Drop Dead

Tess Skye Series, Book 1

By: D.N. Erikson

Narrated by: Candace Fitzgerald

I just woke up in a motel.

I have no idea who I am or how I got here.

But I do know three things.

There's a body on the floor...and one in the bathtub.

There's a bullet in my shoulder. And it hurts. Bad.

And there's a vampire warlock right outside the door. And he's coming to finish the job.

Drop Dead is the first book in the new urban fantasy series starring Tess Skye.

©2021 D.N. Erikson (P)2022 Tantor

It’s Memento Meets a Fantasy Version of Blade Runner

This is a really fun, fantasy neo-noir. A lot of really great action that starts in chapter one and doesn’t let up. Tess is a terrific protagonist who I’m excited to see on more adventures. And Candace Fitzgerald gives a great performance, keeping even the most fantastical characters grounded in reality. Excited for the next book in the series!

Mixed feelings

It’s a format that I like with a misunderstood investigator that has super natural abilities. The bad guys are really bad. Tess, our main character, spends some part of the book with lost memories and in confusion. It was a little frustrating for me that all of her supporting characters seem to know the story, but kept her in the dark, which meant that I, the audience, was also in the dark. The mystery was OK, but there was no ‘edge of your seat’ suspense in the telling. I’m not sure if I will pursue the series. Ms. Fitzgerald’s performance was good, but to be honest, there’s nothing that stands out for commentary.

Great read

I tore through this book. The page turner pacing was on point. I enjoyed every page! looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

Magical beings in a contemporary setting—cool premise

In 1978 the world learned that “magical” beings were sharing their world. This is the story of a few of them—a soul walker who can touch a dead body and absorb their memories, her navigator, a vampire friend, and an entrepreneur villain who has held her and her town captive in a mob-centric sort of way. The narrator was, for me, distracting—her male voices were low and gruff (all of them—why?), and she often fell into ending phrases on an upward tone, like a question, creating a lack of cohesion in some places. This was a good book, but not a great one, IMO. I wouldn’t read further into the series.