To Kill a Warlock

Dulcie O'Neil, Book 1

By: H. P. Mallory

Narrated by: Therese Plummer

Length: 7 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

The murder of a dark arts warlock. A shape-shifting, ravenous creature on the loose. A devilishly handsome stranger sent to investigate. Sometimes working law enforcement for the Netherworld is a real bitch.

Dulcie O’Neil is a fairy. And not the type to frolic in gardens. She’s a Regulator - a law-enforcement agent who monitors the creatures of the Netherworld to keep them from wreaking havoc in the mortal world. When a warlock is murdered and Dulcie was the last person to see him alive, she must uncover the truth before she’s either deported back to the Netherworld, or she becomes the next victim.

Enter Knight Vander, a sinfully attractive investigator sent from the Netherworld to work the case with Dulcie. Between battling her attraction to her self-appointed partner, keeping a sadomasochistic demon in check, and fending off the advances of a sexy and powerful vampire, Dulcie’s got her hands full. As the body count increases, Dulcie finds herself battling dark magic, reconnoitering in S&M clubs, and suffering the greatest of all betrayals.

©2010 H.P. Mallory (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Lots of action, fun heroine

Enjoyed the first in series. The action starts pretty quickly and the world and character building is integrated into the story line. Dulcie is strong and likeable. The narrator did a great job and enhanced the story for me. This is a paranormal romantic mystery. It is not a clean read. I have already grabbed the next 3 books in both Audio and Kindle.

Not totally sold will try another in the series

There was an interesting sory line but could not work out if the author was trying to be funny, tounge in cheek or serious, she seems to change her mind from one chapter to the next

I actually listened to these more than once

I had no idea what to expect when I started listening to this book because this was the first I "read" (listened to) by HP Mallory. Boy was I not disappointed. This series really kept me interested, and I actually loved all of them so much that when I finished the last one I just started right back at the beginning! ...and then found other books she's written and bought them as well!

So if you've gotten as far as reading this review, stop stalling and just buy it already! You'll have a blast!

Read the Book, Enjoyed Hearing It!

Great characters, a lot of fun to listen to. The narrator does a good job with the voices, keeps you in the story. Plot line will interest you to the very end. Fantastic job all around.

Enjoyable but nothing special

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I'm a little tired of books having multiple potential love interests for the heroine. Two possible love interests is more than enough but this one has three which I think is a little overboard. Also, I hope in future books that Dulcie stops saying "holy Hades" (and variations on a theme) so much. It got to be annoying after a while.

What does Therese Plummer bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Therese Plummer does a nice job with Dulcie's voice. The voices for the male characters aren't fantastic but they are passable.

Any additional comments?

Overall the story was enjoyable to listen too but it wasn't anything spectacular. I had been hoping to really love the story and was disappointed that I didn't. It had moments I really enjoyed but mostly I was just ambivalent about it. I already have book 2 on my kindle so I will probably give it a try and see if the series gets better. I may even buy the audiobook for it too since Therese Plummer did a nice job with it.

Loved this book

It's a fun book. Loved the characters and narrator. Action starts right away and is funny.

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️ 🎧

I don't know why I purchased these but then when I started listening, I knew right away why. The narrator, Therese Plummer, is a favourite of mine, and I just had a feeling she would do this series justice, and I was so right.

I was hooked. Dulcie is a fairy, and I know if you follow me, you know fairies are not my jam, but Dulcie is cool. I liked that she was also a Regulator a law-enforcement agent. She helps monitor the creatures of the Netherworld, keeping them from being a nuisance to the rest of the world.

She is also a writer, and she has a very clear crush on her boss.
But then someone new comes down, and Dulcie and Knight must team up to keep a demon in check. Sparks fly between Knight and Dulcie, but they are both great at ignoring it.

It's a fantastic first book. I can't wait to dive more into the series.

The first 5 minutes are the only good part.

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

Find a better writer.

What could H. P. Mallory have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

She needs to decide what genre she is writing and stick with it. It starts off hilarious then tries to be serious, then tries to be a mystery, then a romance. It never finds cohesion.

Which scene was your favorite?

The opening scene is great. The book falls apart after that.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointment. I feel like a wasted a credit on this book.

Any additional comments?

The performance is really good, given what the reader had to work with.

Explicit

Very explicit sex. Explicit violence. Might be a good story except for those. Too bad.

Ugh!

Any additional comments?

Dulcie was just TSTL. I was excited by the concept, but really did not like Dulcie or her attitude toward the other cast of characters. A lot of her actions did not make any sense to me. I will not continue with this series. The narration was very good and probably the only reason I was able to finish the book.