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Linnet Ellery #1
This Case Is Gonna Kill Me
What happens when The Firm meets Anita Blake? You get the Halls of Power―our modern world, but twisted. Law, finance, the military, and politics are under the sway of long-lived vampires, werewolves, and the elven Alfar. Humans make the best of rule by "the Spooks," and contend among themselves to affiliate with the powers-that-be, in order to avoid becoming their prey. Very loyal humans are rewarded with power over other women and men. Very lucky humans are selected to join the vampires, werewolves, and elves―or, on occasion, to live at the Seelie Court. Linnet Ellery is the offspring of an affluent Connecticut family dating back to Colonial times. Fresh out of law school, she's beginning her career in a powerful New York "white fang" law firm. She has high hopes of eventually making partner. But strange things keep happening to her. In a workplace where some humans will eventually achieve immense power and centuries of extra lifespan, office politics can be vicious beyond belief. After some initial missteps, she finds herself sidelined and assigned to unpromising cases. Then, for no reason she can see, she becomes the target of repeated, apparently random violent attacks, escaping injury each time through increasingly improbable circumstances. However, there's apparently more to Linnet Ellery than a little old-money human privilege. More than even she knows. And as she comes to understand this, she's going to shake up the system like you wouldn't believe….
318 pages, Paperback
First published September 4, 2012
31 people are currently reading
2130 people want to read
About the author
Phillipa Bornikova
3 books107 followersPhillipa Bornikova has been the story editor of a major network television series, a horse trainer, and an oil-company executive. She lives in the Southwest.
A pseudonym of Goodreads author Melinda M. Snodgrass
See also Melinda Harris, Mark Kendall, and Melinda McKenzie
A pseudonym of Goodreads author Melinda M. Snodgrass
See also Melinda Harris, Mark Kendall, and Melinda McKenzie
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 259 reviews
August 18, 2013
I'll go with my initial thoughts:
Strangely, it doesn't suck.
If it sounds like I'm damning with faint praise, I don't mean to disparage; it's that in a genre packed with poorly-written tropes, I've become used to disappointment.
The basic story surrounds a twenty-something woman, fresh out of law school; vampires, Alfar (fae) and werewolves out of the closet; questions of identity, dating, rolling briefcases and shopping; and yet I didn't roll my eyes once. If you've followed any of my reviews, you know what an unusual reaction that is. But Bornikova (apparently, a.k.a. Snodgrass, which surely must also be an a.k.a.) takes familiar chick-lit and urban-fantasy elements and writes them well, with a side helping of grrl-power that involves a combination of determination, intellect, justice, solidarity, blind luck and not one single roundhouse kick.
Those familiar elements? They're there, and they didn't bother me at all:
Yep, those were daddy issues, but done in a really unusual way, so I didn't really care. There was an ex-fiance. Didn't care. A gay best friend who was in theater. Didn't care--he was actually in a very loving relationship, not just there for comic relief. There's an obligatory dig about Jersey: "'I've still got to do some work before I get to bed, and I have to go to New Jersey tomorrow.' 'Okay, that's just horrible,' said Gregory. 'You should get a lot of sleep before you face that.'" Didn't really care.
Yep, that was a hint about the next book. And I didn't care. Bornikova seems to be alluding that there is something special about the Brooklyn riding stables, which will no doubt come up in the next book. Don't care. There also seems to be strong hints that Linnet might have spechul snowflake powers. Don't care about that, either. Bornikova can portent her way across my reading any time. There's even some sex, and if I cringed, it was because I empathized with the heroine and her position all too well--or did back when I was twenty-three--not because it was hawt. And damn if she didn't rip that little bit out of trope-land with a display of independence. Sure, perhaps there was even a little too much female bonding at the office, but I wanted to believe in it, so I didn't care then, either. Ladies lunch? Awesome.
Sprinkled through are small bits of humor, not enough to really detract from the emotional tone, but more like the variety of coping skills, or of every-day life getting a chance to be normal:
"I took after Dad, who lied and said he was five foot eight. I put him closer to five-six on a tall day. I also lied, saying I was five foot two."
"The dog rose ponderously to her feet, waddled over to me, and pressed her body against my legs. It seemed like the dog was trying to comfort me. I patted her and felt like a shit. It was one thing to fool a human, but taking advantage of a dog..."
And, as a bonus for the 16-year-old girl in all of us, there are horses. Not magical ones, just unusual ones, and an amazing rider. For once, I didn't mind the accompanying geek-speak that comes with an author's passion (just spare me the guns, please, Larry Correia). I'm definitely looking forward to comments from my horsey-friends at just how accurate (and dreamy) those scenes were.
Kudos, Bornikova, for making me not care, all while keeping me up past bedtime. I'm even going to read the next one.
Highly recommended for fans of Carrie Vaughn (the Kitty Norville series), Chloe Neill (Chicagoland Vampires) and Bridget Jones's Diary.
Three and a half stars.
Cross posted at http://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2013/0...
December 5, 2022
Oh wow, it didn't suck. It's UF written in 2012 and it didn't suck!
· Book 2: Box Office Poison ★★
· Book 2: Box Office Poison ★★
October 23, 2012
I am sorry, but I just cannot take a character seriously, when this adult lawyer-third in class at Yale, is calling her parents "Mommy" and "Daddy". I lose any respect for her when she keeps describing "Daddy this, Daddy that". NO. JUST. NO.
In addition, I feel like Linnet in the whole book, either screams, cries, sobs -- and I don't see any evidence of her being smart and wins a case based on her own merit. Oh, and also from being a 'victim' of her player-of-a-boss then jump into sexual relationship again, not long after, with the changeling P.I.? Yeah, again, NOT helping her case.
Linnet keeps saying that she wants justice for Chip (who got mauled by the werewolf), but she seems care more about horses (and yawn, for those horses scene). This world is also very chauvinistic, that women doesn't deserve to be partners in the law-firm because well, they're women.
Lawyer stories are not my favorite thing -- they might look good on TV, but when I read them, they usually bore me. I do read Connelly's "Mickey Haller" or Gardner's "Perry Mason", but it's the action outside the courtroom that usually draw me in. Unfortunately, Linnet's story outside the courtroom just bores the hell out of me (she doesn't really goes to courtroom until the last chapter). None of the secondary characters warm me up too.
Not going reading the sequel. Thank you very much.
In addition, I feel like Linnet in the whole book, either screams, cries, sobs -- and I don't see any evidence of her being smart and wins a case based on her own merit. Oh, and also from being a 'victim' of her player-of-a-boss then jump into sexual relationship again, not long after, with the changeling P.I.? Yeah, again, NOT helping her case.
Linnet keeps saying that she wants justice for Chip (who got mauled by the werewolf), but she seems care more about horses (and yawn, for those horses scene). This world is also very chauvinistic, that women doesn't deserve to be partners in the law-firm because well, they're women.
Lawyer stories are not my favorite thing -- they might look good on TV, but when I read them, they usually bore me. I do read Connelly's "Mickey Haller" or Gardner's "Perry Mason", but it's the action outside the courtroom that usually draw me in. Unfortunately, Linnet's story outside the courtroom just bores the hell out of me (she doesn't really goes to courtroom until the last chapter). None of the secondary characters warm me up too.
Not going reading the sequel. Thank you very much.
April 2, 2015
Linnet Ellery a young female human lawyer at a male vampire law firm tackles more than just the good ole' boy club. She faces, werewolves, Elves, catty women, back stabbing co-workers, sneaky lawyers, liars and bad sex. She was taken/given as a child to live in a vampire home, fostering and is comfortable in their world. Well she thought she was, everything is about to get tangled and twisted. She is stuck in a non-ending case with one of the law firm lessor lawyers. Well, it was non-ending till a new bit of information surfaced. Then death comes drooling up to her office. This is the beginning of everything changing. Oh, and there is one sexy Elf.
I loved the world and the fantastic characters created by this author. The heroine was strong, smart and able to accept her stupid choices with humble face palming. Linette rocks ! The romance was there,nicely timed,a light feather dusting of a tease, perfect timing for my taste. There were a few bumps, I didn't understand the need for so much "horse' time in the book. It just seemed thrown in out of love for them. The plot seemed a bit rushed towards the end. Minor bumps really. It is a first novel and even with the bumps it was an excellent reading vacation for me.
I am putting this author on my 'Not to be missed list" Some of my favorite authors first books are not as good as this one.
I loved the world and the fantastic characters created by this author. The heroine was strong, smart and able to accept her stupid choices with humble face palming. Linette rocks ! The romance was there,nicely timed,a light feather dusting of a tease, perfect timing for my taste. There were a few bumps, I didn't understand the need for so much "horse' time in the book. It just seemed thrown in out of love for them. The plot seemed a bit rushed towards the end. Minor bumps really. It is a first novel and even with the bumps it was an excellent reading vacation for me.
I am putting this author on my 'Not to be missed list" Some of my favorite authors first books are not as good as this one.
July 11, 2014
Imagine a place where the lawyers are literal bloodsuckers, movie star glamor isn't just a metaphor, and where the top CEOs really are "lead wolves". Welcome to Linnet Ellery's world. In the 1960s, the fantastic creatures came out of hiding, and humans discovered that vampires, werewolves, and elves weren't only real but were effectively running the world. It's now 2010, and most humans have become accustomed to a world led by these "spooks," or, to use the politically correct term, "the Powers." Most law firms are led by immortal vampires and promotion to partnership involves receiving a bite as well as an office upstairs. Powerful human families vie to send their children to live with vampires as their "foster lieges." Werewolves are running both the military and Wall Street with animal savagery. Elves (called Alfar) split their time between bewitching humans on stage and screen and carrying children off to Faerie.
Due to my disapproval of GR's new and highly subjective review deletion policy, the rest of my review is on my blog.
A high 4, but not quite a 4.5. Call it a 4.4.
Note: I received this book through the Goodreads First Reads promotional program.
Due to my disapproval of GR's new and highly subjective review deletion policy, the rest of my review is on my blog.
