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

Vampire PI: It's a Good Listen

Narration:

The Narration of this book is pretty good. I haven't listened to this narrator before, but his voice is easy to listen to, and does a good job differentiating the protagonist from the supporting cast. I wouldn't mind listening to other books narrated by him.

Story:

This book didn't take long for me to get into. The opening sequence is filled with action and the author does a good job of teaching us about the world he's created via the actions of his characters and what is happening around them.

This is also the first Vampire book I can think of where the protagonist is a private investigator. It seems like there should be others, but I can't recall them so kudos to the author for taking the genre in a new direction. I also like that the main character is seemingly aware of the modern genre, as well as set in his ways. This seems like a far more realistic take on immortality than books that seem to have either completely modern vampires, or those that have been so out of touch for the last 30 years that they don't know what a cell phone is.

All in all there's not much to complain about. If you like vampire stories, you should like this book. There's lots of action, and a mystery that unfolds little by little from start to finish. There also aren't any wasted scenes as each one has a logical connection to those that follow. Overall it's a good listen. I'd listen to the second book.

unique vampire mystery

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

I read a lot of vampire books over the years but this one is truly unique. the backstory in the character development really drew me in. I look forward to hearing more from the series and author. I highly recommend it!

Nicely done!

Paranormal meets private eye, meets mobsters! What could be better than that? The story flows nicely, with a great mix of humor and attitude! I thoroughly enjoyed it and can not wait for the next book in the series!

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.