The Brimstone Deception

By: Lisa Shearin

Narrated by: Johanna Parker

Length: 9 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

Men in Black meets Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum in the new urban fantasy novel starring seer Makenna Fraser and her fellow agents at Supernatural Protection & Investigation.

The agents of Supernatural Protection & Investigations (SPI) know that fighting evil is a full-time job, especially when a new designer drug - with mind-blowing side effects - hits the streets. It's called Brimstone. And after the first few hits, you'll see every supernatural beast sharing the sidewalk, train, or office with you. After that you'll start seeing the really scary stuff.

I'm Makenna Fraser, seer for the SPI. And the collateral damage caused by Brimstone is something I'd like to unsee: dead drug dealers missing their hearts - and souls. Because your local pusher doesn't stand a chance against the new cartel muscling its way into New York. And since the drug can be produced only with magic and molten brimstone fresh from hell, that means a rift to the underworld is open somewhere in the city. And when - not if - the cartel loses control of it, well...it's going to be hell on Earth.

©2016 Lisa Shearin (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

Another fun adventure for Mac and Ian.

SPI Agents never catch a break. Action and adventure to keep you occupied, romance to make you swoon.

Another fun adventure for Mac and Ian. New York’s drug dealers are being killed off while a new drug, created with Hell’s Brimstone, is flooding the city. Ian and Mac have to track down the killer and the maker of Brimstone before anyone else dies.

Rake is, of course, a suspect. But is he part of the plot, or is he just being set up? I love how Rake gets “real” in this story. We get to see beyond the playboy facade to the person underneath.

Again, Johanna Parker does a great job of narrating the story. She is such a good pick for these stories. I can’t wait until the next one.

Great!

A good story for the third in the series. It is like a welcome visit from an old friend who always brings trouble with them. If you listened to the others you are familiar with the characters. Makenna does her country girl routine and out smarts everyone with her down home wit and sense of loyalty. She has a little love interest here with Rake. I hope Shearin develops that for them. I like that it is going slow. If it went fast it would not be in character with Makenna. It gives another dimension to Makenna. She is not always interacting just about the job. Plus Rake has great goblin skills that I would enjoy being part of the story.

Dragon lady is not featured as much but that is fine. Rake is a really good replacement. My personal problem is with Johanna Parker. She does a good southern voice with snap, crackly and pop of a Southerner. Since she did the True Blood series visually, Makenna looks like Sookie Stackhouse to me. It does not help that they are very similar characters. When Makenna mentions home I expects her to say Bon Temps.

That is the only reason I did not give the overall and performance all the stars. That is my issue not the author's or narrators.

A fun series

This is a series that I’ve enjoyed from when I first read the prequel novella in Night Shift two years ago. I find it to be a fun paranormal investigation story. Mac is a seer. So while she is human, she can see through glamour of other species, which makes her invaluable to an investigation team. She has a partner who is also human and a former NYPD detective, Ian Byrne.

Mac is out on a lunch date with goblin billionaire Rake Danescu. Ian just so happens to be out to lunch at the same overpriced restaurant and Mac and Rake on his own date with Kylie O’Hara. Kylie is a dryad and also works at SPI as director of media and public relations. The fact that they were all at the restaurant when a human just happens to take a new designer drug that allows him to see through glamor, is a convenience and a curse. They are able to help tamp down the situation with the media and the local police.

This was a fun story where we get to watch Mac and Ian investigate the new drug and track down dealers, murderers and manufacturers of the drug. It is probably the closest thing to a “normal” police case that we’ve seen Mac and Ian work. Except where the drug is made from a substance from Hell and the people involved are not human. Oh, and everything seems to point towards Rake, who Ian is really not a fan of anyway.

I liked that we got to see how SPI has to run interference with the local NYPD to try to keep the supernatural creatures out of the public eye. Anything from completely covering up the crime for the local police, only so that they can investigate and charge the supernatural criminals themselves. Also, getting supernaturals entrenched into the local police, morgue and other aspects to help cover up the supernatural aspects, if the locals find the crime first.

