This Case Is Gonna Kill Me

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.

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.