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Whisperings #2
The Demon Hunters
The sequel to Along Came a Demon:
I'm Tiff Banks and I talk to the violently slain. I've learned to live with that, in fact I've made a career out of it.
Ex-detective Royal Mortensen and I opened our own investigative agency, and I thought we made a good team. I felt secure in our personal relationship too, until our new clients turned up. Why did Royal take them on without consulting me, and why are they withholding information which could help solve their case? I don't think they're human, and Royal knows exactly what they are, but refuses to tell me. I think there's a lot Royal isn't telling me.
I discovered that while I looked into the disappearance of author Gia Sabato's lover, Royal investigated something far more sinister. Are the two cases connected? Does an authentic nineteenth-century journal have anything to do with either?
When the case turns ugly, so does my relationship with the one man I've come to trust. So I'll do what I do best: pound the pavement and talk to dead people. The dead are always watching, they can do nothing else. They whisper to me.
I'm Tiff Banks and I talk to the violently slain. I've learned to live with that, in fact I've made a career out of it.
Ex-detective Royal Mortensen and I opened our own investigative agency, and I thought we made a good team. I felt secure in our personal relationship too, until our new clients turned up. Why did Royal take them on without consulting me, and why are they withholding information which could help solve their case? I don't think they're human, and Royal knows exactly what they are, but refuses to tell me. I think there's a lot Royal isn't telling me.
I discovered that while I looked into the disappearance of author Gia Sabato's lover, Royal investigated something far more sinister. Are the two cases connected? Does an authentic nineteenth-century journal have anything to do with either?
When the case turns ugly, so does my relationship with the one man I've come to trust. So I'll do what I do best: pound the pavement and talk to dead people. The dead are always watching, they can do nothing else. They whisper to me.
238 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
31 people are currently reading
212 people want to read
About the author
Linda Welch
26 books107 followersBorn in England, Linda ended up in the USA and lived in New Mexico, Idaho and California before settling in the Wasatch Mountains of northern Utah near a small community called Eden. She lives there with her husband and Scottish terrier, and an awful lot of wildlife. She is the author of the Whisperings paranormal mysteries: Along Came a Demon, The Demon Hunters, Dead Demon Walking, Demon Demon Burning Bright, Demon on a Distant Shore, and A Conspiracy of Demons.
Also: Downside Rain, an urban fantasy, and Femme Fatales, a dark urban fantasy short story collection.
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Also: Downside Rain, an urban fantasy, and Femme Fatales, a dark urban fantasy short story collection.
Want to be the first to hear of new releases? Sign up with this form. I promise not to share your email address or clutter your inbox with spam.
http://eepurl.com/z98wf
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
April 14, 2011
~* 2.5 Stars *~
Not Much Hunt in This One
Tiff Banks is back to the business of listening to the whispers of the violently slain dead in this sequel to one of my favorite novellas, Along Came A Demon. Months after the events of that book, Tiff and her Gelpha partner and lover Royal have both drifted away from their jobs with the police and started their own private investigation firm, finding stolen fuzzballs for ludicrous rewards (which always make Tiff happy) and enjoying their growing relationship. Nothing good ever lasts, however, and soon Tiff is embroiled in a case Royal took behind her back for clients that, quite frankly, terrify Tiff, as she has no idea what they are beyond being really fricking scary. They're not demons (Gelpha), but they sure as heck aren't human either, and no amount of questioning can get Royal to tell Tiff what's going on. His odd behavior is putting their relationship on rocky ground, and the combination of a missing person case and Royal's actions are threatening to crumble everything good they have.
When a package arrives at Tiff's house, the contents send her into another direction, one seemingly unconnected to Royal's case. Feeling a bit spiteful, Tiff keeps Royal out of the loop on the handwritten journal she received and the story it contains. Soon secrets are being revealed and murders are piling up, and these clients of theirs, Gia and Daven, creatures Gelpha call the Dark Cousins, are neck deep in everything. Tiff just can't figure out why...but she will. Even if it kills her.
I am a huge fan of Along Came A Demon and I can't tell you how much I was looking forward to this sequel. I can tell you how disappointed I was by it and why, though. I am honestly perplexed as to what happened in this book. Unlike its predecessor, The Demon Hunters is plagued by an inconsistent plot full of holes and tenuous connections, a plethora of questions that go unanswered and an ill defined resolution that was abrupt and succinct to the point of confusion. I had mentioned in my review of Along Came A Demon that I felt that resolution was also oddly abrupt, but I credited that to the constraints of a novella length story. Now I'm not so sure.
There was so much that just seemed wrong, but I'll try to hit on the highlights. The opening chapters that cover the exposition of the story while sending Tiff and Royal out on a cat caper were in a lighthearted tone that matched the previous book in the series, but other than a few scenes with Tiff's ghostly roommates, the rest of the book is much darker and far more serious. So much so that it felt like they could have been in separate books. The mystery of just what Gia and Daven are is interesting to start, but unrewarding and frustrating by the end. I'm firmly in the camp of "if it walks like a vampire and talks like a vampire..." but Tiff was quite adamant in willfully not entertaining even the possibility, which didn't make any sense to me. She sees dead people and her lover is a being from an alternate universe. At some point you think she'd cotton to the idea that there are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio... But she doesn't, and it's unrewarding.
I'm still not fond of how the relationship between Tiff and Royal is written - that's another constant from the first book. There just isn't anything there to read, really, and readers are just sort of told they're together and it's wonderful...then it's not...then it's okay...then it's up in the air...with no real connection or any development to transition from stage to stage. Frankly, I'd prefer that the relationship aspect be dropped completely if it's going to be so anemic in each story, though I have to admit, I'm not a large fan of Royal and don't think he's been particularly well defined. The ghosts get more attention in both books than he does.
