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kathydavie's review
3.0
First in the Tiger's Eye Mystery paranormal mystery series and revolving around a pawn shop owner who can "see" your death. The focus is on Tess Callahan and Jack Shepherd and set in Dead End, Florida.
My Take
Hidden in the heart of the Everglades and an hour from Orlando, the story takes place in Dead End, Florida, and it truly is the dead end of the world where supernaturals are safe and the town isn't subject to federal or state laws.
It's a nice intro to Tess' life and the limitations her gift has placed on it, especially when we get her thoughts and feelings direct from Tess' perspective in first person protagonist point-of-view.
I wanna meet Eleanor. Day makes her sound so fabulous, and someone you'd want in your own life. Nor is Eleanor the only memorable character in this portrayal of small-town life. I'd like Aunt Ruby and Uncle Mike as well in my life.
My one niggle is this is so simplistic with a too-easy romantic start. Yes, it's a sweet, cozy mystery with plenty of action, and yet just too easy.
The Story
Tess Callahan and Jack Shepherd inherit an equal share of Uncle Jack's pawnshop. It's a contentious inheritance, as Jack wants nothing to do with it that only gets worse when Jack finds out how his uncle died.
Then the attacks pile up and more murders, and the bad guys have really ticked Jack off.
The Characters
The very honest Tess Callahan has an unwanted gift: when she touches someone, she sometimes knows how they're going to die. She's been working for Jeremiah since she was 17. Lou is the cat Tess named after Lieutenant Uhura from Star Trek. Her aunt Ruby and uncle Mike Callahan, a retired engineer, raised her at their farm when her mother, Kate, died of cancer. Her father, Mike's brother, ran off when his wife died. Bonnie Jo is their old horse. Eleanor Wolf is Tess' employee and the shop's secret weapon. Her son, Dave Wolf, had been a good friend of Jack's and is now a master carpenter. Zane is Dave's adopted son.
Jack "Commander" Shepherd is a shapeshifting Bengal tiger who has retired from saving the world from vampires, a demon invasion, and defending Atlantis (Heart of Atlantis, 8). Quinn Dawson had been Jack's partner in war and co-leader of the North American rebellion (Heart of Atlantis). Quinn's sister, Riley, is the new queen of Atlantis (Atlantis Rising, 1).
Jeremiah had been Jack's uncle who owned a pawnshop, Dead End Pawn, and a PI firm, Tiger's Eye Investigations. Well, until he died. Well, okay, murdered. Mr Chen is Jeremiah's lawyer.
Molly Chen is the best friend Tess grew up with, who now works part-time at her parents' law firm — Mr Chen is Molly's dad; her mother is a trial lawyer in patents. The rest of Molly's time is spent performing with her indie rock band, Scarlett's Letters. Veronica "Dice" Dunstan-Smythe is the bass guitarist, who fortunately has a trust fund.
Dr Owen Snodgrass, a dentist, is Tess' boyfriend. Shelley Adler is nine. Melody had been Shelley's mom who died in a freak one-car accident a few months ago along with her own parents. Elizabeth is Shelley's doll's name. Olga Kowalski is the local coven leader who did the magical resonance testing. Walt and Hank Kowalski are idiot bruisers and Olga's sons. Delia Roth is a witch who works as a hairdresser. Gruber Elliott was the only other lawyer in Dead End, but is now a vampire.
Otis is a redneck with Fluffy, a badly stuffed alligator. Mrs Gonzalez, who isn't all there, wants Tess to go out with her grandson. Sadie Gonzalez is a flighty cousin. Chantal Nelson was a party girl who worked at the Pit Stop, a combination grocery, bait, and gas station and lived at Windsor Farms, er, it's Pleasant Acres now. A collector and biker, Gator, had dated Chantal. Lorraine has worked at Beau's, the only place in town to grab a bite to eat, for some fifty years. She was also the mayor once. Lauren's Deli serves great sandwiches. Larry owns Dead End Towing with a very catchy tagline. Out in the swamp are some former soldiers: Lucky and Sergeant Harper Rawls.
