Cainsville, Book 1
Synopsis: Twenty-four-year-old Olivia Taylor Jones has the perfect life. The only daughter of a wealthy, prominent Chicago family, she has an Ivy League education, pursues volunteerism and philanthropy, and is engaged to a handsome young tech firm CEO with political ambitions.
But Olivia’s world is shattered when she learns that she’s adopted. Her real parents? Todd and Pamela Larsen, notorious serial killers serving a life sentence. When the news brings a maelstrom of unwanted publicity to her adopted family and fiancé, Olivia decides to find out the truth about the Larsens.
Olivia ends up in the small town of Cainsville, Illinois, an old and cloistered community that takes a particular interest in both Olivia and her efforts to uncover her birth parents’ past.
Aided by her mother’s former lawyer, Gabriel Walsh, Olivia focuses on the Larsens’ last crime, the one her birth mother swears will prove their innocence. But as she and Gabriel start investigating the case, Olivia finds herself drawing on abilities that have remained hidden since her childhood, gifts that make her both a valuable addition to Cainsville and deeply vulnerable to unknown enemies. Because there are darker secrets behind her new home and powers lurking in the shadows that have their own plans for her.
Review: Kelley Armstrong embarks us on a whole new genre after the end of her urban fantasy series and I admit that I was intrigued. It’s true that the great reviews appearing everywhere also made me want to try it. I need to finally thank Carien for giving me this first volume (she is a wonderful friend). Oh yes, because I had a great time with the story, much more than what I would have thought, and I was completely caught up in the early chapters, eager to finish it off to see all the events.
Olivia Taylor-Jones is a heir of a wealthy family and her life is already mapped out! She is engaged to a man of her rank who is preparing to become a senator and the wedding is scheduled for the month after. Alas, an event will shake up her life and put everything in question. One evening when she returns home, she learns that she was actually adopted when she was still a child. This is something that is shocking in itself because everyone saw in her the likeness of her adoptive parents, but in addition to this, she also discovers that her biological parents are a couple of famous murderers who killed for no reason 4 couples. You will understand that it’s many things to learn at once. It could have been ok with the support of her mother who was not aware of the situation, or even with her boyfriend … unfortunately, this is not the case … The first reaction of her fiance is to postpone the wedding, something that Olivia accepts difficultly, and she so returns her engagement ring. As for her mother, the woman decides to “abandon” her daughter to go on a trip to Europe, so things can be a bit forgotten. It’s a really difficult moment for a person who understands that her life is a lie and that people she loved and thought would always been there for her, run away. While denying the charity of her family, Olivia leaves as well, trying to hide from everyone and so ends up Cainsville. This is also where she will meet with Gabriel, a lawyer determined to get hired by our heroine.
As I said I loved the novel! The universe is completely fascinating! First, we have Cainsville, this mysterious city that holds many secrets. It starts with all the gargoyles that are found everywhere on the buildings or even those that appear only at night. But we also have those strange birds, the elders who are very interested in our heroine, or even a cat looking more than what it seems. Yes, we are left with many questions throughout the chapters and although very few answers we are given, I am very curious to read more in order to discover the truth.
And then we have Olivia … or Eden. How not having an identity crisis when so many things fall on her at the same time? Realizing that a part of her life was hidden from her is very difficult but now everyone calls her with a different name, expecting to see two opposing people. But in addition to this, Olivia realizes that memories rise to the surface, without really knowing if she sees what really happened. This is something very confusing! Our heroine is able to read the omens in everything she sees, she even sometimes have visions and interpretations that nobody sees. It was fascinating to find out all that. I knew about  some but it’s true that I have found some new ones here. Sometimes it’s funny to discover some of which we would never have thought of. It reminds me a bit of the things to myself I’m careful about, because I was raised like that, such as not to put bread upside down, not to open an umbrella inside of a building, not to break a mirror … Those are not here, but we still discover many others and I‘m curious to know more, to know what this gift also means for Olivia and so to see what she will become.
Then there are the Eden / Olivia’s parents… the real parents. We do not meet her father (although I am curious to see what will happen exactly when she will), but we have the chance to discover her mother several times here. Is she innocent? I think this is something that we would all like to know, but what I found particularly interesting is the fact that our heroine and the author does not idealize everything. Of course, we would like all to be rosy, that life would be perfect and that her parents were finally wrongly accused. But there is always an element of doubt as the answers are not found. Therefore Olivia and Gabriel will team up, seeking to understand what is really going on, at least for one of the murders and they will end up in a much larger and complicated story than we could have expected.