As to the plot itself, once you strip away the threads of what the Dark Cousins are, it becomes a sort of uninteresting murder mystery and the pieces seemed really disjointed to me. I just think their could have been ways to go about solving the case to make it more interesting, but as it was written, it just wasn't. Again, though, the frustration seeped in when the head honcho responsible for all the badness was so obviously on a vampire vendetta and yet, no mention of the possibility of vampires existing...even if they're like demons (Gelpha) to Tiff - something she'd call vampires, though she knows they're really a different race altogether. I can appreciate the author trying to stay away from the overwritten vampire genre, and to make a stylistic decision to keep vampires out of her books, if that's what she did, but to ignore the concept and idea altogether just started to smack of stubborn ignorance after a time, and that's not attractive in characters.
The absolute best part of the book, though, was also the most confusing. After Tiff gets the journal of a young British girl on an expedition in Burma in 1887, she starts to read it - and that's where this book totally shines. Elizabeth's adventure was gripping, interesting, fascinating, and extraordinarily well written. I loved every word of her journal. The bad news is that the connection between the journal and the case is so flimsy and handled so clumsily, that it lost any and all impact as a significant force in solving the case. But it was truly and exceptionally well written in its own right.
I have no idea if we'll be seeing the Dark Cousins again, or if we'll ever get any sort of explanation for what they were and why the Gelpha High Lord wanted to see them, only to ignore them once they were in Bel-Athaer. I desperately wish we'd been given some clue in this book, but the issue may be redeemed if the race is in future books. As it stands, there was just too much in this book that was inconsistent, poorly developed, unexplained, and frustrating to enjoy the story. The third book in the Whispering series, Dead Demon Walking, was previewed at the end of The Demon Hunters. I'll be reading it when it's available based on the promise of the first book and my interest in Tiff and her abilities, but I can only hope that some of the issues I had in this book are resolved, because I don't know if I'd continue any further in the series if it's more like this one than the first.
~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.
Not Much Hunt in This One
Tiff Banks is back to the business of listening to the whispers of the violently slain dead in this sequel to one of my favorite novellas, Along Came A Demon. Months after the events of that book, Tiff and her Gelpha partner and lover Royal have both drifted away from their jobs with the police and started their own private investigation firm, finding stolen fuzzballs for ludicrous rewards (which always make Tiff happy) and enjoying their growing relationship. Nothing good ever lasts, however, and soon Tiff is embroiled in a case Royal took behind her back for clients that, quite frankly, terrify Tiff, as she has no idea what they are beyond being really fricking scary. They're not demons (Gelpha), but they sure as heck aren't human either, and no amount of questioning can get Royal to tell Tiff what's going on. His odd behavior is putting their relationship on rocky ground, and the combination of a missing person case and Royal's actions are threatening to crumble everything good they have.
When a package arrives at Tiff's house, the contents send her into another direction, one seemingly unconnected to Royal's case. Feeling a bit spiteful, Tiff keeps Royal out of the loop on the handwritten journal she received and the story it contains. Soon secrets are being revealed and murders are piling up, and these clients of theirs, Gia and Daven, creatures Gelpha call the Dark Cousins, are neck deep in everything. Tiff just can't figure out why...but she will. Even if it kills her.
I am a huge fan of Along Came A Demon and I can't tell you how much I was looking forward to this sequel. I can tell you how disappointed I was by it and why, though. I am honestly perplexed as to what happened in this book. Unlike its predecessor, The Demon Hunters is plagued by an inconsistent plot full of holes and tenuous connections, a plethora of questions that go unanswered and an ill defined resolution that was abrupt and succinct to the point of confusion. I had mentioned in my review of Along Came A Demon that I felt that resolution was also oddly abrupt, but I credited that to the constraints of a novella length story. Now I'm not so sure.
There was so much that just seemed wrong, but I'll try to hit on the highlights. The opening chapters that cover the exposition of the story while sending Tiff and Royal out on a cat caper were in a lighthearted tone that matched the previous book in the series, but other than a few scenes with Tiff's ghostly roommates, the rest of the book is much darker and far more serious. So much so that it felt like they could have been in separate books. The mystery of just what Gia and Daven are is interesting to start, but unrewarding and frustrating by the end. I'm firmly in the camp of "if it walks like a vampire and talks like a vampire..." but Tiff was quite adamant in willfully not entertaining even the possibility, which didn't make any sense to me. She sees dead people and her lover is a being from an alternate universe. At some point you think she'd cotton to the idea that there are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio... But she doesn't, and it's unrewarding.
I'm still not fond of how the relationship between Tiff and Royal is written - that's another constant from the first book. There just isn't anything there to read, really, and readers are just sort of told they're together and it's wonderful...then it's not...then it's okay...then it's up in the air...with no real connection or any development to transition from stage to stage. Frankly, I'd prefer that the relationship aspect be dropped completely if it's going to be so anemic in each story, though I have to admit, I'm not a large fan of Royal and don't think he's been particularly well defined. The ghosts get more attention in both books than he does.
As to the plot itself, once you strip away the threads of what the Dark Cousins are, it becomes a sort of uninteresting murder mystery and the pieces seemed really disjointed to me. I just think their could have been ways to go about solving the case to make it more interesting, but as it was written, it just wasn't. Again, though, the frustration seeped in when the head honcho responsible for all the badness was so obviously on a vampire vendetta and yet, no mention of the possibility of vampires existing...even if they're like demons (Gelpha) to Tiff - something she'd call vampires, though she knows they're really a different race altogether. I can appreciate the author trying to stay away from the overwritten vampire genre, and to make a stylistic decision to keep vampires out of her books, if that's what she did, but to ignore the concept and idea altogether just started to smack of stubborn ignorance after a time, and that's not attractive in characters.
The absolute best part of the book, though, was also the most confusing. After Tiff gets the journal of a young British girl on an expedition in Burma in 1887, she starts to read it - and that's where this book totally shines. Elizabeth's adventure was gripping, interesting, fascinating, and extraordinarily well written. I loved every word of her journal. The bad news is that the connection between the journal and the case is so flimsy and handled so clumsily, that it lost any and all impact as a significant force in solving the case. But it was truly and exceptionally well written in its own right.
