Category Archives: H&W Investigations

Enslaved by the Others by Jess Haines
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H&W Investigations, Book 6

Synopsis: Vampires, werewolves, magi and worse-the Others have joined the mortal world, and there’s no turning back now…

As a New York P.I. and Other specialist, Shiarra Waynest has been in plenty of trouble before. But waking up in a windowless room the prisoner of a vampire slave trader is a shock for anyone. Shia has her wits, her bravado, and a couple of used staples, so maybe she can take on a mansion full of serious evil.

But although she’s desperate to escape, Shia needs some answers too. Her friends are in danger. There are betrayers and spies among them. And even if she can figure out what’s going on and somehow get a message out, she’s still a captive of the worst kind…

Review: I always take a great pleasure in reading this series and I looked forward to this new novel. I must say that the previous volume ended on a big cliffy and I think all readers were curious to know what would happen.

After being kidnapped by Max, Shia finds herself trapped with a man she hates and who seems to have a specific plan for her. So yes, the book takes place in this new place and I was surprised to discover that the story only features Shiarra. However, we will see Alec, Sara Gideon, Arnold for our greatest joy as well. This allows us at the same time to discover many new characters that we had never seen before but who look very promising for the future.

From the beginning, our heroine will have to think of a way to escape, however, it seems much more complicated than expected. Max holds her in safe custody and remains determined to squeeze everything she knows about Alec. Under threats, I was quite impressed by the courage of the young woman and her composure over everything that is happening. Oh yes, because the vampire doesn’t go easy on her and she will have to find a way to survive. Of course, escaping remains her top priority, but also something very difficult to do. In addition, Sara is herself a prisoner of Gideon and Shia is determined to do something for her, yet she also happens to be the point to make our heroine talk and act. But the ideas of revolt of the young woman will come to contaminate other people living in the mansion, even the most frightened by the consequences. Moreover, we meet a character and a different slave who might have an impact on the life of our hunter, whether present or future. I’m pretty curious to see what will happen in the next novel.

How not to speak more specifically about Max? I think it is impossible, he embodies the big villain and fully acts as such. He doesn’t care about the persons he has and he considers them as real pets who owe him complete obedience. Hating him from the start, this man is completely crazy. He can pass in the blink of an eye from the most abominable man, to a gentle man who treats the injuries he could inflict. It really is surprising and it’s true that I struggled to understand this character so twisted.

The last passages with Alec and those with Sara were really my favorite. Ah Alec… I confess that I am very curious to see what will happen thereafter, to see if  we will finally have a history with him throughout the chapters. This novel was in any case once again a nice find and I had a great time with this new adventure. I look to learn more now.

4

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Forsaken by the Others by Jess Haines
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H&W Investigations, Book 5

Synopsis: The Others–vampires, werewolves, things that go chomp in the night–don’t just live in nightmares anymore. They’ve joined with the mortal world. And for private investigator Shiarra Waynest, that means mayhem…

Have a one night stand with a vampire, and you can end up paying for it for eternity. P.I. Shiarra Waynest, an expert on the Others, knows that better than most. Yet here she is, waking up beside charismatic vamp Alec Royce with an aching head…and neck. Luckily, Shia has the perfect excuse for getting out of town–namely, a couple of irate East Coast werewolf packs who’d like to turn her into a chew toy.

On Royce’s suggestion, Shia temporarily relocates to Los Angeles. But something is rotten–literally–in the state of California, where local vampires are being attacked by zombies. Who could be powerful enough to control them–and reckless enough to target the immortal? Following the trail will lead Shia to a terrifying truth, and to an ancient enemy with a personal grudge…

Review: I was looking forward to the release of this fifth volume especially when we know that we have zombies here. I was really curious to see how Jess Haines would be able to bring them up into the story. Okay I admit that was not all, and I was impatient to see what the relationship between Shia and Royce would become after such a purpose! Yes, we were waiting for this change for a long time and I was curious to see what would happen next.

