Review: Dying Bites by D. D. Barant

Jace Valcheck, a criminal profiler who works for the FBI, thinks she is still dreaming when she is transported in to another universe where vampire, werewolves and golems make up most of the population and human beings are a rapidly decreasing minority. However, David Cassius, the vampire head of the NSA wants Jace’s expertise to track down a human killer who is performing grisly murders on vampires and werewolves, but as she digs further in to her new world, things aren’t as simple as they seem and Cassius maybe hiding some old and dark secrets.

This book is written in first person and present tense, so straight away you get into Jace’s head and straight into the action. The main character herself was tough, sarcastic and smart, and to be honest I found her a bit irritating with her constant smart ass attitude; however, she had her funny moments. But the other characters in this I did like especially her golem partner Charlie, whose dry humour were a good and amusing counterpoint to Jace. Jace also has a romantic tension with a few characters which have been set out in this book and I look forward to seeing the development of in the next one.

The plot in this was very good, and for me much better than the characters, the world that Jace finds herself in and the essential differences and secrets are what kept me reading. I want to know what happens, and what the various people are hiding. The mystery is fairly complex, and although you abhor what they are doing, it is very grim, you also understand it, giving the book a moral complexity, and I found myself emphasising with the villain as well as the “good guys”.

I would definitely recommend this book and will be seeking out the next one in the series. If you enjoy urban fantasy with bad ass heroines then this is something that you will enjoy.