An American Weredeer in Michigan

Bright Falls Mystery #2

by C.T. Phipps, Michael Suttkus

FROM THE BEST-SELLING AUTHOR OF THE RULES OF SUPERVILLAINY:

Life is not easy for the world's first weredeer detective. A simple hike turns into a media circus when Jane Doe, her best friend Emma, and a pair of monster hunters find a mass grave. Determined to find the parties responsible, Jane soon discovers a sinister cult leader has decided to make Bright Falls, Michigan the home of his corrupt religion.

As if this wasn't complicating her life enough, Jane also has to decide whether or not she wants to begin a relationship with FBI Special Agent Alex Timmons or local crime lord Lucien Lyons. Both men are determined to get to the bottom of the crime she's investigating but may be distracted by their own agendas--as well as their love for Jane.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Paranormal, Mystery, Young Adult, Humor, Magic

260 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 12, 2017

About the author

C.T Phipps is a lifelong student of horror, science fiction, and fantasy. An avid tabletop gamer, he discovered this passion led him to write and turned him into a lifelong geek. He is a regular reviewer on Booknest.EU and for Grimdark Magazine.

He's written the Agent G series, Cthulhu Armageddon, the Red Room Trilogy, I Was A Teenaged Weredeer, Lucifer's Star, Psycho Killers in Love, Straight Outta Fangton, The Supervillainy Saga, and Wraith Knight.

Blog: http://unitedfederationofcharles.blog...

Website: https://ctphipps.com/

C.T. Fanclub: https://www.facebook.com/groups/14917...

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ctphipps

Reviews

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read of audible book in July 2019
An American Weredeer in Michigan
The Bright Falls Mysteries Series, Book 2
By: C. T. Phipps, Michael Suttkus
Narrated by: Arielle DeLisle
This is an audible book I requested and the review is voluntary. I have read this book before and loved it but I wanted to read it in audible book form. This book is always worth the re-read! It has been a while since I read it and it was so nice to hear it again! I almost forgot how great it was! The are
wonderful characters, which includes many shifters, ghosts, gods, and more, There is the excellent plot which is unpredictable, touch of romance, lots of suspense and balanced with humor! It really is something everyone needs to hear to unwind from the daily stresses. A fun story and a good giggle.
The story has a Televised Preacher coming to the town. He had a demon in him and wanted to get into another body. He wanted to use that town and the woods. Jane and friends had to stop him.
The narrator was great! She was so good at all the voices and keeping the humor funny!

Edit Review




E-book in October 2017
An American Weredeer in Michigan (The Bright Falls Mysteries Series Book 2) by C. T. Phipps, Michael Suttkus is book 2 in this clever and humorous series of supernatural creatures. This time our gal, Jane Doe, the weredeer shaman of Bright Falls has a fanatical wizard nut coming in to town wanting to kill her teacher and to take over the magical forest. He also can't be killed in the regular way, he jumps into another body on death. There are other supernatural issues going on too that she has to deal with. The whole time the book is peppered with clever puns, fun, and crazy things that keep a reader snickering. Another fun read! I was just going to read a few pages last night when I got the book but the next time I looked, I was 40% in! A fun read and I didn't want to stop. I was given this book to read and the review is voluntary. I am so lucky!!!

[Gavin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun YA UF comedy series that had a feel of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Veronica Mars about it. The world is a fun one and packed with some cool magic. We get shape-shifting, spirits, gods, and all sorts of other crazy magic and supernatural creatures. The story has plenty of humor and a bit of action and mystery. The tone of the story is pretty light but some parts of it were weirdly dark despite the otherwise light tone!

With one tyrant in prison and an evil God even more permanently dispatched one would think life in Bright Falls would be more sedate and calm for Jane and her group of friends but the arrival of a sinister cult leader and the discovery of a mass grave murder site just outside of town ensured things were as hectic as ever!

I quite enjoyed the story. It was a nice mix of fast paced action, mystery, and fun humour and had no problem holding my attention from start to finish. The characters are also fun. Jane Doe, teenage weredeer, is an easy to like character. Mostly because she is a good person and never short of a wise cracking quip in any situation! As a plus for the story her werewolf sidekick, Emma, and two love interests (yeah, the dreaded love triangle) Alex Timmons, FBI agent and sorcerer, and Lucien Lyons, crime lord and dragon shifter, are great characters as well! Being a weredeer does not make Jane the coolest of magical creatures but she has some added magical abilities that make up for that and enable her to fill in as the town shaman. Which is half the reason she gets caught up in so many fun adventures.

All in all I thought this was a good second instalment of the series.

Rating: 3.5 stars.

Audio Note: I felt like Arielle DeLisle did a decent job with the audio. She has a good voice and seemed to get the tone of the story and the timing of her comedic delivery right most of the time.

[Carole (Carole's Random Life) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.

I had fun with this audiobook! Since I enjoyed the first book in this series, it was a pretty easy decision to pick up this second book. This is a lighter story that moves pretty quickly with a ton of pop culture references that added a nice touch. All in all, this was a pretty enjoyable listen.

This book picks up shortly after the events of the first book. If at all possible, I do recommend reading this series in order. Jane Doe is a weredeer. She has taken on her mother's role as the town shaman. She has been training as much as she can but even Jane will tell you that she still has a lot to learn. This mystery starts when Jane and her best friend Emma find a bunch of infant skeletons. She soon joins forces with a girl connected to the bones named Robin. The mystery was really quite complex and kept me guessing until the very end.

This book was very well balanced. I thought that the characters were well developed and sometimes found where you least expect them to be. I liked that there was a thread of humor in this story with the puns and pop culture references. I think that these moments were well-timed and helped give the story a lighter feel. I thought that there was just the right amount of action woven throughout the book to really keep things moving.

Arielle DeLisle did a great job with the narration. I thought that she really was able to capture Jane's personality and handled the cast of characters very well. She has a very pleasant voice that I had no trouble listening to for longer periods of time.

