Dying Sucks by D.D. Barant

I just finished this book, and I can't wait to read the next by this author! It was probably the best book I've read so far this year. I know we're only a couple of weeks in, but it was still a great book. I would highly recommend picking it up soon.

Jace has a dream that a man is telling her to choose the three things that are most vital to her job. She picks up her gun, some bullets, and her laptop, and walks through a door only to find that it wasn't a dream after all. She's been sent to another universe for her expertise in criminal profiling.

This universe is very similar to ours, but magic and supernatural creatures are real. In fact, vampires and werewolves make up most of the population. There are also Golems, constructed beings animated by the spirits of animals. Humans are a very small minority. Jace has been brought to this version of Earth in order to find a killer who has been murdering vampires and werewolves. 'Pires and weres aren't susceptible to the same mental illnesses that humans are, so the law enforcement agencies aren't equipped with the knowledge and experience necessary to find killers like Jace is.

There are so many characters in the book, and it makes it a very intricately, interwoven tapestry of a story. The author has very obviously thought in detail about what changes would result from a population composed primarily of vampires and werewolves. She writes about different books, music, and television shows. There are differences in history, certainly. It was fascinating to think about how it would be different, and the author's depiction was easily believable.

The part that I felt was somewhat unbelievable was that all the men in this universe seemed to be sexually interested in Jace. Werewolves, vampires, humans. It didn't matter--they all wanted her! I don't really remember how the author described her, but it just seems unrealistic that all of them would be interested in her. It was almost as if she felt like a romantic aspect was expected. I can accept that, but it was just distracting that all of the men wanted to get into Jace's pants. I would have been quite happy with the book if there were no romantic aspect to it!

I would totally recommend this book, especially for those who enjoy Kim Harrison's novels. The series is plot-driven, and I am looking forward to finding out what the next serial killer Jace and her colleagues track down is like.