Shrouds of Darkness

Brooklyn Shadows, Book 1

De: Brock Deskins

Narrado por: Steven Jay Cohen

New York has a problem few are aware of. Creatures of myth and darkness prowl the night-shrouded streets, preying on those who won’t be missed. At least, those are the rules. Bodies are turning up, and their deaths are far from natural. Our kind’s existence depends on remaining nothing more than folklore and fairy tales, but someone has decided to break the rules. Now, it’s my job to stop a conspiracy before it threatens to expose the truth about vampires and werewolves. My name is Leo Malone, and when things go bump in the night, I bump back. If the price is right.

©2011 Brock E. Deskins (P)2017 Brock E. Deskins

Great story

This audiobook kept me entertained from start to finish. Vampire PI, Leo Malone, is hired to find a missing werewolf, who also happens to be the accountant of a mob boss Leo occasionally body guards for. Things become even more complicated as he uncovers treachery within the vampire ranks. This story has lots of action, intrigue, a bit of romance, great characters and hilarious repartee that will have you laughing out loud. I really enjoyed the main character, Leo. He is sarcastic, cunning, can be a bit of a jerk and has a propensity for violence, but he also keeps his word and has a sense of riotousness hidden underneath a hard exterior. The narrator, Steven Jay Cohen, managed to fit his voice to Leo’s personality perfectly, he really brought the character to life making you feel his strength, determination and uncertainties. I also loved his interpretation of the computer wiz, Marvin. The interactions between the two of them was hysterical. All in all, this an enjoyable, well written, action filled story that will keep you entertained and leave you wanting more.

Top notch urban fantasy

I love vampire books. I especially love urban fantasy vampire books. This is partially due to how much I adored the Vampire: The Masquerade during my teenage years. So, I was all in for Brock Deskin's Brooklyn Shadows series that follow the adventures of undead detective Leo. Leo is a lovably repulsive character. A bit like Johnny Lawrence in Cobra Kai, he's stuck a few decades behind the times and compensates for it by being as big a jerk to people as humanly possible. Fans of series like the Dresden Files and the Hellequin Chronicles will probably find this book enjoyable.

The premise is a werewolf accountant who does work for the mob in New York finds himself kidnapped by forces unknown. Leo is hired by the werewolf's daughter to track him down and see if he's alive or dead. This proves problematic as while Leo is a decent enough detective, he's managed to burn every single bridge he's made in the supernatural community. The vampires of the Enclave loathe him as a failed Sheriff, the werewolves despise him as a vampire killer, and the police believe he's a multiple mass murdering hitman [which is true from a certain point of view].

The primary appeal of the story is watching Leo stumble around, offending people left and right in hopes that they let slip something useful to his investigation. What follows is a decent enough mystery that involves the mysterious "Cure" for vampirism that was long ago abandoned as unusually toxic, a sudden upswing in the vampire population of New York, attacks on the mob by forces unknown, and the planned installation of a London-esque CCTV network across the city.

Part of what makes the story work is Leo actively shoots himself in the foot repeatedly by not caring about anything other than himself. It takes awhile for him to put the pieces together because he ignores anything that doesn't directly relate to his case. He's really kind of a cruddy detective as his attitude, cynicism, and nihilism prevent him from developing much in the way of contacts. He has a couple of in a hacker named Mo Money (a self-granted nickname that Leo mocks repeatedly), a morgue attendant, and an incredibly effective lawyer but these are the exceptions instead of the rule.

I think my favorite character of the book is the police office Castillo. Castillo is basically the anti-Murphy for Dresden File fans. She's a dedicated hard-working female police officer absolutely set against our protagonist who seems to get away with murder, literally, on a regular basis. I actually support these two getting together and think it would be a spicy romance. Leo's actual girlfriend, Katherine, is interesting enough but doesn't have the same level of spark.

Does this book have any flaws? Eh, I found it a little weird that we opened up with a perspective other than Leo's at the start of the book despite this being in first person. I also feel like we could have referenced Leo's past with so many characters more. As a vampire, I feel like he would have some more interesting history with various characters. Still, this is a minor set of issues overall and didn't impact my enjoyment much.

In conclusion, I feel this is a solid and entertaining urban fantasy/horror adventure novel. Leo is an antihero that will be an acquired taste to some readers but I personally loved him. I recommend picking up the audiobook novel in particular since the narrator does a fantastic job.

PI Vamp, Weres, Mysteries, and Humor!

Shrouds of Darkness
Brooklyn Shadows, Book 1
By: Brock Deskins
Narrated by: Steven Jay Cohen
This is an audible book I requested and the review is voluntary.
This is one of the best books I've read in a long time. Loved it! If you like vampires, werewolves, mysteries, humor, and fast paced fun reads this is your book. A vampire PI and occasionally hired gun/body guard takes a case that ends up taking 3 cases... all from different parties and all lead to the same conclusion. Action packed, with lots of humor scattered throughout that kept me giggling like a school girl, and great fight scenes for the evil side of me ;p
The narrator was perfect!!! I felt like I was in a movie, the voices and emotional effects were awesome! Terrific performance. Not easy to do comedy and it was done with perfection. Great job!

Entertaining.

Leo Malone is hired to find a missing werewolf by his daughter. This same werewolf is an accountant to a mob boss, who contacts Leo to also find the missing werewolf. Being paid twice for the same job suits Leo fine and he accepts. But he didn't realise what an undertaking this would be. In his quest to find answers, Leo encounters rogue vampires, more mobsters and even a love interest. But add in the fact that dead bodies are turning up that seem to be ravaged by werewolves and all evidence points to the missing were! Is this a case of a were gone rogue too, or something else?

This was all sorts of awesome!! I listened to this while I was sick and it cheered me up and made me laugh out loud. I absolutely loved Leo. He is an antihero and a jerk at times, but his devil may care attitude was what made him so lovable. He may also be a hardass but he is a man of his word and has a sense of righteousness that appealed to me. It also helped that he was so funny and witty, especially with "Mo Money", the hilarious hacker Marvin.

The plot was fast paced and action packed. There was mystery, intrigue and plenty of fight scenes, and I few through the book. I also loved finding out about the Vampire dynamics and how they work.

In all, this was a fun, entertaining read. It was well written and developed and I so can't wait to read the second book in the series!!!

This is the first book I've listened to that was narrated by Steven Jay Cohen and I really enjoyed his narration. He was easy to listen to and read this well. He gave each of the characters their own personality and really brought Leo to life!! I will have to check out more by him.

I was voluntarily provided this audiobook for free from the author, narrator, or publisher. This in no way affected nor influenced my thoughts.

Can't go wrong with this vampire PI novel!

Really enjoyed this read. I'm a big fan of fantasy/detective style novels and this did not disappoint. Vampires, werewolves, mob what more can you ask for? Grab this if you're a fan of Dresden Files style books :)

I received this audiobook for free in exchange for my honest review.