Dark Secrets: A Paranormal Noir Anthology

Dark Secrets by cynthia eden, Jeffe Kennedy, Megan Hart, Mina Khan, Rachel Caine, Suzanne Johnson
on September 29, 2015
Genres: Dark Romantic Suspense, PNR
Format: eBook
Source: Advance Reader Copy
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Six award-winning authors bring you this spellbinding collection of stories about dark desires, mysterious worlds, and danger that lurks in the shadows of the night. Where nothing is black and white; where things might not be as they seem; where magic and mayhem rule.

MARION, MISSING by Rachel Caine

Valentine is a detective with two major problems: he's been offered a kidnapping case that will probably get him killed, and his partner won't let him turn it down. He owes her that much … since his partner's a ghost, and he blames himself for her death. A dark, haunting noir mystery of love, hate and loss.

FEMME FATALE by Cynthia Eden

PI Mick Swayne has seen it all—his clients have included liars, thieves, and even killers. He thinks he can handle anything and anyone. Then she walks into his office. Savannah Moreau is beautiful, seductive, and…a vampire? The gorgeous vamp hires Mick to help her track down a killer who is hunting in Chicago, but as Mick slips deeper into Savannah’s paranormal world, he wonders if he can really trust his new client…

DANCE WITH THE DEVIL by Megan Hart

When the devil starts the music, you'd better get ready to dance.
Kathleen Murphy has sold her soul to the devil. Fame, fortune, success...everything she's ever dreamed of is hers, and all she has to do is the devil's bidding. When love comes knocking, the last thing in the world she wants to do is involve Jake in her twisted world, but the devil's started up the jukebox and Kathleen has no choice but to learn the steps

THE CONSORT by Suzanne Johnson

Faulkner Hearne, the captain of the ruthless Fae Hunters, finds his duty at odds with his heart when he’s ordered to capture the consort of Faerie’s cruel Prince of Summer when she flees across the veil into modern New Orleans. Can Faulk turn Liandra over to a certain death at the hands of the prince, or will he risk a war with Faerie in order to save her?
An all-new novella set in the Sentinels of New Orleans multiverse.

HEART’S BLOOD by Jeffe Kennedy, a Twelve Kingdoms novella

A dark fairytale retelling of a princess robbed of rank, husband and even her name.
Nix is nothing. The Princess Natilde—her former waiting woman—attacked her on the journey to wed Prince Cavan, stripping her of everything and taking her place. With no serving skills, Nix becomes a goose girl. Perhaps if Nix keeps her promise never to reveal who she really is, Natilde won’t carry out her vile threats. Prince Cavan entered his arranged marriage determined to have a congenial, if not loving relationship with his future queen—for the sake of both their kingdoms. But, his wife repels him more each day and he finds himself absurdly drawn to the lovely Nix.

THE DJINN IN THE MIRROR by Mina Khan, a Djinn World novella

A paranormal Cinderella story with a young witch as the heroine and a wicked, sexy djinn instead of a fairy godmother.
Dahlia, the step-daughter of a power hungry wizard, promises to free a djinn trapped in a mirror if he rescues her from impending death. But Ashmael the djinn has his own agenda: to trick & seduce his way to freedom. The only problem is he ends up falling for Dahlia. Can he win his freedom and save the girl?

This box set is quite the mix. You have 6 very different, very dark, stories.

At the beginning, it tells you what Paranormal Noir is. I thought after reading the first two stories that I had it pegged. But the next four are nothing like the first couple. What I mean is that I thought of Film Noir, like those old black and white detective shows. You know, you’ve got a hardened Private Eye who is hired by a sultry lady, but it’s gritty and dark. The first two fit that well, The next four were all over the map, so I guess I didn’t quite catch what Paranormal Noir is. Maybe just a dark Paranormal?

Marion Missing by Rachel Caine- 3.5 stars

This was interesting. Taking place decades ago, a cynical PI is hired by his former partner, a ghost, to help solve her murder. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it caught and held my attention, and had an ending I didn’t see coming.

Femme Fatale by Cynthia Eden- 5 stars

It’s no secret I love Cynthia Eden. This story has a hardened detective hired by a beautiful woman who just happens to be a vampire. This story takes place in the here and now, and was full of the typical Cynthia Eden brand of suspense meets romance for a true paranormal romantic suspense.

Dance With the Devil by Megan Hart-2 stars

I hated this story. Seriously. BUT that being said, it’s really well-written, I’d expect no less from Ms. Hart. And it’s definitely dark and paranormal. Kathleen sold her soul to the devil, and the things she’s done for him! She hates him, but hates herself even more. Until she meets someone who knows what she’s going through. I hated the heroine, hated the story, and even though I swore I’d DNF it, it pulled me back. Hart’s writing is addictive like that.

The Consort by Suzanne Johnson-5 stars

I’ve never read this author before,and I loved this story so much, I instantly clicked over to her website only to find, that while her other books sound interesting, they’re UF, not necessarily Romance. I still bought the first book in the series, but I really wanted more in this world she created. With a fae hunter who’s tasked to bring back the lovely consort to a prince, what happens when he falls for her?

Heart’s Blood by Jeffe Kennedy-1 star

Wow, I hated this story. I read somewhere that this was a retelling of the fairy tale “The Goose Girl.” I looked it up, and sure enough it is. But the heroine in this story is so weak, and I know it makes sense, and I won’t spoil the part that had me nearly throw my Nook across the room, but I hated her. I know not every heroine can be badass, and I truly don’t mind a damsel in distress. In fact I like watching a hero save his heroine. But I hated the hero, hated the heroine, and felt that the ending of the villain should’ve been more, well, just more. It wasn’t enough.

The Djinn in the Mirror by Mina Khan- DNF

I feel this is an unfair review because I didn’t finish it, but after 2 such awful stories, when this turned out to not be to my taste, I gave up. No rating. Other reviews have said it’s a lush world full of great storytelling, so take that for what it’s worth.

***ARC courtesy of netgalley