paranormal, urban-fantasy, private-investigators, hunters, verbal-humor, friendship, suspense, action *****

Someone is killing fae in Harborsmouth and that's definitely not a good thing, especially at Christmas time when there are a lot more humans in town. Ivy can't touch anything or anyone without gloves on or she gets crazymaking visions, but she is the one who is tasked with investigating and ending the threat. She has many friends and some can help, but others must be protected. Great book whether you've read others in the series or not!
Two narrators! Melanie A Mason and David Wilson Brown are an amazing team!
I won the audio in a giveaway! I win! ( )

Harborsmouth might as well be named Hellmouth. It’s a hub of supernatural activity, and Ivy Granger, half fae princess, psychic, and private eye, has the ability to see all the non-human beings that inhabit it. Her housekeeper is a brownie (not the kind that sell cookies), her boyfriend is the king of the kelpies, her main client is a demon, and she’s friends with a bridge troll and the most powerful witch in town.

Now someone is killing fae, of both Seelie and Unseelie courts, and leaving sprigs of mistletoe in the pools of blood. True, it’s close to Christmas, but there just isn’t anything festive about it.

This is a novella rather than a full book, so it doesn’t take Ivy long to solve the crime. It’s both bloody and fluffy urban fiction and a fun, quick read. I might have to check out some of the full length books. Four stars. ( )

Note: Even though this is Book 1.5 in the series, it works just fine as a stand alone.

Ivy Granger is a private detective working in Harborsmouth. And her demon associate, Forneus, requires her talents to solve a series of murders. With her psychic abilities and help from her friends, such as Jinx who runs the office, she attempts to make it through the holidays and save fae lives.

Even though this is short, plenty of awesomesauce is packed into it. Ivy herself is a lot of fun and has plenty of insightful, and sometimes snarky, remarks throughout the book. Forneus is a layer demon who I was intrigued by, but also wanted to smack upside the head on occasion. Jinx is curvaceous and clever with knives. I want to do shots with her. There is just a touch of romance – Ivy has a beau. However, her psychic abilities are triggered whenever she touches another person, so their relationship has been strictly celibate.

Then we have the plot, which is a series of fae murders Now, not all the dead fae came from the same house, so it was a bit tricky to figure out who the murderer was. But the murderer being the clever person they think they are left a sprig of mistletoe at each crime scene. Luckily for the fae community, our detective is more clever. Plus I love all her little comments about the holidays.

I was pretty amused and sometimes surprised by this little book. I will definitely be continuing my Ivy Granger adventures with the other books in the series.

I received a copy of this audiobook at no cost from the author via her audiobook tour in exchange for an honest review (thanks!).

Narration: Our narrators, Melanie Mason and David Brown, were both excellent. Mason was a perfect fit for Ivy Granger. I also loved her near-purring voice for luscious Jinx. Brown was an excellent near-evil demon attorney (Forneus). He also had some great voices for the other baddies we come upon. ( )

This review was originally published at The Bawdy Book Blog. It was furnished by the author in exchange of an honest review.

E.J. Stevens, author of She Smells the Dead, has got herself another hit with her novella and companion story to her Ivy Granger series, Blood and Mistletoe.

Ivy Granger and Jinx, Ivy’s sidekick and BFF, are gearing up for the holidays when brimstone burns the nose-hairs again, signaling the demon lawyer, Forneus’, return to Private Eye – never a good thing, especially when it involves a crazy fae muse trying to bring back the dead. On top of it, Ivy’s Kelpie King boyfriend, Ceff, has to leave on business to attend to fae matters, and she has to dress up for Kaye’s holiday bash. FHL. (That’s F*** Her Life, y’all.)

This novella was entirely funny and great, and it has the signature “Ivy Granger snark” that I came to love so much in the first novel, Shadow Sight. Ivy has been tasked by Forneus with finding out why Seelie and Unseelie fae are being murdered, if for any other reason but to keep the wolf from the door and good coffee in her cup. You know, the important things. But she’s genuinely interested in finding out why they are being murdered, which speaks to another side of her that’s good and….fae.

The story is pretty creepy… a deranged fae is on a killing spree and is trying to do some sort of necromancer stuff? Weird. Ivy has her work cut out for her determining who and why. Oh yeah, and we get to experience more of her gift firsthand, as she touches things and dives into the memories of objects to catch the bastard.

Her relationship with Ceff at the end of Shadow Sight was delightful, but I do wish there had been more of it, or more of them together, in Blood and Mistletoe. Although….boy did I enjoy that ending! There is serious chemistry between them, and I really hope Stevens brings more of their relationship into focus in the following books.

All in all, paranormal fans rejoice, there’s a new show series in town. And it’s here to stay. ( )

Originally published on my blog, My Urban Fantasies

Our favorite snarky psychic detective is back! Blood and Mistletoe takes place a few months after Shadow Sight. Yes, before you even ask Ivy and Ceff are still dating. Yay! Their relationship does not play a huge role in this novella, but it's something I just cannot get enough of. I like seeing Ivy's squishy side.

The holiday season is not slowing down business at Private Eye detective agency. Ivy is finishing with a client, a bugbear, when Forneus comes strolling into the office. Forneus stops flirting with Jinx long enough to tell Ivy some disturbing news. There is a serial killer in Harborsmouth and they are targeting the fae. Five fae have been found murdered, the only thing linking the victims is a piece of mistletoe left at each crime scene.

The length of this book does not take away from the story at all. Blood and Mistletoe is fast paced, full of action and mystery. I love how E.J. Stevens combined Christmas elements into the murders.

My favorite part of the story was the end. Let's just say it was the perfect Christmas gift. *wink* ( )