I have no idea if we'll be seeing the Dark Cousins again, or if we'll ever get any sort of explanation for what they were and why the Gelpha High Lord wanted to see them, only to ignore them once they were in Bel-Athaer. I desperately wish we'd been given some clue in this book, but the issue may be redeemed if the race is in future books. As it stands, there was just too much in this book that was inconsistent, poorly developed, unexplained, and frustrating to enjoy the story. The third book in the Whispering series, Dead Demon Walking, was previewed at the end of The Demon Hunters. I'll be reading it when it's available based on the promise of the first book and my interest in Tiff and her abilities, but I can only hope that some of the issues I had in this book are resolved, because I don't know if I'd continue any further in the series if it's more like this one than the first.
~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.
July 19, 2010
Tiff Banks sees the violently slain. Together with her demon partner Royal she utilizes her unique talent to retrieve a kidnapped, overweight cat just to contribute her share to the partnership in their detective agency.
But this is only an introduction, making readers familiar again with the protagonists of Linda Welch's first Whisperings Novel, Along Came a Demon.
Tiff and her partner are hired by a couple of very - well, persuasive - otherworldy Dark Cousins to find their companion. Tiff is sent the diary of a young British girl killed in Burma (today called Myanmar) over a hundred years ago. Tiff feels as if she can't let go of reading that story - just like I myself couldn't put down Linda's book.
The plot subtly gains speed and tension as Tiff puts pieces of the puzzle together: someone has taken to systematically murdering otherworldy people, and their clients might be on his list, too. And what has a long dead British girl got to do with it?
By its air of suspense and complexity I was totally drawn into the story - in the end, there's only one disappointment: Linda hasn't finished her third Whisperings novel yet!
But this is only an introduction, making readers familiar again with the protagonists of Linda Welch's first Whisperings Novel, Along Came a Demon.
Tiff and her partner are hired by a couple of very - well, persuasive - otherworldy Dark Cousins to find their companion. Tiff is sent the diary of a young British girl killed in Burma (today called Myanmar) over a hundred years ago. Tiff feels as if she can't let go of reading that story - just like I myself couldn't put down Linda's book.
The plot subtly gains speed and tension as Tiff puts pieces of the puzzle together: someone has taken to systematically murdering otherworldy people, and their clients might be on his list, too. And what has a long dead British girl got to do with it?
By its air of suspense and complexity I was totally drawn into the story - in the end, there's only one disappointment: Linda hasn't finished her third Whisperings novel yet!
May 13, 2011
I love Linda Welch’s voice. I enjoy seeing through Tiff Banks eyes (especially when she is looking at Royal ). Yeah, I have a thing for this demon (he is actually Gelpha) Tiff and Royal start their own detective agency and their relationship is moving along nicely in spite of Tiff’s trust issues. We meet a new race of beings called “Dark Cousins”. They have a lot in common with Royal’s people, but the Gelpha are terrified of them. We learn a little about them in this book, but I think we will be seeing them again in future books.
Royal and Tiff have to help them find who is killing Gelpha and Dark Cousins. The investigation takes many dark turns Tiff begins to wonder if she can trust Royal.
There was a secondary story going on that I found just as interesting as the murder mystery.
read the rest of my review
http://www.loveromancepassion.com/rev...
Royal and Tiff have to help them find who is killing Gelpha and Dark Cousins. The investigation takes many dark turns Tiff begins to wonder if she can trust Royal.
There was a secondary story going on that I found just as interesting as the murder mystery.
read the rest of my review
http://www.loveromancepassion.com/rev...
March 6, 2010
The Demon Hunters is the second book in the series. Tiff Banks and Royal are now partners in a detective agency. Tiff can talk to those who died a violent death and Royal is from another dimension. When a new group of characters called the Dark Cousins arrive and demand their help relations between the two become very strained. Tiff does not understand why they are taking the case and Royal is under a compulsion that keeps him from telling her what is going on
.
This is as good as Along Came a Demon. There is good character development, the paranormal world is expanded and the plot moves at a brisk pace. Linda Welch is an author to watch.
.
This is as good as Along Came a Demon. There is good character development, the paranormal world is expanded and the plot moves at a brisk pace. Linda Welch is an author to watch.
July 23, 2011
The addition of the new characters was brilliant. The first Whisperings book was so good and this second book took it to the next level. Exploring the world of Mortensen was fascinating and the Dark Cousins add a mystery which is seductively dangerous. I found the way the story unfolded to be irresistible. I am very much looking forward to the next book.
July 28, 2011
Love the cover! Didn't get to see this on my kindle:)
Another great outing for Tiff and Royal who now run their own detective agency. Tiff becomes involved with the Dark Cousins who are mysterious otherworlders who the Gelpha know of and have a wary respect of, though Royal and Tiff don't trust them, they agree to help them.
Another great outing for Tiff and Royal who now run their own detective agency. Tiff becomes involved with the Dark Cousins who are mysterious otherworlders who the Gelpha know of and have a wary respect of, though Royal and Tiff don't trust them, they agree to help them.
March 9, 2010
Another fun read from Linda Welch. She provides a good balance between character development and plot. The characters are interesting and distinctive. I'm looking forward to reading more in this series.
October 2, 2014
But, soft: behold! lo where it comes again!
I’ll cross it, though it blast me. – Stay, illusion!
If thou hast any sound, or use a voice.
Speak to me. – Hamlet 1.1
Why, what care I ? If thou canst nod, speak too, -
If charnel-houses, and our graves, must send
Those that we bury, back, our monuments
Shall be the maws of kites. – (Macbeth, 3.4)
There is no ghost clause in that lease. – David Simmons
I know it is silly, but when I find an author I wasn’t previously aware of who really catches my interest and makes me go Ooh! I always feel smug. Like I am the first person who has found this particular author and deserve a pat on the back. Ha! As If!!
