THE LAST POLICEMAN - Ben H. Winters

What’s the point in solving murders if we’re all going to die soon, anyway?

Detective Hank Palace has faced this question ever since asteroid 2011GV1 hovered into view. There’s no chance left. No hope. Just six precious months until impact.

The Last Policeman presents a fascinating portrait of a pre-apocalyptic United States. The economy spirals downward while crops rot in the fields. Churches and synagogues are packed. People all over the world are walking off the job—but not Hank Palace. He’s investigating a death by hanging in a city that sees a dozen suicides every week—except this one feels suspicious, and Palace is the only cop who cares.

The first in a trilogy, The Last Policeman offers a mystery set on the brink of an apocalypse. As Palace’s investigation plays out under the shadow of 2011GV1, we’re confronted by hard questions way beyond “whodunit.” What basis does civilization rest upon? What is life worth? What would any of us do, what would we really do, if our days were numbered?
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What does a policeman do when he finds what has all the appearances of a suicide but in his gut he knows it's a murder? Add in that the end of the world due to an asteroid is impending and not many on the police force care much about solving this murder....and  a reader has a spectacular book to read.
This is the first book in a trilogy and I cannot WAIT to read the next two books. I really have to find out what happens to Detective Hank Palace, the last policeman.

AN APPETITE FOR MURDER: A Key West Food Critic Mystery - Lucy Burdette

Hayley Snow's life always revolved around food. But when she applies to be a food critic for a Key West style magazine, she discovers that her new boss would be Kristen Faulkner-the woman Hayley caught in bed with her boyfriend! Hayley thinks things are as bad as they can get-until the police pull her in as a suspect in Kristen's murder. Kristen was killed by a poisoned key lime pie. Now Hayley must find out who used meringue to murder before she takes all the blame.
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I love cozies with spunky characters. This one has it in spades. I feel for Hayley Snow once I found out she followed her dream man all the way to Key West only to fiind out he was more a nightmare. Then she had to make her way in the ritzy and gorgeous Florida locale when she discovered that she didn't want to leave.
So, she's living on her friend's houseboat and helping her with her cleaning business. But what Hayley really wants to do is write restaurant reviews. She visits and writes about the small local places, not the ritzy-ritz places, but the joints where the locals go. I got so hungry reading this book!!
Then there's the murder of the girlfriend of the ex-pewp cranium 'dream guy' Hayley followed down and lived with. Until she discovered pewp-cranium 'dream guy' in bed with now murdered restaurant owner and potentially Hayley's boss if Hayley gets the food critic job at the local paper.
Now Hayley is a prime suspect and she needs to clear her name.
Well done and I soooo cannot wait to read the next in the series. Thank goodness DEATH IN FOUR COURSES is on the nightstand.....

50% OFF MURDER: A Good Buy Girls Mystery - Josie Belle

Maggie Gerber-one of the founding members of the Good Buy Birls- loves her quiet life in St. Stanley, Virginia. But all that changes when Sam Collins, her old flame, moves back to town as the new sheriff. On top of that, Claire Freemont, a librarian and the newest member of the Good Buy Girls, starts acting utterly strange.

When Maggie goes to visit her the next day at the library, she finds the body of a very dead man. Turns out the man is someone from Claire's past. As the handsome new sheriff zeroes in on Claire, it's up to Maggie and the rest of the Good Buy Girls to use their bargain-hunting skills to hunt a killer-while making sure they don't pay too much in the process...

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A fun new-to-me series with a unique premise. These ladies know how to shop for a deal, clip coupons, and solve a murder. It works, it doesn't sound like it would, but it does. Neat ideas throughout if one doesn't know how to look for a deal or doesn't believe in clipping coupons. I had fun reading this and look forward to the next book in the series.

DARK AND STORMY KNIGHTS - edited by P N Elrod

It was a dark and stormy knight, and nine dark defenders embarked upon a most perilous quest….

They’re the ultimate defenders of humanity—modern day knights who do dark deeds for all the right reasons. In this all-star collection, nine of today’s hottest paranormal authors bring us thrilling, all-new stories of supernatural knights that are brimming with magic mystery and mayhem.

John Marcone sets aside his plans to kill Harry Dresden to go head-to-head with a cantrev lord in Jim Butcher’s Even Hand. Kate Daniels is called upon for bodyguard duty to protect Saimen, a shifter she trusts less than the enemy in Ilona Andrews’ A Questionable Client. Cormac must stop a killer werewolf before it attacks again on the next full moon in Carrie Vaughn’s God’s Creatures. And in Vicki Pettersson’s Shifting Star, Skamar gets more than she bargained for when she goes after a creature kidnapping young girls—and enlists the aid of her frustratingly sexy neighbor.

When everything’s on the line, will these knights complete their missions and live to fight again another day? Find out in Dark and Stormy Knights!

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As with almost all anthologies I read (or partially read), there are shiny awesome novellas and there are the middling good, then the *whaaaat*. Some of this might have been due to the time of night and the night of the week I was reading each one. I will hold onto this one and try again as I know the auhors are all favorites of mine, so it must have been timing that had me thinking other than most favorable thoughts.