Sheriff Bertram Lawless is a jerk who prefers to blame the victim and really wants Jeremiah's Colt. Deputy Susan Gonzalez is Mrs Gonzalez's granddaughter and smart. Deputy Kelly. Belle is the dispatcher. Doc Ike is the only doctor in town, sigh, and the county coroner.
FBI
Special Agent Alejandro Vasquez, who never misses when he aims, is from Guatemala and now with the FBI's Paranormal Operations (P-Ops) division. Vasquez married into a family of witches with pet basilisks.
Fred Hughes is a would-be murderer. Annabelle Hannah Yorgenson was Tess' first vision. Mrs Quindlen's cats kept getting lost. Bubba McKee had a pet boa constrictor.
A Blood Moon makes some supernaturals go crazy. The Golden Years Swamp Tours (GYST) is a favorite day trip for senior citizens in Orlando. Mr Holby is the tour operator. Nancy Hoffman had been a nasty bully. Arroyo is a vampire with whom Jeremiah had had an issue. F.S. Molder had written Blood Magic Rituals. Mr Washington, Tess' chemistry teacher back in high school, was a snake shifter.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a cartoon of Jack? in profile in a leather jacket, jeans (with one leg bent), and boots leaning up against the sign announcing Dead End, Florida. Behind the sign is a Bengal tiger. Both stand on bright green grass with swampy plants framing the forefront and stylized black tree trunks swaying in the background against purple shadows and a starry green sky. At the very top is an info blurb in white with the author's name immediately below it in yellow. The title is near the bottom in white, crossing Jack's ankle. Below that is some series info in a very pale yellow.
I think the title is a blend of the town's name and private eye: Dead Eye.
My Take
Hidden in the heart of the Everglades and an hour from Orlando, the story takes place in Dead End, Florida, and it truly is the dead end of the world where supernaturals are safe and the town isn't subject to federal or state laws.
It's a nice intro to Tess' life and the limitations her gift has placed on it, especially when we get her thoughts and feelings direct from Tess' perspective in first person protagonist point-of-view.
I wanna meet Eleanor. Day makes her sound so fabulous, and someone you'd want in your own life. Nor is Eleanor the only memorable character in this portrayal of small-town life. I'd like Aunt Ruby and Uncle Mike as well in my life.
My one niggle is this is so simplistic with a too-easy romantic start. Yes, it's a sweet, cozy mystery with plenty of action, and yet just too easy.
The Story
Tess Callahan and Jack Shepherd inherit an equal share of Uncle Jack's pawnshop. It's a contentious inheritance, as Jack wants nothing to do with it that only gets worse when Jack finds out how his uncle died.
Then the attacks pile up and more murders, and the bad guys have really ticked Jack off.
The Characters
The very honest Tess Callahan has an unwanted gift: when she touches someone, she sometimes knows how they're going to die. She's been working for Jeremiah since she was 17. Lou is the cat Tess named after Lieutenant Uhura from Star Trek. Her aunt Ruby and uncle Mike Callahan, a retired engineer, raised her at their farm when her mother, Kate, died of cancer. Her father, Mike's brother, ran off when his wife died. Bonnie Jo is their old horse. Eleanor Wolf is Tess' employee and the shop's secret weapon. Her son, Dave Wolf, had been a good friend of Jack's and is now a master carpenter. Zane is Dave's adopted son.
Jack "Commander" Shepherd is a shapeshifting Bengal tiger who has retired from saving the world from vampires, a demon invasion, and defending Atlantis (Heart of Atlantis, 8). Quinn Dawson had been Jack's partner in war and co-leader of the North American rebellion (Heart of Atlantis). Quinn's sister, Riley, is the new queen of Atlantis (Atlantis Rising, 1).
Jeremiah had been Jack's uncle who owned a pawnshop, Dead End Pawn, and a PI firm, Tiger's Eye Investigations. Well, until he died. Well, okay, murdered. Mr Chen is Jeremiah's lawyer.
