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Offbeat Crimes #1
Lime Gelatin and Other Monsters
Kyle Monroe, his irritating new partner, and their fellow freaks at the 77th Precinct must learn to work together to stop a vicious murderer that might not even be human.
Kyle Monroe’s encounter with a strange gelatinous creature in an alley leaves him scarred and forever changed, revealing odd abilities he wishes he didn’t have and earning him reassignment to a precinct where all the cops have defective paranormal abilities.
Just as he’s starting to adjust to his fellow misfit squad mates, Kyle’s new partner arrives. Tall, physically perfect, reserved, and claiming he has no broken psychic talents, Vikash Soren irritates Kyle in every way. But as much as he’d like to hate Vikash, Kyle finds himself oddly drawn to him, their non-abilities meshing in unexpected ways. If they can learn to work together, they might be able to stop the mysterious killer who has been leaving mutilated bodies along the banks of the Schuylkill.
Kyle Monroe’s encounter with a strange gelatinous creature in an alley leaves him scarred and forever changed, revealing odd abilities he wishes he didn’t have and earning him reassignment to a precinct where all the cops have defective paranormal abilities.
Just as he’s starting to adjust to his fellow misfit squad mates, Kyle’s new partner arrives. Tall, physically perfect, reserved, and claiming he has no broken psychic talents, Vikash Soren irritates Kyle in every way. But as much as he’d like to hate Vikash, Kyle finds himself oddly drawn to him, their non-abilities meshing in unexpected ways. If they can learn to work together, they might be able to stop the mysterious killer who has been leaving mutilated bodies along the banks of the Schuylkill.
147 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 24, 2015
71 people are currently reading
770 people want to read
About the author
Angel Martinez
93 books677 followersAngel Martinez currently lives part time in the hectic sprawl of northern Delaware and full time inside her head. She has one husband, one son, two cats, a love of all things beautiful and a terrible addiction to the consumption of both knowledge and chocolate.
Angel's alter ego writes the all-ages science fiction - Sandra Stixrude.
Angel's alter ego writes the all-ages science fiction - Sandra Stixrude.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 207 reviews
August 12, 2016
Angel Martinez, kicking butt and taking names! This book was FUN. If you've been dreaming of a quirkier version of the PsyCop series, look no further!
I've recently discovered Angel Martinez, and I'm SO happy that I did. Lime Gelatin and Other Monsters was exactly what I needed. If the title sounds at all intriguing to you, you should try this one out. It's an oddball story in a good way, and though it's funny, the writing is no joke.
I immediately loved the premise of this story. It is basically about a bunch of misfit-cops with offbeat paranormal talents. No useful telekinesis here, folks! We have a character who can only teleport fruit. Same kinds of talents with all of the other unusual, sometimes surly policemen and women in this story. I was instantly and completely entertained while reading, and was completely absorbed in the plot-line.
The MCs were pretty great too, with a more comic foil and a strait man playing the partners-turned-love interests. There is sort of a HFN ending with the promise of more, but the romance is just beginning in this story. There was some real affection there, but I think we can get more umph out of the romance as the series progresses.
I also really loved how QUILTBAG this book was, if that makes sense. I usually see a ton of M/M with characters that are uber-masculine and gay, but here we get a bi MC and mentioning of ACE, trans, and other variations along the spectrum. Nothing was preachy, but there was just a lot of cool shout-outs. Plus, a non-white MC! Bonus!
I really connected with this one and it got me excited for future stories. I hope this book finds its audience because there is a lot of potential there.
*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*
I've recently discovered Angel Martinez, and I'm SO happy that I did. Lime Gelatin and Other Monsters was exactly what I needed. If the title sounds at all intriguing to you, you should try this one out. It's an oddball story in a good way, and though it's funny, the writing is no joke.
I immediately loved the premise of this story. It is basically about a bunch of misfit-cops with offbeat paranormal talents. No useful telekinesis here, folks! We have a character who can only teleport fruit. Same kinds of talents with all of the other unusual, sometimes surly policemen and women in this story. I was instantly and completely entertained while reading, and was completely absorbed in the plot-line.
The MCs were pretty great too, with a more comic foil and a strait man playing the partners-turned-love interests. There is sort of a HFN ending with the promise of more, but the romance is just beginning in this story. There was some real affection there, but I think we can get more umph out of the romance as the series progresses.
I also really loved how QUILTBAG this book was, if that makes sense. I usually see a ton of M/M with characters that are uber-masculine and gay, but here we get a bi MC and mentioning of ACE, trans, and other variations along the spectrum. Nothing was preachy, but there was just a lot of cool shout-outs. Plus, a non-white MC! Bonus!
I really connected with this one and it got me excited for future stories. I hope this book finds its audience because there is a lot of potential there.
