Tag: Infected series

Infected: Prey by Andrea Speed

Title:   Infected: Prey, (2nd Edition)

Series:  Infected  01

Author:  Andrea Speed

Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Mystery

Length: Novel (384 Pages)

Publisher:  DSP Publications (October 14, 2014)

Heat Level:  Low

Heart Rating:  ♥♥♥♥♥ 5Hearts

Blurb: In a world where a werecat virus has changed society, Roan McKichan, a born infected and ex-cop, works as a private detective trying to solve crimes involving other infecteds.

The murder of a former cop draws Roan into an odd case where an unidentifiable species of cat appears to be showing an unusual level of intelligence. He juggles that with trying to find a missing teenage boy, who, unbeknownst to his parents, was “cat” obsessed. And when someone is brutally murdering infecteds, Eli Winters, leader of the Church of the Divine Transformation, hires Roan to find the killer before he closes in on Eli.

Working the crimes will lead Roan through a maze of hate, personal grudges, and mortal danger. With help from his tiger-strain infected partner, Paris Lehane, he does his best to survive in a world that hates and fears their kind… and occasionally worships them.

ISBN:  978-1-63216-326-4 

Product Link: DSP Publications | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Reviewer: Lisa

Review:  I never thought that I would be a fan of this type of book but then again in this story they really are not what one would expected.  They are infected and changed, even those who are born infected such as our sexy private detective.  He is different from all the others. 

I was impressed with the fact that it was one of those stories that you just couldn’t put down till you finished the story. Although I have to say that the first part dragged on for way to long.  I think if it didn’t have all the added stuff to it; it would have gone way above what it ended up being for me.

I love the fact that it doesn’t follow the normal stereotype of paranormal.  In this story it means that a shifter can turn into their big cat just like a werewolf does, during the cycle of the moon.  It can be spread just like sexual diseases, through blood and semen so it is easy to become infected.  Just like many infections you could change or you could die.  It really just depends on how strong you are, and if you are younger then you have more of a chance to survive.  I love the world this author created for her readers and damn the guys are hot.

Roan is an ex-cop now private detective who tries to solve the crimes involving other infected.  He was born an infected and changed into a big ass lion. Roan is so different from the others; in the fact that he is not ill nor is he disfigured like so many others.  He is a bit snarky and can be a pain in the ass, where as the man he has fallen in love with is the opposite of him.

Paris is a tiger shifter and he is a people person.  It is what got him infected in the first place.  He is gorgeous and a bit stuck into himself or should I say vain.  Now while we have the two love birds, we also get several different mysteries going on.  From missing people to find to a very crazy group of religious nuts jobs, a cat that is on the loose and needs to be put down in my mind, to a group that hates those infected and lots of trouble in between. 

Now like I said this story starts off very slow and almost cause me to put the book down with disinterest, it slowly built into a pretty awesome story.  I wasn’t too sure about the fact that the author put so much into this story but it turned out that it worked.  The complexity of the characters and what was going on kept my attention longer than I thought it would.  I loved the little twists that I found in it also.

I loved the romance our two sexy guys have going on and can’t wait to hear more about them in the future. I didn’t much care for the clichés that were in this story, nor the gay remarks that were throughout it but what can I say there is always something that you will find in all stories that you won’t much like.  It doesn’t take away from the book at all though, so it was all good.  I enjoyed reading it, but can admit that it won’t be one of those series that I read back to back.  I also can’t see myself reading it more than once, but it is very interesting.  It is just way too long for me to want to even read it twice, once is good enough for me. 

Other than my little issues, this is one story that I would definitely recommend. 

Infected: Throwaways by Andrea Speed Character Interview & Excerpt!