Anyway, when I found Linda Welch and Along Came A Demon I got that same feeling. A giggly, bubbly feeling as I read an Urban Fantasy or Paranormal Mystery that is just enough different than the norm, and just far enough along the curve of creativity to make me sit up and take notice. And spend way too many of my sleeping hours reading to be health when I have a bad cold and need my rest. Ah well! It was worth it…
Tiff Banks (don’t ever call her “Tiffany” if you know what is good for you – hey, she is 6’4″ – does that sound like a Tiffany to you?) Got a short, sharp shock a few years ago, when she realized the woman she was passing in the doorway of a cafe in San Francisco was covered in blood, apparently shot. Screaming for someone to call 9-1-1 and trying to talk the woman into sitting down until the ambulance arrived, she was horrified that everyone around her just stared at her and turned away. Well, that is how crazy people screaming about ambulances and dying women get looked at when there is obviously nobody standing there with blood all over them, right?
Since that time, Tiff has moved back to her old home town of Clarion, in the Utah mountains. Well, it has to be better than dealing with the massive number of dead people that surround her in San Francisco, right? Humm…. well, there may not be as many, but they are still there. Wow, look at that. She even has two of them living in her house. Jack and Mel were murdered there, though it wasn’t in the realtor’s disclosure forms. Well, no wonder, since the guy who owned the house before didn’t really advertise the fact that he had kidnapped and murdered two people and buried them in the basement. Well, it’s done now, and Tiff is stuck with her ‘roomies’ – even though their murderer has moved on, which should allow them to do so as well, neither intends on being reasonable. Although, with her roll as ‘speaker to the dead’ for the Clarion PD their assistance is often useful as she helps the PD track down murderers. And then again, sometimes they can just be a huge pain in the backside.
“There’s a naked woman in the garden,” Jack said.
Huh? Will you look at that? The dead aren’t supposed to wander from where they died, but Coralinda Marchant certainly has. And what happens next is one of the more creative takes on the supernatural I have found for a while – a take I am certainly enjoying! In this first book of the series Tiff is drawn into the murder of Coralinda and the search for her missing son into a world she knew was there, but really, really didn’t want to get into. For there are demons in the world, and those demons want the boy. And they aren’t hesitant to come after Tiff to get him. The concepts and ideas in play are fun, creative and at times kept my right on the edge of my seat as I held my breath, wondering why demons would want a little boy born on November 9, 2002 – or why so many little boys born on that date are now dead, murdered in unspeakable ways.
The second book of the series, The Demon Hunters, is just as good. Now partnered with a demon ex-cop from the first book, Tiff and Royal have opened their own detective agency. With Royal’s preternatural connections, strength and speed, and Tiff’s ability to talk to the dead, they make a good team – and the ‘bad guy’ demons still being after the two of them, working together gives them an edge. But now, they have new clients. And these clients could be even more deadly than the monsters they are chasing. The Dark Cousins of Royals people, the Gelpha, the good old DC are scary beyond all reason, and not afraid to mind bind, or murder, to reach their goals.
Townsman #1: Hey, Pacha, you just missed your relatives.
Pacha: My relatives?
Townsman #1: Yeah, we just sent them up to your house.
Pacha: What’d they look like?
Townsman #1: Well there was this big guy, and this older woman who was… well, how would you describe her?
Townsman #2: Ah, scary beyond all reason?
Townsman #1: Yeah, that’s it.
They have Royal’s mind locked up tight, and now Tiff is more on her own than not in trying to help Daven Clare and Gia Sabato, a monster in her own right, find her lover, Alissario Arellano (Rio) Borrego, who has been captured by an unknown party for an unknown reason. Well, not totally unknown. For both Dark Cousins and Gelpha are being burned and beheaded, just like a human would think to kill a vampire . . . but how is the murderer finding his victims all over the world? How are they being recognized, when no one other than Tiff seems to be able to recognize them under their glamour?
Welch as a way with a turn of phrase, a strong streak of humour, and a way of looking at life and relationships that is highly appealing. This isn’t your typical “vampires and werewolves” urban fantasy. Instead, Welch has gone in another, more creative direction that I am tickled to have found!
I know, I have to put down the Linda Welch and get my work done. Lots of books to read and review, edits to do. I know, I know . . . but these things are like potato chips – I can’t just eat one and walk away! Well, I read two, one after the other, but you know what I mean. And I don’t even know how Along Came A Demon wound up on my reader! Maybe she did a giveaway at some point and I grabbed it them? Anyway, I am just glad it did. And I will absolutely be reading more of this series. I just have to not . . . do . . . it . . . now . . .
I’ll cross it, though it blast me. – Stay, illusion!
If thou hast any sound, or use a voice.
Speak to me. – Hamlet 1.1
Why, what care I ? If thou canst nod, speak too, -
If charnel-houses, and our graves, must send
Those that we bury, back, our monuments
Shall be the maws of kites. – (Macbeth, 3.4)
There is no ghost clause in that lease. – David Simmons
I know it is silly, but when I find an author I wasn’t previously aware of who really catches my interest and makes me go Ooh! I always feel smug. Like I am the first person who has found this particular author and deserve a pat on the back. Ha! As If!!
Anyway, when I found Linda Welch and Along Came A Demon I got that same feeling. A giggly, bubbly feeling as I read an Urban Fantasy or Paranormal Mystery that is just enough different than the norm, and just far enough along the curve of creativity to make me sit up and take notice. And spend way too many of my sleeping hours reading to be health when I have a bad cold and need my rest. Ah well! It was worth it…
Tiff Banks (don’t ever call her “Tiffany” if you know what is good for you – hey, she is 6’4″ – does that sound like a Tiffany to you?) Got a short, sharp shock a few years ago, when she realized the woman she was passing in the doorway of a cafe in San Francisco was covered in blood, apparently shot. Screaming for someone to call 9-1-1 and trying to talk the woman into sitting down until the ambulance arrived, she was horrified that everyone around her just stared at her and turned away. Well, that is how crazy people screaming about ambulances and dying women get looked at when there is obviously nobody standing there with blood all over them, right?