A high 4, but not quite a 4.5. Call it a 4.4.
Note: I received this book through the Goodreads First Reads promotional program.
February 21, 2021
This is a book I really liked, but both the cover and the publisher's blurb (reprinted at the top of this page) are seriously misleading. For one thing, the main character named Linnet Ellery is a woman in her mid-twenties with "blue-black" hair; the woman on the cover looks more like her co-worker Caroline. For another, Linnet Ellery is nothing like necromancer Anita Blake; her parents' home is in Rhode Island, not Connecticut; while she is indeed a newbie at a law firm run by vampires, she has no hope of becoming a partner; and she makes no "initial missteps" but is assigned on her very first day to the case she'll be working on throughout the novel.
So please disregard cover and blurb and simply let the author build the story from page one. It's an engaging first-person narration, told in the rich detail that brings each scene into sharp focus for both action and setting. For example, for dinner out on the deck at her wealthy parents' house on the edge of a reservoir (in Rhode Island, remember!) here's the setting:
What an unusual world this is! Back in the 1960s four kinds of supernaturals revealed not only their existence but their leading roles in society. Vampires, all male, long-lived and very old-fashioned in their attitudes, run the most prestigious law firms. Werewolves, often violent, run corporations and dominate in the military.
The story takes a few more turns, more blood is shed, and some shady lawyers outside the firm get into the picture. The realistic character of the writing worked well to generate suspense in the action scenes, which punctuate the complex development of Linnet's relationships in those five worlds I told you about. This book feels like a chimera--part literary fiction, part thriller--with supernaturals inhabiting both parts. I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading the sequel.
So please disregard cover and blurb and simply let the author build the story from page one. It's an engaging first-person narration, told in the rich detail that brings each scene into sharp focus for both action and setting. For example, for dinner out on the deck at her wealthy parents' house on the edge of a reservoir (in Rhode Island, remember!) here's the setting:
Cormorants, their long necks ducking and winding sinuously, uttered their soft grunts. While mallards quacked and splashed in the rippling water. At the lake's edge blue herons stalked through the cattails and grasses like dowagers stepping over cow pattiesImmediately followed by this:
Mother chattered nonstop about people I didn't know, and events I wouldn't normally care about. This time the inane babble was perfect, because it kept the conversation away from the office and the murder.Linnet's life has several dimensions, and this style of writing drew me into at least five different worlds in which she functions: (1) launching her career at the law firm in extraordinary circumstances; (2) visiting her childhood home; (3) expertly riding and handling horses that are being trained for competition in shows; (4) tracking leads and facing deadly attacks in the company of a supernatural private detective; and (5) relating to the vampire who raised her as a fosterling from age 8 on--evidently a coveted privilege that her human father managed to secure for her.
What an unusual world this is! Back in the 1960s four kinds of supernaturals revealed not only their existence but their leading roles in society. Vampires, all male, long-lived and very old-fashioned in their attitudes, run the most prestigious law firms. Werewolves, often violent, run corporations and dominate in the military.
Yep, vampires were definitely buggy-whip guys and werewolves were definitely killer-robot guys.Alfar or elves lean to the arts and entertainment, and their alternate dimension coincides geographically with the familiar world, but if you're transported there
"...this place lets you play out your deepest fantasies and make them real. Your secret sense of yourself is revealed."What starts out as a legal mystery involving a contested will--who's the rightful heir to a powerful corporation?-- takes us into the inner workings of a large New York law firm and describes relationships and attitudes, especially attitudes towards women, in a highly realistic way while seamlessly incorporating what it's like for all the partners to be vampires. But soon the low-ranking human lawyer who's stuck with the case is brutally murdered and Linnet just barely escapes with her life--so they decide to stick her with the case, and her independent spirit creates a lot of friction with, well, nearly everyone else in the firm.
"So, my vision of myself is...is..." I gestured helplessly down at my body.
"Very Lara Croft. Or a female Indiana Jones."
"Great," I muttered.
The story takes a few more turns, more blood is shed, and some shady lawyers outside the firm get into the picture. The realistic character of the writing worked well to generate suspense in the action scenes, which punctuate the complex development of Linnet's relationships in those five worlds I told you about. This book feels like a chimera--part literary fiction, part thriller--with supernaturals inhabiting both parts. I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading the sequel.
February 12, 2013
"This Case is Gonna Kill Me" is unique in the oversaturated urban fantasy area. Its an enjoyable blend of the action packed legal thriller set in a re-imagined present day world filled with vampires, werewolves and elves. It’s a winning combination.
The vampires, werewolves and elfs came out of the “closet” and have risen to powerful positions in society, owning industry, running their own law firms, and now interacting openly with their former “prey”. The world has learned to accommodate these monsterous captains of industry. There are restaurants with security screens for vampires who want to feed on select donor humans “au natural” and rich humans who seek power and congress with the vampires and wolves.
Linnet Ellery, a top graduate from Yale Law School, has a lot of history with vampires because her rich family, who can trace their lineage back to signing the Declaration of Independence, fostered her at 8 years old with a powerful vampire.
Now, she has just joined a prestigious "white fang" law firm, but, instead of working directly with the vampire elite, she is relegated to helping Chip Westin, an older human associate, with his 17-year old probate litigation between the heirs of a dead werewolf’s fortune. Chip's clients are the former wife and children of the werewolf. Meanwhile, prior to his death, the werewolf bit Deegan, one of his employees in his billion dollar Securitech business, and converted him into a werewolf, thereby making Deegan his immortal heir. Chip has assigned Linnet to re-read deposition transcripts and other documents in the huge case file to see if there is anything she can learn to help his case against Deegan.
Linnet is an engaging character. She understands the culture of the vampires while not falling victim to their power. She has already proved her mettle by outing a lothario vampire of the firm, who illicitly seduced her and the other woman lawyers at the firm. She soon finds herself having to prove herself against werewolves as well.
One night, while reading the file, she witnesses a werewolf attacking Chip. As a result of a strange set of circumstances (more on that later), Linnet barely escapes with her life, while poor Chip is eviscerated. Asssigned Chip’s case files, Linnet doggedly tries to pierce together why Chip was killed and how it connects to the case.
She quickly finds a cryptic note showing that Chip learned of another possible claimant to the estate, a daughter of a stripper, who knew the dead wolf and that Chip might have been working with them. A seedy lawyer claims that he even drafted up a new Will leaving the entire estate to the daughter, but while bargaining with him, they are attacked by another wolf. Again due to odd circumstances, Linnet somehow escapes while the lawyer is slain.
Calling on the services of John O’Shea, an elvin private investigator, who independently works for the firm, Linnet must use her legal acumen to try to obtain a good settlement from Deegan for her clients, while also saving the stripper and her daughter from Deegan’s wereworlves. It’s a thrill ride, with bare knuckle escapes from the wolves, negotiations with John’s elvin mother and romantic entanglements plus smart lawyering on this case and others. And to top it off, we are left with the impression that Linnet’s otherworldly escapes from the werewolves were the result of some unknown power. There is obviously more to Linnet than a hot bod and brain.
It’s a treat.
The vampires, werewolves and elfs came out of the “closet” and have risen to powerful positions in society, owning industry, running their own law firms, and now interacting openly with their former “prey”. The world has learned to accommodate these monsterous captains of industry. There are restaurants with security screens for vampires who want to feed on select donor humans “au natural” and rich humans who seek power and congress with the vampires and wolves.
Linnet Ellery, a top graduate from Yale Law School, has a lot of history with vampires because her rich family, who can trace their lineage back to signing the Declaration of Independence, fostered her at 8 years old with a powerful vampire.
Now, she has just joined a prestigious "white fang" law firm, but, instead of working directly with the vampire elite, she is relegated to helping Chip Westin, an older human associate, with his 17-year old probate litigation between the heirs of a dead werewolf’s fortune. Chip's clients are the former wife and children of the werewolf. Meanwhile, prior to his death, the werewolf bit Deegan, one of his employees in his billion dollar Securitech business, and converted him into a werewolf, thereby making Deegan his immortal heir. Chip has assigned Linnet to re-read deposition transcripts and other documents in the huge case file to see if there is anything she can learn to help his case against Deegan.
Linnet is an engaging character. She understands the culture of the vampires while not falling victim to their power. She has already proved her mettle by outing a lothario vampire of the firm, who illicitly seduced her and the other woman lawyers at the firm. She soon finds herself having to prove herself against werewolves as well.
One night, while reading the file, she witnesses a werewolf attacking Chip. As a result of a strange set of circumstances (more on that later), Linnet barely escapes with her life, while poor Chip is eviscerated. Asssigned Chip’s case files, Linnet doggedly tries to pierce together why Chip was killed and how it connects to the case.
She quickly finds a cryptic note showing that Chip learned of another possible claimant to the estate, a daughter of a stripper, who knew the dead wolf and that Chip might have been working with them. A seedy lawyer claims that he even drafted up a new Will leaving the entire estate to the daughter, but while bargaining with him, they are attacked by another wolf. Again due to odd circumstances, Linnet somehow escapes while the lawyer is slain.
Calling on the services of John O’Shea, an elvin private investigator, who independently works for the firm, Linnet must use her legal acumen to try to obtain a good settlement from Deegan for her clients, while also saving the stripper and her daughter from Deegan’s wereworlves. It’s a thrill ride, with bare knuckle escapes from the wolves, negotiations with John’s elvin mother and romantic entanglements plus smart lawyering on this case and others. And to top it off, we are left with the impression that Linnet’s otherworldly escapes from the werewolves were the result of some unknown power. There is obviously more to Linnet than a hot bod and brain.
It’s a treat.
Read
December 4, 2015DNF. I'm thinking perhaps the author has a "thing" for horses and riding and thought it'd be a swell idea to incorporate those elements into something her character is also passionate about. It's not working for me. I love horses, but I don't necessarily care to read over and over and over the various breeds of horses and what Linnett can do with them. Wouldn't be so bad if it were a few casual mentions, but there's quite a lot of in-depth descriptions of everything horse, and I've reached my tolerance level for unnecessary information.
