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Hunted By the Others (H&W Investigations Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Jess Haines (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 209 ratings
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In a town full of vampires, mages, and werewolves, detective work can be dangerous: “Dark and sexy . . . a paranormal treat” (Lara Adrian, New York Times–bestselling author).
 
Shiarra Waynest’s job was dangerous enough when her client base was strictly mortal. But ailing finances have forced her to accept a lucrative case that could save her firm—if it doesn’t kill her first. Shiarra has signed on to work for a high-level mage to recover an ancient artifact owned by one of New York’s most powerful vampires.
 
As soon as the detective meets the sexy, mesmerizing vampire Alec Royce, she knows her assignment is even more complicated than she thought. With a clandestine anti-Other group trying to recruit her and magi being eliminated, Shiarra needs backup. She enlists her ex-boyfriend—a werewolf whose non-furry form is disarmingly appealing—and a nerdy mage with surprising talents. But it may not be enough. In a city where the undead roam, magic rules, and even the Others aren’t always what they seem, Shiarra has just become the secret weapon in a battle between good and evil—whether she likes it or not.
 
This fast-moving urban fantasy is “a fun, high octane ride with a take charge heroine who will leave you wanting more” (Alexandra Ivy, New York Times–bestselling author).
 
“Take a sarcastic, likable heroine out of her depth with a mysterious, seductive vampire, add lots of scheming bad guys, and you’ve got a delightful romp of a book.” —Angela Knight, New York Times–bestselling author
 
“Full of litigious vampires, sexy shapeshifters and a mage sidekick akin to Bond’s Q, what more could you want?” —Mark Henry, author of Battle of the Network Zombies
 
“Fresh, hilarious,
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  1. Book 1 of 6
    H&W Investigations Series
  2. Print length
    353 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publisher
    Zebra Books
  6. Publication date
    April 15, 2010
  7. File size
    1042 KB
  8. Page Flip
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  9. Word Wise
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  10. Enhanced typesetting
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Haines's mediocre debut rounds up the usual urban fantasy suspects and locks them into a plodding PI story. Shiarra Waynest runs a detective agency in an alternate New York where werewolves, vampires, and magi came out in the aftermath of 9/11. She and her wealthy, clever partner–in–crime solving, Sara, usually steer clear of Others, but financial troubles have forced them to take on a case for a mage who wants an artifact currently held by sexy, ancient vampire businessman Alec Royce. With two other good-looking men—cute, geeky mage Arnold and Shiarra's werewolf ex-boyfriend, Chaz—along for the ride, things keep looking like they should heat up, but Shiarra's nonexistent detecting skills and general preference for flailing panic over careful thought keep the plot from ever catching fire or even giving off sparks. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

...Fans of Laurel K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series and Kim Harrison's Rachel Morgan series will love the world building in HUNTED BY THE OTHERS...
--All Things Urban Fantasy (allthingsurbanfantasy.blogspot.com)

Talk about being between a rock and a hard place! Haines has created an intriguing cast of characters whose motivations and loyalties will be great fun to explore. Kudos! --RT Book Reviews

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B003CNQ4H0
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Zebra Books; 1st edition (April 15, 2010)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 15, 2010
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1042 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 353 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 209 ratings

About the author

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Jess Haines

Jess Haines

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USA TODAY AND INTERNATIONAL BEST-SELLING AUTHOR

I'm a displaced New Yorker with a penchant for the silly, the obscure, and the fantastical. Tampa, Florida is home for the time being. I'm currently working on the H&W Investigations urban fantasy series and the Blackhollow Academy young adult contemporary fantasy series. Find out more about my books, drop me a line, or join my mailing list at www.jesshaines.com!

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 out of 5
209 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

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5.0 out of 5 stars Hunted by the Others
Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2012
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After 9/11, the 'Others' (vampires, weres, mages, etc.) came out to the public to help the US recover from the disaster. In the time since, they've won legal battles against discrimination - but that doesn't mean people still aren't leery of anyone "non-human" - or that they still aren't persecuted. Shiarra (Shia) Waynest is a PI who is struggling to get by when she's given a job offer by The Circle - a powerful, influential, and rich coven of magic-workers. She's hired to find an artifact that is the stuff of legend and can be used disastrously in the hands of the wrong person. The Circle thinks that a vampire, Alec Royce, has this artifact and they want it badly. However, the situation isn't as simple as Shia's led to believe...