From the beginning of the novel, Shia has many doubts after the night she spent with our beloved vampire. Will she remain independent? Will she be now the victim of a vampire? We understand that she can such questions and at the same time I was disturbed by the lack of confidence she has about the man who has always tried everything to save her. We want to shake her sometimes to have such thoughts and so she could finally understand the truth that is right in front of her. I was sad to see her distrust and caution when there is no matter about that. But this proximity does not last long when Royce sends them away for their own safety herself and Sarah to Los Angeles to settle the events happened before. But far from being welcomed with open arms, our two young heroines find themselves in a power struggle that will take them much further than they would have thought. We discover a necromancer, a lot of zombies and many other characters.

It is very difficult for our heroine to return to her life as if nothing had happened and after a long pity on her own fate, she realizes she is not the only one who had some problems after all these events and her closest friends have all suffered the consequences of her actions whatsoever. Thus, after a slump, our heroine gradually returns to a normal life, allowing us to hear from old characters and even some very old ones.

It was a real pleasure to see Shia in this story and I must say that I also enjoyed discovering these zombies. All is well led and it was very interesting to try to understand what was actually happening. But what is certain is that I did not expect such an end. It was terrible, after reading the last words, I wanted more, a new chapter to be able to know what was going to happen to our beloved Shia.

This is a new very good novel and I really recommend the series if you do not know it yet. Each volume of the H&W Investigations is full of great ideas and I really hope to have the chance to read the next book as soon as possible.

4

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Forsaken by the Others: Blog Tour ~ Jess Haines ~ Guest Post + Giveaway
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FORSAKEN BY THE OTHERS BLOG TOUR

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Stop 12: Vampire Fans Who Take Things A Little Too Far /Les fans de Vampires qui vont un peu trop loin

By Jess Haines and E. Blix

Hello there!  Jess Haines here.  I’m the author of the H&W Investigations series—urban fantasy novels about Shiarra Waynest, a human private investigator in an alternate, present-day New York. Somehow she keeps getting pulled into supernatural troubles way above her pay grade…

Bonjour! Jess Haines ici. Je suis l’auteure de Waynest, série d’urban fantasy sur Shiarra Waynest, une détective privée humaine dans un autre actuel New York. D’une certaine manière, elle ne cesse de se glisser dans des problèmes surnaturels bien au dessus de son salaire …

Today my SILENT CRAVINGS co-author is here to help wrangle a few of our characters into talking about how the vampires from my world deal with fans who don’t know the meaning of boundaries and personal space. Shiarra, the main character from the H&W Investigations series, is here with a few of her friends to discuss it. Take it away, guys!

Aujourd’hui, mon co-auteur de Silent Cravings   est là pour vous faire assister à une dispute de quelques-uns de nos personnages sur façon dont les vampires de mon monde avec les fans qui ne connaissent pas la signification des frontières et de l’espace personnel. Shiarra, le personnage principal de la série Waynest, est ici avec quelques-uns de ses amis pour en discuter. Allez-y, les gars!

________________

Royce: I’m not particularly comfortable with this topic.

Clyde: Neither am I.

Shiarra: I think it’s hilarious.

Sara: So do I. The *ahem* “masters of the night” can’t deal with a few pushy fans.

Thrane: No-no-no. All the no. Every kind of no. These aren’t fans who want your picture or autograph. These are the hardcore “oh, shroud me in your dark embrace and guide me into the midnight of your soul” fans.

Shiarra: You’re kidding. People actually do that?

Sara: Sure. I see them on those late night reality shows sometimes.

Shiarra: That does seem to put a damper on their mystique.

Royce: It’s admittedly difficult to maintain one’s charm when you have a flock of admirers squealing at decibels guaranteed to deafen.

Clyde: Ear plugs.

Royce: Excuse me?

Clyde: They work wonders when you have to appear in public and… mingle.

Shiarra: Should I be taking offense at the way he curled his lip when he said that?

Sara: God forbid the master vampires should mingle with the plebes.

Thrane: I don’t know what that means, but I agree. Shame on the both of you! Shaaaame.

Clyde: Watch it.

Thrane: As annoying as the really clingy ones are, I can’t believe the two of you are complaining about a readily available food source.

Royce: I have more than enough contracted donors that aren’t relatable to a pack of overenthusiastic hyenas.