I would recommend this book to others. I thought that this was a fun story with a great mystery and just the right amount of humor. I look forward to seeing what Jane gets in the middle of next!

I received a review copy of this audiobook from the author.

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bright Falls, Michigan used to be just a kitschy speck on the map, a quirky little town filled with shapeshifters, magic users, a crime lord or two and Jane Doe, weredeer. Now the town shaman, Jane has her hands full, or so she thought until she is called in to assist in the investigation of a mass grave. To her horror, the victims appear to be part of a twisted cult ritual and the crazed leader is proving to be a formidable foe.

Meanwhile, Jane’s affections seem to be up for grabs, as FBI agent Alex Timmons and crime lord Lucien Lyons play tug-o-war with her heart. What’s a weredeer to do? Does she choose the eccentric, but sweet G-man or the hotter-than-blazes very bad boy? While the world may need love, sweet love, Jane needs to get her priorities straight and take down a twisted cult leader before he gives religion a bad name.

AN AMERICAN WEREDEER IN MICHIGAN by C.T. Phipps and Michael Suttkus is another snicker-guffaw-smirkfest mystery that flies by jack rabbit quick as Jane finds herself caught up, once again at ground zero for danger and intrigue as she races to halt the evil-doer in his tracks.

Do NOT misunderstand, this is an excellent mystery, but the quirkiness, the tongue-in-cheek one liners and skewed social consciousness still drives this tale, kind of like an almost out of control train heading into a dark tunnel with an oncoming light at the other end. Oh, wait, that pretty much describes Jane’s life, too…BUT, that said, the characters (and they are characters) are fabulous, the plot is deadly wicked and cleverly dark and the questionable romance(s), well, that’s on Jane to figure out.

Another fun, funny, funnier read from a talented author duo who truly seem to love their jobs!

I received a complimentary copy from C.T. Phipps!

Series: Bright Falls Mysteries - Book 2
Publisher: Crossroad Press; 1 edition (October 12, 2017)
Publication Date: October 12, 2017
Genre: YA Paranormal Mystery
Print Length: 254 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com

[Terrible Timy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.5
The review is also available on my blog, paired with a song!

An American Weredeer in Michigan is set in a few months after the events in I Was A Teenage Weredeer. Jane appoints herself as the shaman of the town, Alex chases bad boys working for the FBI and Emma tries to avoid her family as much as she can. The short peace of the town is broken when Jane and Emma finds dozens of baby skeletons under a cliff. If a ritual serial killer isn’t enough, the leader of a cult called Ultralogy also appears on the scene seemingly fighting for saving the forest from Emma’s family. Once again, Jane finds herself in the middle of a magical conflict and promises she has to keep, even though it might end up with a disaster.

Jane is as witty and sarcastic as ever and I actually found myself warming up to her even more. She absolutely has no filter between her brain and mouth and thus she ends up in situations which she would be able to avoid otherwise. I’m still not sure about Emma, but it’s kind of cute the way Jane treats her like a puppy sometimes. I suspect if anyone else tried to handle her the same way, would end up with a limb or two missing. A few other characters from the previous book are also present, namely Alex and Lucien, still fighting over Jane, trying to outdo each other. At the beginning I was a bit worried that the love triangle is going to be a main plotline, but thankfully this part of the book was well written and Phipps didn’t overdo it. A little drama never hurts a story, but sometimes it’s hard to find the balance between enough and a bit overboard. Aside from the “old” cast, this book has new characters too namely Robyn and John Jones and a few others. Oh, and Raguel, the talking gun has much more role in this book, and apparently had become one of my favorite “characters”.

“My mother used to say any miracle that doesn’t leave you quivering on the ground questioning your sanity is insufficiently miraculous.” – Robyn

The plot itself is quite simple: Jane has to figure out who is behind the baby serial killing what the Ultalogists really want in Bright Falls, and what these two things have to do with each other, if anything. All the while she tries to keep her personal life together. While this time around I enjoyed all the pop cultural references more (especially the Harry Potter ones for obvious reasons) it felt like the mystery itself was just there to have a reason for Jane and the others to go from one place to the next, and for her to show off her sarcastic self.

“I tried to believe that. Of course, it would have been easier to believe if not for the fact I had to turn into a deer to duck out of the way of Jones pulling out a wand then firing glowing balls of hellish fire at me. ‘You are not going to Avada Kedavra me, Hermione!’ I shouted.”

For me the balance between comedy and mystery was off a bit and this book either should have been about 100 pages longer or should have one plot less to properly build up the mystery part and focus on that more. I mean, just the Ultralogist plotline would be good for a book if built up from scratch because it has a potential to be a twisting tale with interesting enough characters and villains. As it was, they felt like they were just in the story to have some bad guys for good measure. They felt lifeless, even though as I said, had the potential. A cult, especially a religious cult is always a good base for a book. Here the plot revolved more around the Dryad and Robyn and although this was interesting and raising a lot of questions, just wasn’t strong enough for a leading plot. Maybe if the Brotherhood was more involved, because that itself also has a lot of potential for a story. Probably less side characters crammed into such a short book would have been better too. We don’t really get to know them and they leave less space for the main characters to have their arcs, thus making it hard to connect with any of them.

Phipps obviously has fun writing this series and these characters. Once I put aside my initial misjudges after I read I Was a Teenage Weredeer I was able to enjoy the sequel much more. It’s witty, has a lot of references to pop culture (most of which I don’t get because I’m admittedly totally clueless), and a few turn of events which was actually surprising. But I can’t decide if I should take this book seriously (does it takes itself seriously?) or should I just look at it as some popcorn fun. Even so, An American Weredeer in Michigan improved compared to I Was a Teenage Weredeer. I could lean back, read, and just enjoy myself while giggling at some of Jane’s or the Merlin Gun’s comments. Who liked the first book of the Bright Falls Mysteries or C.T. Phipps’ other books, will find this one just as entertaining and full of deer puns which you’d think is impossible. If you are looking for some easy read, and Urban Fantasy with a comedy streak and a story with some moral lessons, shapeshifters and mages, the Bright Falls Mysteries might be up your alley.