*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*
July 7, 2018
Oh my! This book really is the most fantastic book I’ve read in a while. 👏 Really spectacular! I was having several laughing fits and this book made me grin ear to ear while I was reading it. I mean how does even Angel Martinez think of the traits of these characters. When I say 77th precinct really is the home of misfits, I mean it. 😁 These cops have super powers and thus, they were transferred to the special unit “77th precinct” in Philly. The only precinct in the city while the other police stations go by districts. The only problem is their super abilities are totally useless. 😂 One cop can only teleport fruits, one sense the unhappiness of waterfowls (btw, tell me this isn’t a genius writing 🤣), one can summon flame but only when the weather is right (too much humidity, or rain or cloudy and there’s poof, nothing) and a vampire cop who can only drink skimmed-blood. 😂 I mean you get it. And they even have a dead cop ghost’s occupying their coffee station as his forever resting place. 😂👏 Just hilarious and equally intriguing. This book is not very much focused on the relationship between Vikash and Kyle because this story is heavy on the plot and mystery but the relationship aspect of these two is still very satisfying. And the second book is the sequel of this couple and I just can’t wait to dig into that one. 😉 This is a very short read but I’m amazed by how Angel Martinez was able to pack so much UST, action, mystery, magic, and some heated smut in just mere 100 pages. Not even a second I wasn’t enthralled and spelled while reading this book. Just fantastic! And I don’t even know which category I should put this book into? Action? Paranormal? Magic? Sci-fi? It really has everything. I read "Gravitational Attraction" by the same author a while ago and I couldn’t believe these books were written by the same author. Totally different genres but equally enrapturing. Highly highly recommended! 😍
5 Vikash has a thing for green-eyed ginger Kyle stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
5 Vikash has a thing for green-eyed ginger Kyle stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
September 16, 2016
The Precinct of Misfit Cops.
If B grade monster movies are your thing, then this will be entertaining. The tone was amusing as the title alludes; no one takes themselves too seriously, and neither should the reader. Vikash is Kyle's newly assigned partner in the odd Philadelphia precinct comprised entirely of officers with unusual powers.
I'm a huge fan of monster movies; the odder the better--The Monster that Challenged the World is an awesome one about a prehistoric mollusk rampaging through the Imperial Valley in California. So, having a misfit police unit is a win because they managed to make the officers questionable powers work together.
Then there's all the references to things I love that made this better and what's pushing the rating up from 3.5 stars to 4 because it's more entertaining than 3 stars. Besides the geeking out about monster movies, there's LOTR and FIRE LIZARDS!!!
Seriously... Kash's tattoo is sexy. I'd do a guy with this tattoo just because he had it, if I weren't married.
Anyway... the story. There's solid Philly references, from cheesesteaks (Jim's, yeah, suck it--I went outside the Gino/Pat binary) to Boat House Row to the Surekill (Schuylkill). So, the sense of place is fairly developed to give it enough flavor. The characters are a hoot and the interplay between the individuals and the partner pairings is good. The mystery itself is basically finding the perp for some gruesome attacks. It was not complicated, but it was well thought out and executed nicely in small increments interleaving the developing personal and professional relationship between Kyle and Kash. I'm definitely interested in reading the next in the series.
Overall, quirky, paranormal, cop procedural.
If B grade monster movies are your thing, then this will be entertaining. The tone was amusing as the title alludes; no one takes themselves too seriously, and neither should the reader. Vikash is Kyle's newly assigned partner in the odd Philadelphia precinct comprised entirely of officers with unusual powers.
I'm a huge fan of monster movies; the odder the better--The Monster that Challenged the World is an awesome one about a prehistoric mollusk rampaging through the Imperial Valley in California. So, having a misfit police unit is a win because they managed to make the officers questionable powers work together.
Then there's all the references to things I love that made this better and what's pushing the rating up from 3.5 stars to 4 because it's more entertaining than 3 stars. Besides the geeking out about monster movies, there's LOTR and FIRE LIZARDS!!!
Seriously... Kash's tattoo is sexy. I'd do a guy with this tattoo just because he had it, if I weren't married.
Anyway... the story. There's solid Philly references, from cheesesteaks (Jim's, yeah, suck it--I went outside the Gino/Pat binary) to Boat House Row to the Surekill (Schuylkill). So, the sense of place is fairly developed to give it enough flavor. The characters are a hoot and the interplay between the individuals and the partner pairings is good. The mystery itself is basically finding the perp for some gruesome attacks. It was not complicated, but it was well thought out and executed nicely in small increments interleaving the developing personal and professional relationship between Kyle and Kash. I'm definitely interested in reading the next in the series.
Overall, quirky, paranormal, cop procedural.
June 18, 2018
4.25 stars
What a great start to a series! I really enjoyed this. It was quirky and fun.
Kyle is a young police officer who just discovered he has supernatural absorbing powers after an encounter with a lime gelatin monster (don’t ask).
He is now part of a precinct of supernatural cops with a ‘broken’ ability. He himself can absorb the power of others, but doesn’t know how to use them. This results in a lot of accidents. His colleagues have been calling him Kirby for that reason (like the cute little pink Nintendo creature who absorbs powers). And no one wants to get close to him (literally), since no one wants the building to come falling down.