Andrea Speed - Infected Throwaways Banner

Hiya peeps! Today we have the brilliant Andrea Speed stopping by with her upcoming release in the amazing Infected universe Infected: Throwaways, we have a fantastic interview between Dee and Roan and a very tasty excerpt so check out the post and enjoy! <3 ~Pixie~

Infected: Throwaways

(Mean Streets 02)
by

Andrea Speed

Former prostitute and street kid turned private detective Holden Krause is asked to look into the murder of Burn, a black-market dealer, who turns up dead near the infamous homeless encampment known as the Jungle. It’s a place Holden is familiar with—and his memories of it aren’t entirely bad. The settlement has been taken over by sinister people but Holden isn’t afraid to take them on. A big part of his PI gig is cover for his more dangerous vigilante crusade: exacting justice for the people the system ignores, the throwaways—people just like the ones living in the Jungle.

It’s getting harder and harder for Holden’s partner, Chai Nayar, to look the other way while Holden searches out retribution beyond the confines of the law. When one of their associates is shot and Holden realizes—far too late—that he’s in over his head with this case, Chai is left to pick up the pieces and hopefully save their lives. He resorts to the only solution he can find and calls Roan, who is more lethal than ever. Will it be their saving grace, or a fatal mistake?

Release date: 13th February 2018
Pre-order: DSP Publications | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Continue reading “Infected: Throwaways by Andrea Speed Character Interview & Excerpt!” →

Infected: Holden by Andrea Speed

andrea-speed-infected-holden-coverTitle: Infected: Holden

Series: Mean Streets #1

Author: Andrea Speed

Genre: Paranormal, Fantasy, Mystery 

Length: Novel (200 Pages)

Publisher: DSP Publications (September 20, 2016)

Heat Level: None

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts

Blurb: With his friend lion shifter Roan McKichan no longer in the picture, former sex worker Holden Krause is now working as a detective investigating cases in Seattle. When he receives a request to investigate a rather unusual case for Big Mike, a local drug dealer, he ignores the potential hazards in working for such a client and takes it on.

But Holden hasn’t given up his vigilante ways, occasionally seeking violent retribution for those ignored by the justice system. There’s a man stalking the streets, assaulting anyone he perceives to be trans or gender nonconforming in any way. When the brutality escalates, the case becomes personal for Holden. 

If he cannot juggle being a detective and a vigilante, his taste for blood and danger might finally catch up with him. 

ISBN: 978-1-63477-180-1

Product Link: https://www.dsppublications.com/books/infected-holden-by-andrea-speed-310-b

Reviewer: Lisa

Review: The first thing I am going to say is that you really should start this series with reading the Infected series first. It explains the characters mentioned and how they got to be where they are now. 

For many of us who have read these stories, we have gotten pretty good at figuring out Roan’s deal. In this series Roan is mentioned quite a bit but he is no longer in the picture. Holden was a sex worker, but will do it on the side if he needs to. There are so many characters mentioned that it is a bit hard to follow sometimes. Also this story jumps around quite a lot. I wasn’t a fan of the one, two and three bits with title for each paragraph. It made it feel off to me. In my opinion if it had not bounced around so much from Holden to his ex, it might have flowed a bit better and kept my attention totally on it. 

Holden will always take care of those around him. If a john needs his ass kicked, he is the first one to do so. He is a vigilante for those who live and work on the streets. His friend Roan got him started working as a private investigator although Chai is the one who really should get that job. One of the worst guys contacts him to find out who he is. It seems Big Mike might have been abducted as a child. Then there is someone out there beating up prostitutes and they need to be taken care of.

Now I got interested in the previous series because Roan was a shifter and had a mate. In this story there is no paranormal aspect to be found. Holden is a good man in his own way, protecting those around him. However he doesn’t shift into any animal which sucked. Plus there is no romance to be seen. He had a chance with a very sexy man, but held part of himself back to the point where he got is ass dumped. 