[M.L. Spencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

In An American Weredeer in Michigan (The Bright Falls Mysteries Series Book 2) by C. T. Phipps and Michael Suttkus, Jane Doe is back in an action-popping sequel that is darker and with higher stakes—and yet with all the deer puns and pop culture references we adored in Book 1. I found myself glued to the edge of my ebook reader, frozen like a deer in the headlights. There’s a lot going on in this little book!
Jane, now shaman of Bright Falls, prances across a gruesome find in the forest near her home. She finds herself herded into a quest to find and slay the Earthmother’s avatar, mother of her half-druid friend Robyn. Aided by Alex and Lucien, two brothers who are both in love with her, Jane bounds out to challenge forces that seem well out of her league—but, rest assured, Jane is in a league all her own.
I really love the Weredeer series by Phipps and Suttkus. It presents us with a strong female lead in Jane, who is reminiscent of Bella from Twilight—but actually likeable and capable. Jane is wise (most of the time), cynical, quick with puns and yet very human (for a weredeer). Like Twilight, this series comes with its own shapeshifting love triangle with brothers Alex and Lucien—one a hero, the other an antihero. This is not a series that takes itself too seriously, but rather satirizes typical genre tropes. Nevertheless, it makes for a great story with characters that are deep enough for readers to really feel invested in and plot that is never predictable.
The one problem I had with the book is that I am not sure who the target audience is meant to be. I feel that this story is written for YA females, but I’m not sure if some of the pop culture references might be a little dated for that audience. That being said, Phipps and Suttkus have certainly cast a wide net, as this novel can be enjoyed by a much broader range of readers. I highly recommend this novel to people who enjoy YA and adult urban fantasy.

[M.K. Gibson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorkable pt. 2! Revenge of the Dork!

Disclaimer: I know CT Phipps and I was given the audiobook for free in exchange for an honest review.

BLUF: Just like the I Was a Teenage Weredeer, I liked An American Weredeer in Michigan. Picking up a little while after the events of book 1, Jane stumbles even more mystery in her home of Bright Falls MI. I won’t go into too many specifics, as certain plot points give away spoilers from book 1. But, needless to say, the sleepy town in MI is a hot spot for all types of supernatural chicanery.

The central plot of An American Weredeer in Michigan revolves around the unearthing a mass grave . . . of children. “Whoa!” you say, “There books are light hearted romps!” To which I respond, then you haven’t been paying attention to The United States of Monsters series. Comedy? Yes. Action. Yes. A never ending parade of pop culture? It’s a Phipps book, of course it is. But, Phipps and Suttkus never shy away from heavy topics amid their adventures, and An American Weredeer in Michigan is no different.

Jane, now 19, and fledgling wizard/shaman makes an unbreakable vow to find the killer of the children and bring them to just justice. What’s in her way? A cult of zealots, a gaggle of mercenaries, the love triangle she managed to get herself into between two brothers, oh, and the embodiment of nature itself.

Yup . . . it’s a packed one. And, just like the first book, one I enjoyed very much. Jane does everything in her power to stop the bad guys, save her parent’s diner from being paved over, bring peace to the souls of the dead, and stumble her way though her love life.

And, like the first book, I do have a few criticisms. Jane’s cavalier attitude towards death does not sit well with me. I don’t know if it is a darkness growing in her, or simply a “I’m a badass”. Either way, It’s something to keep an eye one. As well, we replace her best friend for a chunk of time with a character I did not really care for. This newcomer denies the existence of supernatural things over and over, despite being repeatedly shown otherwise. And because she is central to the plot, we must endure her. And like book one the pop culture never stops for good or for ill, and you can set your watch by how many times someone says racist, sexist, or something along those lines.

But, in the end, I enjoyed this book as much as the first. An American Weredeer in Michigan maintains the energy and youthful approach of book 1, while introducing some new twists and hiccups to Jane’s hectic life.

4/5 Stars.

[Trevor Sherman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted on my blog at https://thebloggoblin.com/2018/05/26/...

Urban Fantasy is not my favorite genre, but I am convinced C.T. Phipps can do no wrong. And when you add Michael Suttkus to the mix hilarity is sure to ensue. This is the second installment of the Bright Falls Mysteries and if anything it is even better than the first. Although the mystery in this one wasn’t that difficult to figure out. Here is the Blurb.

Life is not easy for the world’s first weredeer detective. A simple hike turns into a media circus when Jane Doe, her best friend Emma, and a pair of monster hunters find a mass grave. Determined to find the parties responsible, Jane soon discovers a sinister cult leader has decided to make Bright Falls, Michigan the home of his corrupt religion.

As if this wasn’t complicating her life enough, Jane also has to decide whether or not she wants to begin a relationship with FBI Special Agent Alex Timmons or local crime lord Lucien Lyons. Both men are determined to get to the bottom of the crime she’s investigating but may be distracted by their own agendas–as well as their love for Jane.

So why was it better than the first book? Well the main reason is there was much less introspection. The story is told from the POV of Jane Doe and in the first book she kind of got lost in thought and would get side tracked. It was a good way to explain to the reader things about the world and it was done well, but did tend to ramble. In this book Jane has Raguel in her head to keep her on track.

Who is Raguel? That is an easy question with a hard answer. Raguel, also called the Merlin gun is an angel that was turned into a sentient gun.

“The griffon let forth another ear-splitting howl before flying over near us, landing with a thump, and assuming a more leonine attack position. I pulled out the Merlin Gun, dropping my staff, and aimed at my attacker. “Ten points from Gryffindor!” Oh God and Goddess, that was terrible. Still, I fired, twice. It barely reacted, gnashing at me and advancing. Uh, why isn’t it dead? I asked my gun, It is an animal. It is not evil. Oh come on! I snapped. I don’t make the rules. Who does? I snapped. God.”



