Plot: The Raven is a deception specialist, which is a fancy term for a street magician. When he tries to blackmail the wrong person, he finds himself in deeper trouble than he can handle. Trudi Coffey is a private investigator, and along with her ex-husband, Samuel Hill, they’re investigating rumors of a planned attack, known as ‘Nevermore’. Added to the mix is store owner Mama Bliss. The four of them all will get mixed up in this dangerous plot and they may not all survive.
Characters: The story is told from the first person narrative of The Raven and the third person points of view from Trudi Coffey and Mama Bliss. While I’m not usually a fan of first person, The Raven’s scenes were well done. I liked how he was introduced to the story. I wasn’t sure whether he would turn out to be a good guy or a bad guy. The contrast between all the main characters was excellent, ranging from good to evil, but I came to know each one and understand why they did what they did. On a side note, I enjoyed having the Ukrainian Mafia guys as part of the book, as my dad’s family is from the Ukraine. (Note: I have absolutely NO ties to any mafia!) Even though they’re the bad guys, they added a great deal to this book. When even the bad guys are likeable, you know the author’s done a great job writing the characters.
Recommendation: While this wasn’t quite my usual choice of book, I really enjoyed the story and would recommend it to those who enjoy suspense. It’s the first I’ve read from this author and I’d definitely read more from him. This is book two of the series, but it can stand alone. The series revolves around the main characters, so if you’re looking for a happily ever after ending, you’ll have to keep reading until the end of the series.
