrong, and it would be out immediately.

So now you already know my least favorite thing about DEAD ON THE DELTA: the sequel is not out yet.

I loved Annabelle. She's damaged and self-destructive without being incompetent or stupid; she's wounded and prickly but likable and easy to root for; she's got two amazingly hot, hot guys interested in her, but both relationships have problems that go much deeper than just "oooh, who do I pick?" - though the choice itself is a familiar one. She's already in a long-term relationship with Cane. He's a good guy who treats her right and they've settled into a comfortable groove. Then her old flame Hitch steps onto the scene, and he's a total heartbreaker. He offers higher highs and lower lows; he's too unstable himself to be her rock, and her encounters with him are anything but comfortable. The scenes with Hitch literally made my chest ache they were so bittersweet (which is why I'm rooting for Cane, at this point).

I thought the alternate reality would be super lame. I didn't think radioactive swamp-fairies would be that interesting, which is the main reason I didn't snatch up DEAD ON THE DELTA the day it came out. But it's been said before and let me say it again now: the author matters more than the idea. I'm sure that 9/10 authors would have taken this radioactive fairy idea and written a really stupid book with it. But Stacey Jay is that one author who can make tiny radioactive fairies AMAZING. In fact, I cannot wait to find out more about them. (again: why is the sequel not yet available?).

The mystery has a nice southern gothic feel. It winds its way through the book, false clues mixed up with the true, and while I didn't find the big reveal surprising I did enjoy it a lot. I thought that Annabelle missed a lot of clues, to be honest, but then her struggle through DEAD IN THE DELTA isn't solving the mystery - it's committing to the idea of taking action, and by the end she's there. At the beginning of DEAD ON THE DELTA she is knowingly, willingly apathetic. By the end, she's willing to risk her neck to get answers. Awesome character development. (less)

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Aug 21, 2011 S.A. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Violent thunderstorms and the electricity flickering on and off made me hesitant to work on my latest story. Yeah, the computer has a surge protector but still... plus since I need to look at the keyboard when I write, well, I was screwed.

I gave up and snuggled down to read this book by flashlight.

Loved it!

Yeah, the main character is a alcoholic, fucked up mess of a woman, someone who hates herself so much she initially refuses to fix her own life. Refuses to accept she's more than meets the eye...more

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Aug 09, 2011 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Kelly by: Tynisha

Shelves: 2011-reads, paranormal-romance, ebooks-i-own

This is the first book in what I hope to be a long, long, long series because THIS folks, this was a really GOOD read. It was a murder mystery type story set in the horrific world where the strong have made it and the weak really rely on the strong to help them get through it. Its fascinating really, fairies are the bad guys here, being little blood sucking death vehicles. But there’s more than that killing people. The body of a six year old is found and that is how we meet Annabelle and start t...more

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Aug 02, 2011 Mike James rated it 4 of 5 stars

I had never heard of Stacey Jay before picking up this book at a local bookstore. But, I definitely will keep an eye out for her works from now on.

I did some web searching after finishing the book and found that the author is well-known for her YA fiction. I think the YA slant shows through in this volume as well.

Annabelle Lee is a self-proclaimed slacker, a misfit coasting through life in Donaldsonville, LA. She's naturally immune to fairy bites, a trait which makes her valuable to the FCC, Fa...more

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Jul 17, 2011 Sara rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 5-stars

Plot: 5 Stars
The fairies in this novel were so completely out of left field. It was fantastic! They're completely primitive, controlled by instinct. The background information about how they came about, why they're all over the bayou, and how the town protects themselves was so intricate in its details. Add in that fairy bites are very harmful to most humans and their waste is used to make an addictive drug, and you've got an awesome plot before the murder is even on the table. Annabelle is uniq...more Plot: 5 Stars
The fairies in this novel were so completely out of left field. It was fantastic! They're completely primitive, controlled by instinct. The background information about how they came about, why they're all over the bayou, and how the town protects themselves was so intricate in its details. Add in that fairy bites are very harmful to most humans and their waste is used to make an addictive drug, and you've got an awesome plot before the murder is even on the table. Annabelle is unique in that she is unaffected by fairy bites, so her job involves doing things most people wouldn't even dream of.