I think that this is a great start to a new series. Shia's very wary of the Others, based on a bad experience, but she really needs the money to keep her business afloat without dipping into the personal coffers of her business partner. Shia's a tough cookie and wants to do what is right - but unfortunately, she doesn't have all of the information - which could cost her life and the lives of those she loves. This book has well drawn-out characters, including secondaries. I think the author has set the foundation for what will become a strong, solid series on par with other great urban fantasy series.

H&W Investigations Series: Hunted by the Others (1), Taken by the Others (2), Deceived by the Others (3), Stalking the Others (4)
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Tracy
4.0 out of 5 stars An Ill-Conceived Plot Told Very Well
Reviewed in the United States on February 20, 2011
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~* 3.5 Stars *~
Private Investigator Shiarra Waynest prefers to stay far away from the supernatural race of Others who made themselves known ten years ago, after 9/11 and the collapse of the Twin Towers. Frankly, they scare her. She even dumped her boyfriend when he revealed, in nearly as surprising and traumatic a way possible, that he was a werewolf (though that had less to do with him turning furry and more to do with him lying to her for months...so she says). Still, fear doesn't pay bills and it doesn't keep her intrepid business afloat, so when a mage from The Circle contacts her and offers her a lucrative amount of money to find an artifact for them, Shia takes the job. Even knowing that she's got to ingratiate herself with vampire mega-mogul Alec D. Royce. Even with the understanding that being in the same room with a vampire, let alone one as powerful and ancient as Royce, makes her shake with sheer, unadulterated terror.

The meeting doesn't go well. It doesn't look like Shiarra's life...which seems to be getting shorter by the moment...is going any better when the mage who hired her is brutally killed by what appears to be a combination of werewolf and vampire butchery, the vampire she's reluctantly dealing with has manipulated her into a contract she couldn't escape from, and members of an extremely militant anti-Other hate group, the self-named White Hats, are breaking into her home and threatening her.

One mostly scared human woman against a full clip of supernatural and human monsters? Yeah...that'll end well.

As you know, life is like a box of chocol....oh...wait...wrong metaphor. Sorry.

A book is like a fine piece of art (I know, not nearly as familiar as the Gump adage, but stick with me). Scenery rendered with careful strokes to create the background, a bit of shading and color to set the tone, characters added in repose, caught in a blink, imbued with vitality through a flick of red on a lip here, a hit of blush on a cheek there, shadows in the eye still there. Brush stroke, patience, canvas, light and darkness, life and its mimicry, merging together to create, in its completion, a masterpiece of talent and tenacity. Words in lieu of acrylics and oils. Paper verses canvas. Yes, a book is very much like a piece of art.

And like that art, regardless of how well it's painted, Dogs Playing Poker is still...well...a painting of dogs. Playing poker.

I was impressed with the brushstrokes, so to speak, of Jess Haines' writing. The way she tells a story appeals to me. I thought there was a pleasing balance of exposition and description, of world-building, the creation of mythos, and the explanation of how the world of Shiarra works. It blended well with the setup of the plot, then its description as it unfolds. It's a gift to be that talented with telling a story, and it's one I admire. Never once did I feel that the world, despite being new in this debut story, overwhelmed the action or characters, or vied for dominance against the developing plotline.

The world created here, the scenery, if you will, felt very well defined and thorough. The creation of the races, while perhaps not unique, was at least explained quickly, concisely, and never dragged down the pacing. There was also a pleasing and satisfying amount of attention given to the framework of race relations in the world and how humans and Others have adapted, how human society bent to allow for it. I'm not saying that I was totally sold on how much was supposedly achieved in a brief decade (that one strained my willing suspension of disbelief a little), but how it was written was very well done.

Unfortunately, the plot didn't match the level of skill with which the story was told.

There was potential there. In fact, I was completely hooked for the first 25% of the book. From the moment Shia caved so quickly to Royce, though, the cracks in the plot started to widen and deepen for me, and Shia started to look less and less like a heroine and more and more like a selfish, reactionary, highly bigoted, dimwitted scaredy cat with few morals and an unhealthy willingness to break whatever law necessary so long as her day isn't inconvenienced. And the ungainly plot stumbled along, lurching from point to awkward point, tumbling into plot holes, riddled with inconsistencies, contradictions, and contrivances.

Sadly, it just didn't make much sense to me, and too many of the characters decisions and actions lacked foundation or logic, too few showed even a glimmer of sense or intelligence.

