To Kill A Warlock

To Kill A Warlock

HP Mallory / Urban Fantasy

E-Book / Review requested by author

The murder of a dark arts warlock. A shape-shifting, ravenous creature on the loose. A devilishly handsome stranger sent to investigate. Sometimes working law enforcement for the Netherworld is a real bitch. Dulcie O’Neil is a fairy. And not the type to frolic in gardens. She’s a Regulator—a law-enforcement agent who monitors the creatures of the Netherworld to keep them from wreaking havoc in the mortal world. When a warlock is murdered and Dulcie was the last person to see him alive, she must uncover the truth before she’s either deported back to the Netherworld, or she becomes the next victim. Enter Knight Vander, a sinfully attractive investigator sent from the Netherworld to work the case with Dulcie. Between battling her attraction to her self-appointed partner, keeping a sadomasochistic demon in check, and fending off the advances of a sexy and powerful vampire, Dulcie’s got her hands full. As the body count increases, Dulcie finds herself battling dark magic, reconnoitering in S&M clubs and suffering the greatest of all betrayals.

There was no way in hell I was looking in the mirror. I knew it was bad when I glanced down. My stomach, if that’s what you wanted to call it, was five times its usual size and exploded around me in a mass of jelly-like fat. To make matters worse, it was the color of overcooked peas—that certain jaundiced yellow.
“Wow, Dulce, you look like crap,” Sam said.
I tried to give her my best “don’t piss me off” look,

 
How can you not love a book with opening lines like that? That first sentence sucked me straight into the story and didn't spit me back out to the very end.  This is the first time reading something by HP Mallory and have to tell you that I'm a definite FAN. I love it when I read a book and it almost seems effortless because everything works so well together and that's what made this book such a great experience. There was a very natural flow to the story that allowed me to really settle into it and although it wasn't as long as some books I've read, there was no sense of being rushed or of cramming alot of information in to a limited amount of pages. I was able to read without being bombarded with needless facts and images and it was just so easy to get absorbed into the story that I honestly lost track of time (about 3hrs) and needed to make a VERY urgent pit stop at the end. That's a great sign right there that I've read something amazing because everything else melted away and the book becomes alive.

I have to say, I loved that Dulcie had a real sassy personality because nothing makes a story harder to read than a boring lead character. From the opening scene she engaged me and fired up my imagination as I tried to picture this hideous creature she'd been spelled into. She made me laugh with her sense of humor, telling me that should I have met her "real life" she would definitely be someone I'd have been friends with (I share that only to show that within that first scene that was an instant connection to the character, which is a good thing) Being pursued by most of the men in the story, I really liked how she handled herself and how she worked hard to keep focused on her job of finding the killer. With Quillan and Knight stealing kisses and sharing flirtations, I would have been reduced to a puddle on the floor for the story. I loved her experiences with going to the S&M club (she got to wear some pretty fabulous clothes) and her reactions to the "eye full" of things happening there. It showed me that Dulcie was incredibly human in how she felt and it not only helped me imagine her within the scenes but also helped me identify with her. I will tell you this though - how she managed to keep her wits around Knight is a mystery and when he kisses her *sigh* I wouldn't have had the strength to stop. She was such a great character to read and I'm looking forward to future stories with her.

The men in this story *fans herself a little* were something my imagination had a great time mooning over. There were four who I would seriously read in stories of their own because I felt that aside from obviously being "appealing" (ok they were kinda HOT) they were all in their own way extremely interesting. Take for instance there was Quillan, Dulcie's boss. Straight away you get this image of a man with a protective nature who takes care of the people who work for him. He is really the go-the-extra-mile kinda guy because honestly, I don't see my boss checking on me or bringing me dinner the way Quillan did with Dulcie. There was all the potential for a romantic connection and I did spend part of the story with my fingers crossed for him. Next there was Bram, who I think deserves a mention simply because he's a rogue looking vampire and face it, vamps can get my blood pumping (hahaha). He made me laugh alot in the book because he was just so optimistic about Dulcie (yeah go figure, not all vampires are broody) and seemed always on the ready should she give him the go ahead. All she would have to do is crook her little finger and he'd be there which strangely enough wasn't as sad as it sounds. Moving onto Dagan who I have to admit I liked simply because he was mind candy (I couldn't really call him eye candy could I?) He was the leather wearing demon who ran the S&M club called Payne. Yeah, he was a little to kinky for my liking but from the way the author described him, a great body covered in tats stuffed into leather pants *sigh* bring it on!! He was a great character that gave the story good shock value. And finally ... there's Knight.

Okay, he deserves his own paragraph. To me, Knight was the story's resident bad boy. Good looking with a cocky attitude, he came across to me like a constant flirt but someone who also knew when the moment required seriousness. He was a FABULOUS choice to play opposite Dulcie and I loved reading how he interacted with her. There were so many great scenes filled with Knight, from his guest appearance in her dreams to his frequent trips into Dagan's club where you never did quite know what he would have Dulcie do. He always seemed to be pushing her buttons and I will tell you this so if you don't want a spoiler cover your eyes - if I EVER walked over to my bed and found a man like Knight sleeping in it naked... my first reaction would NOT be to cover him over with a blanket. I loved how Dulcie never did fully give into him despite the chemistry and hot make out sessions. It made me respect her and showed that in reality, it is ok not to jump into bed with someone the first time they smile at you. Crossing my fingers, toes and eyes that in the upcoming books in this series, Knight will continue to play an important role *wonders how she'll be able to type the rest of her review*

You know there wasn't anything that I didn't love about this story and I'm left with the feeling of being completely and thoroughly entertained and satisfied. To Kill A Warlock is a definite keeper and one that I'll read over and over again. I recommend that you check it out on both Amazon and Goodreads and see about downloading your own copy. You won't be disappointed.


Ratings:     5 stars   and   SIMMER