There are a few other new characters Like Kim Su and Robyn, but don’t worry all the old favorites are back. There is the adorable and ever cheerful Emma.

“Normal is overrated,” Emma said. “I’m a lesbian werewolf and proud of it.” “There’s nothing abnormal about either of those,” I said, unbuckling my seatbelt. “I mean, yeah, there’s some question about whether you need to tell a date you’ve maybe got heartworm, but you’re taking medicine for that.” Emma glared. “Buck off.” “Hehe,” I said, deliberately enunciating my laugh. “It’s funny because we’re both being racist at each other.” Emma smirked. “We both have mixed ancestries in more ways than one.” “America as it should be.”

And then there is the……. Alex.

“Yeah, I know it sounds a little strange…” I muttered, trailing off. “Strange? Hardly,” Alex said, smiling. “I talked with Carl Sagan’s ghost once. We smoked pot and discussed the nature of the universe as an accidental place versus a deterministic one as well as whether the nature of the latter would require intelligence. We also discussed how the Klingons looked in Star Trek: Discovery.”

I was given a copy of the audiobook by the author in exchange for an honest review. The Audiobook was narrated by Arielle DeLisle and she did an excellent job. She has the perfect voice for Jane and really brings her to life.
Final Thoughts
It is a fast paced romp that is not afraid to laugh at itself or anyone else. It is filled with strange yet wonderful characters. The dialog is witty with plenty of snark and the story itself will pull you in. And don’t forget the puns! Overall An American Weredeer in Michigan is an excellent sequel and I am setting my sights on book three. I give An American Weredeer in Michigan 5 stars.

[BookLoversLife · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jane just can't seem to get a break! Her parents are in witness protection and someone wants to buy their business. When on a picnic with Emma, she encounters not only two monster hunters, a weird religious fanatic who is an exceptionally strong wizard, but she also meets someone whom she promises to help, but that promise might just be the end of her. She is also the Shaman of Bright Falls now and is called into help with the discovery of a mass grave of infants.

I've read a few of this authors books but I have to say that this series is my favourite. Jane is just such a fun and likable character and the world the authors have created is awesome! I love the magic and fantastical creatures and the fact that most of them have come out to the world. The world building was well done and one of my favourite things about the books.

Jane is by far my favourite thing though!! Her attitude and joie de vivre just make her stand out. She is only a teen, yet has the weight of so much on her shoulders, but she always manages to stay up beat and fun. She is an admirable heroine!! I also loved that the authors kept her as a typical teen in ways. Her relationship with her BFF is awesome and I loved the dynamics between the two of them. I loathe love triangles, but I also know that a teenagers hormones will dictate things to them. Jane loves Alex and he does seem right for her, but then there is the bad boy Lucien, who she is drawn to. He makes her feel alive! I'd be happy with her ending up with either of them to be honest, but I think Alex is more suited to who Jane is.

Anyway, book 2 seems to have a lot more action and adventure than the first, which is always good!! This also felt a bit darker than the first, but still had plenty of the fun and laugh out loud moments. The authors throw out puns and pop culture references like there's no tomorrow, which makes for great reading. I sniggered so much while reading this that my kids were looking at me funny. I want to be a fly on the wall while these authors are plotting out the next book!!!

In all, this series is amazing. Well written and developed, with amazing characters and a strong female lead, it's a must read for everyone. This author duo can do no wrong!!

Arielle DeLisle was amazing. She brings Janes' sassiness to life and captures each of the characters personalities perfectly. She is easy to listen to and has a pleasant voice.

I was given this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. This in no way affected nor influenced my thoughts

[Melissa Hayden · Rating 4 out of 5]

We get a few mysteries to solve. The pit of baby skeletons, Dr. Jones who brings a world of trouble with his desires, and Robyn's search. But we also have personal interests and conflicts. Jane's got two potential relationships brewing. We also meet new characters - Robyn, Larry, and Yolanda. Robyn is an interesting addition and we spend more time with her in the beginning.

What surprises me, how the authors manage to connect all these problems into one conversation. It's awesome. I wouldn't have pictured the conversation going as it did, but it fits the characters and the story. It all works together!

****FULL REVIEW TO FOLLOW****

[Miranda Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining!

I loved this book as much as the first one. Jane is entertaining and snarky which I love, and I love the conversation between the Merlin gun and her! I stayed up reading when I should have been sleeping because I needed to know what was happening next!! I cant wait for the next book!!

[Bookwyrm Speaks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very excited to hear that this book was being written. I gave the first book in the series, I Was A Teenage Weredeer, a glowing review. It was easily the best book I had read this year. That is, until this book, which actually surpasses the first book in all ways. I know the authors have more planned out in the series, which is in the same universe as CT Phipps's Straight Outta Fangton Series, so there are is a lot of potential stories in this series and universe.

The story starts a year after the last book. Jane is 19 now, and is basically the shaman of Bright Falls with her parents being hidden in Witness Protection. She is kind of muddling along in her job and in her love life, with FBI agent Alex Timmons out of town, and her attraction to Bright Falls bad boy Lucien Lyons put to the side, no matter how good looking he is, or what may have happened one drunken night! This is Jane's life as the story gets going.

While on a picnic with her best friend, the werewolf Emma O'Hara, two monster hunters sent by Alex come upon them, since they need some help on a case. Jane and Emma go with them, and discover a true horror: A mass collection of dead infant skeletons. This discovery sends Jane and crew on a quest to determine who left them for dead, and they are determined to stop it from happening again. Enter a charismatic immortal preacher, who is looking to kill Jane's mentor, Kim Su. Well, Jane's not down for that, either.

So starts a wild ride of a story, in which we discover Bright Falls has an actual god living in the woods, we meet a new character, Robyn, who's mysterious past is linked to the entire mystery. We also discover that there really was a King Arthur, although not quite like the stories say, as well as who Merlin really was. Jane's potential as a mage is explored, and her growth in power and skill are noticeable. The crew has to deal with a variety of challenges to find the truth about who is responsible for the deaths, and they find out the problem is a lot bigger than they could have ever imagined. Alex being accused of murdering the preacher? That's the least of the problems.