Molly Chen is the best friend Tess grew up with, who now works part-time at her parents' law firm — Mr Chen is Molly's dad; her mother is a trial lawyer in patents. The rest of Molly's time is spent performing with her indie rock band, Scarlett's Letters. Veronica "Dice" Dunstan-Smythe is the bass guitarist, who fortunately has a trust fund.
Dr Owen Snodgrass, a dentist, is Tess' boyfriend. Shelley Adler is nine. Melody had been Shelley's mom who died in a freak one-car accident a few months ago along with her own parents. Elizabeth is Shelley's doll's name. Olga Kowalski is the local coven leader who did the magical resonance testing. Walt and Hank Kowalski are idiot bruisers and Olga's sons. Delia Roth is a witch who works as a hairdresser. Gruber Elliott was the only other lawyer in Dead End, but is now a vampire.
Otis is a redneck with Fluffy, a badly stuffed alligator. Mrs Gonzalez, who isn't all there, wants Tess to go out with her grandson. Sadie Gonzalez is a flighty cousin. Chantal Nelson was a party girl who worked at the Pit Stop, a combination grocery, bait, and gas station and lived at Windsor Farms, er, it's Pleasant Acres now. A collector and biker, Gator, had dated Chantal. Lorraine has worked at Beau's, the only place in town to grab a bite to eat, for some fifty years. She was also the mayor once. Lauren's Deli serves great sandwiches. Larry owns Dead End Towing with a very catchy tagline. Out in the swamp are some former soldiers: Lucky and Sergeant Harper Rawls.
Sheriff Bertram Lawless is a jerk who prefers to blame the victim and really wants Jeremiah's Colt. Deputy Susan Gonzalez is Mrs Gonzalez's granddaughter and smart. Deputy Kelly. Belle is the dispatcher. Doc Ike is the only doctor in town, sigh, and the county coroner.
FBI
Special Agent Alejandro Vasquez, who never misses when he aims, is from Guatemala and now with the FBI's Paranormal Operations (P-Ops) division. Vasquez married into a family of witches with pet basilisks.
Fred Hughes is a would-be murderer. Annabelle Hannah Yorgenson was Tess' first vision. Mrs Quindlen's cats kept getting lost. Bubba McKee had a pet boa constrictor.
A Blood Moon makes some supernaturals go crazy. The Golden Years Swamp Tours (GYST) is a favorite day trip for senior citizens in Orlando. Mr Holby is the tour operator. Nancy Hoffman had been a nasty bully. Arroyo is a vampire with whom Jeremiah had had an issue. F.S. Molder had written Blood Magic Rituals. Mr Washington, Tess' chemistry teacher back in high school, was a snake shifter.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a cartoon of Jack? in profile in a leather jacket, jeans (with one leg bent), and boots leaning up against the sign announcing Dead End, Florida. Behind the sign is a Bengal tiger. Both stand on bright green grass with swampy plants framing the forefront and stylized black tree trunks swaying in the background against purple shadows and a starry green sky. At the very top is an info blurb in white with the author's name immediately below it in yellow. The title is near the bottom in white, crossing Jack's ankle. Below that is some series info in a very pale yellow.
I think the title is a blend of the town's name and private eye: Dead Eye.
kathydavie's review against another edition
4.0
Second in the Tiger's Eye Mystery paranormal mystery series and revolving around Tess Callahan, a half-banshee pawn shop owner, and Jack Shepherd, tiger shifter, ex-rebel commander, and private eye. The focus is on the kidnapping of banshees.
My Take
Sad to say, marital abuse exists everywhere, even in a paranormal marriage.
Day uses first person protagonist point-of-view from Tess’ perspective, which provides us with her thoughts, emotions, and view of events. She's certainly a different sort of protagonist, so warm and friendly, with the events taking place with a pawn shop as action central.
I am enjoying this series with its town that welcomes supernaturals, for its homeyness, and mostly supportive characters. I mean, how many characters do you know who admit to wearing Donald Duck pajamas?
Read this if you’re looking for a cozy mystery and could use a few laughs.
The Story
Someone is abducting banshees and Tess’ newly revealed banshee grandmother wants Tess’ help. Well, actually she wants Jack’s, which ticks Tess off.
