Review: Devil's Bargain (Red Letter Days, #1) by Rachel Caine
PUBLISHER: Mira Books
RELEASE DATE: 5th October 2012
FORMAT: Paperback, 331 pages
GENRE: Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
It a while ago, october last year again that Rachel Caine released her new book Devil’s Bargain. I somewhere read it was already published in 2007. But don’t know where. (will get back to that later). Devil’s Bargain is the first installment of this fantastic new Urban Fantasy series, Red Letter Days. Although I was looking forward reading it and was planned to do so a lot sooner, I only now had time to actually read this first book of this daring series.
Rachel Caine‘s main character Jasmine Callender, also called Jazz is on the in not in the best financial shape. As former homicide detective, she’s lost it all: her former partner’s been convicted of murder, she’s been cashiered out, and she’s drinking away what little self-respect she’s got left in lousy bars.
Just when this new bar she is hanging out is starting to grow on her, a strange man walks in looking for her with a fateful red envelope in his hand, and offers her a deal. A deal she can’t say no to.
The “Red Envelop” deal requires her to enter into a partnership with a for her strange FBI agent and investigate cases that arrive in special red envelopes from a mysterious firm..where this strange sexy man is working and later Jazz and her new partner realize they are working for someone with supernatural abilities and the assignment that come with the mysterious envelop, are even more strange and supernatural than that they initially thought
It’s all about the Red envelopes with the thick paper note in it that really more feels like an expensive invitation, but it’s not! And when those letters are commissioned by a convicted serial killer with a paranormal touch, Jazz finds out she is possible to stop people from dying depending upon what the future reveals about their actions.
Rachel Caine created an exciting read with a lot of tension and missing info about the main characters backgrounds, enough to keep you hanging and looking forward to some background stories in the future books of The Red Letter Days Series.
This story have the right ingredients for a thrilling Urban Fantasy. The paranormal aspects and some good plotting. Although Jazz is a regular Human, I am not sure how she kept herself standing during her up and downs in this thrilling ride. There is also a little romance. Jazz meets James Borden, he is a lawyer with Gabriel, Pike (a.k.a. the firm). He mentioned he had a girlfriend but that didn’t stop Jazz obviously. Don’t get your hopes up on a big romance thread. There is mentioned a kiss and a sentence, it was great yesterday, sore on all the right spots, more you will not get. But that is why it an urban not a romance 🙂 But don’t worry. Rachel Caine will keep you entertained all the way, you won’t miss a thing.
The Cover
The cover is just as the story goes. A large red envelope containing the new missions the girls are send out to solve. There is also a other cover running around with a girl face on it. Maybe this cover was to much fairytale/story telling’isch?? This cover does not represent the fast passed scenes and action Devil’s Bargain delivers. But I like it!
I recommend this to all Urban Fantasy readers.
REVIEW RATING: 4
Yeah, it has been out for a few years. And just wait until you read Devil’s Due…Caine keeps it rolling and I’m thrilled that she’s re-released these as maybe she’ll come out with number 3!