TO CATCH A VAMPIRE: A F.R.E.A.K.S. Squad Investigation - Jennifer Harlow

CLASSIFIED: F.R.E.A.K.S. Do Dallas

Beatrice Alexander, telekinetic special agent, is still adjusting to life among the F.R.E.A.K.S. while wiping out zombies and other supernatural threats. When Bea learns about her “special assignment” investigating a series of human disappearances with Oliver Montrose, her gorgeous but annoying vampire co-worker, she reluctantly agrees to go undercover. Disguised as a married couple, they infiltrate the gothic vamp scene in Dallas. While sniffing out clues, Oliver’s convincing public—and not so public—displays of affection have Bea swooning in her bustier and fishnets. Between contending with her fake husband’s ex-lover Marianna and feeling guilty for hiding the mission from her werewolf crush Will, Bea discovers she’s not the only F.R.E.A.K. keeping secrets. Clubbing with the undead turns bloody when Oliver’s old enemy, the Lord of Dallas, decides to seek his revenge. Caught in the crossfire, Bea is up to her neck in blood-sucking trouble.

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I wish Jennifer Harlow was one of those prolific writers or wrote faster or I'd found out about her after she had a bunch of books, especially in this series, so I could have a bunch of them on hand.
Maybe by not having so many out there, each one is that much better for it. I adore this series and there are only two, so far, in the F.R.E.A.K.S. Squad Investigation series.
First one, MIND OVER MONSTERS, was superb from the very first page. I loved meeting and getting to know Beatrice Alexander and watching her come to grips with her abilities and her new life with the Squad.
Now Bea has been fighting the good fight against supernatural beings for a few months. First book was zombies, this book is vampires in Texas. And she has to go undercover with Oliver, the vampire working with F.R.E.A.K.S. He has been after Bea since meeting and she has been spurning his advances. Oliver reminds me of Spike on Buffy the Vampire Slayer in his dangerous humor. He does seem to truly care for Bea, but Bea has her heart set on werewolf Will.
Absolutely fun to read, fabulously written and I want Jennifer Harlow to write more and a bit faster....pretty please? More Bea, Will, Oliver and the rest of the F.R.E.A.K.S.!!!

THE TAKEN: Celestial Blues Book One - Vicki Pettersson

Griffin Shaw used to be a PI, but that was back when gumshoes hoofed the streets . . . and he was still alive. Fifty years later, he's an angel, but that doesn't make him a saint. One small mistake has altered fate, and now he's been dumped back onto the mortal mudflat to collect another soul—Katherine "Kit" Craig, a journalist whose latest investigation is about to get her clipped.

Bucking heavenly orders, Grif refuses to let the sable-haired siren come to harm. Besides, protecting her offers a chance to solve the mystery of his own unsolved murder—and dole out some overdue payback for the death of his beloved wife, Evie.

Joining forces, Kit and Grif's search for answers leads beyond the blinding lights of the Strip into the dark heart of an evil conspiracy. But a ruthless killer determined to destroy them isn't Grif's biggest threat. His growing attraction to Kit could cost them both their lives, along with the answer to the haunting question of his long afterlife . . .

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I have been on a streak of finding superb books to dive into. THE TAKEN was definitely one of them. A nifty premise with the angel hierarchy as the backbone.
Griffin Shaw is an angel, one of the lower of the totem pole. He collects souls to bring them to the beyond, but he's been sent to Earth to make right a wrong. Someone is taken before her time.
Katherine 'Kit' Craig is the friend of the woman taken too soon. She's a journalist and needs answers. Along comes Griffin to help, much to both their dismay.
He's been an angel since the 50s and he's a bit confused in this world, or the mudflat as he calls it.
Kit is a 'billy' or rockabilly, dressing like she's in the 50s and generally embracing the lifestyle. To her and her friends it was a much more romantic time than now. Griff knows better.
He has an agenda besides helping Kit find out who murdered her friend. He needs to know who murdered him and his wife.
Awesome book and fab entry into what I know is going to be a superb series, just like Vicki's Zodiac series.

HOWLING AT THE MOON: Tales of an Urban Werewolf - Karen MacInerney

Romance is about to get a little hairy.

Sophie Garou seems to have it all: a great job at a prestigious accounting firm, a closet that rivals a Nordstrom showroom, and a terrific boyfriend who isn’t afraid to use the “M” word. There’s just one little itty-bitty problem: Sophie is a werewolf–and her time of month has a whole new meaning.

Needless to say, life among yummy flesh-and-blood humans is no piece of steak . . . er, cake!, but regular doses of wolfsbane tea and a mother who runs a magic shop have helped Sophie keep her paranormal pedigree under wraps. Still, when a sexy, golden-eyed werewolf prowls into town, Sophie finds herself struggling to keep her animal impulses in check–not to mention trying to keep things on track with her super hot (and super human) lawyer boyfriend. What’s more, someone is threatening to expose Sophie for what she really is. And when her mother is accused of selling a poison-laced potion, Sophie must sniff out a culprit before the fur hits the fan.

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Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! A super cool werewolf urban fantasy series! I already dig Karen MacInerney's Grey Whale Inn series (and I've only read the first in the series) and was hyped when I learned she also wrote a UF series.
Sophie Garou is a werewolf hiding in plain sight. She has a super job and a fab boyfriend. But no one knows she furs up from time to time except her mom who helps out with her daily wolfsbane tea infusions.
But someone knows her secret and is threatening to tell.
I had a great time reading this and look forward to reading the rest of the series as I get to them.