Pace: 5 Stars
The author did a fantastic job of giving the reader just enough here and there to start to form a conclusion to the mystery. These little pieces were almost like teases, because they weren't enough to put the mystery together, but definitely enough to leave you wondering who had done it. The twists and turns left me dizzy, and I couldn't put the book down. My hunches were vaguely in the right direction, but when I found out the actual events that went down, it blew my mind. I love when a book slaps me upside the head with the conclusion the way this novel did.

Characters: 4.5 Stars
Annabelle was a great heroine, because in many ways she wasn't a heroine. She drank to help herself deal with her issues, and sometimes wasn't completely sober when the job called. She got herself into a number of sticky situations, and didn't always come out unscathed. She often spoke without consulting her brain first, and I just all around really enjoyed her character. Cane added some balance and stability to Annabelle's life, even if she held him at arm's length. Her friends were interesting, and I hope we get to see more of them in future novels. The two special agents that swept into town caused a fair share of drama, especially for Annabelle since she had a past with one of them. They added a little extra spice to the plot, since their presence caused Annabelle some problems.

Cover: 5 Stars
The details included in this cover transformed it from a good cover, to a fantastic cover. The cover model was the perfect choice for Annabelle, and the slightly haunted look on her face fits the character and her inner demons very well. I loved the fact that she was barefoot. The bicycle in the background was perfect, since Annabelle does not drive, although I wish it could've included Gimpy the cat and the cooler he liked to snuggle with. He grew on me even quicker than he grew on Annabelle (although I am a cat person). The fairies in this novel are described as being similar to mosquitoes, so the fairy on her arm is a nice touch. I cannot tell if it's a tattoo or an actual fairy, but either way it fits their description pretty well. I also liked that the background of the image hinted at the bayou.

Overall: 5 Stars

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher. (less)

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Jul 05, 2011 Myhotstylist rated it 5 of 5 stars

Awesome start to a new series. I love all of Stacey Jay's YA books so I was extremely excited about her first Urban Fanasy debut. I was not dissapointed. This book had everything: paranormal, mystery, action, and just a faint hint of romance. It was left open for a sequel which I am eagerly awaiting, because there were a few questions left unanswered.

Annabelle Lee is not your typical heroine. Shes an FCC agent living in the deep south in a world where mosquito sized fairies are very deadly. Bec...more

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May 31, 2011 Bookaholics rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Dead on the Delta by Stacey Jay
Urban Fantasy – May 31st, 2011
4 stars

The author has created a sharp and vibrant world that I would love to read more about. Dead on the Delta is a fast read set in the steamy and mysterious swamplands of the South, where the heroine, an ex-med student with a past, has settled in Donaldsonville, Louisiana.

Annabelle is an under-achiever. She is a bit of a drunk with a past and one of the few humans immune to the deadly mutant fairies who crave human blood. Fairy bite...more Dead on the Delta by Stacey Jay
Urban Fantasy – May 31st, 2011
4 stars

The author has created a sharp and vibrant world that I would love to read more about. Dead on the Delta is a fast read set in the steamy and mysterious swamplands of the South, where the heroine, an ex-med student with a past, has settled in Donaldsonville, Louisiana.

Annabelle is an under-achiever. She is a bit of a drunk with a past and one of the few humans immune to the deadly mutant fairies who crave human blood. Fairy bites kill most humans or drive them insane. Because of Annabelle’s immunity, she works for the government and goes where others dare not tread. The town of Donalsonville is surrounded by iron to protect its inhabitants but when a dead body of a young girl is found outside the barricade, Annabelle is called in to take photos and retrieve evidence. Soon Annabelle finds herself caring about the young girl and is compelled to solve the mystery of her death. However, complications arise when the FBI is called in and one of them is them is her ex-boyfriend, Hitch. He is the man who broke her heart and prevents her from committing to her current boyfriend and cop, Cane. Can Annabelle straighten up and solve the mystery or will her emotions and a mysterious connection to drug trade get in the way?

