Book Review: Red

Red

By:  Kate SeRine

Publisher:  Kensington Publishing Corp.

Publish Date:  August 2, 2012

Format:  eBook, 310pgs

Genre:  Urban Fantasy

Series:  1st in A Transplanted Tales Novel series

Recommendation:  Oh YES!!  A modernization of fairytale characters with not so perfect lives as thought in their stories and a bloody mystery to solve, and maybe even a blooming relationship along the way.

Book Synopsis:
"My name is Tess Little.  But everyone calls me Red."

Once upon a time, a spell went awry, stranding Make Believe characters in the ordinary world.  Since then, Tess "Red" Little - a/k/a Little Red Riding Hood - has worked as an Enforcer for the Chicago branch of the Fairytale Management Authority.  But, consider yourself warned - she's not just some waif with a basket of goodies.  All grown up and with nothing to lose, a gun and combat boots is more her style.  And Red's new assignment threatens to be short on happily ever afters...

Someone is murdering transplanted Tales in gruesome fashion.  The list of fictional characters capable of such grisly acts in short and includes more than one of Red's old flames.  And if that wasn't bad enough, there's another complication, in the for of sexy, enigmatic Nate Grimm, the FMA's lead detective and part-time Reaper.  Used to following her own rules and living life on the edge, Red has managed to avoid taking on a partner until now.  But Nate's dark side makes him perfect for a case like this.  That is, if she can trust him.  Because if there's one thing Red knows for sure, it's that believing in the wrong person can have big, bad consequences...

First Sentence:
What do you get when you cross an egomaniacal fairy godmother, an arrogant genie, and a couple of wandering plagiarists whose idea of cultural preservation is stealing the stories of unsuspecting villagers and passing them off as their own?

Purchase At:

Amazon ~ Print & Ebook   /   Barnes & Nobles - Print & Ebook

My Thoughts and Summary:
Tess Little's, know as Red, recent mark to bring in Dave "Pied Piper" is a usual occurrence of minor parole violation turns surprising and doesn't make sense when he quickly takes his own life in front of her instead of going in.  Something had him sacred and doesn't feel right.  When Detective Nate Grimm shows Red is stunned by her response to him, then she's called back to the office at FMA - Fairytale Management Authority.  Red learns there have been four severely brutal murders in the last thirty days and appears all by same person.  They all seem to be four small time Tale characters, no one knows why these people were clawed to death.  Red's boss, Al Addin, wants Red to bring the suspects in for questioning including Seth "Big Bad" Wolf whom Red thought was her happily ever after at one time and a few others whom she had relations with in the past.  Al wants this over before the Ordinaries, humans, catch wind of the murders.  Red believes down deep none of the suspects are guilty, especially the top of their list - Seth.  Red's not wanting to deal with any old lovers, which is complicated by her growing attraction to the detective who requested her as his partner - Detective Nate Grimm.

I love the Prologue!  We learn of the fairytale characters being in the Here and Now and a brief reasoning as to why they have crossed over.  It's told from Tess Little, Red as everyone calls her.  Red is grown up and one tough lady as an Enforcer for the Fairytale Management Authority.  I really like Red off the bat.  She seems like a no nonsense kind of woman, one who holds her own.  Red has grown and made a life for herself, yet she's still hurt too, in her heart.  And she's dated a few...damaged Tale men as well.  Red is use to working alone and now she has a partner, this is hard for her to adjust to.

I really felt like many of the Tale characters and their Here and Now lives blended.  Some I was surprised to see in their positions, but being in the "real" life scenario they are not who they were in their stories and lives are way different here.

I so enjoyed Nate Grimm, a Homicide detective with his special talent to know when one of the fairy tales die and instantly there.  Oooo Nate!  Oh do I LOVE Nate's story.  What we learn about him through the story.  *sigh*  In the end I do think I loved him, well, I strongly liked him in the beginning.  Not only is Nate an amazing sounding man, but I loved the way his story fit with Red, her life, and into the story.  Wonderfully planned!

I kept reading as I wanted to know who committed the murders of these background characters and why.  I love Red's determined hard self and the banter with her and Nate... love/hate/love, friend, more?  And to meet all these troubled "bad boys" Red has dated.  We follow Red learning all the clues along with her, and kept me guessing.  I had my suspicions and there were surprises that fit PERFECTLY with the clues we got.  A mystery story that will keep you flipping and guessing.

This is a modernization of fairytale characters with a bloody mystery to solve and it seems to touch Red's personal life.

If you haven't picked this up yet because you fear to much Romance, GO GET IT!  There is an enticing murder story here.  And wonderful molding of Fairytale characters in the ordinary world.  There is falling in love present but not over the top here.  There is a perfect combination with the growth of the relationship done gently through the story making it believable as you watch the characters work together through these grisly murders.

I am sold on this series!  I will be picking up the next books that will be coming out to enjoy more of this world and to see what is in store for the characters.



**I read this book for my own enjoyment.