Edit -- Phillipa Bornikova is a pen name of Melinda Snodgrass, who, coincidentally, does indeed have a "thing" for horses.
Edit -- Phillipa Bornikova is a pen name of Melinda Snodgrass, who, coincidentally, does indeed have a "thing" for horses.
August 23, 2012
You may also read my review here: http://www.mybookishways.com/2012/08/...
When Linnet Ellery begins working at the White-Fang (yep, vampires) law firm of Ishmael, McGillary, and Gold, she realizes rather quickly that her professional life may be a bit boring for a while. Taken under the wing of lawyer Chip Westin, she’s recruited to help out on a case that’s been in litigation for many years. Stagnation seems inevitable, until a werewolf invades the law firm one evening, brutally murdering Chip, and nearly killing Linnet. Who would have wanted to kill the gentle,kindly Chip? And why?
I really enjoyed this fun, unusual urban fantasy! The alternate world the author created is just to the left of ours, and vampires, werewolves, and the fae (the Alfar) have revealed themselves and are collectively thought of as the Powers. It’s a boy’s club, however, at least when it comes to vamps and werewolves. You see, they’re not allowed to turn women, under any circumstance, under the penalty of death. Linnet was, in fact, fostered by a vampire liege from the age of eight, with whom she’s still very close to, so she’s sensitive to the discrimination that they sometimes face. Working at a White-Fang law firm doesn’t intimidate her, but knowing that she, and the rest of the women in the office, will never make partner, can be bothersome. As she follows the clues to find out who killed Chip, with the help of handsome PI (and Alfar) John O’Shea, she finds herself in danger more than a few times over, but she’s determined to get to the bottom of it. A shadowy firm called Securitech and its head werewolf, Deegan, seem to have something to do with his death, but she’s not quite sure what. She does know that Deegan is perfectly capable of tearing her limb from limb.
This book is described as Anita Blake meets The Firm, but I’d describe it more like Stephanie Plum meets The Firm. Linnet has the charm of Plum, but is plenty capable in her job, and I loved how the author actually gives her a life in between the werewolf attacks and law office politics (of which there are plenty). Linnet is an accomplished horsewoman, and I loved the passages that involved the ins and outs of competitive riding. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the action, but woven in with traditional urban fantasy themes are explorations of gender equality, and a rather sweet romance. It also wouldn’t surprise me to learn that the author is very fond of New York City, since it’s almost a character unto itself. I highly enjoyed This Case is Gonna Kill Me and I’ll be crossing my fingers for more adventures with Linnet!
When Linnet Ellery begins working at the White-Fang (yep, vampires) law firm of Ishmael, McGillary, and Gold, she realizes rather quickly that her professional life may be a bit boring for a while. Taken under the wing of lawyer Chip Westin, she’s recruited to help out on a case that’s been in litigation for many years. Stagnation seems inevitable, until a werewolf invades the law firm one evening, brutally murdering Chip, and nearly killing Linnet. Who would have wanted to kill the gentle,kindly Chip? And why?
I really enjoyed this fun, unusual urban fantasy! The alternate world the author created is just to the left of ours, and vampires, werewolves, and the fae (the Alfar) have revealed themselves and are collectively thought of as the Powers. It’s a boy’s club, however, at least when it comes to vamps and werewolves. You see, they’re not allowed to turn women, under any circumstance, under the penalty of death. Linnet was, in fact, fostered by a vampire liege from the age of eight, with whom she’s still very close to, so she’s sensitive to the discrimination that they sometimes face. Working at a White-Fang law firm doesn’t intimidate her, but knowing that she, and the rest of the women in the office, will never make partner, can be bothersome. As she follows the clues to find out who killed Chip, with the help of handsome PI (and Alfar) John O’Shea, she finds herself in danger more than a few times over, but she’s determined to get to the bottom of it. A shadowy firm called Securitech and its head werewolf, Deegan, seem to have something to do with his death, but she’s not quite sure what. She does know that Deegan is perfectly capable of tearing her limb from limb.
This book is described as Anita Blake meets The Firm, but I’d describe it more like Stephanie Plum meets The Firm. Linnet has the charm of Plum, but is plenty capable in her job, and I loved how the author actually gives her a life in between the werewolf attacks and law office politics (of which there are plenty). Linnet is an accomplished horsewoman, and I loved the passages that involved the ins and outs of competitive riding. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the action, but woven in with traditional urban fantasy themes are explorations of gender equality, and a rather sweet romance. It also wouldn’t surprise me to learn that the author is very fond of New York City, since it’s almost a character unto itself. I highly enjoyed This Case is Gonna Kill Me and I’ll be crossing my fingers for more adventures with Linnet!
September 25, 2012
In case you're the kind of person who cares, the cover on here is not the correct one. This had at least two preliminary covers — one showed the main character from the neck down, holding a briefcase; the other (currently displayed) shows a woman who looks a little gothy but very sour and cross. In the version I read, the cover shows a blonde lady wearing the same clothes as the gothy one.
Something that bothered me slightly: this was presented (here, here, here) as the debut of a new author. In reality, this is Melinda M. Snodgrass writing under a pseudonym. (That's what the copyright notice says.) It's exciting to discover a new author; it's a little disappointing to find out that you're reading a familiar voice.
I don't object to pseudonyms — I just prefer that they be open. Mira Grant doesn't hide the fact that she's Seanan McGuire, for example.
Anyway, on to the book. While I don't know that it brings anything really new to the table, I think I can confidently recommend it to fans of urban fantasy, especially those who like a little retro PI-drama on the side.
My sense of Snodgrass's previous work is that it tends to have weird sexual dynamics. I didn't see that so much here. There is one weird thing but it's consciously weird and doesn't dominate the book.
Anything that starts out "[thing] meets Anita Blake" is generally going to set warning bells going for me. But I think that the author got life as a law associate generally right, plus the bit about white fang law firms made me laugh. (Expensive law firms in the real world are called white shoe law firms.) There is a little too much telling-description here, but (for me, the first time through; YMMV) not enough to make it unreadable.
This book has day-walking vampires, but not in a way that I felt was overly twee.
Something that bothered me slightly: this was presented (here, here, here) as the debut of a new author. In reality, this is Melinda M. Snodgrass writing under a pseudonym. (That's what the copyright notice says.) It's exciting to discover a new author; it's a little disappointing to find out that you're reading a familiar voice.
I don't object to pseudonyms — I just prefer that they be open. Mira Grant doesn't hide the fact that she's Seanan McGuire, for example.
Anyway, on to the book. While I don't know that it brings anything really new to the table, I think I can confidently recommend it to fans of urban fantasy, especially those who like a little retro PI-drama on the side.
My sense of Snodgrass's previous work is that it tends to have weird sexual dynamics. I didn't see that so much here. There is one weird thing but it's consciously weird and doesn't dominate the book.
Anything that starts out "[thing] meets Anita Blake" is generally going to set warning bells going for me. But I think that the author got life as a law associate generally right, plus the bit about white fang law firms made me laugh. (Expensive law firms in the real world are called white shoe law firms.) There is a little too much telling-description here, but (for me, the first time through; YMMV) not enough to make it unreadable.
This book has day-walking vampires, but not in a way that I felt was overly twee.
February 3, 2013
ok -this story was ok - but there were parts that bugged the heck out of me and some were the author's fault and some were the publisher's fault..
there may be spoilers ahead...
first of all I hate that the author dropped designer names when describing clothing...it seemed so 'sex in the city' and reminded me of when you are watching a tv show and two of the characters start talking about the features in their Prius...but when I mentioned this to a friend she said it happens a lot in romance novels so maybe this is a feature? I don't know - whenever it happened it dropped me out of the story.
And, second, there were lots of hints that perhaps Linnet and her dad aren't quite what they seem to be (Linnet herself, is in the dark as well) and the author hints that more will be revealed in later books in the series.. to me that is a cheap trick. If you want me invested in your world and characters give me the scoop now because I am not interested in slow dribbles book after book...so will I read another - I don't know - I know I won't be waiting or looking for the next one.
Now the publisher's stuff - it is noted in the novel that the character Linnet has black hair - more than once. But if you look at the cover of the book there is a blond woman. WTF is that all about. This book is never going to appeal to men - so why put a blond woman on the cover?
And second, when I read the 'praise blurbs' on the back cover- I have to wonder where they come from? M.L.N. Hanover states that this book is 'John Grisham meets Buffy teh Vampire Slayer' - and I have to ask if M.L. N Hanover ever read Grisham or watched Buffy? There is a law firm so maybe that makes it like Grisham? There are vampires... but that is the only thing it has in common with the world of Buffy and Linnet is nothing at all like Buffy - oh wait, Buffy is blond and the strange woman on the cover is blond...
Jaye Wells states that Linnet 'tackles the cutthroat world of vampire law' - except the story is about which family is entitled to inheret a multimillion dollar company - who has the valid will? There is nothing about vampire law at all in the story ..
there may be spoilers ahead...
first of all I hate that the author dropped designer names when describing clothing...it seemed so 'sex in the city' and reminded me of when you are watching a tv show and two of the characters start talking about the features in their Prius...but when I mentioned this to a friend she said it happens a lot in romance novels so maybe this is a feature? I don't know - whenever it happened it dropped me out of the story.
And, second, there were lots of hints that perhaps Linnet and her dad aren't quite what they seem to be (Linnet herself, is in the dark as well) and the author hints that more will be revealed in later books in the series.. to me that is a cheap trick. If you want me invested in your world and characters give me the scoop now because I am not interested in slow dribbles book after book...so will I read another - I don't know - I know I won't be waiting or looking for the next one.
Now the publisher's stuff - it is noted in the novel that the character Linnet has black hair - more than once. But if you look at the cover of the book there is a blond woman. WTF is that all about. This book is never going to appeal to men - so why put a blond woman on the cover?