I can handle some lack of originality in a book. I've never found that to be a serious detractor for me, especially if the common threads are in line with my preferences or favored aspects. I like paranormal and fantasy themed books, so arguing or being overly critical when one series has some similarity to another within those themes seems a bit like pointing to a barn and saying, "Dude...nice barn...but it's red..."

I noticed it's red, but it wasn't so red that I cringed when I saw it, like some bar- um, books and some series, which do more than paint the barn red, they build from the same blueprints and rustle all the animals (do I know how to beat a metaphor to death or what?). Sometimes, it is what it is, and a book about werewolves, vampires, and vampire hunters (or PIs who don't actually do any investigating) is going to look a lot like a bunch of other books with similar character archetypes. As I happen to like books about weres, vamps, and hunters, that's okay with me to a point. It certainly was okay with me in this book.

But the plot has to be better conceived, and no matter how well it's executed, how well written it is from both an artistic and technical standpoint, it has to make sense. All the way through. Otherwise, it's just dogs...playing poker.

I have high hopes that the skill that Haines showed off in her writing style rubs off on her ability to conceive and execute a coherent plot. There's a lot of promise in Shiarra's world, and I hope it's realized. We'll see, I guess, as I purchased the second book in the series,  Taken By The Others . Such sophistication and skill in the telling of a story deserves rewarding, but the story itself has to improve if I'll continue the series beyond that.

~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.
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Lady Rogue (Escape Between The Pages)
3.0 out of 5 stars An enjoyable read
Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2011
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Shiarra aka "Shia" owned a PI business with gal pal Sara. The most appealing aspect of her character was that she was human in every sense. She didn't have any super powers and wasn't psychic. She was intelligent, but at times naive. Shia didn't always know all the answers, but she had an "expected the worst and hoped for the best" mentality. She was brave and resourceful even when she was scared shitless, which to be frank was quite frequently. I loved that Shia was honest about her feelings and her confusions both internal and externally and how she would express them at times with her wit and sarcasm. I did have some issues with the lack of Shia' backstory. I would have liked to known more about her previous case involving the others that seem to make her infamous in the supernatural community. It seemed to be relevant to the story, but the details were withheld. Because of this missing element, I often found myself concentrating on what might have happened versus the what was unfolding within the pages of the current story.

There were several male counterparts to Shia's character. First there was Chaz, ex-boyfriend who happened to be a hunky alpha werewolf. While everything was told from Shia's perspective, it was apparent that the loyal pup had his heart set on Shia. He would have had her too I think, if she didn't freak out when she discovered that he turned furry once every month. But, fortunately for Chaz, she was trying to work through it...Unfortunately for him, she met Alex Royce, tall, dark and handsome vampire with a devious mind and an alpha ego. He oozed Yummy! Too bad for me, he wasn't present through much of the book...I thought for sure, he would have been a potential romance, but with the lack of presence and interaction...I was unable to feel any kind of romantic connection between him and the protagonist. Only at the end had I felt a spark between Royce and Shia....So, I am looking forward to the next installment to see if it goes anywhere. Then there was Arnold, the mage with a heart. He became Shia's self proclaimed protector and friend when Veronica, her previous client died. Last but certainly not least..... I don't know if an object could be considered a supporting character, but I want a belt like Shia had. It had a mind of its own and powers to boot. I loved the symbiotic relationship it had with Shia. In some ways, it felt like a familiar or a sentient talisman. I am anxious to learn more about it in Taken By The Others.

The author did a wonderful job writing not only a compelling and interesting plot, but she wrote a great foundation to build her world upon. I absolutely love when a world is filled with supernatural beings co-existing with humans. There is something about the political intrigue and the mystical wonder that just plain does it for me. I thought the author had an interesting idea making all negotiations documented. I kinda giggled to myself thinking with all the monsters...the ones to be feared were the lawyers. I thought the White Hats, a human organization determined to rid the world of all supernatural beings added an interesting dynamic to the story.I felt the prejudices and morality issues the fanatical group brought to the the plot was not only credible but most definitely realistic.