Shiarra: I feel vaguely offended, but I’m not sure why.

Sara: Maybe because you used to keep those little clippings of his picture in your—

Shiarra: Shut up!

Royce: Why, Ms. Waynest, I never knew.

Thrane: Clippings like articles talking about the danger of vampires out of the newspaper or clippings of photos out of one of the glossy magazines?

Sara: Glo—

Shiarra: Oh, my god! You’re supposed to be my best friend!

Sara: I am, that’s why I have this kind of fodder.

Clyde: This is so endearing I think I might just throw up.

Thrane: Whatever. It’s easy to get donors to sign a contract when you have more money than God. “Look at me, I can buy you Australia. Sign here.”

Clyde: It also helps that I don’t look like an underdressed rat.

Thrane: You take that back.

Royce: Just how many of those clippings—

Shiarra: None. None. God!

Sara: She has a scrapbook.

Thrane: Oh, my.

Shiarra: I do not!

Sara: Okay, she really doesn’t. But she does have an exceptionally thick and well-documented case file on him with lots of pictures.

Shiarra: I’m never speaking to you again.

Sara: Until tomorrow.

Thrane: Do you have a file on me?

Shiarra: No.

Thrane: Oh… okay.

Sara: Awww. We can make you a file.

Thrane: Yay!

Royce: I would like to see my file.

Thrane: Aw, she has a trapper keeper all about you.

Shiarra: It is a legitimate case file used in my investigations!

Thrane: Sexy investigations.

Royce: That’s quite enough. Ms. Waynest, if you show me that file I’ll give you some insider tips. Just you and I, later this evening.

Thrane: Bow chicka wow wow.

Shiarra: I am never speaking with any of you ever again.

Clyde: You’re always welcome to stay with me. We can… investigate your files anytime.

Shiarra: Note to self: incinerate all files at earliest opportunity.

Thrane: All the sexy files.

________________

Vampires. It’s all about them, isn’t it?

 

Royce: Je ne suis pas particulièrement à l’aise avec ce sujet.

Clyde: Moi non plus

Shiarra: Je pense que c’est hilarant.

Sara: Moi aussi, les *ahem* “maîtres de la nuit” ne peuvent pas faire face à quelques fans arrivistes.

Thrane: Non-non-non. Tout non. Aucun moyen. Ce ne sont pas des fans qui veulent votre photo ou un autographe. Ceux là sont hardcore “oh, emmenez moi dans une étreinte sombre et guidez moi dans les profondeurs de votre âme”.

Shiarra: Vous plaisantez. Les gens font réellement cela?

Sara: Bien sûr. Je les vois sur quelques télés réalités le soir.

Shiarra: Cela semble mettre un frein à leurs idées.

Royce: C’est certes difficile de maintenir son charme quand vous avez un troupeau d’admirateurs qui crient comme des fous pour vous assourdir.

Clyde: bouchons d’oreille.

Royce: Excusez-moi?

Clyde: ils font des merveilles quand vous avez à apparaître en public et … que vous devez vous mêler à la foule.

Shiarra: Dois-je prendre acte de la façon dont il incurva ses lèvres quand il a dit cela?

Sara: Que Dieu interdise les maitres vampires de se mélanger avec la plèbe.

Thrane: Je ne sais pas ce que cela signifie, mais je suis d’accord. Honte à vous deux! Hooonte.

Clyde: Regardez-le.

Thrane: Aussi ennuyeux que les vrais fans, je ne peux pas croire que vous vous plaignez d’une source de nourriture facilement accessible.

Royce: J’ai bien assez de donneurs sous contrats qui ne sont pas rattachés à une meute de hyènes trop enthousiastes.

Shiarra: Je me sens vaguement offensée, mais je ne sais pas pourquoi.

Sara: Peut-être parce que tu gardais une petite coupure de son image dans ton-

Shiarra: Tais-toi!

Royce: Pourquoi, Mme Waynest, je ne savais pas.

Thrane: Des coupures parlant du danger de vampires ou des photos qu’on peut voir dans les magasines people ?

Sara: Peop-

Shiarra: Oh, mon dieu! Tu es censé être ma meilleure amie!