And second, when I read the 'praise blurbs' on the back cover- I have to wonder where they come from? M.L.N. Hanover states that this book is 'John Grisham meets Buffy teh Vampire Slayer' - and I have to ask if M.L. N Hanover ever read Grisham or watched Buffy? There is a law firm so maybe that makes it like Grisham? There are vampires... but that is the only thing it has in common with the world of Buffy and Linnet is nothing at all like Buffy - oh wait, Buffy is blond and the strange woman on the cover is blond...
Jaye Wells states that Linnet 'tackles the cutthroat world of vampire law' - except the story is about which family is entitled to inheret a multimillion dollar company - who has the valid will? There is nothing about vampire law at all in the story ..
October 31, 2025
Read it again 13 years later and I don’t agree with myself 😉 She’s somewhat stupid 🙂 like so many youngsters (me included at that age 😂).
Not bad but I wouldn’t keep this rating as there were too many unexplained points.
Ah, the joy of "lying" blurbs.
-This book had nothing in common with The Firm or the Anita Blake series, as long as you don't consider "things in common" the setting (a law firm). (I can't really find anything in common with AB.)
-The phrase "After some initial missteps, she finds herself sidelined and assigned to unpromising cases" is false. Linnet does nothing wrong, except finding herself between two partners in conflict. She is immediately assigned one "lost-hope" case.
-In this book, Linnet does nothing to "to shake up the system".
You do wonder if the editor who wrote the blurb has actually read the book.
If you don't really mind all of the above or do not care about (don't have) expectation, I would suggest you try This case is gonna kill me. The book is a blend of legal thriller and UF with a very nice world-building.
Strangely enough, I had no problem with the heroine (it seems to be a common theme among reviewers). Yes, she is young, human and impulsive. But I liked her sense of justice and carelessness. I do not really think she did anything stupid.
This is a UF, but I felt it so "real": the sexism in the workforce, the way women cave to some type of pressure.
The characters come out of the pages, whether they are Powers or human.
The plot was nice, if not engaging (but then we are talking of legal cases...), and had a resolution at the end that closed the main thread, leaving hanging a few mysteries (is she really this lucky? who is Jolly? what is her father hiding?)
Would I recommend this book? Yes, I do as long as you know what you are reading and you wait for the paperback. (Unless you are a book buff and collect hard-covers). My kindle edition was way too expensive at 10$.
October 2, 2013
I found this an incredibly well put together story. The writing was succinct and erudite, definitely being one of the better works I've read in contemporary literature in terms of vocabulary and articulation.
I liked the characters and considered the actions within the plot passing for pretty realistic and raging with commonsense and objective hindsight. Yehhh! for Phillipa - not many novels seem to garner an ounce of sense with actions where cause and effect seem to have no impact.
The suspense and action packed sections kept up a good pace and the book didn't sag but kept your interest levels going strong.
Since reading a few other reviews in this section I have noted that this novel has been compared with Laurel K Hamilton's character Anita Blake.
I have NO IDEA how this book or the character has ever been compared to Anita Blake? Where's their head at (in the famous words of Fat Boy Slim. Sorry, to shove my own references at you, totally unnecessary!). Truly, where did this comparison rear it's ugly head from?
Neither the writing technique, nor the character have even the mildest parallel to Anita Blake.
A publishing technique? Must be...
Definitely can't wait to get into the next book.
I liked the characters and considered the actions within the plot passing for pretty realistic and raging with commonsense and objective hindsight. Yehhh! for Phillipa - not many novels seem to garner an ounce of sense with actions where cause and effect seem to have no impact.
The suspense and action packed sections kept up a good pace and the book didn't sag but kept your interest levels going strong.
Since reading a few other reviews in this section I have noted that this novel has been compared with Laurel K Hamilton's character Anita Blake.
I have NO IDEA how this book or the character has ever been compared to Anita Blake? Where's their head at (in the famous words of Fat Boy Slim. Sorry, to shove my own references at you, totally unnecessary!). Truly, where did this comparison rear it's ugly head from?
Neither the writing technique, nor the character have even the mildest parallel to Anita Blake.
A publishing technique? Must be...
Definitely can't wait to get into the next book.
August 28, 2015
*Genre* Urban Fantasy
*Rating* 3.5
*My Thoughts*
This Case Is Gonna Kill me is the first installment in the Linnet Ellery series. Linnet is a 25-year recent graduate of Yale Law School, who has been given a chance to show that she's worth all the hype that comes with her. Personally, I don't agree with the tag line The Firm meets Anita Blake. While the story does, in fact, center around a powerful law firm, Linnet isn't a slut who sleeps with every single male and female in sight due to some lust driven condition that she can't rid herself of.
*Full Review Posted to Gizmos Reviews*
http://www.gizmosreviews.blogspot.com...
Published September 4th 2012 by Tor Books
*Rating* 3.5
*My Thoughts*
This Case Is Gonna Kill me is the first installment in the Linnet Ellery series. Linnet is a 25-year recent graduate of Yale Law School, who has been given a chance to show that she's worth all the hype that comes with her. Personally, I don't agree with the tag line The Firm meets Anita Blake. While the story does, in fact, center around a powerful law firm, Linnet isn't a slut who sleeps with every single male and female in sight due to some lust driven condition that she can't rid herself of.
*Full Review Posted to Gizmos Reviews*
http://www.gizmosreviews.blogspot.com...
Published September 4th 2012 by Tor Books
August 8, 2013
I am very glad that I did not believe the RT book review for This Case is Gonna Kill Me. Linnet is a wonderful 'accidental' heroine. Bornikova's world is uniquely her own, and it is nothing like Anita Blake's or Mercy Thompson's; if the book had been like The Firm, I would not have made it through the first chapter. This Case is an enjoyable urban fantasy that deserves its own place in the genre. I cannot wait to find out where the story takes Linnet.
After reading This Case again, I have decided to change my rating to 5 stars. I really like Linnet and her world.
After reading This Case again, I have decided to change my rating to 5 stars. I really like Linnet and her world.
May 24, 2013
Thanks to John Grisham and Scott Turow legal thrillers have become a staple of popular fiction. In her first book, This Case Is Gonna Kill Me, Phillipa Bornikova attempts to add a new genre to the paranormal aisle by fusing urban fantasy with the legal-eagle mystery-- with middling results.
Linnet Ellery is fresh out of law school but, thanks to rich and influential parents, lands a job at a high powered "white fang" law firm run by vampires. She's assigned as an assistant to a low-ranking lawyer and expects to spend lots of time doing tons of pointless busywork and navigating some vicious office politics. But the case takes an alarming turn after a werewolf attack and kills one of her co-workers and Linnet realizes she might also be in danger as the case she's working on seems to have more intrigues than anyone knew.
"This Case is Gonna Kill Me" was a frustrating book for me in a lot of ways. In some respects it's a very readable book in the typical action-oriented way of most paranormal fiction. I kept turning the pages hoping that hints dropped regarding certain potential plot point would turn into something, only to be disappointed when I turned the last page without any clarity on a number of things.
Bornikova, like a lot of writers of paranormal fiction, attempts to rewrite the traditional vampire/werewolf story by tweaking certain elements. The big difference in here is that neither supernatural entity is allowed to turn a woman into their particular form of monster- but we're never told why. It's speculated upon by a couple of characters but there's no attempt to move the story along in that way and the way it's dropped doesn't give me enough confidence that I should pick up the second book in hopes of solving that mystery.
But the most baffling aspect of "This Case is Going to Kill Me" has to be the legal aspects of the story. Linnet is presented as something of a legal wunderkind who, if I'm being honest, comes across as something of a Mary Sue-ish kind of character. She's the plucky, fresh out of school kind of girl who breezes into her new job and quickly demonstrates that she's more insightful and courageous than all the cutthroat lawyers at her firm. She cleaves her way through all the sexual politics of her firm (including a weird, out-of-sync sexual encounter with one of the vampire partners) and soon has the previously aloof women of the firm rallying around her. Only in a fantasy book could things play out so neatly. Additionally she's given a lot of leeway to investigate the case that may have precipitated the werewolf attack with little input from her superiors and virtually no interference or interest by the police.
But if I had to pick one thing I think my biggest gripe about "This Case is Going to Kill Me" is that the book really seems to follow a rote pattern for paranormal fiction without really developing the characters in a way that feels natural. There are moments when Linnet's history is touched upon, like the fact that she was raised by vampires, but those elements of the story are addressed in a hit-and-run fashion that never offers enough clarity to satisfy the reader. The would-be romance in the story is handled in the same way and there is absolutely no chemistry or common ground between the two main characters. The story can be engaging at times but the writing and storytelling is generally choppy and abrupt and sometimes had me flipping back and forth trying to keep track of characters that jump in and out of the plot. Minor character quirks, like Linnet's love of horse riding, are also shoehorned in but don't make a lot of sense in the overall scheme of things and the author's assumption that the reader would know the peculiarities of horsemanship without explanation (I had no idea what a piaffe is and couldn't intuit what kind of horse maneuver it was from the dialoge or description in the book) don't serve the narrative very well either.
There is a glimmer of an idea here that could work very well as a sub-genre of paranormal fiction but "This Case is Gonna Kill Me" feels off in its execution and the narrative never flows smoothly. I wanted to like this book but honestly found it to be mostly frustrating and unsatisfying.
Linnet Ellery is fresh out of law school but, thanks to rich and influential parents, lands a job at a high powered "white fang" law firm run by vampires. She's assigned as an assistant to a low-ranking lawyer and expects to spend lots of time doing tons of pointless busywork and navigating some vicious office politics. But the case takes an alarming turn after a werewolf attack and kills one of her co-workers and Linnet realizes she might also be in danger as the case she's working on seems to have more intrigues than anyone knew.
"This Case is Gonna Kill Me" was a frustrating book for me in a lot of ways. In some respects it's a very readable book in the typical action-oriented way of most paranormal fiction. I kept turning the pages hoping that hints dropped regarding certain potential plot point would turn into something, only to be disappointed when I turned the last page without any clarity on a number of things.