Overall, I thought this book was an enjoyable read. I felt it was a great start to a potentially great series. I would have liked to seen it have a little more action and perhaps it could have been a bit darker. I would have also liked to known more about Shia's past and her initial introduction to the supernatural community. But, other than that, I loved the engaging characters, thought the world building was wonderfully written, and the plot was not only intriguing, but fun. Finally, I loved the witty dialogue and found the final showdown to be exciting. I look forward to reading Taken By The Others to see where the author takes this series.
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Amélie
4.0 out of 5 stars Review
Reviewed in France on July 5, 2013
Verified Purchase
Shiarra is a private detective along with her best friend Sara. In their world, after the 11.09, the supernatural creatures (werewolves, vampires, magis and elves) have revealed their existence and helped with saving people and the economy. For this reason, they have more or less been accepted by the society. Shiarra doesn't want to have any dealing with them, but her business is badly in need of money and a magi proposes her a great deal of it in exchange for investigating a mysterious artifact. The only problem is the fact that it is in possession of Alec Royce, a powerful vampire as he is one of their elders and the proprietor of many restaurants and night clubs (does any vampire in fiction have to have them?). Unfortunately, for Shiarra, Alec knows about her meeting with the magis and bullied her into changing sides. Besides, other partis are also interested in the mysterious aretefact.

While this book doesn't present any greatly original idea, it still manages to use the tropes skillfully. Shiarra is a normal human without any particular talent, knowledge or fighting skills; she is badly frightened by the supernatural and doesn't manage to hide her behind a stoic face. Because of that, it is easier to identify and sympathize with her.

She has a faithful friend, Sara, and quickly manages to make other ones like the magi Arnold. Both are interesting characters and it is nice to finally see a heroine with good friends who are not trying to judge her or manipulate her. Alec Royce is not the ultimate bad guy in this book but he is not friendly nonetheless. He is powerful and doesn't hesitate to show it. Even when he allies with Shiarra, it is only on his own terms and he doesn't change his mind for something as petty as feelings (if he even has them). I find him fascinating and want to learn more about him.

I found the idea of a contract between supernaturals and human interesting: because they are too dangerous and there are always risks in frequenting them, a contract has to be signed before a human can have sex with one of them or allow them to drink his blood. The contract state that h does so willingly and that there will be no charge held against them in case of accidental death. Basically, it makes of the humans signing this the legal possession and slaves of their partners. And if they change their mind and attempt to kill them, it's the human who will end up in jail.

The plot was OK and did a nice job of presenting us the universe of the series. I will undoubtedly read the next books soon to see how the relationships between the characters evolve. I recommend this book to fans of the genre who don't mind seeing the same tropes used again provided that the result is good.
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javelinx
5.0 out of 5 stars Spritzig, witzig und mit Biß
Reviewed in Germany on March 9, 2011
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Shiarra Waynest betreibt mit ihrer Freundin Sara Halloway eine Detektivagentur, die finanziell grade so über die Runden kommt. Als der Bankrott droht, nimmt Shiarra gegen ihre Überzeugungen einen Auftrag an, der sie mit den Others- den Übernatürlichen - in Verbindung bringt, die seit 9/11 ihr Coming-Out hatten und nun eine widerwillig geduldete legale Minderheit darstellen. Sie soll für den Magierzirkel den Vampir Alec Royce ausspionieren, der sich im Besitz eines magischen Artefaktes befinden soll. Was als reiner Überwachungsjob geplant war, entwickelt sich schnell zu einem lebensgefährlichen Unterfangen, bei dem sich Shiarra und alle, die ihr lieb und teuer sind, zwischen allen Stühlen wiederfinden...

Mit ihrem Serienstart ist Jess Haines ein überraschend runder Einstieg gelungen. Die Spannung baut sich von der Eingangsszene an auf, die Charaktere menschlicher und übernatürlicher Art sind gut gelungen, der Plot bietet einige unerwartete Wendungen, die verhindern, daß man früh die Auflösung absehen könnte. Die weibliche Hauptfigur kann und will weder kämpfen, töten noch schießen, und auch wenn sie sich für ihre Ermittlungen aufbrezelt und mit einem dicken Kreuz bewaffnet, schlottern ihr bei ihrer ersten Begegnung mit dem verdächtigen Vampir die Knie. Diese Mischung aus mangelndem Kickass-Faktor und einigen liebenswerten und weniger spektakulären Eigenschaften macht den Charme der Heldin aus und sorgt für einige witzige Szenen. Wie Shiarra mehr oder weniger gegen ihren Willen aufrüstet und dabei an Selbstvertrauen gewinnt, paßt dazu tadellos und gestaltet eine Entwicklung, von der die Heldin mehr oder weniger überrollt wird und die sie mit Bravour meistert.

