Title: Death and Relaxation
Author: Devon Monk
Series: Ordinary Magic #1
Length: 6 hrs and 45 mins
In the town of Ordinary, Police Chief Delaney Reed spends her time trying to keep the paranormal and vacationing gods in line, and also prevent the humans from discovering them. But when one of the gods is murdered, she finds herself looking for the murder, holding the godhead, dealing with the annual Rhubarb festival, and dealing with her ex and her childhood crush.
I love paranormal small towns so I was really surprised that I hadn’t read this series yet. The town of Ordinary, Oregon was a very interesting and unique one. There are vampires, werewolves, gillmen, gods, and who knows what else. I loved the variety of creatures and the jobs they did for the town. The idea of a town for gods to vacation in is an interesting and so far, well executed one.
Police Chief Delaney Reed has only been chief for a year and is still coming to terms with all her duties, and dealing with her grief over her fathers death. Delaney was a tough, capable, and determined woman. I really liked her. She takes care of her town and her sisters, and just tries to do the best she can. The whole concept of her being the temporary host of a godhead until a new full time host could be found was a very unique one.
The romance in this was pretty well executed, especially since it didn’t overtake the hunt for the murder. There is a hint of a love triangle going on but it’s more on the guys part than on Delaney’s. She refuses to get back with her ex, which is smart, but he still tries to change her mind. Delaney’s heart goes to Ryder Bailey, the boy she has had a crush on since she was a teenager. I enjoyed their flirting and chemistry. This book does end with Ryder being a bit of an ass, so I am very curious to find out what caused that.
Overall, this was a very interesting town and an entertaining hunt for a murderer. I am interested in reading more of this series, especially since I want to find out what will happen with Ryder.
TW: murder; gun violence and injuries; alcohol use;
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