So yes, as you can see, we have a lot to discover in this novel and Kelley Armstrong has issued an original story full of ideas and difficult to put down. I can only advise you to try and I hope you will be as delighted as I was with this first volume. I now look forward to reading the following novel which I’m sure will be just as great!
blodeuedd
I really should try this one
Melliane
it’s a good one!
Maja (The Nocturnal Library)
I haven’t yet found the time to read this, but I really love Kelley’s urban fantasy so I fully intend to and soon. I even own a copy already. Great review!
Melliane
lol at last you know you’ll try it one day
Melanie Simmons @mlsimmons
I’ve read the first two books in this series and I’ve really enjoyed them. I still need to pick up the most recent book, but I haven’t yet. I’m really glad that you’re enjoying it. Great review.
Melliane
I loved all them 3, it was a great series
LilyElement
Ohhh I need to grab this one! I loved her books in the past, thanks for putting this one on my radar 😀
Melliane
my pleasure
kimbacaffeinate
Yes, I am so glad you loved this. Book two is even better. I have the third and will be reading it later this month 🙂
Melliane
yes I really enjoyed the whole series
Kim @ BookSwoon
Melliane – you’ve just convinced me to move this book up in my tbr list. I have the book, but for some reason have not read it yet. I love the way you desribe the town and the strange going-ons, too.
Great review!! 🙂
Melliane
great! I’m curious to see your opinion about it. I loved the ideas.
Keertana @ Ivy Book Bindings
I really, really enjoyed this one but the sequel was only so-so for me and I haven’t read the third book yet either, so I’m curious to see what you make of the rest of the books! Great review!
Melliane
I’l try to post soon
Brandi Breathes Books
The universe sounds really well done and story enjoyable
Melliane
yes it is
Jenny @ Supernatural Snark
Well clearly this was an all-around winner Melliane! I’ve only read two books by Kelley Armstrong, both in her Women of the Otherworld series, but I loved them both so I have little doubt I’ll be a fan of this new series as well. Can’t wait to try it:)
Melliane
you really need to try this new one!
kindlemom1
Yay! So excited you loved this and that you are reading it, it really is a fun one!
Carole Rae
I do adore this author. 🙂 I’ve read some of her other things. I’ll need to pick up something by her soon now that you reminded me of how fun her books are.
Melliane
I loved the whole trilogy, so different
Tracy Terry
Ooh, gargoyles, I love gargoyles. Feeling a bit indifferent about this novel until I learnt of the gargoyles, this is definitely a book I’ll be looking forward to receiving – like yourself I have a good friend and huge fan of Kelly Armstrong who passes her books on once she has read them.
Melliane
lol I would love to have a friend like that
ShootingStarsMag
Sounds like the start of a great series. That’s awesome you gave it a shot and really enjoyed it. I think I’d like this one!
Melliane
yes it”s really good!
Heidi
AHHH! I so have to read this book./series. I keep reading countless reviews for this series and everyone seems to be loving it. I am putting it high on my list for end of December/ January.
Melliane
yes!!!!!!!!! you need to!
Melissa (Books and Things)
Oh I really enjoy her writing and want to read this one. SO glad you enjoyed it so I feel more confident in getting it!
Melliane
you’ll love it I’m sure of it
Mogsy @ BiblioSanctum
Awesome! I have been wanting to read Kelley Armstrong for a long time, and Omens is actually one of her top books I have on my TBR that I really want to get to. The other one is her recent one, The Masked Truth.
Melliane
I’m curious to see what you think of it. I haven’t heard great things of the new one though…
Joy // Joyousreads
Glad you loved this one, Melliane! This was a slow, immersive story, but I loved every minute of it. Now if I can just read the second book…
Melliane
lol yes
Christy LoveOfBooks
Gosh yes, I need to read this so bad. I’m so glad you loved this.
Jennifer (Bad Bird Reads)
The universe sounds so freaking interesting. I love the sound of gargoyles.
Melliane
it’s intriguing
Aurian
I am glad you enjoyed this one, but it does not really appeal to me.
Lorna
Oh you do tempt me! This sounds so good! Great review and thank you for sharing 🙂