The Characters
Tess Callahan, who sees a person’s death if they touch her and has a penchant for Donald Duck PJs, has inherited Jeremiah Shepherd’s pawn shop in Dead End. Lou is the cat she rescued. She’s also inherited Jack Shepherd. Her paternal Uncle Mike and Aunt Ruby Callahan raised Tess. Shelley is a newly adopted sister (Dead Eye, 1). Bonnie Jo is their sweet ancient horse.
Leona Carstairs, Tess’ newly re-met maternal grandmother, is a banshee. She’s also president of the North American Organization for Banshee Rights (NABR). Trey, her grandfather, had been a vicious brute. Kate had been Tess’ mother. Ned Pendergast is Leona’s boyfriend — and one of the rare male banshees. Brenda Norris and Perrin Jones are also banshees.
Jack Shepherd is Jeremiah’s nephew. He’s also a tiger shifter who retired from being a rebel commander in Day’s Warriors of Poseidon series. Now he’s opening Tiger’s Eye Investigations next door to Dead End Pawn. The Atlanteans consider Jack a valued friend.
Dead End, Florida, is . . .
. . . outside the governance of Florida and the US. Martha, Ruby’s friend, had hip surgery. Susan Gonzalez is the new sheriff (Dead Eye). The red-haired Deputy Andrew Kelly. The mean and ancient Doc Ike is the only doctor and the county coroner.
Molly is Tess’ best friend since kindergarten. She’s currently touring with her band, Scarlett’s Letters. Dice is her stress-causing drummer. Dave, Eleanor’s son, has a construction business and is a friend of Tess’ as well as Jack’s best friend. Beau’s Diner is the only eat-in restaurant and is gossip central. Lorraine has been a waitress there for the past 50 years; she's also a former mayor. Owen, a dentist, is Tess’ ex-boyfriend. Rooster Jenkins, a mostly retired smuggler, wanted to pawn his goat, a genuine American LaMancha. The ancient Mr and Mrs Quindlen don’t have matching guns. Bubba McKee has a pet boa constrictor.
Dead End Pawn is . . .
. . . half Tess’ and newly painted a cheerful yellow with bright teal shutters. It has a mascot, Fluffy, a taxidermied alligator. Jeremiah Shepherd perished in Dead Eye. Eleanor Wolf is her only employee and the best negotiator.
The Swamp Commandos are . . .
. . . a group of ex-military, most of whom suffer from PTSD, who now live out in the swamp. Lucky and Dallas and Austin Fox, computer geniuses, are some of the men. Louise Fox is their sister.
The hot Special Agent Alejandro Vasquez is with P-Ops, the FBI’s Paranormal Operations division (Dead Eye) and had fought on the side of the Atlanteans. He’s also married to Rose, a garden witch.
The Golden Years Swamp Tours (GYST) brings a busload of tourists to Tess’ shop a few times a week. Mr Holby is the bus driver. Felix Wildenhammer, a forest Fae, creates the magical toys. Oskar is Felix’s son. Oglethorpe wants to buy one of his trains. The Darken is a hidden Internet for magic users. Annabelle Hannah Yorgenson was the first person whose death Tess foresaw.
The scraggly Chet DeKalb was pestering Brenda. Everett is Trey’s evil, illegitimate son (who thinks Leona cheated him of his inheritance) who’s trying to be a movie star. Thug One and Thug Two are also known as “Bob” and “Joe”.
Quinn Dawson had been a fellow rebel commander with Jack. She’s now married to Alaric (Heart of Atlantis, 8). Queen Riley is Quinn’s sister (Atlantis Rising, 1).
The Cover and Title
The cover is a casual graphic of the red-haired Tess in a teal tank top and black jeans (wearing black heels??) sitting on the gray porch steps of the yellow Dead End Pawn shop with its teal shutters. It's a smug Jack in his tiger form lying on the porch behind her. At the very top is an info blurb in white. The author's name is in a shadowed blue. On the left is a burgundy sign with pale gray lettering announcing it's Dead End. At the bottom, in a white distressed font, is the title with the series info below it in yellow.