Since that time, Tiff has moved back to her old home town of Clarion, in the Utah mountains. Well, it has to be better than dealing with the massive number of dead people that surround her in San Francisco, right? Humm…. well, there may not be as many, but they are still there. Wow, look at that. She even has two of them living in her house. Jack and Mel were murdered there, though it wasn’t in the realtor’s disclosure forms. Well, no wonder, since the guy who owned the house before didn’t really advertise the fact that he had kidnapped and murdered two people and buried them in the basement. Well, it’s done now, and Tiff is stuck with her ‘roomies’ – even though their murderer has moved on, which should allow them to do so as well, neither intends on being reasonable. Although, with her roll as ‘speaker to the dead’ for the Clarion PD their assistance is often useful as she helps the PD track down murderers. And then again, sometimes they can just be a huge pain in the backside.
“There’s a naked woman in the garden,” Jack said.
Huh? Will you look at that? The dead aren’t supposed to wander from where they died, but Coralinda Marchant certainly has. And what happens next is one of the more creative takes on the supernatural I have found for a while – a take I am certainly enjoying! In this first book of the series Tiff is drawn into the murder of Coralinda and the search for her missing son into a world she knew was there, but really, really didn’t want to get into. For there are demons in the world, and those demons want the boy. And they aren’t hesitant to come after Tiff to get him. The concepts and ideas in play are fun, creative and at times kept my right on the edge of my seat as I held my breath, wondering why demons would want a little boy born on November 9, 2002 – or why so many little boys born on that date are now dead, murdered in unspeakable ways.
The second book of the series, The Demon Hunters, is just as good. Now partnered with a demon ex-cop from the first book, Tiff and Royal have opened their own detective agency. With Royal’s preternatural connections, strength and speed, and Tiff’s ability to talk to the dead, they make a good team – and the ‘bad guy’ demons still being after the two of them, working together gives them an edge. But now, they have new clients. And these clients could be even more deadly than the monsters they are chasing. The Dark Cousins of Royals people, the Gelpha, the good old DC are scary beyond all reason, and not afraid to mind bind, or murder, to reach their goals.
Townsman #1: Hey, Pacha, you just missed your relatives.
Pacha: My relatives?
Townsman #1: Yeah, we just sent them up to your house.
Pacha: What’d they look like?
Townsman #1: Well there was this big guy, and this older woman who was… well, how would you describe her?
Townsman #2: Ah, scary beyond all reason?
Townsman #1: Yeah, that’s it.
They have Royal’s mind locked up tight, and now Tiff is more on her own than not in trying to help Daven Clare and Gia Sabato, a monster in her own right, find her lover, Alissario Arellano (Rio) Borrego, who has been captured by an unknown party for an unknown reason. Well, not totally unknown. For both Dark Cousins and Gelpha are being burned and beheaded, just like a human would think to kill a vampire . . . but how is the murderer finding his victims all over the world? How are they being recognized, when no one other than Tiff seems to be able to recognize them under their glamour?
Welch as a way with a turn of phrase, a strong streak of humour, and a way of looking at life and relationships that is highly appealing. This isn’t your typical “vampires and werewolves” urban fantasy. Instead, Welch has gone in another, more creative direction that I am tickled to have found!
I know, I have to put down the Linda Welch and get my work done. Lots of books to read and review, edits to do. I know, I know . . . but these things are like potato chips – I can’t just eat one and walk away! Well, I read two, one after the other, but you know what I mean. And I don’t even know how Along Came A Demon wound up on my reader! Maybe she did a giveaway at some point and I grabbed it them? Anyway, I am just glad it did. And I will absolutely be reading more of this series. I just have to not . . . do . . . it . . . now . . .
September 2, 2017
Good series second story
We got to know the main character better. We found out some things about the back story from the first book and we are left wondering what's next? It was an okay read, solid but. It spectacular...
We got to know the main character better. We found out some things about the back story from the first book and we are left wondering what's next? It was an okay read, solid but. It spectacular...
September 4, 2017
Enjoyed it 4/5
December 13, 2009
We first met Tiff Banks in Along Came A Demon: Whisperings (Volume 1). During the course of the first book, Tiff Banks is established as a person with the ability to talk with ghosts, who are referred to as shades. Tiff used her gift to assist the Clarion Police Department with murder investigations. That career came to an abrupt halt when she accused one of Clarion PD's golden boys, Royal Mortenson, of being a murderer based on the say so of the ghost of a little boy. The actual murderer was Royal's brother, who looks so much like him Tiff had difficulty in telling them apart, so she couldn't blame the shade of a little boy for getting it wrong. The police department was a little less forgiving. And Tiff didn't even tell the police department that Royal is a demon. Okay, so that is what Tiff has been calling those beings which have metallic looking hair, glittering eyes, and pointy teeth. Although, Royal has had his teeth capped.
Since Royal is now Tiff's lover and partner in the detective agency they have opened, Tiff learned Royal is actually a Gelpha. But she continues to think of him and others of his kind as demons. The Demon Hunters opens with a comic scene in which Tiff convinces Royal to go after a kidnapped cat for the reward money, because she was feeling the pinch of being out of a semi-regular consulting fee. After speaking with a rather nasty ghost called Freddy, they got a lead on where the catnappers were located. Tiff then uses her bad-tempered Scottie, MacKlutzy to bring the catnapper out of the apartment while Royal, who has the ability to move at lightning speed, rushed in and out with the cat. Having little dogs of my own, I identified with the description of MacKlutzy squaring off with the catnapper.
Following this fun, lighthearted case, Royal calls Tiff to come meet some new clients, Gia Sabato and Daven Clare. Gia Sabato just happens to be an enormously successful author who sprang out of nowhere eighteen months prior to the start of the story. Tiff is surprised when the case ends up being about the abduction of a Clarion Latino former gangsta, who is the lover of Gia Sabato. Tiff doesn't really like her new clients and suspects them of being Gelpha in disguise. On top of that Royal is acting very strange and keeping secrets from her. Add to the intrigue, the mysterious arrival of a nineteenth century journal kept by a fifteen year old British girl on the travels to Burma, and you have a case getting more bizarre by the moment.
