Book Review: The Lingering Dead by J.N. Duncan + Giveaway

The Lingering Dead
Jackie Rutledge #3
Author: J. N. Duncan
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Released: April 1st 2012
Review Source: Kensington Publishing
Available: Amazon

Summary: (from goodreads) Jackie Rutledge has faced down everything from the darkest sorcery to uber-vengeful revenants. But heading up the Bureaus special paranormal unit is presenting unexpected challenges. Handling otherworldly egos and politics has never come easy to this loner agent. And opening up to her sexy, vampire lover, Nick, is as unnerving as her unwanted new ability to slip between the realms of the living and the dead...

Now an insidious power holding helpless ghosts in thrall is using any means necessary to discredit Jackie and split her team apart for good. The only chance she has means baiting the terrifying Deadworld being stalking her dreams, hunting her every step--and growing ever more hungry for her ultimate sacrifice....

First of all, this is my first from this series, it can be read as a stand alone, but it will be helpful to read the previous ones. To really understand the why, where and how this special group ended together and became who they are.

Jackie, an ex FBI agent that finds herself as head of a "special" paranormal investigation unit. The unit is formed by two vampires, Nick & Shelby; a ghost who is Jackie's ex partner, Laurel ; Cynthia, a psychic and Jackie who has the ability to connect the world of the living and the dead.
After receiving a series of boxes from the agency full of cold cases that are considered paranormal, the unit must decide which of the case will be their first. They decide on a file from a town called Thatcher Mills, where ghost seamed to be the dominate residents and where apparently nothing bad has happened in the last 100 years. During the investigation, a connection to Nick's past is discovered and the consequences of his vengeance left some loose ends that are causing the people of this town to be mind controlled by a resident.

The interaction between the unit members is interesting to say the least. Jackie is an abused and dysfunctional person incapable of holding a relationship, Nick is a multimillionaire that is head over heals in love with Jackie and has the patience of a saint. Laurel, her ex partner is a ghost with the ability to use Jackie's body as a vessel to communicate with the rest of the group and her lover Shelby.
There is action, confrontation with the town's people and the resident ghosts, as well as romance and mystery that only adds more to the the cliff hanger ending with new material for the next installment. Good and entertaining but probably would have been more enjoyable if I had read the first two books.

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