Sara: Je le suis, c’est pour ça que je connais ce genre de choses.

Clyde: C’est tellement mignon que je pourrais en vomir.

Thrane: Peu importe. Il est facile d’obtenir des donneurs en signant un contrat quand vous avez plus d’argent que Dieu. «Regardez-moi, je peux vous acheter l’Australie. Signez ici. “

Clyde: Il aide également que je ne ressemble pas à un rat.

Thrane: Ravalez vos paroles.

Royce: Juste combien de ces coupures-

Shiarra: Aucune. Aucune. Dieu!

Sara: Elle a un album.

Thrane: Oh.

Shiarra: Ce n’est pas vrai!

Sara: D’accord, elle n’en a pas Mais elle a un dossier exceptionnellement épais et bien documenté sur lui avec beaucoup de photos.

Shiarra: Je ne te reparlerais plus jamais.

Sara: Jusqu’à demain.

Thrane: Avez-vous un dossier sur moi?

Shiarra: Non

Thrane: Oh … d’accord.

Sara: Awww. Nous pouvons vous faire un fichier.

Thrane: Yay!

Royce: Je voudrais voir mon dossier.

Thrane: Aw, elle connait tout sur vous.

Shiarra: C’est un dossier légitime utilisé dans mes recherches!

Thrane: enquêtes sexy.

Royce: C’est assez. Mme Waynest, si vous me montrez ce fichier je vous donnerais quelques conseils d’initiés. Juste vous et moi, plus tard ce soir.

Thrane: Bow Chicka wow wow.

Shiarra: Je ne vous parlerais plus jamais ! A aucun d’entre vous.

Clyde: Vous êtes toujours la bienvenue pour rester avec moi. Nous pouvons enquêter … vos fichiers à tout moment.

Shiarra: Note à moi même: incinérer tous les fichiers à la première occasion.

Thrane: Tous les fichiers sexy.

________________ 

Vampires. Tout revient vers eux n’est-ce pas?

I hope you enjoyed this taste of the characters you’ll meet in my books! For the next stop on the blog tour, be sure to visit the official FORSAKEN BY THE OTHERS blog tour calendar!

J’espère que vous avez aimé ce petit avant gout des personnages que vous crencontrerez dans mes livres ! Pour le prochain arrêt du blog tour, soyez sûr de vous rendre sur le site official FORSAKEN BY THE OTHERS blog tour calendar !

 

You can also visit me on the web: Vous pouvez aussi me retrouver sur:

www.JessHaines.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JessHainesAuthor

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/Jess_Haines

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/jesshaines

 

Thanks again for having me, Melliane! Merci de m’avoir eu Melliane!

 

BLOG TOUR DETAILS:

 

Blog Tour Calendar Link: http://jesshaines.com/blog/?p=2210

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Forsaken by the Others Book Description:

The Others–vampires, werewolves, things that go chomp in the night–don’t just live in nightmares anymore. They’ve joined with the mortal world. And for private investigator Shiarra Waynest, that means mayhem…

Have a one night stand with a vampire, and you can end up paying for it for eternity. P.I. Shiarra Waynest, an expert on the Others, knows that better than most. Yet here she is, waking up beside charismatic vamp Alec Royce with an aching head…and neck. Luckily, Shia has the perfect excuse for getting out of town–namely, a couple of irate East Coast werewolf packs who’d like to turn her into a chew toy.

On Royce’s suggestion, Shia temporarily relocates to Los Angeles. But something is rotten–literally–in the state of California, where local vampires are being attacked by zombies. Who could be powerful enough to control them–and reckless enough to target the immortal? Following the trail will lead Shia to a terrifying truth, and to an ancient enemy with a personal grudge…

 

Buy Links:

Amazon / Amazon UK / Amazon Canada
Barnes & Noble
Book Depository
Books-A-Million
Powells
Indiebound

Taken by the Others by Jess Haines
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H&W Investigations, Book 2

Synopsis: Jess haines draws readers deep into the mesmerizing world of the Others–werewolves, vampires, and mages who make their home among humans, and are turning Shiarra Waynest’s life upside down…

Once, New York P.I. Shiarra Waynest’s most pressing problem was keeping her agency afloat. Now she’s dealing with two dangerous, seductive vampires who have been enemies for centuries. The only thing Max Carlyle and Alec Royce agree on is that they both want Shia–for very different reasons.