Bornikova, like a lot of writers of paranormal fiction, attempts to rewrite the traditional vampire/werewolf story by tweaking certain elements. The big difference in here is that neither supernatural entity is allowed to turn a woman into their particular form of monster- but we're never told why. It's speculated upon by a couple of characters but there's no attempt to move the story along in that way and the way it's dropped doesn't give me enough confidence that I should pick up the second book in hopes of solving that mystery.
But the most baffling aspect of "This Case is Going to Kill Me" has to be the legal aspects of the story. Linnet is presented as something of a legal wunderkind who, if I'm being honest, comes across as something of a Mary Sue-ish kind of character. She's the plucky, fresh out of school kind of girl who breezes into her new job and quickly demonstrates that she's more insightful and courageous than all the cutthroat lawyers at her firm. She cleaves her way through all the sexual politics of her firm (including a weird, out-of-sync sexual encounter with one of the vampire partners) and soon has the previously aloof women of the firm rallying around her. Only in a fantasy book could things play out so neatly. Additionally she's given a lot of leeway to investigate the case that may have precipitated the werewolf attack with little input from her superiors and virtually no interference or interest by the police.
But if I had to pick one thing I think my biggest gripe about "This Case is Going to Kill Me" is that the book really seems to follow a rote pattern for paranormal fiction without really developing the characters in a way that feels natural. There are moments when Linnet's history is touched upon, like the fact that she was raised by vampires, but those elements of the story are addressed in a hit-and-run fashion that never offers enough clarity to satisfy the reader. The would-be romance in the story is handled in the same way and there is absolutely no chemistry or common ground between the two main characters. The story can be engaging at times but the writing and storytelling is generally choppy and abrupt and sometimes had me flipping back and forth trying to keep track of characters that jump in and out of the plot. Minor character quirks, like Linnet's love of horse riding, are also shoehorned in but don't make a lot of sense in the overall scheme of things and the author's assumption that the reader would know the peculiarities of horsemanship without explanation (I had no idea what a piaffe is and couldn't intuit what kind of horse maneuver it was from the dialoge or description in the book) don't serve the narrative very well either.
There is a glimmer of an idea here that could work very well as a sub-genre of paranormal fiction but "This Case is Gonna Kill Me" feels off in its execution and the narrative never flows smoothly. I wanted to like this book but honestly found it to be mostly frustrating and unsatisfying.
October 26, 2012
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: Paranormal legal urban fantasy set in a richly detailed world but with a character that is hard to connect with and many questions left unanswered this novel may not appeal to all.
Opening Sentence: “This case is gonna kill me.”
The Review:
Fresh out of college, Linnet Ellory gets the opportunity to work for one of the best law firms in New York City. She is given the worst job as a lawyer, working on a case that has been in and out of court for over seventeen years. The Abercrombie case is a dispute over who legally inherits a multi-million dollar company. Then Chip, Linnet’s mentor and the lawyer that has been on the case since the beginning, is brutally killed one night leaving Linnet as the sole heir to working on this case. Linnet takes it upon herself to solve the mystery of why Chip was killed. She begins to investigate the cases that Chip was working on at the time of his death, although she is pretty sure that the Abercrombie case is behind his untimely demise.
This Case is Gonna Kill Me is one novel that I can’t really decide how much I enjoyed the novel. There was nothing I really hated about this novel but at the same time there wasn’t anything that really stood out and made me say “wow!” The novel is less an urban fantasy and more a paranormal legal mystery. There are a few instances of action scenes that break up all the legal jargon and slow case work. There were parts of the novel that completely engrossed me but then there were other scenes that I felt should have been trimmed down. Miss Bornikova is very detailed with the legal work and the horse training/riding really show a love for the sport.
The world that is built up is richly detailed but also quite sexist. Vampires, werewolves, and elves are known to the world. The first two are all men, women are not allowed to be changed and if a woman is bitten that is an automatic death sentence. But the question as to why females cannot be changed is left to the imagination and never quite answered just yet. I’m sure those secrets will be revealed in time.
Linnet is a smart and sassy woman but she makes some really questionable choices throughout the book even though all she wants to do is the right thing. I had a hard time connecting with her character. I wanted to feel sorry for her and the events she was put through but it was some of those stupid decisions she would make that would put me off. Thankfully, Linnet is one lucky woman and manages to survive without much skill.
This Case is Gonna Kill Me is definitely for fans of legal dramas and horses. Read this novel for the exceptional worldbuilding. The book title really does fit the events of the novel but I can’t help feeling that something was missing. Hopefully the next book in the series, Box Office Poison, will fill in all the little questions I had with this world.
Notable Scene:
The elongated snout wrinkled, the lips drawing back even more, and saliva dripped from the fangs. The rank scent of werewolf filled my nose. I cringed back, preparing to die. In my peripheral vision, I caught a glimpse of something falling. It was more instinct then conscious thought—I threw out my hand, hoping to ward it off, and ended up catching it.
There werewolf, jaws snapping, leaped at me. I threw one arm across my face and thrust out my hand as if I could fend him off. It didn’t work. The creature landed on me, but almost immediately went limp. Sticky, warm wetness flowed over my hand and arm, and a new smell joined the rank animal scent. It was cloying, coppery, and almost sweet. The werewolf lay on top of me. Gagging, I pushed him aside. A dagger protruded from his chest. That was what I’d caught. I would never have had the strength to drive home the dull replica weapon. The werewolf had done it himself with inertia and his own weight. I stared down at the blood coating my hand and arm.
I killed somebody! I killed somebody! I killed somebody! Oh, holy fuck, I killed somebody!
FTC Advisory: Tor/Macmillan provided me with a copy of This Case is Gonna Kill Me. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: Paranormal legal urban fantasy set in a richly detailed world but with a character that is hard to connect with and many questions left unanswered this novel may not appeal to all.
Opening Sentence: “This case is gonna kill me.”
The Review:
Fresh out of college, Linnet Ellory gets the opportunity to work for one of the best law firms in New York City. She is given the worst job as a lawyer, working on a case that has been in and out of court for over seventeen years. The Abercrombie case is a dispute over who legally inherits a multi-million dollar company. Then Chip, Linnet’s mentor and the lawyer that has been on the case since the beginning, is brutally killed one night leaving Linnet as the sole heir to working on this case. Linnet takes it upon herself to solve the mystery of why Chip was killed. She begins to investigate the cases that Chip was working on at the time of his death, although she is pretty sure that the Abercrombie case is behind his untimely demise.
This Case is Gonna Kill Me is one novel that I can’t really decide how much I enjoyed the novel. There was nothing I really hated about this novel but at the same time there wasn’t anything that really stood out and made me say “wow!” The novel is less an urban fantasy and more a paranormal legal mystery. There are a few instances of action scenes that break up all the legal jargon and slow case work. There were parts of the novel that completely engrossed me but then there were other scenes that I felt should have been trimmed down. Miss Bornikova is very detailed with the legal work and the horse training/riding really show a love for the sport.
The world that is built up is richly detailed but also quite sexist. Vampires, werewolves, and elves are known to the world. The first two are all men, women are not allowed to be changed and if a woman is bitten that is an automatic death sentence. But the question as to why females cannot be changed is left to the imagination and never quite answered just yet. I’m sure those secrets will be revealed in time.
Linnet is a smart and sassy woman but she makes some really questionable choices throughout the book even though all she wants to do is the right thing. I had a hard time connecting with her character. I wanted to feel sorry for her and the events she was put through but it was some of those stupid decisions she would make that would put me off. Thankfully, Linnet is one lucky woman and manages to survive without much skill.
This Case is Gonna Kill Me is definitely for fans of legal dramas and horses. Read this novel for the exceptional worldbuilding. The book title really does fit the events of the novel but I can’t help feeling that something was missing. Hopefully the next book in the series, Box Office Poison, will fill in all the little questions I had with this world.
Notable Scene:
The elongated snout wrinkled, the lips drawing back even more, and saliva dripped from the fangs. The rank scent of werewolf filled my nose. I cringed back, preparing to die. In my peripheral vision, I caught a glimpse of something falling. It was more instinct then conscious thought—I threw out my hand, hoping to ward it off, and ended up catching it.
There werewolf, jaws snapping, leaped at me. I threw one arm across my face and thrust out my hand as if I could fend him off. It didn’t work. The creature landed on me, but almost immediately went limp. Sticky, warm wetness flowed over my hand and arm, and a new smell joined the rank animal scent. It was cloying, coppery, and almost sweet. The werewolf lay on top of me. Gagging, I pushed him aside. A dagger protruded from his chest. That was what I’d caught. I would never have had the strength to drive home the dull replica weapon. The werewolf had done it himself with inertia and his own weight. I stared down at the blood coating my hand and arm.
I killed somebody! I killed somebody! I killed somebody! Oh, holy fuck, I killed somebody!
FTC Advisory: Tor/Macmillan provided me with a copy of This Case is Gonna Kill Me. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
November 18, 2015
Whoever named this novel must have been on crack because honestly, along with book covers, no, more than book covers, it is the titles of books that lure me in and This Case is Gonna Kill Me does not, in any way, attract me as a reader. The book could have been called so many other things that would have aptly, more attractively, reflected the story within but alas.
Moving on, the novel has a very interesting set up. Vampires, werewolves and fairies all inhabiting the world of law. Lawyering and law are hardly the stuff made for excitement – unless it is criminal law of course. But Bornikova succeeds in creating a fresh new world where vampire lawyers exist and female vampires do not. Where werewolves are violent and faeries are fae. Linnet is a human lawyer who is also a vampire fosterling and following her acceptance at one of the most lauded law firms, gets inexplicably embroiled in hair raising situations. She has an uncanny knack for survival and this tells me that there is more to Linnet than meets the eye. Where law, lawyering and the business are concerned, the writing is crisp and on point. The plot, while predictable, is exciting and keeps you turnings the pages. What I had problems with is the romance.