In this precinct we have a vampire who can only drink skim blood (blood with no platelets, no plasma, low on the white blood count. He gets really sick on regular blood), someone who can teleport only fruit, a firestarter who can’t use his fire power when it rains, and a couple of others with weird powers.
When Kyle gets introduced to his new partner, Vikash Soren, he is curious what Vikash can do. Turns out things happen when Vikash gets angry. Tires blow out, desks collapse, that sort of thing.
Kyle and Vikash are trying to find out what is attacking people who are walking alongside the river at night. It looks like some sort of monster, so they have to all work together to find out what it is and how to stop it.
Meanwhile Kyle is sure Vikash feels the same attraction he does. But how could that ever work, with them being partners…..
I really liked this. I do have to say that there’s not a lot of worldbuilding going on. I’m hoping that will come with the other books. And I love that there’s another book about Kyle and Vikash, because their relationship ends with a HFN and I kind of wanted more.
Kyle was a bit of a firecracker, but he was also awkward, sweet, and short, as Vikash constantly mentioned. Vikash was a silent brooding man, but he did go after Kyle when he wanted him, so in that regard he showed enough emotion for me to like him.
I loved the craziness of this book, the weird abilities, the weird people. I can’t wait to read the other books.
What a great start to a series! I really enjoyed this. It was quirky and fun.
Kyle is a young police officer who just discovered he has supernatural absorbing powers after an encounter with a lime gelatin monster (don’t ask).
He is now part of a precinct of supernatural cops with a ‘broken’ ability. He himself can absorb the power of others, but doesn’t know how to use them. This results in a lot of accidents. His colleagues have been calling him Kirby for that reason (like the cute little pink Nintendo creature who absorbs powers). And no one wants to get close to him (literally), since no one wants the building to come falling down.
In this precinct we have a vampire who can only drink skim blood (blood with no platelets, no plasma, low on the white blood count. He gets really sick on regular blood), someone who can teleport only fruit, a firestarter who can’t use his fire power when it rains, and a couple of others with weird powers.
When Kyle gets introduced to his new partner, Vikash Soren, he is curious what Vikash can do. Turns out things happen when Vikash gets angry. Tires blow out, desks collapse, that sort of thing.
Kyle and Vikash are trying to find out what is attacking people who are walking alongside the river at night. It looks like some sort of monster, so they have to all work together to find out what it is and how to stop it.
Meanwhile Kyle is sure Vikash feels the same attraction he does. But how could that ever work, with them being partners…..
I really liked this. I do have to say that there’s not a lot of worldbuilding going on. I’m hoping that will come with the other books. And I love that there’s another book about Kyle and Vikash, because their relationship ends with a HFN and I kind of wanted more.
Kyle was a bit of a firecracker, but he was also awkward, sweet, and short, as Vikash constantly mentioned. Vikash was a silent brooding man, but he did go after Kyle when he wanted him, so in that regard he showed enough emotion for me to like him.
I loved the craziness of this book, the weird abilities, the weird people. I can’t wait to read the other books.
April 3, 2019
What a crazy bunch of misfits! I don’t know why it took me so long to read this. It was fantastic!
A vampire who only drinks “skim blood”-check ✔️
A fire starter who can’t start a fire if it’s damp-check ✔️
A foul mouth multi colored bird who steals pens-check✔️
A moving leather jacket-check✔️
A dead cop’s ghost who haunts the coffee machine in the precinct-check ✔️
A priestess who makes sacrifices to a god and also happens to be the captain of these misfits-check ✔️
A lizard man and a wolf turned human-check and check✔️
So many more bizarre and strange characters.
I loved Kyle. You can just tell he needs someone to love him for who he is conduit and all. It took a little while for me to warm up to Vikash. And I still don’t have a good feel for him since we’re missing his POV. Hopefully I’ll get more from him in the next one.
A vampire who only drinks “skim blood”-check ✔️
A fire starter who can’t start a fire if it’s damp-check ✔️
A foul mouth multi colored bird who steals pens-check✔️
A moving leather jacket-check✔️
A dead cop’s ghost who haunts the coffee machine in the precinct-check ✔️
A priestess who makes sacrifices to a god and also happens to be the captain of these misfits-check ✔️
A lizard man and a wolf turned human-check and check✔️
So many more bizarre and strange characters.
I loved Kyle. You can just tell he needs someone to love him for who he is conduit and all. It took a little while for me to warm up to Vikash. And I still don’t have a good feel for him since we’re missing his POV. Hopefully I’ll get more from him in the next one.
March 8, 2017
Angel Martinez can write stories with wacky characters that I will find entertaining as hell. This is definitely one of them!!
There are some interesting supernatural misfits here: from a firestarter who can only do it when it's dry, a stressed telekinetic, a teleporter who can only teleport fruit, a vampire who drinks skim blood ... I loved reading (and finding out about how the use their power) about them; I imagine I would enjoy many books about the Minneapolis/St. Paul 77th police precinct (and even the monsters!!). Please note that I only read Angel Martinez's book in this collection, so I don't read other couples.
