Vorab-RezensentenGabrielle Ash

Not every murder ends in death.

If weeks on the run from creatures big, small, and ugly coming after the demon-killing blade, Sheturath, has taught crow shifter Diana Van Doren anything, it's that being Lead Crow of a murder requires more knowledge and skill than she possesses. Worried she will get her companions killed because of her shortcomings, she's ready to get out of the country. Sasha Sokolov, on the other hand, is still at war with himself. The clairvoyant committed many foul deeds to gain his freedom from the demon general who held him under her evil thumb, and he worries his baggage will keep him from being the man-and the murder-Diana deserves.

When a crow shifter from Diana's past swoops in and asks them for help, their plan to escape is put on hold. Another demon is searching for them, and he's forced Diana's old murder to assist. In a desperate bid to free themselves, a rogue group of crow shifters are willing to pay Diana and Sasha to kill the demon, and since they're both unemployed, they could use the cash.

However, dealing with Diana's toxic relatives forces them to acknowledge what being a murder means. Before they can defeat the new threat, Diana and Sasha have to decide if they can accept themselves-and their pasts. If they can't move past what makes them vulnerable, they'll lose?and usher in the apocalypse.

Murder for Hire is the second book in The Murder series, a dark urban fantasy featuring a fierce crow shifter, supernatural demons, and a magical battle for the ages.

Matilda Ashby has seen the monsters that lurk in the shadows of Manhattan—and within the walls of her family business. While creatures of myth aren’t hunting her anymore, she can’t say the same for Samson, her former bodyguard, after a photograph of the telepath in danger finds its way to her desk. Desperate to save him, Matilda dusts off her Manolos and ventures back into the supernatural world, a world she wanted nothing more than to leave behind.

However, Matilda isn’t the only one searching for Samson. Necromancers, sent by Samson’s former boss, are hot on her heels, and her MBA curriculum didn’t include a course on how to kill them. So, in order to save Samson, she’ll have to trust former enemies—and her instincts—to get him back.

But in a world where being human is a weakness and being kind is a liability, Matilda isn’t sure how she can succeed in saving him, especially when her brother, and the family business, needs her too.

If you like Charlaine Harris, K. F. Breene, or Phillipa Bornikova, you’ll love this urban fantasy romance with mystery, suspense, and family drama!

A lone crow is a dead crow. That's what Diana Van Doren, exiled crow shifter, has always believed. The last murder of crow shifters known to exist wouldn't accept her into the flock, leaving her vulnerable. Worse, her kleptomaniacal father's schemes put them in a demon's crosshairs. Without the support of the murder, Diana fears death will come all too quickly. So when an opportunity to steal a rare blade that can kill anything-even demons-crosses their path, she decides to play her father's games one last time. However, she isn't the only one hoping to take the blade. Sasha Sokolov, a clairvoyant, has been forced from childhood to serve the very demon hunting Diana and her family. After two decades of service, his boss finally offers him what he can't refuse: freedom. All he has to do is bring in the knife and the Van Dorens, and his bloodline will be free from serving the demon forever. When Diana and Sasha meet at the auction, they strike an uneasy alliance. Diana sees a way to finally be welcomed into the murder. Sasha sees an opportunity to get his freedom. To get what they want, only one of them can walk away with the blade. But when their magic inexplicably links as they reluctantly work together to steal the knife, betraying each other for their own ends may no longer be an option.

A lone crow is a dead crow. That’s what Diana Van Doren, exiled crow shifter, has always believed. The last murder of crow shifters known to exist wouldn’t accept her into the flock, leaving her vulnerable. Worse, her kleptomaniacal father’s schemes put them in a demon’s crosshairs. Without the support of the murder, Diana fears death will come all too quickly. So when an opportunity to steal a rare blade that can kill anything—even demons—crosses their path, she decides to play her father’s games one last time. However, she isn’t the only one hoping to take the blade. Sasha Sokolov, a clairvoyant, has been forced from childhood to serve the very demon hunting Diana and her family. After two decades of service, his boss finally offers him what he can’t refuse: freedom. All he has to do is bring in the knife and the Van Dorens, and his bloodline will be free from serving the demon forever. When Diana and Sasha meet at the auction, they strike an uneasy alliance. Diana sees a way to finally be welcomed into the murder. Sasha sees an opportunity to get his freedom. To get what they want, only one of them can walk away with the blade. But when their magic inexplicably links as they reluctantly work together to steal the knife, betraying each other for their own ends may no longer be an option.

Turn up the heat this holiday season with this sexy collection of gifts from your favorite City and Mystic Owl authors. Each story has been hand-curated by award-winning, bestselling, and debut authors to please lovers of romance in the science fiction and fantasy subgenres. Place it under the tree, in someone's ereader stocking, or give yourself the gift of a few stolen hours of pleasure as you sink into each winter themed happily ever after. From vampires to fairy tale retellings and everything in between, these scorching hot short stories are sure to hit the spot, curl your toes, and fill you with holiday cheer. So stoke the fire, nestle under a blanket, and slip in between the pages with your next new favorite authors.

Matilda Ashby has a pair of Ivy League degrees and a dream of unseating her brother as their billionaire father’s favorite… but her life is soon turned upside down! As she inches close to her goal, Matilda’s world is rocked by monsters roaming the Manhattan streets and the elusive enemy at her father’s corporation who hired them to kill her. With assassins on the heels of her Manolos, and the family business’s reputation in danger of being destroyed, Matilda hires the mysterious Samson, a telepath with a shady past, to help her discover who wants her dead. But when the would-be assassins can take the form of anyone in her life, Matilda doesn’t know who she should fear most—the monsters hiding inside her family business or the ones coming for her head.