Die Handlung beschränkt sich auf eine überschaubare Anzahl an übernatürlichen Charakteren, die zwar mehr oder weniger attraktiv sind, die romantischen Elemente stehen nicht im Vordergrund, eine frühzeitig absehbare Paarung kommt ebenfalls nicht vor. Dafür besticht der Plot durch einen lockeren Humor, eine Heldin, die nicht als Einzelkämpferin dasteht, und einige magische Gadgets in bester James-Bond-Manier, die für einige Überraschungen gut sind. Mit dem Coming-Out der Others, ihren Problemen in einer rassistisch geprägten Gesellschaft, die trotz gesetzlicher Regeln Auswüchse wie die "White Hats", eine Art moderner Ku-Klux-Klan zuläßt, gibt es einen ernsteren Hintergrund, der auf die amerikanische Gesellschaft anspielt und im besten Sinne etwas an Charlaine Harris erinnert.

Insgesamt ein rundum gelungener Serienstart, am besten bestellt man sich gleich die Fortsetzung TAKEN BY THE OTHERS, die schon auf dem Markt ist.
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Sharon
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant urban fantasy read...great escapism
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 27, 2010
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Shiarra is desperate for money so she takes a job to find a statue for the 'The Circle' who are a group of mages,to get to the statue she has to get close to a powerful vamp called Royce, very quickly she is embroiled in a three way dilemma between the leeches (vampire), sparks (mages) & White Hats (vigilente humans), throw in two different werewolf packs & you have yourself a fast paced well written start to a great urban fantasy. I enjoyed the writers style, this a great page turner, descriptive, humourous with likable characters which includes a talking belt, creepy familiar, geeky mage & strong female friends & a worrying family. Shiarra develops as she goes on & I am really looking forward to the next book in the series, even though you can read this as a standalone. I would put this author with the likes of Jeaniene Frost, Keri Arthur ,Kim Harrison & Linda Robertson. Loved it.. The next book in this wonderful new series is  Taken by the Others , looking forward to it..
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Nikki-ann
4.0 out of 5 stars Hunted by a good read!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 30, 2010
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I read a bit of urban fantasy, though I do find it's got to take my fancy, but I liked the sound of 'Hunted by the Others' and duly ordered a copy. I finally got around to starting it on a Sunday evening and finished it just two days later... It's rare that I finish anything that quickly, but I found the book compelling and just had to keep reading.

There's rarely a dull moment in this book and the end of each chapter had me turning the page for the next. The book is written from Shiarra's perspective, so we get to read her inner thoughts on the oh-so-charming vampire Royce, Chaz (her ex-boyfriend who happens to be a werewolf) and other people around her. I found it easy to sympathise and connect with Shiarra - she's a human who's desperate for money to pay off the ever-increasing bills (we've all been there, right?) and as much as she doesn't want to take on this case, she doesn't have much of a choice. She's frightened of dealing with the `Others' and I would be too! Shiarra finds herself getting deeper and deeper and can see no way out of it (that doesn't end with her or her family/friends coming to harm).

I found myself pulled in and immersed in the story, compelled to turn the pages and read on. The story was fast paced, with action and tension, and even some humour. Over all, `Hunted by the Others' was an enjoyable read and I'd definitely recommend it!

I'm looking forward to meeting Shiarra and co' in the next book (Yes, `Hunted by the Others' is just the first in the series). `Taken by the Others' is due for release in January 2010 and I can't wait, having already read the teaser at the end of `Hunted by the Others'!
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Grahame Gardner
3.0 out of 5 stars Fun, but derivative
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 16, 2011
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Human PI, vampires, werewolves, magic-users, a missing magical artefact... now where have I seen this before? Oh yes, Jim Butcher's 'Dresden Files' series.

To be honest, I quite enjoyed this book and it was an easy, fast-paced read but I wouldn't have tried it if I'd had to pay full price for it. There's no great depth to the story (or the writing for that matter), and I thought that the overall premise needed more work - saying that these non-human characters supposedly 'revealed' themselves after 9/11 seems a rather spurious explanation and that point was never developed. Magi are apparently non-humans too, to the extent that they can't even interbreed with 'normals' - yet they look exactly like us? Sorry, I'm not really convinced by that theory. I'm all for suspending disbelief, but this required you to throw your disbelief out the window and have it run over by a truck.

There's a lot of this sort of fantasy around at the moment; and this isn't amongst the best. Jim Butcher does it much better in his Dresden Files series. This just seemed like a poor rip-off of those. One of the mages' familiars is even called Bob, for goodness sake! OK, he's not a talking skull, but still...

Overall - a bit superficial and not particularly well-written, but it's a fun read if it's your first foray into this kind of fiction. The series will hopefully develop with time. Younger readers might enjoy it more.
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