Dead Heat: Alpha and Omega, Book 4

I am a huge, huge fan of Patricia Briggs’ werewolf series. Actually, having read probably 90% of her books and never finding one I disliked, I can say I’m a huge fan of Patricia Briggs, period. But anything out of the Mercy Thompson series (which made #1 on my Alpha Couples list) and the Alpha & Omega series is an automatic buy for me. So there was no question that I was going to be nose-deep in Dead Heat (which was my top anticipated release for March 2015) sometime during the first week of its release. It’s been under a week since it was published, and not only have I read it twice, but I reread the book before it for good measure too.Yes, I loved it. If I were a cat, I would have purred my way through every page. And I loved it in a different way from the way I loved all the other books in this series, which made it somehow all the more special.To backtrack, the series follows the exploits of Charles and Anna Cornick. Charles is son to the Marrok, the alpha’s alpha and head wolf to all packs in North America. He serves as his father’s right hand, his detective, and all too often, his assassin. Anna, Charles’ mate, is an Omega wolf, which means she exists outside the pack structure, not submissive but also without the overt aggressiveness of dominant wolves. As Briggs describes it, her power is kind of like Valium for werewolves. It’s a meeting of opposites: he gives people (and other wolves in particular) the heebie-jeebies, and she spreads sunshine.In the past few novels, we’ve seen them thrown into one explosive situation to another from the get-go. Normally, Charles is given a task by the Marrok, his father, and Anna helps him. Even when Anna takes the lead, her position and power seem secondary to that of Charles. Which is to be expected, considering he’s centuries older than she is, and he has been seeing and doing nasty things since before her parents and grandparents were born.But what I like about Dead Heat is that this is where you see Anna come into her own, where you understand that while they may joke about her “anti-superpower,” she has gotten a good handle of how to use it, and it is every bit as strong as what Charles brings to the table. In X-Men terms, Charles might be Wolverine, but Anna’s Jean Grey is nothing to scoff at.At the same time, we get to see a softer side of Charles, to show that Anna isn’t the one bright spot in his existence (which would be sad, and which would make their love story a little less believable, had it been the case). Could this be why this book’s cover is the first in which Charles is depicted in his human form rather than as Brother Wolf? Through Charles’ and Anna’s insights and how they deal with other werewolves in this story, too, we get to gain a better understanding of my favorite supporting character throughout both the Mercy Thompson and Alpha & Omega series: Bran. Dare I hope an HEA is in his future too someday? I will!Apart from seeing more of Charles’ and Anna’s characters as individuals, we see more of their dynamic as a couple here too. The novel doesn’t start out with a mystery that needs solving or people who need managing. Which means that we finally get to see what the Cornicks’ relationship is like when they aren’t in the center of a hurricane. Because since they met, it seems like they’ve been thrown at one potential disaster after another. And after the last novel, it’s good to see how they have become a unit. So when the nasty stuff does hit the fan a few chapters in, it’s easier to see how they gel, how even when they disagree, they remain solid.Even with the big issue of having children (werewolves in this universe can’t have them because their bodies spontaneously abort the fetuses when they have to change with the full moon; the only one who has managed it is Charles’ mother, and she died after birthing him), the trust and love and pride in each other remain constant. And you know what they say—the test of a relationship isn’t just in the hard times, it’s in the boring ones too. So it makes me believe Charles and Anna’s marriage is one that can be sustained through dozens of books.Dead Heat is more of a procedural or standard mystery than any of the other books that have come before it, and I think this is what might surprise long-time readers of this series. Charles and Anna do more legwork than usual, it seems, and this was something I thought was different and fun. But the part of me that enjoyed it is the same part that lets me enjoy the lab scenes in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and the scenes of Dr. Reid flipping through stacks of books and paperwork in Criminal Minds.I think that if you don’t enjoy going through the grunt work scenes, you might not enjoy this novel as much as the other books in this series. Certainly, I wouldn’t recommend starting your Alpha & Omega journey with this one. Still, I caught clues in my second read of the book that I didn’t pick up on during my first read-through, and I’m kicking myself because they would have clued me in to who the villain was earlier. And that’s the fun I have with good mysteries, which I try never to read just once. Still, I did recognize a few mysteries that have yet to be unraveled, questions that have yet to be answered: Who was the Grey Lord in the beginning of the novel? What’ll the political fallout of the events in this novel be like? How will things change for Charles and Anna? I’m thinking the second question will spawn at least a few more novels in this series as well as bleed over into Mercy’s series, which is all to the good, in my opinion.Apart from the drudgery, there’s a lot of technical horsey talk, which I enjoyed because I used to have just the slightest obsession with horses as a girl (which has morphed into a love of horses in fantasy ala Mercedes Lackey’s Valdemar series and in romance, because I do love me some cowboys). If you’re not the least bit interested in horses, all the talk about Arabians might bore you. But as Anna points out, Charles loves horses. So it’s good to know more about the things Charles loves and indulges in, as these are not so very many we can afford to ignore one.So yeah, this is not so much a review as a litany of love, love, love for this novel. And while I do recognize parts that might not work for other readers, I do hope you’ll give this a try if you’ve read the other books in this series. If not, well, I highly recommend reading the first novella, “Alpha and Omega,” which was published in the On the Prowl anthology. Or you can skip right on to Book 1, Cry Wolf, which works but isn’t as much fun.(This was originally posted on the book blog Will Read for Feels: http://www.willreadforfeels.com/reviews/dead-heat-patricia-briggs-review/)

