Dead Heat

Taz Bell, Book 1

By: Sharon Green

Narrated by: Suzanne Elise Freeman

Length: 11 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

Taz is a member of a very successful rogue-hunting team. The rogues she and her teammates hunt include rogue vampires, ghouls, and shapeshifters, among others. Vampires have been legal citizens in the world for 500 years, but they do still have rogues from time to time.

Taz's partners are Ryan Freemont, who is a very strong psychic, and her former police partner, George Raymond Lees. George was killed when he and Taz were attacked by shapeshifters, causing Taz to become a shapeshifter herself. George was killed, but he's come back as a free-roaming ghost.

©2014 Sharon Green (P)2014 Sharon Green

Awesome series, definately worth getting!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes I definately would. Its funny and exciting. Its very fast paced, it kinda goes from action, too detective work and then some more action.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Dead Heat?

There were quite a few, but the one that stuck whit me (and almost made me give 4.5 instead of 5 stars) Is the fact that Taz keept denying her Shapeshifter nature. At no point in this book does she come too terms whit it. She does make strides towards acceptance but doesn't quite reach it. Tough it is explained and understandable, but it almost got me depressed. Which is a compliment too the author i suppose =)

What about Suzanne Freeman’s performance did you like?

She was excellent. One of the best female narrators I've heard. 5/5 for sure.

Any additional comments?

Its a great Urban Fantasy book tough it isn't quite like many others i've read. While this genre seem too be 9/10 books whit female characters the only other series that could match / best this one would have too be Kate Daniels. Tough it would be a close one. However I will be looking forward too the sequel. My research indicates there are atleast 2 more books that is already out, tough not made into Audiobooks yet.

Sharon Green

Sharon Green is One of my favorite authors of time. Five book for her book where ever I shot I hope there will be more available with audible.

Lisa J Cook

Great performance of a good story

Would you listen to Dead Heat again? Why?

I've done so several times. Because it's good story with short arcs that make it work even if you listen to just a chapter or so at a time driving to work and back.

Who was your favorite character and why?

George Lee. He's always watching out for Taz even after death. He's not so much a free range ghost as her personal haunt and conscience.

What does Suzanne Elise Freeman bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Sharon Green has always had some problems with stilted dialog but it hasn't ever really bothered me. But the reader's flow smoothed all that and made the sometimes awkward back and forth work better. Especially the dinner scenes seem natural. Also the breathy low tones for all the vampires gave them an extra feel of menace.

Any additional comments?

I've read Sharon Green's stuff since she started. I've really enjoyed being able to hear at least one of her stories read. Hope she does a few more.

Real life is not as bad as what Taz faces!

I have no prior experience with the author, and am fairly new to this genre. That being said, I truly enjoyed this book!. It does strongly favor my own prejudices: pro-cop, anti-fed. Ghosts, vampires, and shapeshifters are part of the usual population, but other nasties are not. When local law is out of their depth with the nasties, they need help from the bounty hunter team headed by Taz Bell. The plot is sequential, with several cases and jurisdictions. Verbal visualization is clear. The characters become clearer with each passing "page". A great fun escape!
SEF does a fine audio performance. One would wish that she used a lower tone when voicing men, but as she does a first rate job otherwise, it is non-critical. She has the emotion, cadence, and clear voice that are essential for a good read.
Audiobooks are vital to my current lifestyle, and I am very pleased to have been gifted with this one. Can't wait until the others are recorded!

Taz Bell is a serious bad a**.

Would you listen to Dead Heat again? Why?

I would if I need to refresh my mind about the characters before listening to the next book.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Taz Bell is amazing. She's willing to take on anyone if she thinks it's the right thing to do. She protects her people, and stays honest with business dealings.

What does Suzanne Elise Freeman bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

A voice for the characters, it's hard to imagine how they would sound if you are reading it.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

At the end~ I was so mad it was over! LOL

Any additional comments?

I received this book free for a review, and I would recommend it to anyone who loves the genre of shapeshifters.

Interesting perspective!

Different look at non-humans and what it might be like while learning about all the changes that one would go through

Rogue Hunters!

This is a great start to a new series, written by Sharon Green. I'm not going to give any spoilers but just mention that it was a very enjoyable story to listen to. Taz Bell is a shapeshifter but not because she wanted to be. This wasn't the life she had chosen and it has cost her everything. Her family no longer cares if she's alive. Her job as a detective with New York City was over. She even thought her partner George was dead until he returned add a ghost. They teamed up to become hunters. The business is doing great and they have another partner who's a psychic, Ryan. He's really good with his ability of seeing things. The biggest problem for Taz is the Federal Rogue Task Force, who consist of vampires. They want her to work with them in a bad way and it seems everywhere Taz goes they show up to.

The narrator Suzanne Elise Freeman did a great job with her narration of this story. The accents of each character were done really well. She brought this story to life and made it easy to connect to the characters and story. Overall, I give it 5 stars and recommend this story to all. I received this audio in exchange for an honest review.

Preachy and annoyingly "It's, that's stupid"

I was hoping this was another series in which to lose myself. It starts out fairly well, but I wanted to throw it out half way through the book. The explanations for the main character's actions and her dialogue are preachy and extremely judgemental. The words "It's/that's stupid..." are used constantly. I almost downloaded the e-version, just to count how many times "stupid" occurred.

I found the main character unequivocably unlikable, and this was disappointing. I liked the idea of a former police officer turning into a bounty hunter, and maybe my expectations were too high. As the story progressed, I found myself less and less sympathetic to this character.

I would have given it one star, but I still feel this series could be salvaged. It has a decent premise, but it reached the point where I felt "stupid" listening/reading it.