We also discover just what Alex went through in his abusive household, and his story is fleshed out more, and his relationship with Jane is more firmly defined. This all leads to the final showdown with the villain(s) and the results will effect the characters and the broader world. The final chapter has Jane meeting with the villain from the previous book, and settling that issue, but discovering that the world is a lot scarier than they expected. New opportunities are open to Jane and Alex, and we'll see where they go in book three.

Like book one, the characters are a great strength of this story. Jane is a fantastic character: Strong, with attitude to match, but still with moments of vulnerability and self discovery. She is a pop culture quote a minute machine and makes you like it, finding a quote for every situation. Alex is more fully fleshed out; his back story is truly tragic, and that gives insight into his motivations. The new additions, Robyn, and the hunters David and Yolanda, all add a new depth to the story, with Robyn really shining and sure to be a fan favorite, being a good foil to Jane. Learning more about Kim Su really fleshed her out as well, giving a view into her motivations. The villains are well drawn out as well, with realistic motivations (or lack of motivation) within the story line, which added to the level of threat to the heroes.

The setting of Bright Falls is probably one of my favorites in urban fantasy. The small lumber town that was the secret home to the Shifter leadership is a stroke of genius. The same town and leadership having to deal with the rest of the world after the Reveal of the supernatural is interesting, in the way that they now have to deal with tourists looking to take selfies with werewolves! Also, those same tourists are wanting to go into the surrounding woods on the look out for magic, of which Bright Falls has more than its fair share. The description of the town is so vivid, you can imagine it vividly in your mind. The new settings, including the Grove in the woods, are just perfect for the story. You'll see what I mean when you read it.

Ala in all, this book improves in every way on an already fantastic book one. The characters are more fleshed out, as is the setting. It has some interesting twists on mythology and really expands upon the themes of book one. Jane also shows just how far she's willing to go for justice, and that is pretty damn far. This may be my favorite effort by these authors, and that's saying a lot, since I am such a fan of their previous work. I can't recommend this book highly enough!

[Rebekah Teller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jane Doe is back in a bucking good story! If you enjoyed I Was A Teenage Weredeer, this sequel will not disappoint.

An American Weredeer in Michigan starts with a murder to solve—several actually. A mass grave of infants has been found in the forest, and whoever is sacrificing these children has been getting away with it for a long time. Jane is not about to walk away from such a heinous crime without finding the one responsible. Her best friend Emma also joins her to help and Jane's FBI-agent love interest, Alex, shows up to work the case as well.

This story picks up a few months after the first book. The aftermath of the last case is settling down and the town of Bright Falls seems to have found some balance.

Jane has been spending a lot more time learning to use her natural powers and she's now the official shaman of Bright Falls. Her new powers have not diminished her power of sarcasm, and she's able to keep her cool through emotional and spiritual crises.

To complicate things more, a traveling group of religious fanatics is in town, and one of their local members, Robyn, turns to Jane for help finding her biological parents, who abandoned Robyn when she was young.

People are turning to Jane more often for spiritual answers, her being the town shaman and all, but she's not quite comfortable with that part of the role. Jane is still trying to figure out her own beliefs in the midst of all this new "enlightenment" and she's not sure how to assure others yet. The further she gets into this case, the more she learns that supernatural problems rarely have clear-cut answers.

This book has fewer deer puns, which I missed, but more deer cussing, which I was easily a fan of. The characters felt much more complex in this book, which explored more of their pasts and their relationships to each other. There is a strong sense of evolution in Jane's character by the end of the story, too, where she finds more confidence and resolve in her life and what she wants to do with her future.

This is a fun urban fantasy with a complicated twist of events that's entertaining and unpredictable. It touches on some heartfelt issues and navigates tragedies with heroic ease. I'm certainly looking forward to the next one!

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review is here, on my blog!~

This is the continuing story of Jane Doe (yeah) the weredeer from Bright Falls, Michigan. In this volume, she and her best friend are innocently walking out in the woods and they find a mass grave of infant children. And so the hunt is on to figure out what sort of monster could do such a thing, while at the same time trying to save her family’s diner from being sold and demolished to be turned into a shopping mall, and preventing a local group of cultists from moving into town and establishing a base there.

While on the case, Jane and Emma meet one of the (former) cultists, a young woman named Robyn, who seems to have a connection to the children in the mass grave. She joins the case with a vengeance for…. vengeance. Jane also gets much advice and additional information from the Merlin gun that she keeps in her pocket, which is inhabited by an angel, Raguel. Being an angel, he has a pretty convincing point of view on religious topics that come up, and they do more than you’d think, because the theme of belief plays a pretty big part in this volume. Raguel is a great character (kind of character? Sentient gun?) and I rather liked him snarking at Jane or correcting her on religious or folklore trivia, hehehe.

Anyway, while Jane and her friends attempt to solve the whodunnit, we’ve got a love triangle happening between Jane and both Alex, the hot FBI agent, and Lucien, the hot drug dealer, who are foster brothers, and both still inexplicably want this girl. It has to be her sparkling personality, I guess. So, that’s still a thing. I’ll admit that I rolled my eyes a few times here in the beginning, because as some people might remember from my review of the first book in the series, I thought the romance between the three of them was hilariously contrived, but I guess if these two dudes are so determined be with this girl, then I guess it is what it is. I will give this one points for actually resolving the triangle in a way that makes sense and was satisfying. So, it’s less contrived now than it was at first. In the end, I admit that they make a cute couple, even if Jane makes some ridiculously stupid decisions along the way.