The romance was sweet -- although I would've liked it better if Kyle and Vikash took more than a week before they cemented their relationship. But that would probably need a longer novella. In anyway, I loved Kyle and Vikash conversations, I loved the funny banters, I loved the humor, even their reference towards Transformers.
Yep, one entertaining story. I am happy :)
There are some interesting supernatural misfits here: from a firestarter who can only do it when it's dry, a stressed telekinetic, a teleporter who can only teleport fruit, a vampire who drinks skim blood ... I loved reading (and finding out about how the use their power) about them; I imagine I would enjoy many books about the Minneapolis/St. Paul 77th police precinct (and even the monsters!!). Please note that I only read Angel Martinez's book in this collection, so I don't read other couples.
The romance was sweet -- although I would've liked it better if Kyle and Vikash took more than a week before they cemented their relationship. But that would probably need a longer novella. In anyway, I loved Kyle and Vikash conversations, I loved the funny banters, I loved the humor, even their reference towards Transformers.
Yep, one entertaining story. I am happy :)
June 17, 2019
Ha, what a lot of fun!
This is quirky, weird in a good way and chuckle-worthy on many occasions.
And I loved 'perfect cop' Kash and 'little' redhead Kyle. And how cute and tender they are with each other! I could have done with a much larger helping of both, tbh. Shame this is relatively short.
But - on the bright side, book 2 in the series gives us Kash's POV and I can't wait!
This is quirky, weird in a good way and chuckle-worthy on many occasions.
And I loved 'perfect cop' Kash and 'little' redhead Kyle. And how cute and tender they are with each other! I could have done with a much larger helping of both, tbh. Shame this is relatively short.
But - on the bright side, book 2 in the series gives us Kash's POV and I can't wait!
August 23, 2016
“Welcome to the Island of Misfit Freaks.”
Kyle Monroe works the 77th Precinct. A squad full of misfit detectives with broken super powers. There is a vampire who can only drink skim blood and a teleporter of fruit (only fruit). Along with a lizard man, wolf, fire-starter, and more! Kyle made the team because of a brutal lime gelatin monster attack. BUT *palms up* I’ll let him tell you the tale that forever altered his path. What is Kyle’s ability? He absorbs the powers of the ones around him. If he stands too close to Virago, BOOM! He starts throwing around fire balls. Imagine how hard it is for Kyle to keep a table buddy at lunch—never mind a partner. That is until Vikash Soren hits the 77. Now Kyle has to solve a string of strange murders while breaking in a new partner. A new partner that feeds and sparks off of Kyle in a whole new way. Kyle’s world is about to be turned inside out and upside down all over again.
I had a lot of fun in this book! Non-stop jabs and jokes and laughs with all of the characters. My only complaint was that there were a lot of names and abilities thrown at us all at once at the beginning. I finally got up, grabbed a pad and pen, and made a list to keep everyone straight in my head. It helped! But Kyle and Vikash were the best in the bunch. Kyle’s loneliness and fumbles paired up with Vikash’s quiet, thoughtful, graceful ways perfectly. I adored their silences the most! Tense, awkward, fun, and sharp! Kyle and Vikash had a “sparking, crackling connection”. You have to feel it.
I want more, more, more of this original, slightly silly monster world ASAP! More cases and fun please.
Recommended.
October 11, 2018
3.5 stars
This was a good start to what could be a very fun, interesting series. We meet a bunch of the "paranormal misfits" who make up the 77th Precinct, but the focus is on Kyle - who is able to absorb the powers of other paranormals to an extent - and his new partner Vikash - who tries not to get angry since that's when things happen.
Told from Kyle's POV, it was easy to like him from the start. Vikash, with his quiet, thoughtful demeanor, remains mysterious through a lot of the book, but I warmed up to him eventually as well. The mystery doesn't take up a lot of the focus, though they are working on leads throughout and it makes for a good way for the men to feel each other out. The romance moved pretty quickly, and ended on a HFN, to be continued in the next book. I liked Kyle and Vikash together and hope that the next story will bring a bit more depth to their fledgling relationship.
There is a lot to absorb as far as the names and powers of the many secondary characters referred to or involved in the storyline, setting up for the rest of the series I presume, but I learned enough to pique my interest in future installments.
The novella had a good mix of weird, funny, a budding romance and a bit of action on the side. I also somehow became emotionally invested in the plight of an animate leather jacket. Go figure.
This was a good start to what could be a very fun, interesting series. We meet a bunch of the "paranormal misfits" who make up the 77th Precinct, but the focus is on Kyle - who is able to absorb the powers of other paranormals to an extent - and his new partner Vikash - who tries not to get angry since that's when things happen.
Told from Kyle's POV, it was easy to like him from the start. Vikash, with his quiet, thoughtful demeanor, remains mysterious through a lot of the book, but I warmed up to him eventually as well. The mystery doesn't take up a lot of the focus, though they are working on leads throughout and it makes for a good way for the men to feel each other out. The romance moved pretty quickly, and ended on a HFN, to be continued in the next book. I liked Kyle and Vikash together and hope that the next story will bring a bit more depth to their fledgling relationship.
