Saturday, January 9, 2010

Book Review: Three Days to Dead




Three Days to Dead

By: Kelly Meding

Publisher: Bantam and Dell

Publish Date: December 2009

Format: Paperback, 405 pages

Genre: Paranormal Fiction

Series: The First book in the Adventures of Evangeline Stone.

Recommendation: YES!! Do you like action and mystery and paranormal? READ THIS!

Book Synopsis:
She's young, deadly, and hunted - with only three days to solve her own murder...

When Evangeline Stone wakes up naked and brused on a cold slab in the morgue - in a stranger's body, with no memory of who she is and how she got there - her troubles are only just beginning. Before that night she and the two other members of her Triad were star bounty hunters, mercilessly cleansing the city of the murderous creatures living in the shadows, from vampires to shape-shiftersto trolls. Then something terrible happenedthat not only cost all three of them their lives but also convinced the city's other Hunters that Evy was a traitor - and she can't even remember what it was.

Now she's a fugitive, piecing together her memory, trying to deal some serious justice - and dicovering that she has only three days to solve her own murder before the reincarnation spell wears off. Because in three days Evy will die again - but this time there's no second chance...

First Sentence:
I don't recall the first time I died, but I do remember the second time I was born. Vividly.

My Review and Summary:
I am going to try not to give to much of the story away in this review. The synopsis on the back of the book is a great starting discription of what the story is about. I am glad I worked hard to win this book (Thanks to SciFiGuy.ca), although I would have paid for this book as I really wanted it. I am always a sucker for a paranormal mystery action book.

This book constantly moves forward with a lot happening. There is always some action going on or mystery detail being given, and the good guys are not always in the lead. I enjoy trying to figure out how all the pieces of the puzzle fit together - who is doing this, why are they, and what are all the connections to figure out what the plan is.

Evy wakes up on a morgue table not knowing; where she is, what happened, or even any phone numbers to make a call for help. Let alone realizing she is not in her own body anymore. You meet Evy right on page one and start the story right with her. The memory loss is handled wonderfully! The memory loss is only for a particular time frame and you learn what is lost with Evy. You feel the emotions right with Evy as she learns the wonderful and horrific things with her. As you meet other characters (human and paranormal) you learn what Evy knows as you come to them - either right before or as you meet them. You learn of how they live and what they believe right before she goes to visit them or right with the visit. I really liked how this is added in with what is going on.

I felt Evy's character was well built. She has a strong personality. (She is definitely someone I would not want to get on the bad side of.) You see Evy stay true to her self yet still confused thinking part of Chalice, the girls body she is borrowing, is what is adding to her confusion. Evy wonders off and on through the book as to why Chalice was dead and why she choose this body to come back in. Even though Evy is true to her attitude and comments, you watch as she slowly starts to grow.

Evy knows many things of the paranormal world being she is a hunter looking for rogue dregs (paranormal creatures). Yet she learns many great things of the different creatures as well. I liked the mixture of the paranormal with the "real" world in this book. I think the paranormal was just right here, there was no over-kill on the creatures, and the story stays focused on Evy. I do have a few curiousities of just a few small things in this world Kelly Meding has created, but I think these will come up in book two and be clearified a little more.

So, if you woke up in another body knowing all the crazy things that happen in the world regarding the paranormal creatures and thought there was something you knew and was afraid to say it on your death bed yet can't remember what happened and who did it.... Who or what would you trust?
(This qualifies for my Speculative Fiction Challenge of 2010.)


CymLowell

18 comments:

  1. Very interesting and great review!! I love the cover and I like all the mystery.... but would you say for someone like me who loves to have romance in any book I read.... Is there romance> and what level if so!?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hello ck.twilighter - I really love the cover as well. It seems to hold to the story. I like when covers do that. On the romance... I think I would have to say not really any romance. There is some love blooming here but its really more action and mystery.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Great review and interesting plot. I love the first sentence of the book, it's catchy. :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh I've been wanting to read this one.. and now I want to read it more! Thanks for the review!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I just won this book in a giveaway and your review makes me want to move it up in my TBR pile. Great review!

    Emily
    What Book is That?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Nice review! I enjoy this too. Some very exciting twists in the storyline. I'm very curious about the next Evy novel.

    ReplyDelete
  7. What a title for a book, it captures the imagination straight away. A great review, thanks for sharing what sounds like a wonderful read.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Charlotte - Thanks! The plot was great. And I loved the first sentence as well. You dive right in with a great opener.

    Melissa - I look forward to hearing what you think of the book when you get to read it.

    Emily - Thank you for stopping by! I am a follower of your now, so I am really looking forward to your thoughts on the book when you get to it. Glad you won it. Hope you enjoy it.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Donna - Thanks for stopping by! I did love the twists that came around. I didn't forsee some of the happenings. I can't wait for the next one either!

    Petty Witter - The title and the first line are major grabbers for this book. Well, I thought they were. Thanks for stopping by, always enjoy your visits.

    ReplyDelete
  10. This looks like it could be a book I would enjoy though I think I'm going to try to find a sample chapter first to see if I like the writing style. I've haven't liked too many of the urban fantasies that I've recently tried so I'm feeling kind of cautious.
    Great review though!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I was trying to see if Kelly Meding had a chapter on her site and was going to link it here for you. But I didn't see a chapter there. I did find a chapter on the Barnes and Noble site. Click http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Three-Days-to-Dead/Kelly-Meding/e/9780553592863/?itm=1&bnit=H&bnrefer=HOMEPAGE&usri=three+days+to+dead

    I hope it comes out for you. If you look up the book and click on the tab for features there should be a chapter listed there for a sample for you. Good luck!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thanks Melissa, you're such a nice person.

    I read the first chapter, from the link you gave me, and this book definitely looks promising.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Glad to be of help Simcha. If you get it I hope you enjoy it more than the last ones you got. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  14. That first line is awesome! Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Great review, I can't wait to read this one. Evy sounds like a great MC :D

    ReplyDelete
  16. Michelle - Thank you for stopping by! I was really caught with the first line too. Really good!

    Brooke Reviews - Thank you for stopping by and the complement. I hope you really do enjoy Three Days to Dead when you get to reading it.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I am so glad you reviewed this and linked it up! Thanks for joining the party...you bring so much to the table!

    -CYM

    ReplyDelete
  18. Cym - Thank you for stopping by. I am glad to link up and get to see many additional great reviews and share thoughts on many great books. I hope you enjoyed the review.

    ReplyDelete

Sorry, got 106 spam comments in less than 24hrs. Had to turn on again.

I love comments! Please share your thoughts. I will respond here in the comments back to you.

Thank you for visiting!