Bornikova needs to work on her characterizations. Linnet is not very interesting or compelling but the love interest, the fae whose name I can’t remember, is even flatter. I do not understand why he drops everything to help her out – to the point that he even got out of bed with another woman to come rescue her. The mush factor is huge and feels very improbable. The love interest is created more as an ideal partner than a person in his own right, with his own foibles and flaws. Linnet has, not very originally, gay best friends. She also is not very secure about her looks. I would have thought that someone with the smarts to be a lawyer would have more esteem and confidence that she shows.
Despite my quibbling, however, I did enjoy the novel. I just hope that the sequel tones down the romance and fleshes out the characters.
Moving on, the novel has a very interesting set up. Vampires, werewolves and fairies all inhabiting the world of law. Lawyering and law are hardly the stuff made for excitement – unless it is criminal law of course. But Bornikova succeeds in creating a fresh new world where vampire lawyers exist and female vampires do not. Where werewolves are violent and faeries are fae. Linnet is a human lawyer who is also a vampire fosterling and following her acceptance at one of the most lauded law firms, gets inexplicably embroiled in hair raising situations. She has an uncanny knack for survival and this tells me that there is more to Linnet than meets the eye. Where law, lawyering and the business are concerned, the writing is crisp and on point. The plot, while predictable, is exciting and keeps you turnings the pages. What I had problems with is the romance.
Bornikova needs to work on her characterizations. Linnet is not very interesting or compelling but the love interest, the fae whose name I can’t remember, is even flatter. I do not understand why he drops everything to help her out – to the point that he even got out of bed with another woman to come rescue her. The mush factor is huge and feels very improbable. The love interest is created more as an ideal partner than a person in his own right, with his own foibles and flaws. Linnet has, not very originally, gay best friends. She also is not very secure about her looks. I would have thought that someone with the smarts to be a lawyer would have more esteem and confidence that she shows.
Despite my quibbling, however, I did enjoy the novel. I just hope that the sequel tones down the romance and fleshes out the characters.
August 26, 2013
This Case Is Gonna Kill Me is written by Phillipa Bornikova, a pseudonym of Melinda Snodgrass. Which I only mention because it sounds so perfect a name for a Harry Potter character. I'll admit, the bastardized English versions of Irish names and place names more often than not amount to sheer gobbledegook, but Snodgrass is just a brilliant name.
3.5 stars. Predictable, but that won't keep me from reading the next in series.
3.5 stars. Predictable, but that won't keep me from reading the next in series.
September 25, 2012
~* 3.5 Stars *~
Original World, Likable Heroine
Maybe it used to be a dog-eat-dog world, but since humans became aware of the existence of the Powers - vampires, werewolves, and elven Álfar who have been integrated into society and hold positions of power in the country and around the globe - it's a different sort of feeding frenzy altogether. Not that Linnet Ellery feels that way. She was fostered in a vampire Household and groomed for the law.
After graduating top of her class and passing the bar on the first try, Linnet is excited about her new position with a prestigious White-Fang law firm. At least she is until the case from hell is dropped in her lap, her co-workers shun her, and the managing partners make it quite clear her position is strictly on suffrage. Then the case she's working on takes on a sinister turn.
Her boss is killed and Linnet barely escapes being mauled by a werewolf. And that's just the first in a long line of Very Bad Things that make Linnet feel less than safe and nowhere near welcome at her new job. If, on top of all that, she can't close a case that's been floundering on the firm's books for over twenty years, she may as well just start running and keep on going.
Then again, it's become clear she'd be better off doing that even if she can close the case.
~*~
Bornikova's imaginative debut hits a lot of the right notes for me. I really enjoyed the world she's created, and Linnet was an appealing main character. The mix of urban fantasy and legal thriller worked surprisingly well within the framework of the setting, the plot, and the characters. It was sort of like the bastard child of The Vampire Diaries and The Pelican Brief. With significantly less faux-teen angst.
Maybe most compelling to me is the evolution of Linnet's character throughout the story. She starts off at a severe disadvantage, disappointed in her job, worried about keeping it, and a bit timid with it all. She's fairly meek when faced with workplace harassment and ostracism, as well, as she's desperate to make as few waves as possible.
Then she survives a couple of werewolf attacks in ways that get more and more delightfully outlandish, and instead of being scared away, she starts to really dig in and stand her ground. With each turn of the page she comes further and further out of her shell and became more appealing to me as she did.
She'll never be a prototypical kick-ass heroine. She's a human female lawyer in a world dominated by old school male vampires and several very bad doggies. Her inner warrior-woman is more business casual than leather, a Harley, and a sawed-off. Linnet instead holds her own with judicious use of her sharp intellect, guided by a deep sense of right and wrong, and motivated by sheer persistence. I liked that about her.
I wish the world had been better explained and further defined. I never felt like I got more than a taste of the paranormal and supernatural elements in and of this creative almost-reality. Too many things were hinted at or alluded to or mentioned in passing, too few things given clear, in-depth definition. By the end of the book I had a ton of questions that didn't come close to even being addressed, let alone answered.
Instead, there was a plethora of superfluous information and minutiae in the narrative. The first third of the book in particular was particularly sluggish because of it, and several sections after that got bogged down as well. i.e. While I appreciated Linnet's love for and history with horses for the depth it added to her character, neither my interest nor the pacing of the story were benefited by having every horse in the book (a surprising number of them) identified in detail and equestrian riding described so thoroughly.
And that's just one example. A tighter grip on the editing could have smoothed out several rough and bloated spots, sped up the pace, and allowed for heightened emotional impact regarding the plot-driven external conflicts.
Linnet's huge case never really inspired me to care too much about its outcome, either. It was a little too distant, the interested parties a little too hostile, the quagmire of former actions, rumors, and suppositions all stayed just beyond my ability to invest my emotions. It was the case that caused the most plot conflict in the book, both directly and indirectly, but it wasn't a strong conflict for me.
The few pages given to the deposition between the battered wife and the stalker werewolf husband had a far more visceral emotional impact and that was just a tiny part of the overall story.
Romance fans will be happy that Linnet has a love interest that comes into play in the story. I liked him well enough, but I found the vampire David Sullivan's character to be more intriguing to me personally for some reason. I kept hoping for more about him or more scenes featuring him. And his scene in the park was awesome.
This book had its ups and downs, but I have to say, it really is an original and imaginative world that Bornikova created for her characters. Next time I hope to find out more about it. Hell, I hope there is a next time. Linnet really grew on me, to the point that I would be very disappointed if I don't get a chance to revisit her and several other characters who have wormed into my head and made themselves at home.
Disclosure: An ARC of this book was provided to me by Tor Books publisher Tor/Forge via NetGalley. This rating, review, and all included thoughts and comments are my own.
~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.
Original World, Likable Heroine
Maybe it used to be a dog-eat-dog world, but since humans became aware of the existence of the Powers - vampires, werewolves, and elven Álfar who have been integrated into society and hold positions of power in the country and around the globe - it's a different sort of feeding frenzy altogether. Not that Linnet Ellery feels that way. She was fostered in a vampire Household and groomed for the law.
After graduating top of her class and passing the bar on the first try, Linnet is excited about her new position with a prestigious White-Fang law firm. At least she is until the case from hell is dropped in her lap, her co-workers shun her, and the managing partners make it quite clear her position is strictly on suffrage. Then the case she's working on takes on a sinister turn.
Her boss is killed and Linnet barely escapes being mauled by a werewolf. And that's just the first in a long line of Very Bad Things that make Linnet feel less than safe and nowhere near welcome at her new job. If, on top of all that, she can't close a case that's been floundering on the firm's books for over twenty years, she may as well just start running and keep on going.
Then again, it's become clear she'd be better off doing that even if she can close the case.
~*~
Bornikova's imaginative debut hits a lot of the right notes for me. I really enjoyed the world she's created, and Linnet was an appealing main character. The mix of urban fantasy and legal thriller worked surprisingly well within the framework of the setting, the plot, and the characters. It was sort of like the bastard child of The Vampire Diaries and The Pelican Brief. With significantly less faux-teen angst.
Maybe most compelling to me is the evolution of Linnet's character throughout the story. She starts off at a severe disadvantage, disappointed in her job, worried about keeping it, and a bit timid with it all. She's fairly meek when faced with workplace harassment and ostracism, as well, as she's desperate to make as few waves as possible.
Then she survives a couple of werewolf attacks in ways that get more and more delightfully outlandish, and instead of being scared away, she starts to really dig in and stand her ground. With each turn of the page she comes further and further out of her shell and became more appealing to me as she did.
She'll never be a prototypical kick-ass heroine. She's a human female lawyer in a world dominated by old school male vampires and several very bad doggies. Her inner warrior-woman is more business casual than leather, a Harley, and a sawed-off. Linnet instead holds her own with judicious use of her sharp intellect, guided by a deep sense of right and wrong, and motivated by sheer persistence. I liked that about her.
I wish the world had been better explained and further defined. I never felt like I got more than a taste of the paranormal and supernatural elements in and of this creative almost-reality. Too many things were hinted at or alluded to or mentioned in passing, too few things given clear, in-depth definition. By the end of the book I had a ton of questions that didn't come close to even being addressed, let alone answered.
Instead, there was a plethora of superfluous information and minutiae in the narrative. The first third of the book in particular was particularly sluggish because of it, and several sections after that got bogged down as well. i.e. While I appreciated Linnet's love for and history with horses for the depth it added to her character, neither my interest nor the pacing of the story were benefited by having every horse in the book (a surprising number of them) identified in detail and equestrian riding described so thoroughly.
And that's just one example. A tighter grip on the editing could have smoothed out several rough and bloated spots, sped up the pace, and allowed for heightened emotional impact regarding the plot-driven external conflicts.
Linnet's huge case never really inspired me to care too much about its outcome, either. It was a little too distant, the interested parties a little too hostile, the quagmire of former actions, rumors, and suppositions all stayed just beyond my ability to invest my emotions. It was the case that caused the most plot conflict in the book, both directly and indirectly, but it wasn't a strong conflict for me.
