Tallow Jones, Blood Trail: An Urban Fantasy Detective Novel

Wizard of Mysteries, Book 2

By: Trevor H. Cooley

Narrated by: TJ Clark

A wizard detective takes on the bloodiest murder spree in Atlanta history!

On the brink of finally breaking the dwarven smuggler ring in Atlanta, Tallow Jones, Wizard of Mysteries, discovers a far more gruesome monster let loose on the streets. Was this killer brought to our world by the dwarves, or is it a homegrown terror? People are being killed by magic, and Tallow finds himself one step behind.

Through it all, Tallow must deal with modern-life problems like family, demons, finances, deadly pheromones, knitters, dating life, and an Earth elemental bound to a pet rock.

If you like the Dresden Files or the Iron Druid Chronicles, Tallow Jones is going to be right up your alley! Give it a try today! Explore this new side of the Bowl of Souls universe!

©2018 Trevor H. Cooley (P)2018 Trevor H. Cooley

I want to go on an adventure with these characters

I always feel at home with Trevor's characters. They are nice, intelligent people who love each other. That doesn't stop them from giving each other constant shipt. This book built nicely on the camaraderie of the first while moving through a new adventure and expanding the 'family'. I listened to it all in one sitting. Ok, maybe a couple of interruptions for skype meetings. ...stupid corporate status meetings, interrupting my... Whatever, buy this book and book 1 if you haven't. Then buy the Moonrat saga. You'll get lost and you won't regret it.

BTW... there is a new reader. I was indignant for about 5 minutes, then completely forgot until I was writing this review.

This series is really starting to take shape.

First off, I really like what this narrator has done with series. It fits well with the characters.

This is a light, noir, detective magic story that is suitable for young and old even if the father has difficulty with his no-swearing bet he made with his 8 yr old daughter.

Bad things are happening in Chicago. Blood is spilt and the body count is rising. Tallow Jones' magic alone may reveal who the killer is. Who or what the killer is..

Yes new narrator (with big shoes to fill)

I went into this scared! I have read most of Trevor's books but I have listened to all of them! A new narrator is like Weird Al chosen to do voice work for Darth Vader!

That being said it was like a new pair of boots, put it on at first it was hard to move and rubbed me the wrong way but a few chapters in they were comfy as a second skin (is that comfortable, not sure but sound good like TJ Clark's voice).

I beleive this is second book surpasses the first Tallow Jones book. Now that the characters are developed it opened up a great world for them to roam and cover people in awakenings! It's a very fun read and we have a few new characters to round out the world!

You should definitely give this a listen if for no other reason then to loose your self in a fun tale of manic murder and the wizard of mysteries!

You Can't Go Home Again

First of all, it must be said that although this book and this series are good enough story-wise to stand on their own, this book series is a branch off (or continuation) of the Bowl of Souls series by the same author. As such it contains many strange and wondrous things that may leave the audience scratching their heads, if they, like me have never read the prior series and thus have little to no context or reference for many of the creatures, concepts, and social structure that the book presents. In that way however the audience can greatly empathize with the supporting characters who know nothing of the trials and tribulations of the main character, nor how skilled nor important he is in and to the other world and the people that come from there.

At one point in the book the main character makes a self deprecating comment that he sometimes slips into a droning, sleep-inducing tone of an academic lecturer without realizing it. Unfortunately, the narrator also seems to slip into this tone several times as he is explaining creatures or locations. Conversely the narrator can change voices well enough to showcase the different characters.

In this installment, the audience can see two contradicting sides of Tallow, one as he tries to return to a 'normal life' and the other as he is frustrated with those around him, who not only do not know what is going on, nor how to handle it, but also they do not believe that he does know what is going on and either how to handle it, or at least can come up with a reasonable plan for handling it. Further in the few instances when his friends and family do encounter someone who knows of Tallow's prestige, the do not believe them either, nor do they understand the awe or derision that Tallow is met with by those in the know. Through the course of the book however they begin to see the true skill and character of Tallow. It will be interesting to see how the character's reputation and perceived skill continue to grow.

Great narrator!

Whether or not you fully enjoyed the story, one thing is for certain; the narrator was great! He does great character voices and speaks very well!