This was an imaginative and fascinating new urban fantasy. The heroine is quirky and likeable. Annabelle has never recovered from her past. She is determined to live a meaningless, uncommitted, pain-free life without messy emotions. But the love of her current boyfriend and her surprising determination to find a killer begins to turn her carefree life around. I liked that this book comes at a time in Annabelle’s life where she must make tough decisions and step up to her responsibilities. I hope the next book will also give her more character and strength as she slowly pulls her life together. The mystery behind the young girl’s death really drew me as did the complicated relationships in the story. I wish that the author had spent more time resolving Annabelle’s shaky relationship with her ex-boyfriend since I actually wanted her to be with him instead of the sweet and caring Cane.

Original and fast-paced, this book had a lot of bite and features an unusual new heroine.

Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club

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May 31, 2011 Roxanne rated it 4 of 5 stars

OK so Annabelle Lee aka 'Lee-Lee' by her bf Cane is not your usual heroine. She's a borderline alcoholic who pops sleeping pills every night and rides around town on a push bike. But for some reason Stacey Jay has managed to make it work.

I really enjoyed this book, this is set in modern times but there is one small problem...there are killer mutant fairies running around. After reading this book I now get a cold shiver when the word 'fairy' is mentioned. These little bastards are like big mosqu...more OK so Annabelle Lee aka 'Lee-Lee' by her bf Cane is not your usual heroine. She's a borderline alcoholic who pops sleeping pills every night and rides around town on a push bike. But for some reason Stacey Jay has managed to make it work.

I really enjoyed this book, this is set in modern times but there is one small problem...there are killer mutant fairies running around. After reading this book I now get a cold shiver when the word 'fairy' is mentioned. These little bastards are like big mosquitoes that suck human blood, they are also very poisonous to 95% of the worlds population. If bitten you either die instantly, have your limbs deform or go batshit crazy...fun times! Annabelle is also that 5% that is immune.

We start the book off with a pretty gruesome scene, Annabelle has gone into the swamp that only immune's can travel in to investigate a body found, it's a little girl, in specific one that has gone missing recently. This is not in her usual scope of work though, her job requires her to collect fairy samples from the swamp and look out for breeze houses which are basically crack houses. But something is off about this murder, people are acting weird and then Annabelle starts getting targeted...there seems to be more than just murder behind it all.

Then we have Annabelle's two love interests, she is currently dating a gorgeous black police officer *drools a little bit* He is the sweetest, more caring guy in town. There relationship is also frowned upon because Annabelle is a white girl with red hair. Her bf Cane doesn't care though and lets everyone know how much he loves her. Then there is her ex who comes to town who is named Hitch, he is also currently dating a beautiful FBI officer. At times I wanted to strangle Hitch, he could be so obnoxious, petty and downright mean. Other times he shows how much he genuinely cared for Annabelle and maybe still does. There past is murky and painful but they were each others first loves which is kinda hard to beat. I am still firmly in camp 'Cane' though.

Overall I really enjoyed this book, there is still things that have not been resolved that will no doubt carry onto the next book but I'm very happy with how this ended. Great start to a new series. (less)

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Nov 28, 2012 Amber R at Awesomesaucebookclub rated it 5 of 5 stars

Fairies are not your Tinkerbell variety in this story. They're small, nasty, poisonous, and they will bite and infect you before you can blink. And then you'll end up bat shit crazy and locked away. There are iron fences around towns, iron suits, and iron plated cars. Because iron does in fact repel the fairies. Some people are immune to them, the fairy bites don't infect them, their sweat repels them. Annabelle Lee is one of them. She works for the FCC collecting samples of fairy....crap basica...more

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Jan 01, 2012 Rachel Kramer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, faemazing

I'll be honest, reading the synopsis, I thought to myself, "Really? Mosquito-sized, mutated fairies that drink human blood? What's so scary about that?". Turns out, pretty effin' scary. There were a handful of scenes where I was on the edge of my seat, on the verge of screaming at certain characters to run for cover into their iron-protected vehicles, or back to the safe side of the fence where the iron grids will keep them safe. And it's not just the fairies that pose a threat (not to the MC--s...more

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Jun 25, 2011 Cheri rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Dead On The Delta by Stacey Jay is the first in this new UF series. The Deep South becomes aware they are surrounded by fairies when a chemical disaster causes a mutation in the fairies and gives them an insatiable appetite for human blood. Whole families are attacked and swarmed upon, you either die right away or go insane. Louisiana, Alabama & Mississippi are ironed-off from the rest of the country and the people who have not been killed off or *contained* flee north.

