Bernita Harris

Lillie is a bitter woman used and abused by her husband and considered an outcaste by society which finds itself needing her to help with the increase in ghostly activity which sometimes poses a risk to the living. When her husband dies in a car accident and his corpse comes back to kill her, somehow she's implicated in his death and has to find a way to exonerate herself as well as dodging further attempts on her life.

Lillie's bitterness colours her perspective. Her terrible experiences with her husband has her seeing men in a negative light. She's also incredibly suspicious of Thresher's interest in her because of her outcaste status as a Talent. Everyone avoids her except those that see her as a trophy lay, a walk on the wild side. And now that she's a widow she's even more attractive because we all know widows are in need of physical touch. She was a likeable character in need of a real friend that isn't afraid of her and can accept her as she is. Thresher seemed to fit the bill though I would've liked to have seen more of him.

In some ways, the Talents are similar to the Animators in Laurell K. Hamilton's [b:Anita Blake|30281|Guilty Pleasures (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, #1)|Laurell K. Hamilton|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1266454864s/30281.jpg|3349934] series. Both are capable of raising zombies although the opinions on this by the main characters from each series as well as the laws governing them are completely different.

Overall, I liked the plot and was surprised by the tense and scary, well-written showdown which I loved but as a woman also found quite unnerving. I also loved the gentle ending with Lillie and Thresher.

However, the beginning was undefined. I wasn't sure where the beginning was in fact and there was an information overload in an attempt at world-building which if I hadn't been intending to review this book I would've given up quite early on. Perhaps if there was a prologue or something, it would've been easier to take in all the facts. The writing was shaky to begin with but gradually improved. With some editing this could easily be a four-star read.… (mehr)

Blurb:

Lillie St. Claire is a Talent, one of the rare few who can permanently dispatch the spirits of the dead that walk the earth. Her skills are in demand in a haunted country, where a plague of ghosts is becoming a civic nuisance.

Those skills bring her into conflict with frightened citizens who view Talents as near-demons. Her husband comes to see her as a Freak; so when Nathan dies after a car crash, she is relieved to be free of his increasingly vicious presence. Lillie expects to be haunted by Nathan's ghost, but not to become Suspect #1 for her husband's murder and reanimation.

But what's most surprising of all is the growing attraction between her and psi-crime detective John Thresher. He thinks that Lillie killed Nathan—and Nathan must agree, because his zombie is seeking revenge. Now she and Thresher must work together to solve her husband's murder—before his corpse kills her...


My impressions:
I spotted this book over at Carina Press webpage, and it caught my eye. But, it was summer and I never got around to buy it. Then, Kobo offered selected Carina press e-books for 0,99, and this was one of them. I snatched it up. Am I glad I bought it? Oh yes.

The opening line caught my attention. But what really reeled me in was the unique world. I love urban fantasy, but after awhile you get tired of the standard tropes. This book deals with the conflicts between humans and ghosts. That, combined with the riveting plot and the tension between the characters hooked me.

I will definitely read the next book in the series.… (mehr)

As a fan of the Urban Fantasy genre I am always looking for new authors who have a unique interpretation of the supernatural. Harris's Dark and Disorderly, while grounded in existing myth and lore, has a fresh take on their place in her characters world. The supernatural is leaking into suburbia, increasing in activity and number and not all are benign. Human's are ambivelent - some want all the supernatural banished, the S.O.S think they should be left alone. In Lillie's world there is a struggle between acceptance and control of the situation.As a "Talent", Lillie has an innate skill to see and disperse ghosts and uses that in the employ of the local council and police force. Talents are mostly treated with suspicion, if not outright hostility and Lillie feels that deeply. This goes a long way to explaining her marriage to Nathan and why she is under suspicion for his death. I really like Lillie, I think Harris has created a likeable heroine who is a well balanced blend of vulnerability and toughness. Her motivations are mostly genuine rather than contrived and her job and background provides plenty of scope for plot development and world building.The plot twists are cleverly handled and the various strands work well together. I think Harris has left just the right amount of loose threads to pique interest in a follow up, but also satisfyingly conclude the main plot.There is a romantic element to this story but it is not the focus. There is a frisson of tension but Thresher is a little one dimensional, mostly I think because of the first person POV, I hope that Harris can develop him more fully next time. He sounds hot though :)I am impressed with this debut and I will be looking out for any follow up. If you are a fan of this genre, Dark and Disorderly is sure to appeal.See this post @ my blog: http://bookdout.wordpress.com/2010/09/24/dark-and-disorderly-by-bernita-harris/… (mehr)

First of all, this cover looks amazing, I want to hang it up on my wall.

Lillie St Claire works for the city dispatching ghosts and other various things that go bump in the night, day, or during recess. She is caught between being respected and feared by almost everyone, but never thought anyone would stoop to trying to kill her.

Enter John Thresher, a psi-crime detective that has his eye on Lillie for multiple reasons. John is the kind of guy that always seems to show up at just the right time to save the day. Saving Lillie is going to involve a little more than one heroic moment when some particularly undead begin showing up at her doorstep and are linked to her recently deceased husband. Lillie and John have quite an interesting bond grow between them and sparks start to fly (in a good way).

I enjoyed reading a book where the ghosts, goblins, zombies, and leprechauns are part of the modern world, some even in a good way. A fast paced quick read.

3.5/5… (mehr)