When I first read the prequel novella, I was all for Ian and Mac romance. As I read more of this book and learn more about Rake, I’m starting to root more for him. I know that many people will disagree with me, but I saw a different side to Rake in this book. I’m not all in, but I’m willing to give him a shot.

I should also add that I love the humor in these books. There are several pop culture references including Mr. Burns of The Simpsons and Yoda’s “Do or do not, there is no try”. There are also several Southern references, which I love, being from Georgia. Things like the hot light at Krispy Kreme and tea so sweet you can stand a spoon up in it.

Narration
Johanna Parker is a narrator that I’ve enjoyed for some time. I like the way she narrates books with a lot of humor. I think she is able to bring out that extra bit of humor I’m expecting from a book like this one. I also like her Southern accent. I think it is perfect for Mac’s North Carolina heritage.

Nonstop action!

I am thoroughly enjoying the SPI series. The protagonist makes me laugh out loud with her sassy and witty running commentary, the acton and twists never stop, and I have listened to all the books so far in just one day!

I have read some reviews on other websites lamenting the lack of fiery sex and criticizing the fact that Mac and Ian do not hook up. Personally I prefer the slow burn romance in the book, the latent possibility that they might finally become a couple, and I am not spoiling anything if I say that Rake is becoming better and better as we get to know him. Plus the slow evolution of Mac’s love life ensures there will be several more SPI books in the series! 😄 Win-win in my view..

Loved it

This has become one of my favorite series of books. I love the stories and characters. I'm looking forward to where Lisa Shearin takes us from here.

the brimstone deception

this book has the right amount of action, terror, imagination and humor!!! perfectly performed by Johanna Parker and so well written by Lisa shearin!!!

Fun, funny, with intrigue & suspense

This is a series that keeps getting better. Serious when the story requires it, and fun southern banter around every corner. Thoroughly enjoyable. If you enjoy Kevin Hearne's Iron Druid series this is another series you'll enjoy--and vice versa!

Wasn't in love with the narrator's accent

I haven't read the previous books in the series and maybe that's why I didn't love it. They did a decent job of not making me feel like I couldn't keep up not having read the previous items. The narrator read a bit too slow for my taste which I think they normally do when they're doing a southern accent.

Great listen but...

The character and setting details in these stories are repetitive. I could understand if these were standalone but since they're in a series, by book 2, you already know so much about people. That being said, each storyline is really good! These are definitely books you listen to while doing something else, that way you can tune in to the juicy/funny/gaspy bits and tune out of the rewritten descriptions. Johanna Parker is a gem though. Phenomenal narrator!

Still formula, but improved

I’m not sure I’d have continued to this book if I hadn’t have bought the first four at a stacked sale. I’ve found these to be rather YA bland. For all the creature diversity, the characters are all white with the only cultural being the European variety (Russian names, for example). The supporting cast tends to blend together. This book has Kylie and Kitty; one is a dryad and one is a witch, but they are narrated the same and I couldn’t give you a physical description because if one was given, it was blink and you’ll miss it.

There’s also a few quirks that annoy me, like the author’s tendency to be both too detailed and not detailed enough. On the too detailed front, it feels like each successive book needs to start each scene or character introduction by recapping what happened in each of the previous books. A little recap goes a long way; too much makes me feel cheated with filler. On the not detailed enough end, I’m starved for better pictures of what characters look like or what kind of personalities they have. Three books in and
I only know three things about Makenna: she’s a seer, has an accent, and loves sweets.

The stories all seem to unfold with the same playbook. Here, for instance, there’s still a climax involving a hostage and potential Armageddon. But, this book features dark goblin Rake, giving both him and the mystery more depth. And I gave bonus points for the idea of a demon dimension that twists like a balloon animal. The romance still feels YA clunky and this book shortchanges the SPI partnership between
Mac and Ian. However, the mystery was switched up just enough to hold my attention.