Max is determined to destroy Shia for killing his progeny, while Royce’s interest is a lot more personal. That’s not sitting well with Shia’s werewolf boyfriend, Chaz. As the feud between Max and Royce gets ever more deadly, a powerful vampire-hunting faction is urging Shia to join their side. Shia has always believed vamps were the bad guys, but she’s discovering unexpected shades of grey that are about to redefine her friends, her loyalties–and even her desires…

Review: This is the second installment of Jess Haines H&W Investigations series. I confess that I had some doubts about  this book. Indeed, I was a little disappointed with the first book and I was afraid it would be the same thing with this one but fortunately it wasn’t the case at all, on the contrary and I’m glad I still continued with this series because this time I really loved it.

So we find our private detective, Shia a few months after the events of book 1, which earned her a long period of hospitalization. The story begins when Jack, a member of the White Hats, arrives armed in her office. He continues to put pressure on her till she accepts to integrate his group of hunters. Moreover, she finds out that a vampire named Max Carlyle is about to arrive in the city and it seems that he is after her. Determined to discover more about him and in order to better protect herself against this new threat, Shia has no other choice but to turn to Alec Royce, the most powerful vampire in New York, that guy she had promised to herself to avoid at all costs. From there, the problems are just beginning for our heroine…

This book is much better than the previous one because it is totally addictive. Taken by the Others keeps us in suspense from beginning to end. There is a lot of action, there’s really no time to get bored. Shia is still annoying when she is frightened or panicked. She always has a tendency to scream and cry, thankfully she has her magic belt! Really, I wanted her to be more aggressive and self-confident. It is strange to see this fear (I would even say phobia) she feels when she is facing vampires. However the story in this volume is so captivating that I finally ended up getting used with it. I still hope she will evolve in the next books. She has changed a lot compared to the previous book but she still has efforts to make.

Concerning Royce, I must say that now I’m charmed. He was pratically absent in Book 1 so I expected to see him more here and I’m not disappointed at all. I loved to discover all these things about him, about his past and the extent of his powers. Max, the newcomer is also a very interesting character. He is very angry and vengeful despite the centuries that have passed. If at first we come to feel sorry for him, that feeling was quickly swept after as we discover how he can be cruel and destructive.

We also discover some things about the White Hats. I thought we would be dealing with ultra violent fanatics so I was very surprised by some of their members’ attitude, especially Devon and Minus. I hope we will see them again later because finally I found them nice. Chaz however intrigued me a lot in this book. He behaves strangely throughout the novel, and our heroine notices it. I can’t wait to read the next book to find out a little more about him and his pack. We also meet two very interesting female characters: The Carp and Dawn. I’m not going to reveal you their nature but both have impressed me. Sara and Arnold are less present in this second volume, but it was a pleasure to see them together.

Conclusion: This second book is full of action and revelations. After a beginning a bit difficult, I was really afraid to not enjoy it but now I became addicted. I still have some difficulties to connect with Shia but I really hope that I’ll end up to appreciate her in the third book. I can’t wait to read it.

5mon pseudo

Enlevée de Jess Haines
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Waynest, Tome 2

Résumé : Il fut un temps où le principal problème de Shiarra Waynest, détective privée, était de maintenir son agence à flot. Elle doit désormais négocier avec deux dangereux et séduisants vampires, ennemis depuis des siècles, dont elle a éveillé les convoitises. Alors que les tensions s’intensifient, les White Hats, chasseurs de vampires, pressent Shiarra de les rejoindre. Elle va alors découvrir que les apparences sont trompeuses, ce qui affectera toutes ses convictions… ainsi que ses désirs.

Avis : Voici donc la suite des aventures de Shiarra Waynest. J’avoue que j’avais quelques appréhensions concernant cette lecture. En effet, j’avais été un peu déçue par le premier tome et j’avais peur que ça soit la même chose avec ce tome-ci mais heureusement, ça n’a pas du tout été le cas, bien au contraire et du coup, je suis bien contente d’avoir malgré tout poursuivi cette série car cette fois-ci j’ai vraiment adoré.