The few pages given to the deposition between the battered wife and the stalker werewolf husband had a far more visceral emotional impact and that was just a tiny part of the overall story.
Romance fans will be happy that Linnet has a love interest that comes into play in the story. I liked him well enough, but I found the vampire David Sullivan's character to be more intriguing to me personally for some reason. I kept hoping for more about him or more scenes featuring him. And his scene in the park was awesome.
This book had its ups and downs, but I have to say, it really is an original and imaginative world that Bornikova created for her characters. Next time I hope to find out more about it. Hell, I hope there is a next time. Linnet really grew on me, to the point that I would be very disappointed if I don't get a chance to revisit her and several other characters who have wormed into my head and made themselves at home.
Disclosure: An ARC of this book was provided to me by Tor Books publisher Tor/Forge via NetGalley. This rating, review, and all included thoughts and comments are my own.
~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.
October 3, 2012
Favorite Lines: “I hardened and pressed my hips against hm while reaching down to cup his penis. He shifted off to the side, and I couldn’t reach him. Then his fingers were probing deep inside, but it felt more like an examination, testing the level of moisture between my legs.
And then he entered me with one hard lunge. I gasped, but it wasn’t from pleasure. I opened my eyes. He hung over me, taking his weight on his forearms. His brow was furrowed with concentration, but his expression was blank. With hard thrusts of his hips, he drove deeper and deeper into me. I tried to match his rhythm, but he made no accommodation for me.
He shuddered and I felt him go limp inside of me. There was no warm flow of ejaculation–of course there wouldn’t be with a vampire, just a loss of tumidity. I realized he had been concentrating to send the blood flow to his penis so he would stay hard. Once he’d banged me, he stopped trying. he pulled out, rolled off me, and swung his legs off the bed.” (p. 122)
I’d never heard of Phillipa Bornikova when I stumbled across her recently released book This Case is Gonna Kill Me on Netgalley. After reading the blurb which stated it was The Firm meets Anita Blake I knew it wasn’t a book I wanted to more or less promise to review. It sounded interesting, but I waited for Bornikova’s book to appear at the public library and checked it out.
I can tell you right now that blurb is misleading. Yes, the heroine works as a lawyer at a firm and yes someone is trying to kill her. But it’s not the law firm. She is no Anita Blake. She doesn’t hunt paranormal creatures or have sex with every man she meets. Linnet is a healthy twenty-something-year-old lawyer who was fostered within a vampire household. The reader meets her and her boss at the same time when Linnet begins her career as a lawyer at the vampire law firm (White Fang).
This Case is Gonna Kill Me is told in first person and set in the normal world with paranormal creatures like vampires, Alfar (fae) and werewolves. The heroine is human, but quickly realizes she is a small pawn being played with by paranormal beings. It’s not clear who her friends are, nor is it clear who her true enemies are. The only thing Linnet knows is that she needs to prove herself by closing a case which has been open for 17 years.
I had a blast with Bornikova’s book. It had a steady pace, was filled with action and made me wonder what else was going to come. There are so many directions the author can take the next book. Someone will want to get even, rescue will need to be pulled off and secrets hopefully will be brought to light. I will buy and read the next book in this series which promises me a mystery, legal thriller and hint of romance set in an urban setting with fantastical creatures.
Scooper Speaks
And then he entered me with one hard lunge. I gasped, but it wasn’t from pleasure. I opened my eyes. He hung over me, taking his weight on his forearms. His brow was furrowed with concentration, but his expression was blank. With hard thrusts of his hips, he drove deeper and deeper into me. I tried to match his rhythm, but he made no accommodation for me.
He shuddered and I felt him go limp inside of me. There was no warm flow of ejaculation–of course there wouldn’t be with a vampire, just a loss of tumidity. I realized he had been concentrating to send the blood flow to his penis so he would stay hard. Once he’d banged me, he stopped trying. he pulled out, rolled off me, and swung his legs off the bed.” (p. 122)
I’d never heard of Phillipa Bornikova when I stumbled across her recently released book This Case is Gonna Kill Me on Netgalley. After reading the blurb which stated it was The Firm meets Anita Blake I knew it wasn’t a book I wanted to more or less promise to review. It sounded interesting, but I waited for Bornikova’s book to appear at the public library and checked it out.
I can tell you right now that blurb is misleading. Yes, the heroine works as a lawyer at a firm and yes someone is trying to kill her. But it’s not the law firm. She is no Anita Blake. She doesn’t hunt paranormal creatures or have sex with every man she meets. Linnet is a healthy twenty-something-year-old lawyer who was fostered within a vampire household. The reader meets her and her boss at the same time when Linnet begins her career as a lawyer at the vampire law firm (White Fang).
This Case is Gonna Kill Me is told in first person and set in the normal world with paranormal creatures like vampires, Alfar (fae) and werewolves. The heroine is human, but quickly realizes she is a small pawn being played with by paranormal beings. It’s not clear who her friends are, nor is it clear who her true enemies are. The only thing Linnet knows is that she needs to prove herself by closing a case which has been open for 17 years.
I had a blast with Bornikova’s book. It had a steady pace, was filled with action and made me wonder what else was going to come. There are so many directions the author can take the next book. Someone will want to get even, rescue will need to be pulled off and secrets hopefully will be brought to light. I will buy and read the next book in this series which promises me a mystery, legal thriller and hint of romance set in an urban setting with fantastical creatures.
Scooper Speaks
August 21, 2014
Some of the other reviews compare this character & world to that of Laura K. Hamilton's Anita Blake. I respectfully disagree. In Linnet Ellery's world the vampires and werewolves are the powers in society (collectively the Powers). Unlike Hamilton's world where the undead and shape-shifters are more behind the scene and not looking to control society. There also is the addition of the Elves. Which in this world, is a mixture of the Fae and the traditional Elves. This approach is unique for recent (my) memory. It is an approach that I really enjoyed. I also like that the Powers are not as invincible as they seem in the Blake world. Although I enjoy the Blake series, there is enough difference in the Linnet Ellery world to provide fresh reading.
The story is well written and there is a hint that there is indeed more to Linnet than meets the eye. As she struggles to unravel the mystery, coincidence is stretched and there appears to be more at work (I believe this is an intended path for the author). Linnet just seems to be able to survive the life threatening scenarios (without spoiling the story, that is all I can say).
All in all a good story with a new perspective on some traditional characters (ie vampires/werewolves/fae). I look forward to the next book and highly recommend this to others.
The story is well written and there is a hint that there is indeed more to Linnet than meets the eye. As she struggles to unravel the mystery, coincidence is stretched and there appears to be more at work (I believe this is an intended path for the author). Linnet just seems to be able to survive the life threatening scenarios (without spoiling the story, that is all I can say).
All in all a good story with a new perspective on some traditional characters (ie vampires/werewolves/fae). I look forward to the next book and highly recommend this to others.
December 8, 2012
This is an awesome story. Linnett goes to work at a White Fang (read vampire) law firm after one of the partners recommends her. Quickly enough she learns she was hired as part of a power struggle between partners. Great start to a new job, huh? It couldn’t get worse you would reckon? Try having your boss ripped apart by a werewolf. That’s as far into the story as I am going, as I already feel I’ve gone too far.
I thought the new take on vampires and werewolves was great without displaying any of the usual cliches that seem to have surrounded these types of books. Phillips’s approach came over very refreshing and authentic – much, much better then I had hoped to the point that I needed to finish this book at the cost of almost everything else.
Evertything suffered, especially my own writing, as I read this. It twists and turns in the most unexpected ways, constantly surprising even a long-term reader like myself. There is a bit of talk of this being the new Anita Blake, but I am happy to say that this goes its own path in a delightful fashion. We do not learn too much about our characters, but I only saw this as an opportunity to expand on this new world of Bornikova’s – one I will be happy to go back to with the next release. Don’t worry about a sequel – this book is paving the way for one.
I thought the new take on vampires and werewolves was great without displaying any of the usual cliches that seem to have surrounded these types of books. Phillips’s approach came over very refreshing and authentic – much, much better then I had hoped to the point that I needed to finish this book at the cost of almost everything else.
Evertything suffered, especially my own writing, as I read this. It twists and turns in the most unexpected ways, constantly surprising even a long-term reader like myself. There is a bit of talk of this being the new Anita Blake, but I am happy to say that this goes its own path in a delightful fashion. We do not learn too much about our characters, but I only saw this as an opportunity to expand on this new world of Bornikova’s – one I will be happy to go back to with the next release. Don’t worry about a sequel – this book is paving the way for one.
August 28, 2012
This book was an unexpected delight. Lawyers? Meh. Even lawyers with paranormal spice.
But Linnet Ellery is no ordinary lawyer, even for a young lawyer in a White Fang law firm. She has no end of backbone and smarts, not to mention luck - or should I say Luck? Because fortune swirls around her like nobody else, making her a nexus of events and a little too conspicuous for her very discreet employers.
That's not to say that she doesn't make her share of mistakes - that wouldn't be any fun, now would it? She survives and learns from them, then helps others avoid the same.
Living in a world of vampires, werewolves, and Alfar (elves) might be intimidating to most humans, especially when those beings (Powers) are essentially in charge. Linnet doesn't let them intimidate her. She uses her contacts and plays to her strengths, winning more and more significant battles every time she goes to bat.
Bornikova sets things up very nicely for a sequel, and I am personally hungry to read more. I strongly suggest this book to anyone who enjoys paranormals, urban fantasy, or simply good, humorous fiction with a dollop of suspense and a strong heroine.
But Linnet Ellery is no ordinary lawyer, even for a young lawyer in a White Fang law firm. She has no end of backbone and smarts, not to mention luck - or should I say Luck? Because fortune swirls around her like nobody else, making her a nexus of events and a little too conspicuous for her very discreet employers.
That's not to say that she doesn't make her share of mistakes - that wouldn't be any fun, now would it? She survives and learns from them, then helps others avoid the same.