The tone to the story felt off, as well as Holden’s attitude. He is a very weird guy to say the least. He just does what he wants and doesn’t really care for those close to him other than to help if they need it. Plus the straight, gay, bi and who knows talk throughout the story really made it stupid in my opinion. You have cops so far in the closet but damn they are in love or lust with Roan. It would seem everyone is in love or lust with the man. I just wished the story would be just a normal story with a great story line, however with this one you get a mix of different stories all focus around one. Add in the fact that Roan is thrown into every other sentence is a bit crazy. 

Now this story you have a guy who is so complicated and it doesn’t seem to be figured out any time soon. You have a guy doing multiple jobs but doesn’t seem to be really good at his actual job. The case of Big Mike would have been perfect had it not came off as a secondary thought. This story was definitely different then what I had expected it to be, but in another sense it wasn’t. It has a lot of twists and turns, with a darker tone to it that I didn’t really like. I did enjoy the previous series, but this one just didn’t make me connect with it. Although that might just be the first book and will have to hold my true feelings until I see what the next story brings out.

Infected: Paris by Andrea Speed

andrea-speed-infected-paris-coverTitle: Infected: Paris 

Series: Infected #0.5 (Prequel to Infected: Prey)

Author: Andrea Speed

Genre: Gay Erotic Romance, Fantasy, Paranormal

Length: Novella (120 Pages)

Publisher: DSP Publications (February 24, 2015)

Heat Level: Low

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 4.5 Hearts

Blurb: In a world where a werecat virus has changed society, Roan McKichan, a born infected and ex-cop, works as a private detective trying to solve crimes involving other infecteds.

Roan is working a frustrating stalker case, with no shortage of suspects and little solid evidence, when he comes across a startling eyewitness living in his car across the street from the scene. A tiger-strain infected, the only one Roan’s ever met, Paris Lehane is a former Canadian golden boy who suffered a breakdown after becoming infected in college.

While Roan’s ex, Diego “Dee” Cole, warns against falling for the infected Paris, a man doomed to die, Roan struggles with his attraction and the knowledge that no happily ever after is possible for them.

But is the knowledge enough to discourage him from following his heart? Roan helps Paris out of homelessness, and maybe a special hospital can help Paris with the infection, but Roan’s got his hands full with this case, and there’s no end in sight.

ISBN: 978-1-63216-459-9

Product Link: https://www.dsppublications.com/books/infected-paris-by-andrea-speed-81-b

Reviewer: Lisa

Review: I had made the mistake of reading one of the smaller stories that comes with these types of series and was a bit disappointed in the fact that it really didn’t have much to tell at all. However it was just intriguing enough to catch my attention and made me want to check the rest of this series out. .

Now most paranormal stories you can pretty well guess what they will be like. There are very few new types out there, so when I read this one I was pretty surprised. Got to say though, I wished she had not given it a death sentence when they got infected. It made it a bit creepy. The virus creates big cat shifters that usually don’t last long. They go through this viral cycle that is about once a month type of thing. There are very few that survive, and a tiger strain hasn’t survived until now. 

Roan is a viral child. He was born infected and changed into a lion. His kind have never been known to survive childhood, but he has managed it. He thinks he is nothing more than a freak though and doesn’t really care what people think of him. He is a bit snarky and has a great attitude in some ways. He has this amazing attitude that has him trying to save those around him. He is also a big geek in a way.

Roan finds a tiger shifter close to death and knows he needs to get some weight on him, and then get him to the hospital that deals with cat shifters. Paris is not expected to make it through the night, but he has this strength behind him that proves them all wrong. However the chances of him actually living long is not good. But he calls to Roan like no one else does. He was infected not too long ago and had not wanted to survive until he met Roan. 

Roan is a private investigator who gets paid by either cash or even a car. There are a few cases to solve in the story which makes it even better, but very long in length. Now I was good with most of it and it kept my attention but that attention waivered somewhat. What was surprising was that I was never lost with this book except for the beginning. I am not sure what to really think about it though.

The story is unique and fascinating but it also comes off a bit bizarre as well. So I have mixed feelings with it and I am not sure if book two will help me or not, guess we will have to see.