Sleight of Hand

Bite Back, Book 1

By: Mark Henwick

Narrated by: Kimberly Henrie

Length: 12 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

Book 1 in the best-selling Bite Back series "Vampires are the flickering illusions of Hollywood. They don't exist. We do. We are the Athanate."

For Amber Farrell, post-military life as a PI has its ups and downs: She's been hit by a truck. She's being sued by a client. Denver's newest drug lord just put out a contract on her. The sinister Athanate want her to come in for a friendly chat. And it's only Tuesday. Enter Jennifer Kingslund: rich, gorgeous - a tough businesswoman who's known for getting what she wants in the boardroom and the bedroom. Someone's trying to sabotage her new resort and destroy her company - and she wants Amber to find out who. The answers lead Amber past Were and Adept, right back to the Athanate - and a centuries-old war that could threaten not just Denver, but the nation that Amber swore to protect and serve. And all sides want to claim her for their own...

©2011, 2014 Mark Henwick (P)2014 Mark Henwick

It’s no Kate Daniels

This book was suggested to me as something I may like, since I read a lot of Ilona Andrews. While the book is decent, it’s not the same caliber as IA. I liked the premise of this book, but the execution was left wanting. There was too much information and too little, all at once. I also could not help but feel that the book was very evidently written by a man, trying to be a woman. I’ve seen many reviews bashing the narrator. I actually thought her performance was pretty good. I don’t believe I will purchase anymore books in this series. And maybe not from this author, either. The glowing reviews already lead me astray once.

Great book, snooze narrator

The book was absolutely fantastic - great urban fantasy with all the right ingredients, plus a kick-ass heroine. However, I had to stop "listening" to it and go to reading on my kindle instead. The narrator was just so freakin' monotone, I literally kept nodding off, seriously - in a book so full of action?! Anyway, loved the book and just purchased the next in series (NEW narrator - YAY!!!).

New series to painfully wait for the next one.

Would you listen to Sleight of Hand again? Why?

I very much enjoyed this book and will most likely listen again when the next book in the series is coming available for a refresher.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Sleight of Hand?

Over all I liked the characters and the fact that this is strong female lead with earned skills.

What about Kimberly Henrie’s performance did you like?

She did a fine job. I can hear other readers read it as well. There are a few pronunciation issues that she could work on but it wasn't bad at all. Amanda Ronconi, might add a little sass Ms. Henrie left on the table.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, I was excited to hear what happened next.

Any additional comments?

I love finding a new series but hate waiting for the next book to become available. SO HURRY UP Mr. HENWICK!!!!!

Best yet!

this book really shoes the human / warewolf relationship and its challenges and benefits on a purely "human" level...
the relationship between Anna and Charles continues to grow and has a real depth to it. sure they are passionate people but it take a second place to the story which should be the first thing ina good book.
if you want a harlequin sex book with no plot and little story...this isn't your book.
BUT, if.you love a good story with a real relationship in with the story...this is the Best one for you. I hope the author continues this series as its become one of my favorites!!!

One of the best Urban Fantasy series out there!

What is so great about this series?
1. An intelligent, kickass female lead who is mature and tough enough to play with the big dogs!
2. A surprising number of fantasy/SF fans are adults and yet so many of the books are written for a young audience and are full of teenage angst. Not this one. Adults and YA alike will not be disappointed.
3. Many wonderful characters drive this story and the rest of the series. I love a rich, complex, original plot (which Sleight of Hand certainly has) but I also need good guys to admire and scary bad guys. Relationships, personal challenges to overcome, wounds to heal, friendships to forge and sexy romantic scenes. I also like that there are both younger and older characters and they are of all ethnicities.
4. Amber is a PI who was previously a sergeant in a secret army special ops unit. She was bitten by a vampire and is under observation by the army. She is resisting the change to fanginess but is starting to lose the battle. That's all I'm going to say about the plot except there is plenty of action and the vampires are actually called Athanate.
5. This is a strong beginning to a series that gets better with each book. The narrator is good. Part of my criteria for a good series is that it stands up to repeated listening and this one does. I'm almost embarrassed to admit how many times I have listened to it.
6. My only real complaint is that I want more, sooner. Could you please write faster, Mark Henwick?

A sexy and sophisticated Standout!

The three things that stood out about this audiobook (Sleight of Hand: Bite Back, Book 1): The heroine, the complexity of the conflicts she faces, and the narrator.

Let's take them one at a time. Our MC is Amber, and I approve. First of all, she has a Pretty Name. I find it hard to connect with so many main characters right out of the gate -- just because they are given dumb clunky names. In Amber, author Mark Henwick has created a heroine who is immediately likable through the simple technique of making her *gasp* Actually Competent. Right from the get-go, she has her spit together. I think that too many authors, wanting to depict a character arc, start their H out making really stupid decisions, avoidable mistakes, and childish judgments. Amber's maturity, commensurate with her life experience, is a breath of fresh air.