Living in a world of vampires, werewolves, and Alfar (elves) might be intimidating to most humans, especially when those beings (Powers) are essentially in charge. Linnet doesn't let them intimidate her. She uses her contacts and plays to her strengths, winning more and more significant battles every time she goes to bat.
Bornikova sets things up very nicely for a sequel, and I am personally hungry to read more. I strongly suggest this book to anyone who enjoys paranormals, urban fantasy, or simply good, humorous fiction with a dollop of suspense and a strong heroine.
January 11, 2014
I don't know that I would compare this to Anita Blake...(at least from what I have read of that series) I ended up trying the Audio when it was available with one of Audibles "2 for 1 Credit" sales, I liked the Narrator and thought it was worth a try. It was a little weird listening at first as the narrator also does the Dulcie O'Neil series so those were the characters I heard for like the first hour...but then they took on their own life.
I really like Linnet, I could of done without some of her self doubts and insecurities but that just makes her character more realistic. I was kinda surprised at how gruesome/descriptive the murder scene was (when I'm reading or listening to a book I have a movie playing in my head of what i'm reading...that murder was not a pretty picture). I love how she stood up to Ryan and in doing so, brought most of the women on their floor together. Two other interesting characters are David and John....it will be interesting to see where the story goes with them.
All in all a great listen and at least for the moment I am now hooked on a new series.
I really like Linnet, I could of done without some of her self doubts and insecurities but that just makes her character more realistic. I was kinda surprised at how gruesome/descriptive the murder scene was (when I'm reading or listening to a book I have a movie playing in my head of what i'm reading...that murder was not a pretty picture). I love how she stood up to Ryan and in doing so, brought most of the women on their floor together. Two other interesting characters are David and John....it will be interesting to see where the story goes with them.
All in all a great listen and at least for the moment I am now hooked on a new series.
February 6, 2017
a reminder not to read shit like that again
December 27, 2019
Interesting, crazy adventure in a legal setting with vampires. Looking forward to what happens next
July 14, 2018
I was interested in this book because it seemed different from the usual paranormal books. Instead of a warrior or fighter, Linnet is a lawyer! She doesn't do any real fighting-- physical fighting, but she does do research to uncover the mystery: Why was her boss killed and how does it connect to his only case involving werewolves? So, if you are looking for nonstop action and fighting scenes, this isn't the one for you-- but if you would like to try something a bit different, need a change of pace maybe, give this one a try! There is still some action, Linnet is definitely a strong female character who makes mistakes, but owns up to them and tries to help others in a world where that isn't the norm.
I will admit to being a bit bored at times, but in the book's defense I read this when I was too hot and slightly frustrated at things going on at home (such as no hot water), so that might have colored my opinion negatively. Perhaps this just wasn't the right book for the time I was having. See, there is a lot of research or side little plots at the office to fill the time. It was interesting, but I was wanting to know what was going on with the case.
I did like the characters too. We don't get to know many people in depth, but there is some good foundations and I have interest in seeing how the office dynamic will continue to change and how the girls in the office will band together.
I do wish there was a little bit more world-building. In this book vampires, alfar (elves), and werewolves are out in the open-- people know they exist and they are a part of society. Since Linnet isn't fighting them though, I think that is why we don't learn their weaknesses or their existence rules. So, I would have just liked more background on how they came out, maybe why, and some of their rules just to have more of an understanding of the world.
I'm really curious about what will have next and if Linnet will be able to do anything to rectify part of the ending of this book-- which did shock me. I would totally recommend this to others, especially if they are looking for a different type of "strong female character" or a paranormal story that doesn't involve fighting off supernatural creatures all the time.
I will admit to being a bit bored at times, but in the book's defense I read this when I was too hot and slightly frustrated at things going on at home (such as no hot water), so that might have colored my opinion negatively. Perhaps this just wasn't the right book for the time I was having. See, there is a lot of research or side little plots at the office to fill the time. It was interesting, but I was wanting to know what was going on with the case.
I did like the characters too. We don't get to know many people in depth, but there is some good foundations and I have interest in seeing how the office dynamic will continue to change and how the girls in the office will band together.
I do wish there was a little bit more world-building. In this book vampires, alfar (elves), and werewolves are out in the open-- people know they exist and they are a part of society. Since Linnet isn't fighting them though, I think that is why we don't learn their weaknesses or their existence rules. So, I would have just liked more background on how they came out, maybe why, and some of their rules just to have more of an understanding of the world.
I'm really curious about what will have next and if Linnet will be able to do anything to rectify part of the ending of this book-- which did shock me. I would totally recommend this to others, especially if they are looking for a different type of "strong female character" or a paranormal story that doesn't involve fighting off supernatural creatures all the time.
March 23, 2019
By Phillipa Bornikova
Narrator: Therese Plummer
This Case is Gonna Kill Me is an Urban Fantasy novel with a Female heroine. Linnet is a Yale Graduate, Lawyer, and a Vampire Foster kid. Yet, she still is at the bottom of the bucket at her new Vampire Firm. That's because in this world the Vampires seem to hold strong to male chauvinistic ideals.
You would think the females would stick together, but instead it's more like the Law Firm version of the Mean Girls movie.
Unlike most female heroines, Linnet isn't kick-ass at all. No guns, no karate moves, and no special powers. In lieu of all that she uses her wits to get out of near death experiences with werewolves and assassins. Some of those close escapes seem like luck, but there maybe something more to come on that front.
The author attempts to create a lead character with both the good and bad attributes of the young. She is brash, insecure, and impulsive.
Linnet has horrible friends... in her tragedy not one of them came over to comfort her... they all had dates... I cant imagine choosing a lunch date over my friend who was almost murdered.
I'm not sure why every female lead has to have a gay best friend and a bunch of "beautiful" men around her. I don't know if that's in the Urban Fantasy requirements guide but you'll see it here.
The author doesn't have a straight forward writing style. She starts in the middle of situations and gives sprinkles of details that aren't always in order. As the reader you have to keep track. Example, the foster situation should have been explained straight out of the gate. Instead, you get these trickles along the way and it takes a minute to understand what exactly happened for her to be raised by vampires. In my personal opinion, not a spoiler, I believe the father is setting Linnet up in a position for a reason that will be disclosed later. This isn't just a coincidence.
I liked this story even though I didnt love all the cliches and forced girl-power moments. I wouldn't compare this to the early Anita Blake at all. So please don't go into this hoping for a new Guilty Pleasues. Instead, I'd compare it to the first few Cassie Palmer novels.
3 Stars 🌟🌟🌟- Good Book. I like the overall concept and it was delivered well. Most common ranking for a book I enjoyed and look forward to the next.
Narrator: Therese Plummer
This Case is Gonna Kill Me is an Urban Fantasy novel with a Female heroine. Linnet is a Yale Graduate, Lawyer, and a Vampire Foster kid. Yet, she still is at the bottom of the bucket at her new Vampire Firm. That's because in this world the Vampires seem to hold strong to male chauvinistic ideals.
You would think the females would stick together, but instead it's more like the Law Firm version of the Mean Girls movie.
Unlike most female heroines, Linnet isn't kick-ass at all. No guns, no karate moves, and no special powers. In lieu of all that she uses her wits to get out of near death experiences with werewolves and assassins. Some of those close escapes seem like luck, but there maybe something more to come on that front.
The author attempts to create a lead character with both the good and bad attributes of the young. She is brash, insecure, and impulsive.
Linnet has horrible friends... in her tragedy not one of them came over to comfort her... they all had dates... I cant imagine choosing a lunch date over my friend who was almost murdered.
I'm not sure why every female lead has to have a gay best friend and a bunch of "beautiful" men around her. I don't know if that's in the Urban Fantasy requirements guide but you'll see it here.
The author doesn't have a straight forward writing style. She starts in the middle of situations and gives sprinkles of details that aren't always in order. As the reader you have to keep track. Example, the foster situation should have been explained straight out of the gate. Instead, you get these trickles along the way and it takes a minute to understand what exactly happened for her to be raised by vampires. In my personal opinion, not a spoiler, I believe the father is setting Linnet up in a position for a reason that will be disclosed later. This isn't just a coincidence.
I liked this story even though I didnt love all the cliches and forced girl-power moments. I wouldn't compare this to the early Anita Blake at all. So please don't go into this hoping for a new Guilty Pleasues. Instead, I'd compare it to the first few Cassie Palmer novels.
3 Stars 🌟🌟🌟- Good Book. I like the overall concept and it was delivered well. Most common ranking for a book I enjoyed and look forward to the next.
Read
December 8, 2019DNF @ chapter 21.
So I read a review which claimed it was tropey but not annoying, so I figured I'd give it a go.
It annoyed me. Which may have had to do with expectations, of course.
But one thing that always bugs me is lip service feminism. And while this book aspires to a certain amount of challenging stereotypical notions connected to male/female gender, it still tries to force us to swallow other aspects.
I don't understand why a feminist female MC would calorie count, consider it self-control to avoid cobbler or why we're told she takes the stairs to stay slim. I don't get why the author would make the MC denigrate her own appearance, relate to other women through competition or by making it clear that she herself is different. The MC worships her father and is disparaging of her mother.
I think I see signs of some kind of emancipatory journey in her future, but too little too late.
So I read a review which claimed it was tropey but not annoying, so I figured I'd give it a go.
It annoyed me. Which may have had to do with expectations, of course.
But one thing that always bugs me is lip service feminism. And while this book aspires to a certain amount of challenging stereotypical notions connected to male/female gender, it still tries to force us to swallow other aspects.
I don't understand why a feminist female MC would calorie count, consider it self-control to avoid cobbler or why we're told she takes the stairs to stay slim. I don't get why the author would make the MC denigrate her own appearance, relate to other women through competition or by making it clear that she herself is different. The MC worships her father and is disparaging of her mother.
I think I see signs of some kind of emancipatory journey in her future, but too little too late.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 259 reviews