Jane is still nerdy AF, and throws out many a pop culture reference. Like a lot. So, if you’re not down with nerding out, maybe avoid this one. I thought many of them were enjoyable, and a few made me laugh. It feels like some were a little bit overused though. I mean, I’m not sure one UF novel needs two entire Star Trek Discovery references, and two entire ‘do or do not’ references. But, all the same, I nyyyeeeeerddded out, quite a bit throughout the whole thing. Today I learned (more) reasons I should not read further than I did into the Dune series. :D

The narrator, Arielle DeLisle, did a great job with this one, just as she did with the last one. She gives Jane a really good voice, and tells her story very well, as this story is told in the first person. Robyn, Maria, Emma, and Kim Su also had really great voices. Even the dudes got some great voices.

All told I enjoyed this one quite a bit. It started out a little rocky for me but once I got into it, I couldn’t help but listen to the entire thing in one sitting. I got a lot of work done. I hope to hear more of this story, because if any of Jane’s visions come to pass, there appears to be a lot of awesome on deck!

This review is based on a review copy of the audiobook. :)

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is one of Phillips best book yet.
this book Janes voice is a lot more natural and fun it'd not as forced at times like in the original. this series is the best mix of buffy meets doctor who and if you just want a fun urban fantasy with star wars references this a pretty good one especially by a indie author.

[Kat Phipps · Rating 5 out of 5]

Round two with my favorite weredeer, Jane Doe!! What’s that? Who is Jane?! What the buck!?! Bound don’t walk and pick up this smart, funny, pop culture droppin’, urban fantasy series!

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Note: Even though this is Book 2 in the series, it works just fine as a stand alone story.

Can we say that a grave full of children’s bones is just the thing to get Jane’s blood up! She’s certainly not one to sit back and not investigate this. She’s working with her trusty sidekick, Emma the wolfshifter, and a new character, Robyn. She’s pretty hot about the bones as well and willing to take out a deity or two to prevent any further children being discarded.

What I loved most about this book was the quick back and forth pop culture references and even insults among friends. I also found it amusing how Jane and her friends tackle racism against shifters with two more new characters, Larry and Yolanda. They are Hunters and Michigan doesn’t allow hunting of shifter animals. So they are obviously outside their jurisdiction but they do have some useful skills. Besides, Alex is friends with them (which Jane finds hard to stomach sometimes).

The hunt for answers was my second favorite element of the story. It’s a murder mystery with fantasy elements and Robyn is ready to go off half cocked. She wants vengeance, not justice and Jane foolishly allowed herself to get maneuvered into promising to help her. This is a very big deal for the supernatural community because if you can’t keep your word, then you have very little coin in that community.

I did find the romance element a little silly. Jane is dating Alex, but in the past she kinda saw his brother Lucien, but apparently there’s been some miscommunication because Lucien sees things differently. Anyhoo, it’s made things all kinds of awkward for Jane, much to the amusement of her friends and frenemies. At first, it was cute, but then I felt it was brought up more than necessary. I was all into the action, the murder, the vengeance! That’s what I wanted. 4.5/5 stars.

I received a free copy of this book. My opinions are wholly my own.

The Narration: Arielle DeLisle was awesome in narrating this book. She’s perfect for our main character Jane and I love her wide variety of voices for all the other characters. She does Yolanda’s older, jaded voice quite well. I liked her doggy voice for Emma when she’s in wolf form. Her male voices sounded masculine. There were no technical issues with this recording. 5/5 stars.

[Ammon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is for the audiobook version of An American Weredeer in Michigan read by Ariel DeLisle.

Phipps proves his first foray into YA was no fluke. Weredeer is very fun. If you enjoyed the first book in the series then picking up this one is a no-brainer. I have to warn you though--more deer puns.

Jane Doe returns as do BFF Emma, love interest Alex, and bad boy Lucien. Sadly, no one from Fangtown makes an appearance in this book either. Jane shows some maturity and growth here in her love life and takes charge earlier on in this book than it's predecessor.

The only criticism I could find against Weredeer is it feels a little pushy or agenda-ish or lecture-y (I can make up words) with regards to its LGBT characters. Inclusion is fine and great as long as its organic and helps to aid the reader/listener in empathizing or connecting with the characters and not used as a political device. How Emma's LGBT nature is portrayed made me less interested in her as a character instead of more.

Ariel DeLisle shows improvement as narrator from book 1 to book 2 in this series. She does a fine job of giving each character a distinct and distinguishable voice.

Once again, fans of Jim Butcher's Dresden or Kevin Hearne's Iron Druid series will find plenty to enjoy here (albeit the Bright Falls Mysteries series has a slightly more YA than the aforementioned Butcher and Hearne series) -- fun characters, witty banter, magic, etc.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

[Ed Nemo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliantly fun tale of a shamanic werecervid guarding the town of Bright Falls from the forces of evil.

Jane Doe, newly minted weredeer shaman uses her powers of magic and her talking angelic gun to stop an evil cultist and bring another god to justice.
Besides having an amazing protagonist, her friends are all incredibly fun and complex individuals. Emma the werewolf best friend. Alex the boyfriend FBI mage. Lucien the weredragon drug baron. Hunters, water elementals, dryads, and ancient sorcerers round out the mix of a frenzy of supernatural heroes and villains.

With the introduction of a new Big Bad, the team has their work cut out for them. While they have removed two main bad guys as a threat, they now know they have an even bigger problem.

I am loving this series. Fantastic and fun characters in a brilliantly written story.

[Todd Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am seriously loving this series. I usually do not enjoy shifter books, but this series is great! I was a little skeptical about book one but tried it because I love the author. I was excited about listening to book 2. Now I'm hoping for a book 3! A fun shifter/paranormal book with a very enjoyable narration by Arielle DeLisle!

