{"id":21,"date":"2017-01-29T21:57:56","date_gmt":"2017-01-30T02:57:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/dremadeoraich\/?p=21"},"modified":"2017-02-05T13:12:29","modified_gmt":"2017-02-05T18:12:29","slug":"bad-blood-by-lucienne-diver","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/2017\/01\/29\/bad-blood-by-lucienne-diver\/","title":{"rendered":"Bad Blood, by Lucienne Diver"},"content":{"rendered":"

Samhain Publishing, \u00a9 2012
\nISBN 978-1-60928-594-4
\n219 pages, $14.00<\/p>\n

Any book that includes Apollo\u2014the<\/em> Apollo\u2014hiding among humans as an adult film star is bound to grab my attention. And he isn\u2019t alone; Circe, Poseidon, Hephaestus, Hermes, and other Big Names make appearances in this first book of the Latter Day Olympians series. Add in skeptical protagonist TORI KARACIS, a private investigator who may\u2014or may not\u2014have gorgon blood, her edgy relationship with Detective NICK ARMANI (no relation), and her overly dramatic assistant, Jesus, and you have a perfect recipe for a most unusual mystery.<\/p>\n

The book opens with Tori on the job, tailing a high-powered Hollywood agent for a paying client. Things go to hell (or is that Hel?) almost immediately, and by the end of the first chapter, our P.I. is called into Detective Armani\u2019s office for questioning. Pressure mounts in every scene as Tori begins asking the right questions and coming a little too close for comfort to uncovering the truth behind the mayhem. Soon Tori herself is a target and that\u2019s when things really<\/em> kick into high gear.<\/p>\n

Tori, the main character and my favorite, portrays the classic strong-but-vulnerable heroine. Her personality comes through loud and clear in the first few pages, and remains consistent throughout the book; sarcasm is her native language, especially in her head, where we spend a good bit of time. More than once I laughed out loud at her private thoughts, and found myself cheering her snide comments, wishing I had the guts to speak my mind as fluently in tense situations. Her observations of people and situations reach the reader through the filter of Tori\u2019s cynicism, which makes them even more amusing. I loved the fact that she could laugh at herself, as well as those around her.<\/p>\n

Little by little, some of Tori\u2019s background emerges and we get a glimpse into why she is so suspicious and (dare I say it) uptight. Her unique family members contribute, especially YiaYia, whose fantastic tales of family history Tori has never taken seriously\u2014until now. Even Uncle Christos, whose investigative business she inherited, adds his two cents with quotes like \u201cIf you assume you know nothing, you\u2019re going to be right a good part of the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

As a mystery, the book had me turning the pages to see if my guesses on the villain\u2019s identity were correct. Diver threw in more than a few surprises, including a couple of steamy scenes that I did not expect. Overall the plot kept me guessing, which I found refreshing.<\/p>\n

My only disappointment in Bad Blood<\/em> was that it was more or less a surface romp. I prefer books that make me think. This one was entertainment, pure and simple. That\u2019s not a bad thing; I enjoyed it, but for me it didn\u2019t scratch my preference for intelligent stimulation, or make me dig down into my own principles to question whether I would have done things the same as Tori, or if I would have taken a different route. Even so, sometimes the last thing I want as a reader is an arduous journey into philosophy and ethics. Especially on days that demand a huge concentration of my attention and focus, a delightful modern-day urban fantasy is exactly what YiaYia might recommend.<\/p>\n

With concise and consistent characterization and plot, Diver\u2019s Bad Blood<\/em> is a great start for a series that promises irreverent wit\u2014and tumultuous relationships\u2014throughout. If you\u2019re looking for a fun read with fast-paced action and clever dialogue, Bad Blood<\/em> should definitely be at the top of your list.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Samhain Publishing, \u00a9 2012 ISBN 978-1-60928-594-4 219 pages, $14.00 Any book that includes Apollo\u2014the Apollo\u2014hiding among humans as an adult film star is bound to grab my attention. And he isn\u2019t alone; Circe, Poseidon, Hephaestus, Hermes, and other Big Names make appearances in this first book of the Latter Day Olympians series. Add in skeptical…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8n0kX-l","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":230,"url":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/2017\/06\/26\/the-seventh-victim\/","url_meta":{"origin":21,"position":0},"title":"The Seventh Victim","author":"DremaDeoraich","date":"June 26, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"by Mary Burton Kensington Publishing, Inc. \u00a9 2013 ISBN 978-1-4201-2505-4 Mass Market Paperback, 362 pages, $7.99 When Texas Ranger JAMES BECK arrives at the crime scene, the details\u2014victim clad in a home-made white dress, blonde hair fanned out around her head, and a penny clutched in one hand\u2014seem familiar somehow.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Reviews","link":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/SeventhVictim-183x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2580,"url":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/2022\/05\/05\/darkwalker-a-tale-of-the-urban-shaman\/","url_meta":{"origin":21,"position":1},"title":"Darkwalker: A Tale of the Urban Shaman","author":"DremaDeoraich","date":"May 5, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"By Duncan Eagleson Pink Narcissus Press ISBN: Kindle, 372 pages. \u00a9 2014 Bay City is haunted by a supernatural serial killer the newsfeeds have named \"The Beast.\" City Boss Micah Roth calls on the Railwalkers\u2014a shamanic Order trained in both clerical and warrior skills\u2014to champion his cause and return the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Reviews","link":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/DarkwalkerCover-192x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1878,"url":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/2020\/05\/01\/song-of-blood-and-stone\/","url_meta":{"origin":21,"position":2},"title":"Song of Blood and Stone","author":"DremaDeoraich","date":"May 1, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Book 1 of the Earthsinger Chronicles By L. 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