The title is Jack's debut as a Private Eye.
My Take
Sad to say, marital abuse exists everywhere, even in a paranormal marriage.
Day uses first person protagonist point-of-view from Tess’ perspective, which provides us with her thoughts, emotions, and view of events. She's certainly a different sort of protagonist, so warm and friendly, with the events taking place with a pawn shop as action central.
I am enjoying this series with its town that welcomes supernaturals, for its homeyness, and mostly supportive characters. I mean, how many characters do you know who admit to wearing Donald Duck pajamas?
Read this if you’re looking for a cozy mystery and could use a few laughs.
The Story
Someone is abducting banshees and Tess’ newly revealed banshee grandmother wants Tess’ help. Well, actually she wants Jack’s, which ticks Tess off.
The Characters
Tess Callahan, who sees a person’s death if they touch her and has a penchant for Donald Duck PJs, has inherited Jeremiah Shepherd’s pawn shop in Dead End. Lou is the cat she rescued. She’s also inherited Jack Shepherd. Her paternal Uncle Mike and Aunt Ruby Callahan raised Tess. Shelley is a newly adopted sister (Dead Eye, 1). Bonnie Jo is their sweet ancient horse.
Leona Carstairs, Tess’ newly re-met maternal grandmother, is a banshee. She’s also president of the North American Organization for Banshee Rights (NABR). Trey, her grandfather, had been a vicious brute. Kate had been Tess’ mother. Ned Pendergast is Leona’s boyfriend — and one of the rare male banshees. Brenda Norris and Perrin Jones are also banshees.
Jack Shepherd is Jeremiah’s nephew. He’s also a tiger shifter who retired from being a rebel commander in Day’s Warriors of Poseidon series. Now he’s opening Tiger’s Eye Investigations next door to Dead End Pawn. The Atlanteans consider Jack a valued friend.
Dead End, Florida, is . . .
. . . outside the governance of Florida and the US. Martha, Ruby’s friend, had hip surgery. Susan Gonzalez is the new sheriff (Dead Eye). The red-haired Deputy Andrew Kelly. The mean and ancient Doc Ike is the only doctor and the county coroner.
Molly is Tess’ best friend since kindergarten. She’s currently touring with her band, Scarlett’s Letters. Dice is her stress-causing drummer. Dave, Eleanor’s son, has a construction business and is a friend of Tess’ as well as Jack’s best friend. Beau’s Diner is the only eat-in restaurant and is gossip central. Lorraine has been a waitress there for the past 50 years; she's also a former mayor. Owen, a dentist, is Tess’ ex-boyfriend. Rooster Jenkins, a mostly retired smuggler, wanted to pawn his goat, a genuine American LaMancha. The ancient Mr and Mrs Quindlen don’t have matching guns. Bubba McKee has a pet boa constrictor.
Dead End Pawn is . . .
. . . half Tess’ and newly painted a cheerful yellow with bright teal shutters. It has a mascot, Fluffy, a taxidermied alligator. Jeremiah Shepherd perished in Dead Eye. Eleanor Wolf is her only employee and the best negotiator.
The Swamp Commandos are . . .
. . . a group of ex-military, most of whom suffer from PTSD, who now live out in the swamp. Lucky and Dallas and Austin Fox, computer geniuses, are some of the men. Louise Fox is their sister.
The hot Special Agent Alejandro Vasquez is with P-Ops, the FBI’s Paranormal Operations division (Dead Eye) and had fought on the side of the Atlanteans. He’s also married to Rose, a garden witch.
The Golden Years Swamp Tours (GYST) brings a busload of tourists to Tess’ shop a few times a week. Mr Holby is the bus driver. Felix Wildenhammer, a forest Fae, creates the magical toys. Oskar is Felix’s son. Oglethorpe wants to buy one of his trains. The Darken is a hidden Internet for magic users. Annabelle Hannah Yorgenson was the first person whose death Tess foresaw.
The scraggly Chet DeKalb was pestering Brenda. Everett is Trey’s evil, illegitimate son (who thinks Leona cheated him of his inheritance) who’s trying to be a movie star. Thug One and Thug Two are also known as “Bob” and “Joe”.