There is a lot to absorb as far as the names and powers of the many secondary characters referred to or involved in the storyline, setting up for the rest of the series I presume, but I learned enough to pique my interest in future installments.
The novella had a good mix of weird, funny, a budding romance and a bit of action on the side. I also somehow became emotionally invested in the plight of an animate leather jacket. Go figure.
March 27, 2017
I really enjoyed this story. Lots of humor and a sweet romance. I really like both MCs and I love the world they live in.
March 17, 2018
Before reading this book, I’ve loved everything I read by Angel Martinez, little as it was. I was a little disappointed to realize Lime Gelatin & Other Monsters didn't quite work for me.
I loved the set-up for this series, the precinct made of a group of misfits, from the vampire who can only drink skim blood and is weak during the day to the pyrokinetic who can’t get a spark at the first sign of humidity.
Kyle and Vikash were pretty interesting characters, in theory at least, but I never warmed up to them. The plot and the relationship development weren’t really bad, just not particularly good, a little rushed and disjointed maybe, and the writing didn’t flow as well as what I remember of Angel Martinez’s prose from other books.
I’m hoping this was just a fluke, though, and first books don’t always reflect the whole series, so I’ll probably give the next one a chance.
I loved the set-up for this series, the precinct made of a group of misfits, from the vampire who can only drink skim blood and is weak during the day to the pyrokinetic who can’t get a spark at the first sign of humidity.
Kyle and Vikash were pretty interesting characters, in theory at least, but I never warmed up to them. The plot and the relationship development weren’t really bad, just not particularly good, a little rushed and disjointed maybe, and the writing didn’t flow as well as what I remember of Angel Martinez’s prose from other books.
I’m hoping this was just a fluke, though, and first books don’t always reflect the whole series, so I’ll probably give the next one a chance.
August 17, 2016
Imagine a world in which paranormal abilities can be defective – a mixture of not controllable, entirely useless, or just plain strange – and you’ve got the idea that Angel Martinez has constructed this series around. Cops are affected by this affliction of nontalent as much as anyone else, and those cops with issues of the paranormal persuasion are all sent to special units who focus on crimes with a paranormal component. There is Kyle, a cop who absorbs anyone’s ability if they get too close to him. Then there is Vikash, or Kash for short, around whom bad things happen when he gets angry. Put together, these two men are not just good at solving crimes, which is, after all, their job, they also form a potentially deadly force if they manage to get their somewhat skewed talents to work together just right. And they need all the help they can with a vicious killer on the loose and even more out of control than the misfits of the 77th Precinct.
Kyle used to be a normal cop – until he encountered a gelatinous being that changed his life forever – and wasn’t that a scary event! Now he works at the 77th Precinct and his “ability” scares even some of his colleagues. Kyle didn’t want a physically perfect specimen who is totally Zen – and probably straight – as a partner, but that decision is not his to make.
Kash has been “weird” even shorter than Kyle, and causing “bad things to happen” when he loses his temper is not easy to handle. He is not too sure about belonging in the “freak squad” as they call themselves, but what choice does he have? Causing tires to blow and worse when he flips out is not exactly average.
Both men approach each other with a healthy dose of mistrust and skepticism at first. But Kyle's attraction soon gets the better of him, and Kash is not at all opposed to a little – or even a lot – of physical exploration during their downtime. It leads to some very hot fun between the sheets as well as better cooperation during work hours – so nobody is really complaining. Their hunt for the gruesome murderer notwithstanding, this is a very funny story with some very imaginative paranormal strangeness.
If you like exploring the paranormal world in all its potential strangeness, if you want to know how two men with weird abilities turn out to be made for each other, and if you’re looking for a murder mystery read that is as hilarious as it is entertaining, then you will probably like this novella.
NOTE: This book was provided by Pride Publishing for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Kyle used to be a normal cop – until he encountered a gelatinous being that changed his life forever – and wasn’t that a scary event! Now he works at the 77th Precinct and his “ability” scares even some of his colleagues. Kyle didn’t want a physically perfect specimen who is totally Zen – and probably straight – as a partner, but that decision is not his to make.
Kash has been “weird” even shorter than Kyle, and causing “bad things to happen” when he loses his temper is not easy to handle. He is not too sure about belonging in the “freak squad” as they call themselves, but what choice does he have? Causing tires to blow and worse when he flips out is not exactly average.
Both men approach each other with a healthy dose of mistrust and skepticism at first. But Kyle's attraction soon gets the better of him, and Kash is not at all opposed to a little – or even a lot – of physical exploration during their downtime. It leads to some very hot fun between the sheets as well as better cooperation during work hours – so nobody is really complaining. Their hunt for the gruesome murderer notwithstanding, this is a very funny story with some very imaginative paranormal strangeness.