[Matthew Davenport · Rating 5 out of 5]

An American Weredeer in Michigan is the newest urban fantasy novel from C.T. Phipps and Michael Suttkus. The book takes place a year after the events of the first book, I was a Teenage Weredeer, and follows the same protagonist, Jane Doe. The entire series takes place in a world that has gone through the "Reveal" a time in which supernatural elements of the world are known to everyone and the world is still reacting to that information. Michigan is, more or less, a safe place to be, but a lot of people didn't react well to the revelation and a new type of racism bursts forth.
So, when the new Shaman of Bright Falls, Jane, discovers a mass grave of discarded babies she already had a lot on her plate. Someone has been discarding newborns for the last hundred or so years, and it's an atrocity that can't go unpunished. Teaming up with her crew from the last book, Jane is on a quest to stop the murder of innocent lives...
Until a few more things come up. First, there's a cult leader/wizard who wants to find the person or being responsible for the massacre and harness them for his own purposes. Also, money is an issue for the young and inexperienced Jane, and she's struggling to make ends meet when the current leader of the werewolves wants to buy out her family business. Jane is, of course, reluctant to sell.
Oh, and her boyfriend's brother is super into her. Her day is going to be a busy one.
Jane is a snarky protagonist in the vein of Harry Dresden and I love her for it.
I like ( a lot) how Phipps makes you feel the tension between Alex, Jane, and Lucien. The relationship, or confusion considering it, between herself and Lucien, and herself and Alex, is something that Phipps and Suttkus build up really well. Robyn, a new character introduced in this story, I like specifically because of her "Watson-esque" role she's taken over for Jane. She becomes our outsider that helps us understand things while playing a pivotal role to the story, and I love that. She also feels like she came from Straight out of Fangton (another book that takes place in this universe, but not in this series), in her personality, which really helps tie the two series together in a thematic way.
I can't recommend the Weredeer series by Phipps and Suttkus more. We have books that we read for fun and enjoyment, and we have books that we read as guilty pleasures. This is one of my guilty pleasures, falling into the snarky hero/urban fantasy genre that I always go back to.
5 out of 5, will grab up the next one as soon as it is out.

[Brian's Book Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

An EnDEERing Story Full of Awesome Characters

See what I did there? If you don’t like that, then this book isn’t for you. Though An American Weredeer in Michigan has a lot fewer puns than the original book in the series – they were still there and made me laugh just as hard. I can imagine Phipps and Suttkus chatting with each other trying to come up with the ultimate deer-related pun. I’m also curious which one they each liked the most.

An American Weredeer in Michigan (man, that’s a mouthful – that’s what she said… sorry) is one of those stories that you just enjoy. It was pure enjoyment from beginning to end – Phipps and Suttkus really know how to write characters that you want to follow. Jane is endearing (yes, I spelled it right this time) and a little doe-eyed at times, but she’s also funny and relentless. I just love everything about her. If she were a real person I could definitely see being friends with her.

American Weredeer and the entire Bright Falls Mysteries series was one that I jumped into not fully sure what to expect, but I came out a completely changed man. Phipps and Suttkus have this way of writing that drew me in and won’t let me go. They’re all so enjoyable and fun from beginning to end.

There was more teenage drama in this one, but what do you expect when you have a 19-year-old main character. There’s going to be drama – it’s inevitable. And I thought that it was well thought out and appropriate for the amount of drama and stress that Jane and co have had to go through.

One of my particularly favorite scenes (there shouldn’t be any spoilers here) was when Jane pets and nuzzles the Werewolf version of her best friend – to which she replies “you know you’re the only one I let do this?” I don’t know why I just found that perfect and hilarious. I think partially because of the character building and dynamic between the two of them, but it was great.

I thought that Arielle DeLisle was perfect once again for the role of Jane and the overall narrator of the book. She has a young-sounding voice that lends itself well to the character that was written. She has an easy to listen to voice that made the story fly by.

Overall, I think this might have been even better than the first book – and it intrigues me to see what else can happen in Bright Falls. Phipps and Suttkus – you have me hooked!

[AudioBookReviewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

My original An American Weredeer in Michigan audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.

Jane Doe finds herself in yet another mess in Michigan!  Seems she can’t take a step in the woods without stepping right in it!  Enjoying a picnic with Emma, Jane encounters two monster hunters, a religious fanatic who wants to be the world’s strongest wizard and discovers a mass grave!

Jane finds herself facing down yet another entity as well as figuring out how to live now that mom and dad are in witness protection! Oh, then there’s the little thing between her, agent “hottie” Alex and “luscious” Lucien!  Male testosterone is in full “charge ahead” mode leaving one anticipating a knock down drag out between the two brothers.

C.T. Phipps and Michael Suttku are excellent storytellers utilizing snark, whimsical and humorous writing and dialog styles to tell the story of young Jane Doe.   Skilled in puns, the authors cleverly utilize their talent to draw the audience in and make them laugh.  This is a fun, easy read with lots of laughable moments.  I enjoy this series, it has everything – supernatural, mystery, romance, clever writing and … well, it’s just fun!  Of course, there are a lot of folks who think I am nuts given my frequent outbursts of laughter and such while in public with a Bluetooth headphone in!  My one question – when’s the next one????

The narrator, Arielle DeLisle performed the audiobook expertly.  She brought the book to life with her talent and enthusiasm.  She is Jane Doe!!

There were no issues with the production or quality of this book.   I highly recommend this series if you like light, fun reading with mystery and supernatural creatures!

Audiobook was provided for review by the author.

[Al Burke · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author very kindly gave me an audio copy of his book for my listening pleasure, and perchance a review. Both of said boxes have now been ticked. There are also minor spoilers.

Jane Doe is a hoot. If you haven't read I was a Teenage Weredeer, please do so right now. She's sassy, sarky and steeped in pop culture references most teenagers only know from their parents (if they don't already know everything and still listen to them). The narrator nails the job, making her sound like, well, not a pain-in-the-ass teenager.

The story moves on from the first in the series. Having completed "The Quest," Jane has gotten on with life, and much of the novel seems to focus on that. At times it seems a bit superfluous, going over the first in the series (I'm not a fan of such tactics), but it's still darn funny, so it gets a hall pass. There's a new bad guy in town, but is all as it appears to be? This is Bright Falls, so you better believe there's more twists and turns than a bag of rotini.

Similar to the Agent G sequel (which also waxed too much about the original), the action and plot really ramp it up over the last quarter of the book, and the payoff is worth it. While not unique, it's at least as funny as the original, and well worth reading/listening to. If you want a complaint, I thought the narrator didn't quite echo my take on Alex.