When Gia and Daven unexpectedly arrive at Tiff's house and waltz right in, Jack and Mel, Tiff's resident ghosts, go ballistic and try to attack them and force them to leave. And even stranger, MacKlutzy, who never met an ankle he didn't want to bite, runs away from them as quickly as he can and acts scared out of his wits. Even though she is the one who hired Royal and Tiff to find Rio, Gia Sabato doesn't want Tiff to have too much information about the disappearance. Frustrated by being kept in the dark by her clients, and fearful her relationship with Royal could be on the way out, Tiff just wants this case to be over. Once Tiff finally gets them to let her in on what is really going on, she finds out someone is seeking out and killing demons and their Dark Cousins. No one will tell Tiff exactly what a Dark Cousin is, but she quickly figures out that they really don't get along with Gelpha and that it is taboo to even mention what a dark cousin is. Join Tiff and Royal on their hair-raising adventure to find The Demon Hunters.
Linda Welch pens her characters with authority, and you are instantly taken into the world of Tiff Banks and her demon lover, Royal. Her story contains action from start to finish. You feel like you know Tiff from the instant you pick up the book and want to stay with her as she jets all over this world and through otherworlds in search of answers. I'll be anxiously waiting for the next installment in the Whisperings series.
Since Royal is now Tiff's lover and partner in the detective agency they have opened, Tiff learned Royal is actually a Gelpha. But she continues to think of him and others of his kind as demons. The Demon Hunters opens with a comic scene in which Tiff convinces Royal to go after a kidnapped cat for the reward money, because she was feeling the pinch of being out of a semi-regular consulting fee. After speaking with a rather nasty ghost called Freddy, they got a lead on where the catnappers were located. Tiff then uses her bad-tempered Scottie, MacKlutzy to bring the catnapper out of the apartment while Royal, who has the ability to move at lightning speed, rushed in and out with the cat. Having little dogs of my own, I identified with the description of MacKlutzy squaring off with the catnapper.
If there's one thing Mac hates worse than cats, it's being threatened. He recognized that tone of voice. Terriers are fearless. They literally do not perceive any distinction in size or bulk. Something stood between him and a cat and that something threatened him. Mac attacked.
Following this fun, lighthearted case, Royal calls Tiff to come meet some new clients, Gia Sabato and Daven Clare. Gia Sabato just happens to be an enormously successful author who sprang out of nowhere eighteen months prior to the start of the story. Tiff is surprised when the case ends up being about the abduction of a Clarion Latino former gangsta, who is the lover of Gia Sabato. Tiff doesn't really like her new clients and suspects them of being Gelpha in disguise. On top of that Royal is acting very strange and keeping secrets from her. Add to the intrigue, the mysterious arrival of a nineteenth century journal kept by a fifteen year old British girl on the travels to Burma, and you have a case getting more bizarre by the moment.
When Gia and Daven unexpectedly arrive at Tiff's house and waltz right in, Jack and Mel, Tiff's resident ghosts, go ballistic and try to attack them and force them to leave. And even stranger, MacKlutzy, who never met an ankle he didn't want to bite, runs away from them as quickly as he can and acts scared out of his wits. Even though she is the one who hired Royal and Tiff to find Rio, Gia Sabato doesn't want Tiff to have too much information about the disappearance. Frustrated by being kept in the dark by her clients, and fearful her relationship with Royal could be on the way out, Tiff just wants this case to be over. Once Tiff finally gets them to let her in on what is really going on, she finds out someone is seeking out and killing demons and their Dark Cousins. No one will tell Tiff exactly what a Dark Cousin is, but she quickly figures out that they really don't get along with Gelpha and that it is taboo to even mention what a dark cousin is. Join Tiff and Royal on their hair-raising adventure to find The Demon Hunters.
Linda Welch pens her characters with authority, and you are instantly taken into the world of Tiff Banks and her demon lover, Royal. Her story contains action from start to finish. You feel like you know Tiff from the instant you pick up the book and want to stay with her as she jets all over this world and through otherworlds in search of answers. I'll be anxiously waiting for the next installment in the Whisperings series.
January 30, 2015
Actual Rating: 3.5 Stars
Not quite as enjoyable as the first book, but still entertaining for the most part. It started off on a light-hearted note as Tiff and Royal took on the case of a kidnapped cat, but then it became progressively darker and less humourous. There were some aspects of it that just plain frustrated me.
Tiff lives with two ghosts and talks to other undead, and Royal, her partner and love interest, is a Gelpha from another alternate universe. Yet, she stubbornly and adamantly refused to even entertain the thought that other supernatural beings could also exist. Why? Her unyielding attitude was very annoying.
Another frustrating issue was that there was no satisfactory explanation as to exactly what type of inhuman beings the Dark Cousins were, even at the end. Why keep it such a big, dark secret? All I know for sure is that Gia Sabato was one seriously creepy, terrifying creature! Daven did not inspire quite the same feeling of danger and dread. I loved how Tiff refused to be intimidated by Gia and stood up to her even though she risked getting pummeled within an inch of her life for doing so.
One very interesting theme in the book was the mysterious journal written by the young Elizabeth that was sent anonymously to Tiff's and Royal's agency. At first, it just seemed like an interesting but unconnected subplot, but eventually the separate threads were woven together into one intriguing story line.
I already have the third book in the series on my TBR shelf, so I'm looking forward to enjoying more of Tiff's adventures. Hopefully, there won't be the issues I experienced with this one.
Not quite as enjoyable as the first book, but still entertaining for the most part. It started off on a light-hearted note as Tiff and Royal took on the case of a kidnapped cat, but then it became progressively darker and less humourous. There were some aspects of it that just plain frustrated me.
Tiff lives with two ghosts and talks to other undead, and Royal, her partner and love interest, is a Gelpha from another alternate universe. Yet, she stubbornly and adamantly refused to even entertain the thought that other supernatural beings could also exist. Why? Her unyielding attitude was very annoying.