If you like exploring the paranormal world in all its potential strangeness, if you want to know how two men with weird abilities turn out to be made for each other, and if you’re looking for a murder mystery read that is as hilarious as it is entertaining, then you will probably like this novella.
NOTE: This book was provided by Pride Publishing for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
April 5, 2017
4.2 Stars
So much fun! I'd totally watch this if it were a TV show; SciFi needs to consider it. Sort of a bit like Heroes or Alphas but with a weird twist & comedy vibe...like putting a paranormal spin onto The Unusuals or something. (Yeah, I want that show right now.)
So much fun! I'd totally watch this if it were a TV show; SciFi needs to consider it. Sort of a bit like Heroes or Alphas but with a weird twist & comedy vibe...like putting a paranormal spin onto The Unusuals or something. (Yeah, I want that show right now.)
February 18, 2017
Well, that was certainly fun. Really fun and entertaining. However, I did find it emotionally lacking; the romance was barely there. If it was longer, I'd surely like it more.
June 10, 2023
I quite enjoyed this one! Not quite as cracky as the title makes it sound, though there is a quirky spin on the standard paranormal cop trope, where all of the paranormals in this division have skills that are super niche and/or not particularly useful. Interesting characters, and I particularly enjoyed Kyle, who was our POV character. HFN ending, though it looks like at least the next book in this series follows this pairing, so I'm hoping we'll get them more established. Definitely one I'm looking forward to reading more of.
November 7, 2016
This was a fun, fast read.
So Kyle has ended up in the 77'th precinct, the place where paranormal investigators (with 'issues') are dumped.
Kyle was 'normal' until a gelatinous perp tried eating his partner. Kyle saved his partner, but since coming into contact with that perp, he has the ability to 'borrow' other paranormals skills for a limited time. He can't control his gift, and he is an oddity among oddities.
So Kyle's new partner is Vikram, he's a stoic, weird dude with Indian (the country) roots. He was kind of a douche more than once, which is also why my rating isn't higher.
I never warmed up to him fully, and that was too bad, but his douchy-ness didn't work for me.
Something is killing people near the river, and Kyle and Vikram are on the case. At the same time, they slowly, but surely open up to each other, and start a relationship.
It really was a fun, quick read. It didn't grip me by the balls, but I was entertained throughout.
So Kyle has ended up in the 77'th precinct, the place where paranormal investigators (with 'issues') are dumped.
Kyle was 'normal' until a gelatinous perp tried eating his partner. Kyle saved his partner, but since coming into contact with that perp, he has the ability to 'borrow' other paranormals skills for a limited time. He can't control his gift, and he is an oddity among oddities.
So Kyle's new partner is Vikram, he's a stoic, weird dude with Indian (the country) roots. He was kind of a douche more than once, which is also why my rating isn't higher.
I never warmed up to him fully, and that was too bad, but his douchy-ness didn't work for me.
Something is killing people near the river, and Kyle and Vikram are on the case. At the same time, they slowly, but surely open up to each other, and start a relationship.
It really was a fun, quick read. It didn't grip me by the balls, but I was entertained throughout.
October 8, 2017
A fairly consistent 3.5 stars for the series
Great series - I've just galloped through the first five. Well-differentiated characters, riotous imagination (LJ - the sentient unincorporeal leather jacket? the vampire who drinks only skim-blood? feral dust bunnies?), and pleasant relationships. Blessedly, Martinez takes the whole thing seriously, with no knowing asides to the reader to say, "Look how clever I'm being."
Great series - I've just galloped through the first five. Well-differentiated characters, riotous imagination (LJ - the sentient unincorporeal leather jacket? the vampire who drinks only skim-blood? feral dust bunnies?), and pleasant relationships. Blessedly, Martinez takes the whole thing seriously, with no knowing asides to the reader to say, "Look how clever I'm being."
October 5, 2016
Freaky good fun with a little love action and monster chasing action to keep things moving. Loved it!
May 10, 2019
This series is a lot of fun, but also has some great characters - review to follow.
July 12, 2018
A very underwhelmed 2*
I STILL don't know if the book is intended to be comedic or a serious paranormal/crime story. There's slapstick events and some very odd oddities but reactions seem serious and the timing is off.
At the halfway point I couldn't tell you what they were investigating - there never was any investigation; a sort of interview, a random guess, then a kind of showdown. But by then they were having sex, despite bare minimum conversation and no sense of connection they seemed to be suddenly looking for more.
There's ragtag bunch of misfits which seems a great premise but I couldn't get to grips with any there wasn't enough development or visual to get a firm impression and the habit of mixing first names, surnames and nicknames didn't help. They sounded interesting; Wolf, Krisk - I wanted to get to know them better. I'd consider checking the series for their books but then I don't feel I got to know the main characters of this book any better.
Kyle our narrator beyond his ability and nerd interests is an unknown. The addition of frequent internal thought italics is a personal bugbear of mine. Vishask is enigmatic to the point of being blank. Though we learn his Indian heritage gives him lovely bronze skin and ability to make a mean curry.