Quinn Dawson had been a fellow rebel commander with Jack. She’s now married to Alaric (Heart of Atlantis, 8). Queen Riley is Quinn’s sister (Atlantis Rising, 1).
The Cover and Title
The cover is a casual graphic of the red-haired Tess in a teal tank top and black jeans (wearing black heels??) sitting on the gray porch steps of the yellow Dead End Pawn shop with its teal shutters. It's a smug Jack in his tiger form lying on the porch behind her. At the very top is an info blurb in white. The author's name is in a shadowed blue. On the left is a burgundy sign with pale gray lettering announcing it's Dead End. At the bottom, in a white distressed font, is the title with the series info below it in yellow.
The title is Jack's debut as a Private Eye.
abeautytoyourbeast's review
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
literaygemini's review
4.0
Hilarious
I didn’t “love it” but I liked it. It was hilarious. The characters were lively and interesting.
You can read my full review here: https://literarygemini.com/2019/04/29/dead-eye-tigers-eye-mysteries/
I didn’t “love it” but I liked it. It was hilarious. The characters were lively and interesting.
You can read my full review here: https://literarygemini.com/2019/04/29/dead-eye-tigers-eye-mysteries/
sandyfleener's review
4.0
Fast fun read
This was a surprise, free reads aren't always this good. I'm really looking forward to reading more from this author!
This was a surprise, free reads aren't always this good. I'm really looking forward to reading more from this author!
meganh123's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
brigittewhoa's review
5.0
Let me start by saying, "Wow!" I already loved Alyssa's work, so I was more than excited to try this new series from her. From the first sentence, the characters leaped off the page for me. I instantly started reading the book in a Southern accent before I even knew much about Tess. And the more I read, the more I loved her-and Jack. Alyssa has hit it out of the park with this series. Dead End is it's own little world, and I love getting lost in it. I would recommend this book to anyone. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
nikiryther's review
5.0
Great mystery
Loved this book! The storyline was well written, the characters had chemistry, and I was sucked in so quickly, I couldn’t put the book down! I especially liked the twists at the end of the story... I got to the point that I thought I knew exactly what would happen, and was happy to have been wrong.
Loved this book! The storyline was well written, the characters had chemistry, and I was sucked in so quickly, I couldn’t put the book down! I especially liked the twists at the end of the story... I got to the point that I thought I knew exactly what would happen, and was happy to have been wrong.
kabauer's review
5.0
I have loved Alyssa Day as an author from the first time I picked up her Warriors of Poseidon series. She has this incredible ability to make the reader feel like these extraordinary events could really happen. I managed to get an ARC and omg it was awesome.
This book is picking up with a much loved character from her Warriors series, Jack. Jack has been through a lot, and he finally makes his way home to Dead End to take care of some family business. He reconnects with Tess, who he hasn't seen since she grew up. The tension between the two as they go through everything is just what you can always expect from Alyssa. The humor is a cross between cheesy and geeky, which I adore. It's a romance without forcing sex down your throat. It's a thriller murder mystery without the glowing spotlight solving the case in the first five pages.
Basically, I loved this book. It hits across many genres but still holds its own. I can't wait to see what's next for Jack and Tess.
Sorry it's so vague but I hate spoilers and everything I want to squeal about could be spoiling a point for someone, so I'm forcing myself to contain it.
This book is picking up with a much loved character from her Warriors series, Jack. Jack has been through a lot, and he finally makes his way home to Dead End to take care of some family business. He reconnects with Tess, who he hasn't seen since she grew up. The tension between the two as they go through everything is just what you can always expect from Alyssa. The humor is a cross between cheesy and geeky, which I adore. It's a romance without forcing sex down your throat. It's a thriller murder mystery without the glowing spotlight solving the case in the first five pages.
Basically, I loved this book. It hits across many genres but still holds its own. I can't wait to see what's next for Jack and Tess.
Sorry it's so vague but I hate spoilers and everything I want to squeal about could be spoiling a point for someone, so I'm forcing myself to contain it.