On retrouve donc notre détective privée, Shia, quelques mois après les événements du tome 1 qui lui ont valu une assez longue période d’hospitalisation. L’histoire débute au moment où Jack, un membre des White Hats, débarque armé dans son bureau. Ce dernier ne cesse de faire pression sur elle afin qu’elle accepte intégrer son groupe de chasseurs. Qui plus est, il lui apprend qu’un nouveau vampire nommé Max Carlyle est sur le point d’arriver en ville et il semblerait que ce dernier en ait après elle. Bien décidée à en savoir plus afin de mieux se protéger contre cette nouvelle menace, Shia n’a d’autre choix que de se tourner vers Alec Royce, le vampire le plus puissant de New York, celui qu’elle s’était promis d’éviter coûte que coûte. A partir de là, les ennuis ne font que commencer pour notre héroïne…

Ce tome est bien meilleur que le précédent car totalement addictif. Enlevée nous tient en haleine du début jusqu’à la fin. Il y a beaucoup plus d’action, on n’a vraiment pas le temps de s’ennuyer. Bon, Shia est toujours aussi agaçante lorsqu’elle est effrayée ou en proie à la panique. Elle a toujours tendance à hurler et à pleurer à tout va, heureusement qu’elle a sa ceinture magique ! Vraiment, j’aurais voulu qu’elle soit plus combative et qu’elle prenne un peu plus d’assurance. C’est tout de même étrange cette peur (je dirais même phobie) qu’elle a des vampires. Ceci dit l’histoire dans ce tome est tellement captivante que finalement j’ai fini par m’y habituer. J’espère tout de même qu’elle évoluera davantage par la suite. Elle a déjà bien changé par rapport au tome précédent mais elle a encore des progrès à faire.

Quant à Royce, je dois dire que je suis vraiment sous le charme à présent. Alors qu’il était, pour ainsi dire, pratiquement absent dans le tome 1, je m’attendais à le voir davantage ici et je n’ai pas du tout été déçue. J’ai adoré toutes ces découvertes sur lui, sur son passé, l’étendue de ses pouvoirs. Max, le nouveau venu est aussi un personnage très intéressant. Il est très en colère et avide de vengeance et ce malgré les siècles qui se sont écoulés. Si au début on arrive à éprouver de la peine pour lui, ce sentiment est vite balayé par la suite car progressivement on découvre à quel point il peut se montrer cruel et malfaisant.

On en apprend un peu plus également au sujet des White Hats. Je croyais qu’on aurait affaire à des fanatiques ultra violents et du coup j’ai été drôlement surprise par l’attitude de certains de leurs membres, en particulier Devon et Minus. J’espère qu’on les verra de nouveau par la suite car finalement je les ai trouvé assez sympathiques. Chaz en revanche m’a beaucoup intrigué dans ce livre. Je me pose plusieurs questions à son sujet. Il se comporte de façon assez étrange tout au long du roman, ce que ne manque pas de remarquer notre héroïne. J’ai hâte de lire le tome suivant afin d’en savoir un peu plus sur lui et sa meute. On fait également la connaissances de deux personnages féminins fort intéressants : La Carpe et Dawn. Je ne vais pas vous révéler leur nature mais elles m’ont beaucoup impressionné toutes les deux. Sara et Arnold sont moins présents dans ce deuxième tome mais ça a été un plaisir de les voir ensemble.

Conclusion : Un deuxième tome riche en action et en révélations et qui relance complètement mon intérêt pour cette série. Après un début un peu difficile, j’avais vraiment peur de ne pas accrocher mais maintenant ça y est, je suis devenue complètement accro. J’ai toujours un peu de mal à m’attacher à Shia mais j’espère de tout cœur que je finirai par l’apprécier réellement avec le troisième tome qu’il me tarde de lire.

