The Case of the Cupid Curse, Amber Kell and RJ Scott

[Ulysses]

I am a paranormal fiction fan. But I am picky and easily irritated. However, the only thing that really pissed me off about Amber Kell and RJ Scott's first collaboration, "The Case of the Cupid Curse," is the fact that it ended too abruptly and left me hanging until they get the damn sequel written. Arrrrgh. But, I guess that's a good sign, yes?

Having written vampire romances myself, I am always interested in ways people treat vampires. Bob, the vampire in this first novella, is a winner. And for some reason, Bob takes a shine to Sam, the main protagonist of the piece. Sam is a callow youth, and sort of a jerk. Bigoted against the paranormal (i.e. magical) folks with whom he is forced to share his city, Sam is startled to find out that the little detective agency he inherits from his sweet Uncle Hanson is oriented toward the paranormal world. Sam is not a happy camper.

Seems that in Sam's world, being gay is no big deal, but being a werewolf or a fae or a vampire gets you all SORTS of attitude. Clearly, Sam has some learning to do.

And Bob, the beautiful and patient vampire, will do what he can to help.

My only other complaint about this charming, interesting, and picturesque novella is that the Kell/Scott duo offer us a neatly crafted prose that nonetheless seems a bit rushed. They're good with language, and good at making their narrative amusing - but it feels like they were in a hurry to get to the all-too-soon ending. Or cliffhanger, as it were.

Slow down, ladies. You have a winner on your hands - but let your readers savor it. This could really go places.

[Octobercountry]

Sounds good---another one to add to my wish list!

[Ulysses]

I really enjoy this "End Street Agency" series, of which this is the third installment.

Sam, the ordinary Joe who inherited his late uncle's detective agency back in book one, has come a long way in coping with his prejudice against paranormals. The major clue is that his lover is a vampire named Bob (which still cracks me up). In fact, Sam has become something of a minor hero in the paranormal world, because of the work he's done, finding and rescuing various denizens of this parallel subculture.

This time, while Sam and Bob are dropping off their vampire daughter at boarding school (oh, please, give us an episode at the school - next, I think!), their friend, semi-vampire Mikhail, discovers that one of their rescued children from the last book is very special indeed.

Enter the dragons.

I really love the matter-of-fact way that the presence of all sorts of magical humanoids is taken for granted in Sam's world. It adds a jaunty, and not a little surreal, attitude to the proceedings. Kell and Scott pace the story well and create characters who are quirky and endearing. They manage to create cliffhangers that are more of an opening into the next book, because one mystery leads to another without leaving the reader brought up short. Only a slightly perfunctory writing style keeps this series from being a five star. I think the authors might have been able to add a little more descriptive enhancement to the narrative without ruining the "just the facts ma'am" tone. They get the small-town affection that Sam and Bob feel for each other, without needing flourishes; but the settings and the sensations that could fill the book seem oddly lacking in poetry. Sam is not a romantic guy, but even he probably hears violins when he looks into Bob's vampire eyes.

[Octobercountry]

Well, I thought I'd finally try the End Street Detective Agency series, which at this time is comprised of four books:

The Case Of The Cupid Curse
The Case Of The Wicked Wolf
The Case Of The Dragon's Dilemma
The Case of the Sinful Santa

Unfortunately, when I went to Amazon I found out that the books are no longer available---argh! I dropped Amber Kell a line to ask about them, and she said that the rights have reverted back to her and RJ Scott. They will be re-publishing the series themselves sometime toward the end of the year. So---whew---I'll still have the opportunity to read the books later.

[Liz]

Octobercountry wrote: "Well, I thought I'd finally try the End Street Detective Agency series..."

Fred, have you tried any in the recent "Tales of the Curious Cookbook" series. It's five short stories about a mysterious cookbook of unknown origins that always manages to serve up whatever is needed. The five stories are by five different authors including RJ Scott and Amber Kell.


You can buy each story separately or as a complete set.Tales of the Curious Cookbook

[Octobercountry]

Liz wrote: "Fred, have you tried any in the recent "Tales of the Curious Cookbook" series. It's five short st..."

I actually bought the paperback (all five stories in one book) when it was on sale at Dreamspinner. Haven't read the last story yet---once I do I'll have to dash off a quick review. Of the four stories I read, I thought one was really rather mediocre, but the others were good.

[Liz]

Octobercountry wrote: "Liz wrote: "Fred, have you tried any in the recent "Tales of the Curious Cookbook" series. It's five short st..."

I actually bought the paperback (all five stories in one book) when it was on sal..."

I agree. Some were better than others and one was "meh," but by now, I can't remember which that was.