An Easy Death

"I was torn between a 3 and a 4 on this one, but ultimately I rounded up because I sped through this and I liked the hell out of Lizbeth. I also found the setting so intriguing: an alternative Depression Era America broken up into different countries, and oh btw, the Romanovs lived and emigrated to Cali. Also, Magic. It’s wacky but it worked. I was a little put off by the writing style, but luckily it didn’t detract from the story, which was fast paced and really fun! I would definitely check out the next book."

"This book highlights Charlaine Harris’ skills with bad ass heroines who fight for their lives to get things done and save innocent people. She creates multidimensional women who save the day against all the odds. This book takes place in an alternate version of the United States, only they are no longer united. An assassination of a president divides the country into independent zones with Great Britian, Mexico and Russia claiming some territory for themselves. Lizbeth Rose is a hired gun with a sixth sense for danger and a sure shot. She is part of a team that helps people move around between the lawless states, but her team is ambushed, and Gunny Rose is now on her own. She is visited by two Russian wizards who would like her skills to be used to help them find and get to a man they believe to be the last descendant of Rasputin, to save the Tsar’s life. With not many prospects and a ton of money at stake Lizbeth takes the job to guide them through this dystopian world. As can be expected everyone has secrets that they are not sharing, and the job takes a personal turn. There are the usual sexy elements that made the Southern Vampire series so much fun, but there is also a historical wild west vibe that ups the stakes and action. The mystery and world building unfold in the spaces between these two elements. I don’t think this is a book that takes itself seriously, but it is a seriously fun book. Wizards, witches, outlaws and bandits run wild in the pages. This book is perfect for fans of action-packed westerns and dark urban fantasies. If you like the Dresden Files and Mercy Thompson series, then you should check out this book."

"I haven't taken a chance on a Charlaine Harris book since her Sookie Stackhouse series crashed and burned well before it was actually ended. The premise of this had me wanting to give her another chance.<br/><br/>What I liked about this was the western/paranormal feel without it being something that feels like it has been over done. The magic part isn't well defined, but doesn't need to be since Lizbeth and us readers don't really know what they are capable of.<br/><br/>If this book had a feel, I'd say emotionless. The book didn't evoke the emotions it wanted as the story played out. It was action packed, but still no emotion was felt. The mourning, the worry, the danger never hit me like it should have. I never felt like Lisbeth had any real connections or friends. Maybe it's the writing style of this book, but it just doesn't feel like you get a whole lot of Lizbeth as she tries to protect her charges who have a dangerous mission through rough territory.<br/><br/>I will be reading the next. This had me interested in the shape of the world Lisbeth lives in and what the future might hold for her."

"I really enjoyed this alternate reality novel. A world where the Romanovs escaped and lived? Hell yes. I’m hoping the next book will go more into that. Either way, I’ll be there for it."

"A new character from a favorite author.I hope there are more in the future for this character.I highly recommend this story.A different twist on America in the past."

"Great story. Jumps right into it. "

"Very good writing and story."