I miss the narrator from book one! 😢

Tallow Jones, Blood Trail: An Urban Fantasy Detective Novel (Wizard of Mysteries Book 2)
by Trevor H. Cooley
Narrated by TH Clark
I enjoyed the book almost as much as book one! I think if it had the other narrator I would have enjoyed it more! This narrator was good but the other one was great! This makes a book to from a 5 star to a 4 star.
Tallow has to deal with a someone bringing in something or somethings into this world that doesn't belong. Only he can fight it since only a handful of people know he has magic.
The characters are great but the way it was told it didn't come out as funny as book one 😣. I was counting on giggling. The clever and witty lines were there but the delivery wasn't. Ugh!
The narrator was good but just not for THIS book!

I put off this series way too long.

Loved this series! it is an intricate and excellently written story! Some of the voices are a little too similar and I always prefer male voice actors for males and females for males but the voice acting was still good and you could here the emotions well.

Need a new Wizard Detective? Look no further!

I found the first Tallow Jones book while I was looking to fulfill my need for a new Wizard Detective. Truth is, Jim Butcher has been dragging his feet for so long that he plowed a field and let other writers plant their own seeds. Trevor Cooley is one hell of a cultivator because what he has grown in Butcher's absence is a fun, well thought out character that keeps you coming back for more. Honestly, this is a new series that I am glad to see has continued. I really enjoyed the first novel, and worried that I had gotten hooked on a one and done kind of book. I know Urban Fantasy is saturated, and I mean SATURATED, right now and it is hard for new stuff to find footing on the slippery slopes of the genre. I needn't have worried about the incredible Tallow Jones.

This time around, Tallow is still trying to bust up the dwarven criminal activity and is tailing a monster that just might be homegrown. Problem is he can never quite get to where he needs to be and is always playing catchup rather than caught up. I find the magic system to be fascinating and a breath of fresh air. It is rather fun getting to see the mechanics of Tallow's world of magic as it is overlaid onto the mundane lands he now lives. I said it before, this book reminds me of when the Dresden Files were just starting and we were only getting glimpses of the awesomeness that was to come. This series has that same feel to it, it is fairly electric, and I love it whenever Tallow low key uses magic and then the same when he throws down hard and heavy against some mystical foe or obstacle. Jones deftly handles crooked cops as well as monstrous nightmares, struggles to rebuild his connection to his family and even balance his love life? What? When did he find time for that?

I can say that this book never slows down once you start and you will find that it ends far too quickly. The confrontation scenes (I don't want to call them fight scenes as they go far beyond your everyday battle) are clever and inventive in their delivery. Jones is an intriguing character, and I am coming to realize that he actually comes from the place written in the Bowl of Souls series, so maybe I'll check that out so that I can get a better idea on how the magic works and a better grasp on the world he visited to get his magic.

We change narrators for this go around, and I am a little saddened as I liked Andrew Tell's narration. That being said I really enjoyed Clark's take on the wizard's adventures. One thing I will caution Mr. Cooley with is that listeners like consistency with their narrators, and swapping frequently can push us away. Stick with one, even if you have to wait for it to be released. On that note, I also like the cover far better this time and appreciate that the cane is spotlighted once again.

I reiterate, this series continues to improve, impress, and intimidate lesser UF books. jump on the train while it is in the station and enjoy the ride. Don't be left behind.

Enjoyable Series.

I listened to both books and really enjoyed the characters. Storyline was good and had several "laugh out loud" moments. Only drawback was the narration. The narrator of book 1 was way better. But, overall, very enjoyable. Looking forward to book 3!

Oh No, I'm Hooked on Another Great Book Series!

Need a little escape from today's reality? Here's a great light read/listen that you won't be able to put down.

This is the first Trevor H Cooley book that I've read. He is quite skilled in plot pacing; excellently balancing story line, character development, and scene description & tone... the hours flew past! I see plenty of raw material for a great series of books and, unfortunately, plenty of reasons to want to escape reality for a bit. I'm honestly looking forward to Tallow's next mystery.

While I'm waiting for book 3 to come out, I'll backtrack and listen to book 1. I hope the narrator of that book is as gifted as TJ Clark is at giving voice to the diverse characters of Tallow Jones' world.