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
"Pet Shop Boys"
by
Kim Harrison
paranormal fantasy in eBook edition that was published by Voyager on September 4, 2012 and has 100 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Dates from Hell, Pale Demon, Unbound, Something Deadly This Way Comes, The Good, the Bad, and the Undead, Every Which Way But Dead, A Fistful of Charms, For a Few Demons More, The Outlaw Demon Wails, White Witch, Black Curse, Black Magic Sanction, A Perfect Blood, "Trouble on Reserve", Into the Woods, Holidays are Hell, Ever After, The Drafter, "Waylaid", The Operator, The Turn: The Hollows Begins with Death, "Sudden Backtrack"
A short story that is a possible prequel for a new series.
My Take
No, this is not Rachel Morgan or the Hollows although Harrison does bring her homey style to it. It’s a bit vague at the end just what these creatures are, but it’s clear enough that you want nothing to do with them…eek!
On the surface, this is an interesting story, but so much is left vague. We have no idea who or what Kay is and I still feel confused as to what Felicity and the others are. I suspect this is done purposefully to stir up our curiosity. And, yes, I am curious. Not pantingly so, however.
The Story
About to close up the shop after selling the last puppy of a litter, Cooper is surprised by a little girl who wants to trade her pet bat for a kitten. A trade her mother, Felicity, firmly forbids although she does allow her the kitten.
Felicity also invites Cooper to join her for a business Christmas party at a very exclusive dance club. An invitation he accepts in lieu of his lonely, empty flat.
It doesn’t take long for Cooper to realize he made a mistake. There are just too many oddities in Gateways and the people at this party. A party he can’t leave.
The Characters
Cooper runs the public side of the pet shop and has stayed on all these years because he is interested in its owner, Kay. A woman he thought was human.
Emily is a young girl whose mother, Felicity, wants a husband for herself and a father for her two children.
The Cover and Title
The cover is creepy! A misty, dark forest with an even mistier figure in yellow swishing her way toward you.
The title is a bit of a misnomer as it’s more “Pet Shop Boy” than plural. Nor would I refer to Cooper as a boy.