5mon pseudo

Traquée de Jess Haines
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Waynest, Tome 1

Résumé : Quand le chasseur devient la proie… Le job de détective de Shiarra Waynest est déjà dangereux d’ordinaire. Il le devient davantage quand elle doit accepter un contrat susceptible de renflouer ses caisses vides… s’il ne lui coûte pas la vie. Dans une ville où rôdent la magie et les non-morts et où vampires et loups-garous ne sont pas toujours ce qu’ils semblent être, Shiarra va devenir une arme secrète dans la bataille entre le bien et le mal… que cela lui plaise ou non.

Avis : Encore une nouvelle série que j’étais impatiente de découvrir! En effet, Melliane, ne tarissait pas d’éloges au sujet de la série de Jess Haines, alors quand j’ai appris qu’elle allait être publiée en France, je n’avais plus qu’une envie : plonger dedans dès sa sortie.
Shiarra Waynest a fondé une agence de détective privé avec sa meilleure amie Sara Halloway. Mais les caisses sont vides et si la situation ne s’améliore pas très vite, elles pourraient bien mettre la clé sous la porte. Lorsque la magicienne Veronica fait appel aux services de Shiarra afin qu’elle récupère un artefact détenu par Alec Royce, un vampire très puissant, Shiarra n’a pas d’autre choix que d’accepter, bien qu’elle ait toujours gardé ses distances avec les Autres. Mais la mission s’avère bien plus difficile que prévu et Shiarra se retrouve ainsi impliquée bien malgré elle dans une histoire assez compliquée.
 Je dois avouer tout de même que j’ai eu un peu de mal à accrocher, essentiellement à cause de Shiarra qui ne m’a pas semblé bien sympathique au début. En effet, durant toute la première moitié du livre, on a une héroïne qui n’arrête pas de se plaindre et de nous faire part de ses préjugés vis-à-vis des Autres. Le moins qu’on puisse dire est qu’elle ne les apprécie pas particulièrement et ne veut rien avoir à faire avec eux. On ne peut pas dire qu’elle soit très ouverte d’esprit et par moments j’ai même trouvé qu’elle en faisait trop. Ces réactions en présence de Royce sont excessives. Un rien l’effraie. Pour une détective privée censée faire face au danger tous les jours, je trouve ça un peu limite quand même. Qui plus est, l’action tarde à se mettre en place mais heureusement, une fois arrivés dans la deuxième moitié du livre, les choses bougent, l’héroïne évolue et prend un peu plus d’assurance et à partir de là l’histoire devient plus captivante.
Les autres personnages en revanche m’ont beaucoup plu. Que ce soit Sara, la meilleure amie et associée, Arnold, le mage avec ses airs de geek ou encore, Chaz, l’ex-petit ami de Shiarra, tous m’ont paru très attachants. Chaz est vraiment touchant. Il est jaloux, possessif et très protecteur vis-à-vis de Shiarra mais on l’adore. Bien sûr j’ai aussi été très intriguée par Royce ! D’ailleurs j’aurais voulu qu’il soit davantage présent dans ce tome. On n’apprend pas grand chose sur lui compte tenu de ce qui lui arrive mais à la fin du livre, tout laisse à penser qu’il aura un rôle bien plus important à jouer dans la suite de l’histoire, du moins je l’espère car il semble être un personnage intéressant.
Le monde crée par Jess Haines est assez fascinant, bien qu’il ne soit pas vraiment nouveau. D’un côté, on a des créatures surnaturelles qui ont fait leur coming out et qui ont acquis les mêmes droits que les humains. On les appelle les Autres (vampires, garous, mages, sorciers, etc.). Puis d’un autre côté, on a des groupes extrémistes (dont les White Hats) qui prônent la suppression de ces droits et l’élimination de tous les Autres, sans parler bien sûr des luttes intestines qui existent au sein de cette communauté surnaturelle. Tout cela ne vous rappelle pas d’autres séries de fantasy urbaine ? Oui et pourtant, j’aime toujours autant. Ce qui différencie essentiellement cette série d’une autre c’est surtout la magie qui est très présente dans ce roman. L’autre originalité de ce livre se situe au niveau des rapports qu’entretiennent les humains avec les Autres. Les humains doivent au préalable donner leur consentement par écrit s’ils veulent nouer des liens avec une personne issue de l’altérité. Autrement dit, que la relation soit professionnelle ou amoureuse, tout se fait par contrat écrit ! J’ai trouvé l’idée très intéressante bien que j’aie du mal à imaginer l’existence d’un tel monde.
Au final même si j’ai eu un peu de mal à apprécier l’héroïne, ça reste un premier tome assez sympathique qui pose les bases d’une série qui pourrait s’avérer plus palpitante par la suite. Je suis tout de même curieuse de voir comment les choses vont évoluer pour Shiarra.