Check it out. You know you want to...

[Briar Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

As soon as you pick up this book and find out that the main character, a weredeer detective, is named Jane Doe, you should know that the story is going to have some delightful tongue-in-cheek moments…and it does! We first met Jane in book 1 of this series – I was a Teenage Weredeer (this is book 2).

In short, the book does not disappoint. It is fun, moves along nicely and just dark enough in places to make this enjoyable for an adult audience.

Jane is a strong female lead who discovers several dead babies, buried in one grave that looks like it dates back over 100 years but continues to be added to. Very creepy but compelling. We follow Jane in her quest to discover who is doing this, and, how to stop them. The story gets to be intense, however, the sense of whimsy with these authors is ever present adding to the enjoyment of the read.

Charles and Michael’s writing is well thought out, with believable characters which can be difficult sometimes for fantasy novels. I started reading the book, then switched to the audible one. The voice over artist does a wonderful job with the story, so, if audible is more to your taste, this is a good one.

[Eric Allen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like with the first book, it was fine. It's not great. It's not terrible. It's just kind of there.

If you're looking for an urban fantasy series, look elsewhere. There are far, FAR better urban fantasy series than this. The book reads like it's trying way, way too hard to be a female led version of the Dresden Files, and even references the Dresden Files several times throughout. I mean, first off, don't constantly bring up the thing you're ripping off, and definitely don't remind people how much better it is while you do.

[Sean Duggan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, albeit a bit meandering

I like Charles Phipp's work in general. He takes his material seriously, but with a touch of whimsy. This book is a solid example of his work. That said, it didn't quite break the threshold for five stars for me. This is one of those books where plot advances from things happening to the protagonists more than from what they do, and it leaves one a bit unfulfilled in the end as a result.

[C.T. Phipps · Rating 5 out of 5]

A note from the author, I think Lucifer's Star and Cthulhu Armageddon are probably my best books but damn if this wasn't one of the funnest and easiest to write.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review and an extended sample of the audiobook are posted at Hotlistens.com.

Jane Doe, our nineteen year old weredeer lead character is at it again. She can’t help but stumble into trouble. It seems wherever she goes, she finds trouble. This time, while out on a picnic with her best friend and werewolf, Emma, they are met with two monster hunters. Then stumble upon a mass grave of baby skeletons.

The villain even has two different references that I always thought about when he was mentioned. Dr Jim Jones. There are times when they talk about Jim Jones, and yes, he is a cult leader too, which always made me think of Jonestown. Then other times, he’s called Dr. Jones, which makes me think of Indiana, which this Dr Jones really doesn’t match in my eyes.

So, Jane has to battle another baddie with a little help from her friends. Some hard choices have to be made by many. Jane’s gun continues to be snarky. We also learn more about the gun’s history.

Oh, should I mention Jane’s relationship issues? There is this hot FBI agent, Alex, who she has had a bit of a long distance thing going on with for a while. Then there is Lucien, mob boss who own a nightclub with a portal to hell. Oh, and he’s Alex’s adopted brother, Lucien being the one adopted into the family. Emma also has a crush on Jane. Jane is bisexual, but is a little creeped out about her best friend having a crush on her. There is just a lot going on here and I wish there was less. I think we’ve made some progress on this, but I’m not 100% sure yet.

This is a humorous mystery that will be enjoyed by urban fantasy and cozy mystery fans alike. While, I don’t think there are quite as many deer puns (evidently, that is something that weredeer just love, puns) in this book as the previous one, there are still plenty to keep you chuckling. There are also more than plenty pop culture references to make everyone happy.

I continue to enjoy the humor that these two authors bring to this series. I can’t wait to read more to see what’s next in store for Jane Doe and the gang.

Narration
I continue to enjoy Arielle DeLisle’s narration of this series. Her voice sounds a bit young, but since Jane is only nineteen, I’m okay with it. I like the voices she chooses for most of the characters. I don’t mind the men’s voices, which are pretty masculine when compared to Jane’s young voice. I like the women’s voices. I think she does a great job bringing out the humor in this series.

[Simon Philips · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Was a Teenage Weredeer and An American Weredeer in Michigan by C T Phipps

I received a copy of both books from the author in exchange for an unbiased review.

I will try to actively avoid spoilers in this review for both the first and second of the Bright Falls books.

These 2 books in the Jane Doe / Bright Falls Mysteries series were fun, quick reads. There were a few instances where I must confess I had to re-read the odd paragraph or sentence to get an idea of who said what but apart from that minor quibble, I must say that I really enjoyed these stories.

The characterisation of the protagonist was well written. In fact, I felt I knew and understood her character well by the end of the story. In contrast, her primary Gift was well explained and explored, however when she suddenly acquired access to ‘something else’, I was confused to how it happened. I thought there would be a need for practice, knowledge and understanding for that particular role? I understood that she had had some prior training but surely nowhere near enough to be able to declare herself to be the ‘something of somewhere’ and be taken seriously? But, that is exactly what she was able to do.

The story in the first book (I Was a Teenage Weredeer) functioned well as an origin story and set the scene very well, introducing characters and concepts early on that were integral to the plot.

There were some scenes at the end of the first book that were, I must confess, a little confusing to me and I had a little trouble visualising exactly what was going on to whom but I muddled through and it didn’t negatively impact the ending or the flow of the story.

I thought the second book (An American Weredeer in Michigan) was considerably better written, the story and the characterisation of the secondary characters was also well fleshed out. I particularly enjoyed the back and forth between Jane and the two male love interests even though I found it a little disconcerting that grown men would be so into an 18 – 19 year old.

The plot in the second book, now that the origin stuff was taken care of, was able to open out more and tell a much more balanced story that I quickly became engrossed in.

In summation, I recommend these books if you enjoy pop culture laden sarcastic humour with a healthy dose of urban fantasy elements. I do and did.