Dancing with the Devil (Nikki & Michael, #1) in Aussie Readers

May 05, 2015 Catsalive rated it liked it

Shelves: 2015, aww

This is one of Arthur's earliest novels & the first book in the Nikki & Michael series. Nikki is searching for a teenage runaway who has given her soul to a vampire, Jasper, in return for immortality. Nikki has powerful psychic powers but has never come across vampires & zombies before - this won't stop her trying to save the girl, but she will need help. Enter Michael, a 300-year-old vampire who has been on Jasper's trail for many years. Nikki must give him her trust as they team up to fight th ...more

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Jan 10, 2010 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley-reviews, arc-are, aussie-author

Keri Arthur's Nikki and Michael four book series was first published about a decade ago and is being re released by Dell this year (2013) at the rate of one book every three months. As I am a fan of the author's more recent work, particularly her Riley Jensen series, I was eager to sample her first effort.

Dancing With the Devil introduces psychically gifted private investigator Nikki James and 300 year old vampire Michael Kelly. Strangers to each other, they become entangled on a case involving
Keri Arthur's Nikki and Michael four book series was first published about a decade ago and is being re released by Dell this year (2013) at the rate of one book every three months. As I am a fan of the author's more recent work, particularly her Riley Jensen series, I was eager to sample her first effort.

Dancing With the Devil introduces psychically gifted private investigator Nikki James and 300 year old vampire Michael Kelly. Strangers to each other, they become entangled on a case involving a rebellious, runaway teenager and an evil entity with the power to infiltrate minds and raise the dead.

As Nikki persists in chasing Monica, she makes herself vulnerable to Jasper who uses her as a pawn in the centuries old vendetta between Michael and the murderous vampire. There is plenty of action with both psychic and physical battles of wills taking place, zombies roaming the town at the direction of their master and a ravenous newborn vampire feasting on whomever crosses her path.
Jasper is evil incarnate - he preys on vulnerable young women and craves power. As the daughter of a wealthy business man, Monica is a prize he can't resist as she offers him access to money His ability to manipulate perception and crazed blood lust makes him a worthy foe for Nikki and Michael.

Nikki is feisty and determined but loaded with misplaced guilt and almost stubborn to a fault. I was interested in her abilities which seem to include psychometry as well as some talent for telekinesis and telepathy and I look forward to learning more about them.
Michael was, as I expected, a broody, tortured vampire who agonises over his nature and doesn't believe he deserves happiness.

The romance between Nikki and Michael is complicated by their pasts, both have trust issues and therefore there is a lot of push and pull as they fight their desire for one another. The 'love me, love me not' trope is not my favourite but the psychic tie created between the couple does give it a slightly different twist.

At the time of initial publication I imagine Dancing With The Devil pushed the boundary between paranormal romance and urban fantasy, as with the story to be continued, there is no happy ever after. I did enjoy this introduction to the series but I wasn't really excited by it. Hopefully it will hook me as I continue with it.

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Jul 18, 2013 Sheree rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: reviews, own, urban-fantasy, aussie-author, read-in-2013

3.5 stars

I've enjoyed Australian author Kerri Arthur's Riley Jenson Guardian series so was keen to try Dancing with the Devil when I saw it on NetGalley, unaware that it was actually first published more than 10 years ago. Re-edited and re-released with a hot new cover, but given this was some of her first work I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it.

Nikki is a private investigator with strong psychic abilities - telekinesis telemetry, telepathy (love it, I gobble up that stuff) she's also stu ...more

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Jul 27, 2011 Kate Moffatt rated it really liked it

Shelves: vampires, paranormal-romance

After reading the Riley Jenson series I thought I would give this one a go and all I can say is WOW! I absolutely loved it, and couldn't put it down. ...more

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