Hunted by the Others by Jess Haines
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H&W Investigations, Book 1

Synopsis : Shiarra Waynest’s detective work was dangerous enough when her client base was strictly mortal. But ailing finances have forced her to accept a lucrative case that could save her firm – if it doesn’t kill her first. Shiarra has signed on to work for a high-level mage to recover an ancient artifact owned by one of New York’s most powerful vampires. As soon as Shiarra meets sexy, mesmerizing vamp Alec Royce, she knows her assignment is even more complicated than she thought. With a clandestine anti-Other group trying to recruit her, and magi being eliminated, Shiarra needs back-up and enlists her ex-boyfriend – a werewolf whose non-furry form is disarmingly appealing – and a nerdy mage with surprising talents. But it may not be enough. In a city where the undead roam, magic rules, and even the Others aren’t always what they seem, Shiarra has just become the secret weapon in a battle between good and evil – whether she likes it or not…

Review : Another new series that I was eager to find out! Indeed, Melliane said a lot of good things about the H&W Investigations series, so when I learned that this series would be released in France, I had only one desire: to read it.
Shiarra Waynest has created a private detective agency with her best friend Sara Halloway. But the finances are ailing and if the situation does not get better, they may close down soon. When a mage asks Shiarra to retrieve an artifact held by Alec Royce, a powerful vampire, Shiarra has no choice but to accept, although she always kept her distance with the Others. But the mission is far more difficult than expected and Shiarra finds herself involved unwittingly in a complicated story.
I must admit however that I had some difficulties to get into the book, mainly due to Shiarra because she did not seem very nice to me at the beginning. Indeed, throughout the first half of the book, we have a heroine who can not stop complaining and talk about her prejudices against the Others. The least we can say is that she does not particularly like them and she wants nothing to do with them. We can not say that she is very open minded and at times I even found that she was doing too much. Her reactions when Royce is facing her are excessive. A nothing frightens her. For a private detective supposed to face danger every day, it is not very logic. Moreover, the action is long to arrive but fortunately, once here in the second half of the book, things change, and the heroine changes too. She is a little more self-confident and from there the story becomes more captivating.
 However concerning the other characters, I really liked them. Sara the best friend and Shiarra’s partner, Arnold the geeky mage and Chaz, Shiarra’s ex-boyfriend, all of them seemed to me very endearing. Chaz is really touching. He is jealous, possessive and very protective towards Shiarra but we love him. Of course I was also very intrigued by Royce! Besides, I wanted him to be more present in this book. We don’t learn much about him considering what happens to him but the end of the book suggests that he will have a much more important role to play in the next books, at least I hope so because he seems to be a very interesting character.
The world created by Jess Haines is fascinating, although it is not really new. On the one hand, there are supernatural creatures who have made their coming out and who have acquired the same rights as humans. They are called the Others (vampires, werewolves, mages, etc.). Then on the other hand, there are extremist groups (including the White Hats) who claim for the abolition of these rights and the elimination of all the Others, not to mention of course the internal conflicts of this supernatural community. All of this does not remind you other urban fantasy series? Yes, and yet I still love it. What differentiates this series from another one is essentially the magic which is very present in this novel. Another originality of this book lies in the relationships between humans and the Others. Humans must first of all give written consent if they want to have a relationship with an Other. In other words, both in business and love, everything is done by written contract! I found the idea very interesting although I can not imagine the existence of such a world.
In the end even if I had a little trouble at enjoying the heroin, it’s still a nice first book that sets the basis of a series that could be more exciting in the next books. I’m curious to see how things will evolve for Shiarra.