Another frustrating issue was that there was no satisfactory explanation as to exactly what type of inhuman beings the Dark Cousins were, even at the end. Why keep it such a big, dark secret? All I know for sure is that Gia Sabato was one seriously creepy, terrifying creature! Daven did not inspire quite the same feeling of danger and dread. I loved how Tiff refused to be intimidated by Gia and stood up to her even though she risked getting pummeled within an inch of her life for doing so.
One very interesting theme in the book was the mysterious journal written by the young Elizabeth that was sent anonymously to Tiff's and Royal's agency. At first, it just seemed like an interesting but unconnected subplot, but eventually the separate threads were woven together into one intriguing story line.
I already have the third book in the series on my TBR shelf, so I'm looking forward to enjoying more of Tiff's adventures. Hopefully, there won't be the issues I experienced with this one.
April 6, 2011
There is one word to describe "The Demon Hunters" and that word is fun! In this second book of the Whispering series, Tiff and Royal have partnered to form a detective agency. Royal accepts a case with a very mysterious and menacing client without discussing it with Tiff. Can anyone say bad move Royal? The secrets kept by Royal about the new client is causing a major problem in their relationship and it may not survive.
Tiff is not crazy about this new client, neither are her roommates or her dog, Mac. Everyone seems to know something is serious wrong with Gia and that she is dangerous.
While the storyline for The Demon Hunters was interesting and mysterious, the lack of action made the storyline less exciting. There was no big "beat down," battle or confrontation and this bothered me. Additionally, while the author did purposely did not reveal some information about what Gia and the dark cousins really are, I found that she neglected to provide us with resolution between Jacob and old Mr. Stadelmann. Additionally I was also unsatisfied with her explanations about the fate and or demise of Elizabeth. The bottom line was that although the plot had enormous potential the execution fell short.
As I stated to begin with, this story is just plain fun even though there are a few negatives. Give it a try.
Tiff is not crazy about this new client, neither are her roommates or her dog, Mac. Everyone seems to know something is serious wrong with Gia and that she is dangerous.
While the storyline for The Demon Hunters was interesting and mysterious, the lack of action made the storyline less exciting. There was no big "beat down," battle or confrontation and this bothered me. Additionally, while the author did purposely did not reveal some information about what Gia and the dark cousins really are, I found that she neglected to provide us with resolution between Jacob and old Mr. Stadelmann. Additionally I was also unsatisfied with her explanations about the fate and or demise of Elizabeth. The bottom line was that although the plot had enormous potential the execution fell short.
As I stated to begin with, this story is just plain fun even though there are a few negatives. Give it a try.
July 16, 2012
Read my reviews here and on the Akamai Reader!
Tiff Banks doesn’t understand why her lover Royal Mortensen has suddenly withdrawn and has left her out of the loop with these new clients. She’s hurt and she’s become insecure. Instead of crying in her milk, she takes action. Tiff investigates the case Gia gave them by questioning her dead informants as well as her living informants. She also uses the brains she has to ferret out information about her clients that wasn’t previously known.
If I hadn’t come to admire Tiff in the first book, I would have come to admire her in the second. She showed a backbone and a spirit that I would have liked to have her in situation. The one man, the one person she finally learned to trust, after trust had become so foreign and difficult to her, broke that trust. Yet she didn’t break down herself.
The plot in this book may have been done before but it was fresh enough to be interesting. There was enough mystery added to keep you guessing and wondering and you were sufficiently dazzled by all that was happening.
At the end of the book I still had a lot of questions left unanswered but I think that was intentional. Maybe it’s a lead-off into another book. It was a little unsatisfying. On the whole, I did enjoy this story even though it wasn’t as great as the first book.
Tiff Banks doesn’t understand why her lover Royal Mortensen has suddenly withdrawn and has left her out of the loop with these new clients. She’s hurt and she’s become insecure. Instead of crying in her milk, she takes action. Tiff investigates the case Gia gave them by questioning her dead informants as well as her living informants. She also uses the brains she has to ferret out information about her clients that wasn’t previously known.
If I hadn’t come to admire Tiff in the first book, I would have come to admire her in the second. She showed a backbone and a spirit that I would have liked to have her in situation. The one man, the one person she finally learned to trust, after trust had become so foreign and difficult to her, broke that trust. Yet she didn’t break down herself.
The plot in this book may have been done before but it was fresh enough to be interesting. There was enough mystery added to keep you guessing and wondering and you were sufficiently dazzled by all that was happening.
At the end of the book I still had a lot of questions left unanswered but I think that was intentional. Maybe it’s a lead-off into another book. It was a little unsatisfying. On the whole, I did enjoy this story even though it wasn’t as great as the first book.
May 8, 2013
Can't say it's better than the first instalment, in fact it doesn't seem to have evolved much from book one to two. Like the first, it's entertaining but it still lacks something. Gia and Daven were seriously creepy and I wasn't particularly interested in their story. Tiff (horrible name by the way) continues to be naive and not much to look at and I don't mean physically. Royal seems sweet but it's all on paper, he doesn't feel like a real person like he should feel. Then again, neither does any of the other characters. I think that's the biggest problem I have with this series so far...It helps pass the time and I am curious to learn more but I wouldn't be much upset if I didn't.
I am considering if I should continue this series or not.
I am considering if I should continue this series or not.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 28, 2015
***Re-read 9/2/2015***
It is funny how much you can remember and then times you don't remember. I completely forgot what the 2nd book in this series was about. I love the two main characters and their banter and their feelings. I love the side characters as well. Everything flows nicely and works well to make an awesome story.
Another fun book in this series. I am completely in love with Tiff and Royal. They are such fun characters and really fit well together. I love the fact that even though Tiff is tough she starting to allow herself to open up a little more emotional wise. I really can't wait to read the rest of the books and she the progression between Tiff and Royal. Mel and Jack are great side characers, love their constant bantering! Highly recommend the books!
