Not nearly as good as the first one. I like Esther and Max, but not nearly as quirky supporting characters or plot line. ( )

Doppelgangster
(Esther Diamond #2)
by Laura Resnick
This was a lot better than book one! This has a bit more supernatural in it. There are doppelgangers and when someone sees their doppelganger, they die by that night! Max, the 350 year old mage, and Esther are trying to find out who are making the creatures. The mob are victims. Max gets a familiar. Esther and his handsome cop are still seeing each other...barely! Lol! It's a zany romp with interesting characters! Never dull! ( )

The second book in the Esther Diamond series, this time Esther ends up in the middle of a potential mob war being fought with...doppelgangsters.
The second book was as much fun as the first, the plot was fun and interesting, the humor was as snappy and I'm just in love with all the characters she creates for these books. I especially loved the introduction of Lucky, the semiretired mob hit man who joined the team of Esther and Max in this adventure and I'm really hoping he sticks around in future books.
I also enjoyed the evolution of Esther's relationship with Detective Lopez, I normally find the romances in urban fantasies to be shoe horned in and awkward but this one feels a bit more real and it fits both the story and the characters. Watching how this develops will be interesting.
This is a fun series, the mystery and plot here really works and are interesting and I am really looking forward to reading more. ( )

Much stronger than the first book, this one was an enjoyable ride from beginning to end. looking forward to the next book. Also, please note that the prologue covers the first, out-of-print book enough that you can start the series with this book if you prefer. ( )

Esther is between acting jobs and working as a server at a notorious mobster restaurant (hey, wiseguys are good tippers). When Esther encounters the same wiseguy twice in one night, she is concerned because she knows she has seen him twice, but he does not. Things get complicated when the same wiseguy ends up dead at her table a few nights later. Then more duplicate mobsters start showing up. Looks like something only her good friend and wizard, Max, can handle. Drawn into the mystery despite herself and her cop almost boyfriend, Lopez, Esther is soon in over her head and if she is not careful she may find herself sleeping with the fishes.

I just love this series. The mystery in this one is good. Esther and all the characters in the books are so much fun. You really have to let your grip on reality go for this series, but if you can do that you will have a great time. I love that Esther is just a human with no special powers, other than maybe being a disaster magnet. ( )