Gotta hand it to Mr. Henwick. He threw so many difficulties at our protagonist that I was on the edge of my earbuds the whole time. Not only does she have problems with her case, her struggling business, and a suspicious cop, but also with a bitchy sister, an aspirant best friend, a twitchy government bureaucrat, a disgruntled ex-client, persistent vampires, wolf-prints, and her inevitably pending undeath sentence, just to name a few. This is why it is such a relief that she has so much emotional maturity. There's no angst, whining, or torrents of tears, which may seem to be "natural" reactions to some lazy authors, but are boring, boring, boring to read about.

I must single out the thing that was unique and so very welcome about this story to me. I LOVE paranormal romances. I have gratitude to live in times when I can have them read to me - thanks Audible. Anyway, back on topic. In this story, our heroine, as a result of a vampire attack, is slowly developing vampire-like physical traits. We all know that blood and sex are linked vampire stories (at least the good ones, *grin*). Well, Amber is "between" men, but her libido is growing inexorably as the vampire prions multiply in her blood. As a result, she is attracted to a woman as well as to a man. This is all presented matter-of-factly and publicly. This just…chimes for me and my private little, ah, reading pleasures. Best yet, when things seem to fall apart for one of her perspective liaisons, she does not Burn That Bridge. Did I mention how much I appreciate Amber's maturity?

I cannot say enough about how much I loved Kimberly Henrie's performance as the reader. Those of us who listen to audiobooks recognize that is there is special handful of audiobooks where the talent is perfectly matched to the material. This is one of those. Kimberly's voice is smooth as motor oil, feminine as chantilly lace, and calm as a sunning butterfly. This is the lady I want reading the phone book to me, yo. She will heretofore be referred to as: Voice Angel.

Boogers in the Bisque:

As much as I liked this book, there are some negatives that simply cannot go unremarked on. The first is the cover. The model is depicted with her finger on the trigger of a gun. The Third Rule of gun safety is Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on target (and you have made the decision to shoot). Very bad optics indeed for a book whose MC has Army as well as police training, and there it is, ignorance immortalized right on the dang cover. BAD.

Other small demerits go, sadly, to Kimberly. For all that her performance of this book was heavenly, there were a couple of mispronunciations that stood out. For example, the heroine is invited into the opulent home of her wealthy client, and sits down on an elegant "chase". Needle scratch, Voice Angel! Another small criticism is that she did never picked up the pace or add urgency to the big action scenes - especially at the climax of the book. Oh well, piddly quibbles won't result in any stars being deducted from her rating. Take it from me, Kimberly Henrie has the makings of an Audible superstar.

In conclusion, this was over 12 hours (yay) of pure fun, action, suspense, and sexy tension, with a solid gold performance, and more is on the way with Hidden Trump (Bite Back, Book 2). The minute that sequel shows up in Audible, I am whisking it into my cart.

A very happy surprise

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

I am addicted to this genre, call it paranormal romance or urban fantasy or whatever, and am delighted by the number of talented women writing in this field. In fact, I think I am biased and hesitated to buy this book because it was written by a man. I am so glad I went ahead because this book is awesome and I can't wait for the next book in the series.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Amber, the heroine, is well written. Her character and personality are so thoroughly portrayed that I felt like I was saying goodbye to a friend when the book ended and I found out the second book in the series hasn't been published yet.

What about Kimberly Henrie’s performance did you like?

I liked her performance very much. I think she should stretch her talent next time in portraying the voices of the male characters, but with that exception her voice and manner suited the book beautifully.

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

Extreme reaction, well, I couldn't stop listening, never knew what would happen next and finished it in one day.

Any additional comments?

Mark Henwick is a really good writer. In some ways he reminds me of Robert Heinlein in the sense it seems he really gets women and likes and respects them. This is someone I wish I knew.

Interesting and unusual

I enjoyed this story, it was interesting, unusual, and the author kept the tension of what would happen to Amber if her condition progressed well. He also did a good job of portraying a strong female lead who is not perfect; she has flaws and insecurities and you can't help but feel empathy towards her and want her to be ok. The narration in the audiobook was enjoyable and it fit the story well. The only thing I was not too keen on was her sudden uncertainty as to her sexuality, which I felt didn't add anything to the story and I'm not keen on love triangles either. Overall this story had action, intrigue, interesting characters and some great concepts. I will enjoy seeing where the next book takes us.

What a great start to this series

Loved the audiobook. Narrator is great. Book was always interesting and moving and complex. Just loved it. Gotta go, off to buy the next audiobook

Loved it!

Hated interruptions on this one. Story kept moving and relationships developing. Going straight to get the next one!