It is funny how much you can remember and then times you don't remember. I completely forgot what the 2nd book in this series was about. I love the two main characters and their banter and their feelings. I love the side characters as well. Everything flows nicely and works well to make an awesome story.
Another fun book in this series. I am completely in love with Tiff and Royal. They are such fun characters and really fit well together. I love the fact that even though Tiff is tough she starting to allow herself to open up a little more emotional wise. I really can't wait to read the rest of the books and she the progression between Tiff and Royal. Mel and Jack are great side characers, love their constant bantering! Highly recommend the books!
April 30, 2016
These are fun books!
Definitely books in the teens or young adult range, but also still entertaining to an old timer such as myself. The plot is relatively straightforward but still there are surprises here and there. It is enjoyable to see the progression towards the ultimate solution. In this book some character seem like beings that we might have used to base the legend of vampires and even one writes vampire books. So it was a little frustrating that nowhere in the book did they say hey maybe this person is the origin of the kind of individual being written about. Or maybe that's just an obvious inference and I'm talking about nothing LOL. Regardless -- these are fun books and I'm going to enjoy the rest of them as I bought them all :-)
Definitely books in the teens or young adult range, but also still entertaining to an old timer such as myself. The plot is relatively straightforward but still there are surprises here and there. It is enjoyable to see the progression towards the ultimate solution. In this book some character seem like beings that we might have used to base the legend of vampires and even one writes vampire books. So it was a little frustrating that nowhere in the book did they say hey maybe this person is the origin of the kind of individual being written about. Or maybe that's just an obvious inference and I'm talking about nothing LOL. Regardless -- these are fun books and I'm going to enjoy the rest of them as I bought them all :-)
March 30, 2014
Just When You Think You Know...
Just When you think you know what is going on, the rules change. Tiff must feel this way in her latest case. Her new clients are scarier than Royal's kin. Someone is hunting down Gelphas and killing them. Not only Gelphas but these others also. Royal won't tell what they are and when Tiff meets Gaia things are not good. Tiff hates feeling like she is on the outside looking in. Everyone is keeping secrets. I enjoyed the book. Though I liked the first book more.
Just When you think you know what is going on, the rules change. Tiff must feel this way in her latest case. Her new clients are scarier than Royal's kin. Someone is hunting down Gelphas and killing them. Not only Gelphas but these others also. Royal won't tell what they are and when Tiff meets Gaia things are not good. Tiff hates feeling like she is on the outside looking in. Everyone is keeping secrets. I enjoyed the book. Though I liked the first book more.
June 27, 2014
Tiff and Royal open their own detective agency, a former detective and a ghost whispers have their own special skills to get the job done. Along comes the dark cousins, Gia Sabato looking for her missing lover and all hell breaks loose. What is a girl to do, she trusts Royal but doesn't understand why he is being secretive. When a 19th century journal is mailed to them, she takes it home to read, not realizing it holds the key to the missing.
Some people will love and others will hate it. Too much filler distracting from the mystery.
Some people will love and others will hate it. Too much filler distracting from the mystery.
March 16, 2015
I enjoyed this one less than the first book in the series, simply because of the protagonist, Tiff's, aversion to believing non-human species are anything other than Demons.
In this novel we are introduced to another 'Alien' race. It added new characters and developed the characters of people we met in the first novel. Her attitude mad me cross, however that is a sign that I am was engaging with and invested in Tiff's story.
In this novel we are introduced to another 'Alien' race. It added new characters and developed the characters of people we met in the first novel. Her attitude mad me cross, however that is a sign that I am was engaging with and invested in Tiff's story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 21, 2013
I enjoyed this second book in the series. Tiff is a complicated personality, and she has to deal with the supernatural, as well as seeing and speaking to ghosts. When a case threatens her relationship with Royal, she has to decide if she wants to be part of Royal's life or let him go.
I recommend this series to anyone with a love of the paranormal and a but of mystery and romance.
I recommend this series to anyone with a love of the paranormal and a but of mystery and romance.
November 26, 2013
Light read. I enjoyed the beginning and liked the characters. The thing with a series is that the author has to always give the backstory and that takes more time from the present story. The two Dark Cousins were interesting and I wish there was more of a history for them. I feel the ending wasn't resolved and the characters may return in a future story. 3 stars.
August 3, 2012
Liked it, but not as much as the first book. I don't like the Gia character and the lack of interaction between Tiff and Royal, this book didn't have that spark like the first one did. Hoping that the next one does!
August 31, 2012
Okay I wanted to like this book, the first one had so much potentional. But it left me a little flat. I'll read the next in the series but not sure if I'll get much further than that if something substantial doesn't happen.
November 24, 2012
Not much I can say about this book that would not be a spoiler.
Loved this book. I could not put it down. Read the whole thing in about 2 hours and then reread it, just to make sure I did not miss anything.
Nice work Linda!
Loved this book. I could not put it down. Read the whole thing in about 2 hours and then reread it, just to make sure I did not miss anything.
Nice work Linda!
June 3, 2013
2.5 stars. The first book in the series sucked me in but this one didn't work for me. This book included a mystery involving a diary and the long entries were... painful. I like the characters and the story idea but the characters constantly ignoring the obvious grated on the nerves.
October 28, 2013
very enjoyable. I little confusing at times but a great detective story with creative characters. Tiff is very smart and independent. The author has reatef a wonderful world that I can not want to read the next volume.
November 7, 2013
Still a good series, and one that I will continue to read, but the lack of Royal/Tiff moments, along with his treatment of Tiff, made me retract one star. Sure, he has his reasons, and we get our first insights into the ruthless "dark cousins, but I needed more demonic romance;-P
July 10, 2014
A murder mystery is the driving force in this second volume of the series. More ghosts, semi vampires, and conflict with Tiff's lover too. My only beef is Tiff is much too emotional but then she does have a trust problem.
July 11, 2012
Not a bad read. I did get somewhat tired of the character flip-flopping over what she was okay with and getting vexed over what people called her.
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