I think it suffers for being such a short story, the concepts are great, plenty of potential but nothing goes any deeper there's little understandable emotion which led to a lack of connection for me; nothing for me to care about. Definitely not a book to take too seriously and yet I never found anything particularly funny.
If interested it might be beneficial to do your pop-culture research! The Hulk reference is an easy one but I have no clue who or what a Kirby is. A basic knowledge of Transformers and Godzilla beasties might help but reading Pern would presumably add considerable insight and best to be familiar with Lord of the Rings.
I'll not be continuing.
I STILL don't know if the book is intended to be comedic or a serious paranormal/crime story. There's slapstick events and some very odd oddities but reactions seem serious and the timing is off.
At the halfway point I couldn't tell you what they were investigating - there never was any investigation; a sort of interview, a random guess, then a kind of showdown. But by then they were having sex, despite bare minimum conversation and no sense of connection they seemed to be suddenly looking for more.
There's ragtag bunch of misfits which seems a great premise but I couldn't get to grips with any there wasn't enough development or visual to get a firm impression and the habit of mixing first names, surnames and nicknames didn't help. They sounded interesting; Wolf, Krisk - I wanted to get to know them better. I'd consider checking the series for their books but then I don't feel I got to know the main characters of this book any better.
Kyle our narrator beyond his ability and nerd interests is an unknown. The addition of frequent internal thought italics is a personal bugbear of mine. Vishask is enigmatic to the point of being blank. Though we learn his Indian heritage gives him lovely bronze skin and ability to make a mean curry.
I think it suffers for being such a short story, the concepts are great, plenty of potential but nothing goes any deeper there's little understandable emotion which led to a lack of connection for me; nothing for me to care about. Definitely not a book to take too seriously and yet I never found anything particularly funny.
If interested it might be beneficial to do your pop-culture research! The Hulk reference is an easy one but I have no clue who or what a Kirby is. A basic knowledge of Transformers and Godzilla beasties might help but reading Pern would presumably add considerable insight and best to be familiar with Lord of the Rings.
I'll not be continuing.
September 12, 2017
Lime Gelatin and Other Monsters
By Angel Martinez
Pride Publishing, 2016
Four stars
Well, this threw me. It ended and I was nowhere near ready to be done with it. Angel Martinez has created a completely charming and amusing paranormal romance full of dry wit and appealing characters.
Kyle Monroe is a young policeman who was forced to join the 77th Precinct in Philadelphia—a special detail of broken cops who handle the city’s paranormal crimes. These aren’t bad cops, just somehow “off.” Not to mention a pink and blue raven who spews obscenities and draws pictures. Kyle’s own peculiar talent, acquired inadvertently, doesn’t encourage friendships, until the arrival of Vikash Soren, tall dark and handsome to Kyle’s compact, red-headed and puckish. Kyle and Vikash are assigned to work as a team, and together they must help solve a series of gruesome murders. Along the way, Kyle realizes that Vikash is far more than just a pretty face.
The set up here is as if this is the start of a series. I do hope so. I particularly liked Kyle and Kash (see how the nickname works?) and I really hope we’ll see them again.
By Angel Martinez
Pride Publishing, 2016
Four stars
Well, this threw me. It ended and I was nowhere near ready to be done with it. Angel Martinez has created a completely charming and amusing paranormal romance full of dry wit and appealing characters.
Kyle Monroe is a young policeman who was forced to join the 77th Precinct in Philadelphia—a special detail of broken cops who handle the city’s paranormal crimes. These aren’t bad cops, just somehow “off.” Not to mention a pink and blue raven who spews obscenities and draws pictures. Kyle’s own peculiar talent, acquired inadvertently, doesn’t encourage friendships, until the arrival of Vikash Soren, tall dark and handsome to Kyle’s compact, red-headed and puckish. Kyle and Vikash are assigned to work as a team, and together they must help solve a series of gruesome murders. Along the way, Kyle realizes that Vikash is far more than just a pretty face.
The set up here is as if this is the start of a series. I do hope so. I particularly liked Kyle and Kash (see how the nickname works?) and I really hope we’ll see them again.
May 2, 2017
2 STARS
Quirky, funny and just totally out there, including paranormal and magical elements. These are books I love and am drawn to. I also love Angel Martinez BUT this just didn't come together for me personally at all and was a real let down unfortunately. It needed to be longer and it felt really rushed. I especially disliked the lack of a proper explanation/character description about one of the MC's? Not understanding the motivation or drive behind one of the MC's really let this book down. It only got two stars because I liked the absurdity of it.
I just read the blurb for book two which sounds like Vikash (MC) is explained as a character. Now I understand how this works in some situations but it definitely did not for this book, it was it's absolute downfall. It didn't leave an air of mystique or intrigue either, it was just plain confusing which then became annoying by the end of the book because it just finished.
Because I'm a huge Angel fan I'll get around to book two but not right away.
