I received this book for free from the library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the library
Downpour
by
Kat Richardson
urban fantasy in Paperback edition that was published by Piatkus Books on August 1, 2011 and has 368 pages.
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Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Mean Streets, Greywalker, Poltergeist, Underground, Vanished, Labyrinth, Seawitch, Possession, Revenant, Indigo
Sixth in the Greywalker urban fantasy series revolving around Harper Blaine a private investigator for Others as well as the real world in Seattle.
My Take
I love the combination of magic and science between Harper and Quinton. He has his piezoelectric and wave guides, amplitudes and frequencies, which are mother’s milk to Quinton while Harper slides sideways into the Grey.
In this installment, Richardson plays on our fears of the dark, the woods, and water as well as the beasties that hide under our beds. Then she toys with our worries about being lost within officialdom as she forces Quinton to face his particular fears. Harper must strengthen up from her own worries about how the Grey has changed for her since her adventures in Labyrinth.
I did enjoy Richardson’s description of Costigan’s living room furniture “shapeless couches like sleeping buffalo lay here and there on the floor…small lost ottomans snuggling…like the herd of furniture had just settled itself down for the night”. Then one of the sofas tried to eat Harper. Eek!
The Story
Harper died again in Labyrinth, 5, and Quinton blames himself for getting there almost too late. The bargain he made with the FBI just wasn’t working fast enough and now he’s on the lam again. Solis too is looking at Harper for information about her ex who has disappeared.
So, it’s only too helpful that Nanette Grover wants Harper to check out one of her potential witnesses up at Lake Crescent. Any excuse to get out of town. Only, Harper can’t leave the Grey behind and when she comes across the ghostly blaze of an SUV with its burning man, she has no choice but to investigate. Opening a huge can of worms — almost literally — with a great many unsavory characters. Almost a grand tour of evil and powers.
An anchor out of place. A nexus that is being drained, contested. There are five of them. Five playing with magic, stealing it from the lake, and nothing will be fixed until the true owner of the nexus takes it on. There’s the child, the rogue, the puppeteer, the nexus keeper, the ley weaver, and the east. It’s a puzzle matching everyone to their positions.
The Characters
Something broke for Harper Blaine in Labyrinth, and she can no longer form shapes from the Grey nor can she bend the magic. She’s not sure just what her abilities are anymore in the Grey. Quinton is more nervous than ever. Ever since events in Labyrinth. He doesn’t want to hold Harper back. But. He also wants her safe. Chaos, the ferret, is more hyper than ever and he has reason.
Detective Reyes Solis is more suspicious than ever especially since it took Will Nolan’s doctor to report him missing. Now Solis is after Michael Nolan and Harper for information. Michael suspects Harper knows more than she’s said and he just wants out. He wants to go back to London where no one knows anything. No one looks at him with pity.
Steven Leung is the only one who knows he’s missing. Now Harper wants to know who he is and what happened to him. Well, his daughters might know but if they do, they’re not telling. Jewel Newman is too busy playing the grande dame of the lake although she’s paying for it now while Willow Leung is more of a goddess of the woods. Geoff Newman is Jewel’s husband. Elias Costigan is another drain on the lake.
Jin is a Chinese demon from Diyu; helpful as well as a killer requiring payment for everything. Darin Shea is a potential witness for Nanette Grover in a case she’s trying and she has asked Harper to vet him. Brett Ridenour is the senior ranger for the park; he’s also rather over the top when it comes to protecting “his” park and taking down Willow Leung. Deputy Alan Strother is placed in charge of Leung’s crash. Deputy Soren Faith is Strother’s backup.
Mara and Ben Danziger make a cameo appearance. The new Guardian Beast, the former Will Nolan, has a different aspect and seems to communicate differently with Harper.
The Cover and Title
The cover has a golden metallic sheen over its creepy, vintage-brown and black background of the mountain-surrounded lake with a huge full moon, an arm rising up out of the lake and Harper in her fitted black leather jacket, jeans, and her luscious red scarf wrapped around her neck. She’s intent on something off in the distance, her gun pointed toward the ground.
The title refers to the weakness that comes across Jewel each time a Downpour hits the lake.
