Dirty Magic

By: Jaye Wells

Narrated by: Morgan Hallett

The last thing patrol cop Kate Prospero expected to find on her nightly rounds was a werewolf covered in the blood of his latest victim. But then, she also didn't expect that shooting him would land her in the crosshairs of a Magic Enforcement Agency task force, who wants to know why she killed their lead snitch. The more Prospero learns about the dangerous new potion the MEA is investigating, the more she's convinced that earning a spot on their task force is the career break she's been wanting. But getting the assignment proves much easier than solving the case. Especially once the investigation reveals their lead suspect is the man she walked away from ten years earlier-on the same day she swore she'd never use dirty magic again. Kate Prospero's about to learn the hard way that crossing a wizard will always get you burned, and that when it comes to magic, you should never say never.

©2013 Jaye Wells (P)2014 Recorded Books

Critic reviews

"Kate Prospero is my new favorite heroine-imperfect, haunted, driven, and dangerous." ( New York Times best seller Kevin Hearne)

Jaye Wells is awesome!

Another great novel from Jaye Wells, who creates the most incredible worlds. If you enjoy fantasy and paranormal books, look no further.

great story

Great book. Almost as good as the Sabina Kane series. Can't wait to start book 2

Dirty Magic

Dirty Magic by Jaye Wells
1st book in the Prospero’s War series. Urban fantasy cop with magic.
Kate Prospero is a new member of the Magic Enforcement Agency task force. Her job gets more complicated when her brother wants to learn to “cook” dirty magic and he calls Kate’s ex.

Engrossing cop procedural with magic and family issues. Kate is raising her brother the best she can with ethical issues she still has to work out. The tension between Kate and her ex is tense and rich with feelings neither want to revisit. And poor Danny feeling like an outcast and just trying to survive high school is so dramatic and such a teenager.
The Magic investigation and Kate’s desperately trying to do the right thing carries a bit of angst but it’s so real and powerful, it makes the story that much more compelling to finish.

I will be reading more of this series.
I have a paperback copy from when it was first released and needed up alternating between the paperback and the audio version. The narration was done by Morgan Hallett who did a wonderful job portraying the tense situations and the teenage angst and the frustration of Kate trying to do the right thing. I ended up really enjoying the Audiobook version.

Solid start to a new series...

Listened for Fun (Audible)
Overall Rating: 4.25
Character Rating: 4.00
Story Rating: 4.50

Audio Rating: 4.00 (Not part of the overall rating)

First Thought when Finished: Dirty Magic was a great mix of Urban Fantasy and Mystery! In other words, I dug it.

Story Thoughts: Fact: I am a huge fan of mysteries and thrillers. I get excited about good old fashioned detective work. So when I heard that Jaye was doing an UF meets Mystery book, I got excited. She did not disappoint! The mystery was solid, well thought out, and most of the case solving came from tracking down the clues through working the scene/beat/players! I am always a little worried that "paranormal" elements will be used too much to solve a case in a paranormal/mystery mix but there was a great balance here. There were all the UF elements people love so much: world building, action, and snappy dialogue. Overall this was just a good mix of both worlds and I am excited to see where the series goes from here.

Character Thoughts: Kate is an interesting leading lady. She is strong, independent, stubborn, loyal, and at times a little unlikable. She is a good cop, a good sister, and a good friend. She is also quick at learning on the job. I think the longer she is with the team (Magical Enforcement Agency) the more she will fit in with them. Here is where I think the characters shined: I really liked the MEA task force! They were a great group of characters and hopefully as the series progresses we learn more about them.

Audio Thoughts:

Narrated By Morgan Hallett / Length: 11 hrs and 52 mins


This was my first Morgan Hallett book and I thought she did an excellent job. The pacing and tone of the story was well matched to her voice! The character voices were well done (male and female)with just enough uniqueness to tell who was talking at all times. There were one or two voices that took a bit to get used too but other than that I think the narration was spot on. I will be continuing this series in audio.

Final Thoughts: I really enjoyed Dirty Magic and can't wait for Kate's next adventure!

Note: Yes I am ignoring the setup for a love triangle. The romance won't be the main reason that I am reading this series.

Not my jam

This book was ok, it just was not my normal genre. Decided to try something new.