Enter Annabelle Lee,...more Dead On The Delta by Stacey Jay is the first in this new UF series. The Deep South becomes aware they are surrounded by fairies when a chemical disaster causes a mutation in the fairies and gives them an insatiable appetite for human blood. Whole families are attacked and swarmed upon, you either die right away or go insane. Louisiana, Alabama & Mississippi are ironed-off from the rest of the country and the people who have not been killed off or *contained* flee north.

Enter Annabelle Lee, a med-school dropout who is working for the FCC, that's stands for Fairy Control & Containment, who gathers samples for the FCC which includes fairy eggs, fairy poo and swamp water samples. Not a great job, but Annabelle opts out of life in general. Lazy in her work, drinking and taking sleeping pills to excess to dull the pain of her past. She is immune to fairy venom, which is what makes the general population die or go insane. If you survive a bite you are sent to Kessler AF Base in Mississippi and you never see the light of day ever again. The immune humans generally work in some sort of field that deals with the fairies. They tread where the rest cannot go. Because of this immunity Annabelle is called upon by the Donaldsonville Louisiana DPD to gather evidence and retrieve bodies on the other side of the iron containment field. It is such a call that starts this story. A young girl is found dead in the swamp and she must muster her courage to do what's right for this little girl who happens to be the largest plantation owners daughter. Annabelle's boyfriend, Cane Cooper, who is part of the police force, calls her to the scene and watches behind the iron while she vomits all over the crime scene and tries to retrieve the body. It is later when she is taking samples for her job when she stumbles across a drug house in the swamp. The Breeze House as it is called, makes a new drug of choice called Breeze. It consists of fairy poo and bleach. Voila you now have the new crack which is over taking the country by leaps and bounds. When Annabelle screws up the job by taking samples in the wrong area and leaves behind a druggie in the swamp who is protecting the drug house, she comes under fire by the FBI. They are gunning for her hide, two agents one of whom is an ex-beau by the name of Hitch who ripped her heart out six years ago. His partner also happens to be the current girlfriend. Stuck between an ex, a current boyfriend and the girlfriend of the ex it takes a huge toll on Annabelle's ability to stay sober. She rides out at dusk with Hitch to try to find the right area and retrieve the druggie when they are swarmed by the fairies. He nearly dies and she has some chunks taken out of her by the nasty creatures. Over a period of the next few days, her body is changing, a dear friend is arrested for the murder of the little girl, her ex is filmed in the police car kissing Annabelle, Hitch's partner and girlfriend wants to lynch her and Cane is none to happy. She tries to do the right thing by not taking a drink and doesn't succeed and decides to try to find the killer.

Annabelle is such a different character than what I am used to reading and her flaws make an indelable mark. Stacey Jay weaves layers upon layers into her characters that they resonate with you in that they are all too human like us. It really hit a cord when Annabelle tries so hard and ends up making excuses to down that second bloody mary that made me really like her. She is in no way a Mary Sue and tries hard to right the wrongs. She brought the Deep South back to me in a way that very few authors can. Annabelle comes into your heart like a broken doll you want to protect her but she never whines, which in itself is refreshing. This was an amazing read and I couldn't put it down. It's a joy when your UF comes with a huge slice of thriller and horror. Jay's world building is incredible. This was so entertaining I actually ended up burning the dinner. I have been so frustrated of late with what the publishers have been putting out there I usually just throw the book across the room and not even bother to finish the books. Not so with this one, Stacey Jay draws you in to a fantastic world so close to our own its scary. I do not give out 5 stars lightly so when I say this author has earned it, you had better believe it. I am looking forward to delving into Satcey Jay's new world which she builds at a fantasical pace and makes the scary fairies all to real. (less)

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Jun 15, 2011 Esperanza rated it 4 of 5 stars

So this is a new take on faeries. A deadly mutation has turned the South into a hot bed of fairy activity. People have moved out of the states and only a few have remained in cities that were re-enforced with iron. Anabelle hadn't realized until it was too late what the real danger was and ended up loosing her sister because she wasn't immune. After living a life of privilege, the death of her sister and the break-up with her boyfriend has left her in shambles. So she decided to leave everything...more

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Dead on the Delta (Annabelle Lee #1)

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