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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Staying Dead, 3 Feb 2007
Wren is a Retriever, someone who specialises in finding missing items, no questions asked. In a world where magic (Talent) is a not so well kept secret.
For the first 107 pages of Staying Dead I was going to give it 2 stars. I just couldn't connect with the story. Maybe it's because Wren seemed isolated which made it difficult for me to warm to her. Exceptions are when she's interacting with other characters - her meetings with PB, and the Wizzart, let us see she's not just a two-dimensional cut-out character.
On page 108 Wren calls on Perry Mason and Lord Peter Wimsey for inspiration and suddenly the story is off and running. It's after this point that Wren and Sergei (her business partner) start to interact more as a team and it's in exploring their relationship that the story really works. When they are together there is a depth and pace that's missing when they are apart.
In the last sixty pages the story really picks up (if only it had been like this all the way through I would have given it 4 stars). The ending is poignant and leaves this story nicely tied up with enough plot threads left dangling to entice the reader to pick up the sequel.
On the plus side - it's a well thought out Universe populated by interesting characters - the fatae (supernatural beings) have a small role here but there is the feeling they will play a bigger part in future books.
On the minus side - I feel the story is let down by poor editing, especially in the first half of the book. Overuse of certain words distracts from the flow of the writing and 100 pages is a long time to wait for a story to get going.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A very satisfying read., 24 Jun 2009
The first book in the retrievers series, following the lives of Guenevere "the Wren" Valere and her business partner Sergei Didier. Wren is a retriever, a nice way of saying thief, who uses current (magic) to help her achieve the reputation as the best in the business.
The wonderful world that the characters inhabit is full and vibrant, creating a rich believable environment where magic exists alongside all the trapping of modern life. Whilst not setting any sort of record in the pace department this great novel keeps you enthralled until the very end where the pace defiantly picks up for a perfect ending that wraps up the main plotline but keeps you ready for the next book.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Meh..., 12 Sep 2008
This review is from: Staying Dead (Retrievers) (Paperback)
I picked up this book expecting something different to what it was. I have seen some really good reviews.
I thought the plot was good, if a bit unexplained. Wren Valere is a Retriever, who specialises in finding things, things sometimes don't want to be found and sometimes people don't want things to be found. Wren's business partner (handles the 'jobs' and finance} is Sergei and there's a fair amount of sexual tension between the two. The will they, won't they between Sergei and Wren was a bit tiresome.
I have since read the next two books in the series but wasn't overly impressed. Won't be picking up anymore, unless it was an exceptional bargain :)
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