Quirky, funny and just totally out there, including paranormal and magical elements. These are books I love and am drawn to. I also love Angel Martinez BUT this just didn't come together for me personally at all and was a real let down unfortunately. It needed to be longer and it felt really rushed. I especially disliked the lack of a proper explanation/character description about one of the MC's? Not understanding the motivation or drive behind one of the MC's really let this book down. It only got two stars because I liked the absurdity of it.
I just read the blurb for book two which sounds like Vikash (MC) is explained as a character. Now I understand how this works in some situations but it definitely did not for this book, it was it's absolute downfall. It didn't leave an air of mystique or intrigue either, it was just plain confusing which then became annoying by the end of the book because it just finished.
Because I'm a huge Angel fan I'll get around to book two but not right away.
August 26, 2016
3.5 stars
Haha, I enjoyed this book alot. Such funny characters, instances and love the paranormal feel of the story. I was immediately drawn into the story with Kyle's funny stories, and Vikash's stoic attitude. This read like a black comedy movie, such parody and it packed a punch of the laugh for such a short story. Angel Martinez did a great job, and I'm looking forward to book two!
I did like Kyle and Soren together, but I kinda would have liked them to build on it. It was super fast, and I know it's novella length but maybe if we had a longer instance of them together I would feel better. I thought it was very funny, and laughed out loud numerous times. I loved all the paranormal elements and by far by funniest moment was with "Leather Jacket". The connection between Kyle and Soren was super cute seeing as both guys had serious trust issues. This is such a wonderful fun story and I look for more.
Haha, I enjoyed this book alot. Such funny characters, instances and love the paranormal feel of the story. I was immediately drawn into the story with Kyle's funny stories, and Vikash's stoic attitude. This read like a black comedy movie, such parody and it packed a punch of the laugh for such a short story. Angel Martinez did a great job, and I'm looking forward to book two!
I did like Kyle and Soren together, but I kinda would have liked them to build on it. It was super fast, and I know it's novella length but maybe if we had a longer instance of them together I would feel better. I thought it was very funny, and laughed out loud numerous times. I loved all the paranormal elements and by far by funniest moment was with "Leather Jacket". The connection between Kyle and Soren was super cute seeing as both guys had serious trust issues. This is such a wonderful fun story and I look for more.
May 24, 2015
There was a lot to like in this book. The main character has a great personality and a good sense of humor, and his partner and love interest seems to have some hidden depths. I'd like to see more of their relationship in the future, if the author continues with this series.
There were some very funny and cute details in this, my favorite being Mr. Jacket, which seems to be a sentient leather jacket with an attitude (as one might expect). The other detectives in the precinct have a lot of potential for future stories.
I would have liked it to be maybe a little longer so the relationship had a bit more time to develop before they slept together, and I wouldn't have minded a little more sex. :) Overall, I found it really enjoyable and I'd definitely read more from this author. It was a fun, silly (in a good way), light read.
There were some very funny and cute details in this, my favorite being Mr. Jacket, which seems to be a sentient leather jacket with an attitude (as one might expect). The other detectives in the precinct have a lot of potential for future stories.
I would have liked it to be maybe a little longer so the relationship had a bit more time to develop before they slept together, and I wouldn't have minded a little more sex. :) Overall, I found it really enjoyable and I'd definitely read more from this author. It was a fun, silly (in a good way), light read.
August 3, 2018
Short and simple story, that I'm gonna rate 4 stars, bcs the author was able to make me smile, believe in the relationship btw the MCs, and never get me bored, and this in barely 61 pages.
I must say that Vikash and Kyle were also cute sometimes, and that I really wanna know more about the supernatural part of this series.
Next!
I must say that Vikash and Kyle were also cute sometimes, and that I really wanna know more about the supernatural part of this series.
Next!
December 15, 2016
This book is so damn fantastic. Seriously, five stars is being stingy. This deserves ten. It is such a unique story. I have to get my hands on the next one!
September 28, 2019
This was a fun and quirky book! Im not usually a sci-fi fan but I laughed out load a few times with this one😊 for an easy, fun read definitely try out the Offbeat Crimes series.
December 3, 2018
This is a very fun & funny read! With how short it is I’m surprised at how much ground is covered in this book. I’m impressed with the author cause I feel like I read a much longer story. I like both main characters and supporting characters. They all have weird as fuck but intriguing personalities one of my favorites being Mr. Jacket. A very big issue for me with this is that there are little to no character descriptions. The character with the most description is Kash. He’s Indian and yay for diversity. The main character I know is short, ginger & freckles on his ass. That’s about all I know. It’s frustrating to get no descriptions & then I create a character in my mind & then 50 pages in the author will vaguely mention a physical trait that doesn’t much the character I’ve been thinking of. I think that high key needs work. Besides that this was actually intriguing enough that I’ll come back for the next book to check things out
July 11, 2018
Very cute. Would be 4 stars if the timelines hadn't been all over the place. Did they know each other a week or a month at the end of it? Who the hell knows!!
March 31, 2017
Enjoyable read but too short!!
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