Review: Grim Shadows by Jenn Bennett

It’s the Roaring Twenties in foggy San Francisco. Prohibition is on, inhibitions are low, and dark magic is rolling into town…

Archaeologist Lowe Magnusson is packing something everyone wants. The djed amulet, a priceless Egyptian artifact, will fetch Lowe a hefty paycheck from one of San Francisco’s wealthiest. But when the handsome Swede runs into his patron’s uptight daughter, what he once considered easy money becomes maddeningly complicated…

Cursed with deadly spirits as her constant companions, curator Hadley Bacall must keep calm to hold her dangerous specters at bay and prevent them from lashing out at anything—or anyone. Trouble is, Lowe is driving her crazy, but her father needs the artifact he’s transporting. While Hadley can feel the amulet’s power, she can’t fathom the destruction—or the desire—it’s about to stir up.

Book 2 in the Roaring Twenties series begins with a chase on a train and an action-packed first meeting. You can’t help but get caught up in all the action.

I love the movie The Mummy (the one with Brendan Fraser), and this book kind of reminds me of The Mummy but set in San Francisco. We’ve got Lowe Magnusson a Berkley scholar and archaeologist, but who deals in forgeries and scams, rather than staying above-board. Normally a hero who lies all the time, or makes up wild tales when the truth is no big deal would bother me, but with him, it worked. He’s not just charming and charismatic, but he can back up all his big talk.

Hadley Bacall has been cursed with deadly spirits that can come up from the underworld anytime they sense she’s in trouble. Don’t get them confused with protectors, they aren’t that, but they feed off of her emotions. So if she’s really angry with someone, they’ll come and if she can’t get a hold of them, the spirits will kill whomever she’s upset with.

Being a woman in a male profession, she’s spent her life proving herself to many, even her father. But her father wants a piece of an amulet that Lowe is rumored to have brought back from Egypt with him, Hadley will absolutely make sure that artifact ends up in her father’s hands.

Meeting on the train station on his way from Salt Lake to San Francisco, Lowe can’t quite stop thinking naughty things about Hadley, even while they’re being shot at, because Hadley’s father isn’t the only one who wants that artifact.

I loved how Hadley was able to see right through his BS instantly. And I love this author’s voice. This is a refreshing change from the majority of PNR out there, and it’s pretty cool because it’s not only action-packed, it’s well-written and well-plotted.

So Hadley and Lowe team up to find her father the pieces of the amulet, because there are more. And what’s more intriguing, Hadley’s mother hid them so neither her father nor his ex-partner could find them. But Hadley and Lowe do find them. And almost literally all hell breaks loose. With an immortal magic-wielding villain, and her parents not being what they seemed, Hadley and Lowe have quite an adventure on their hands. And once they do find all the pieces of the amulet, will either actually hand it over?

You don’t have to have read the first book to enjoy this one, so I say go grab it now! For ancient Egyptian curses, a sexy silver-tongued hero, and strong intelligent heroine, this book fascinates and intrigues. You will not be disappointed!

***ARC courtesy of Berkley