This has to be one of my all time favorite books I've ever read. I absolutely loved the storytelling of this installment and really being able to relate to the side context within the book as well. The characters met were very well written and well loved and I enjoyed seeing previous faces as well. All in all this was a phenomenal book as are the others in this series. Starting the next one now, I can't wait to see what happens next.

Too many stories trying to be in one book!The Opium perfume was the give away in this book as it masked the fae’s identity.Children abducted in this book infuriated this reader. I don’t care if it’s to sell books or used as a storyline, too many kids already suffer without reading about such horrible fates!Joseph was a pleasure to meet, but not Maggie and her jealousy.My heart went out for Chelsea. Kage , Max, Michael, and Mackie were added characters for more background. Mackie had “sight” as a Navajo great grandchild that will aide her later, I think.Mrs. Jamison was a kooky woman with issues of her own aided by the weardon.Leslie, the FBI agent, was still refreshing. Leeds was as well.

I should have known better than to pick up this book at 2 a.m. But I wanted to find out what Charles and Anna had to figure out next. And I did. 7 hours later I'm glad I don't have to be up for anything until this afternoon. Since they "saved the day", I can sleep without nightmares, then wake and start the next in this series. Have fun reading this adventure. It fits in well with the others by Patricia Briggs.

So much for shopping for a horse in peace. A fae without powers gains them and havoc ensues. So many choices.

Dead Heat is #4 in Patricia Briggs’ Alpha and Omega series. But its cover is the first to depict both Anna and Charles in human form on the cover. Charles is a wolf on all three of the previous covers.I was not aware of this until I pulled the images for this review. And what it made me realize is this – I do not continue to read the Alpha and Omega series because each new book is tale of werewolf adventure or a saga of the fae/werewolf conflict or even a mystery to be solved (though you will find those things in the series). The fact is, starting with the first book in the series, Cry Wolf, I developed a relationship with Anna and Charles and the reason I read this series is because I want to get caught up on their lives. The relationship may be one-sided, but that’s okay.How did I come to this realization? I took a look back to try to remember exactly what I took away from each book. It wasn’t the plot. It was the characters.Which takes me back to the book covers. On each cover, Charles, is depicted as Anna sees him. In the first three books of the series, Charles was her rescuer and protector and constant friend and companion. Sure, they fell in love as a man and a woman will do, but as a new werewolf, Anna desperately needed the guidance of Brother Wolf. Did she need Brother Wolf more than she needed Charles? Maybe. But both incarnations of the shapeshifter were key to helping Anna realize she is the smart, talented woman and strong omega wolf that she was always meant to be.Now, in Dead Heat, Charles is able to let Anna be herself, as much as any Alpha can without going into protect mode. And in doing so, Charles has become a man who is comfortable around is mate and is willing to let her see into his heart. Not that this is the first book where this happened. But Anna – and I – definitely saw more of these glimpses into the humanity of Charles in Dead Heat. More of Charles’ human side is revealed, both in happy ways and in painfully sad ways. (Yes, there were tears.) Hence, the human Charles on the cover of Dead Heat.Well, at least that is my take on the evolution of the cover art.Recently, I read a post by Sharon Lynn Fisher at Spacefreighters Lounge that talked about couples in novels that are couples from the beginning of the story. There is no tension, obstacle or conflict to keep them apart. Basically, most of the challenges they encounter are external to the couple. I suppose this is kind of the way the romance of Anna and Charles works. They’ve been together for the entire series. They still continue to evolve as a couple. And so the romance continues. Which makes me happy. Anna and Charles are one of my a favorite fictional couples.Though reading the series in order is best, Dead Heat can be read as a standalone. If you read it, you will get a chilling tale of suspense. A dangerous fae is attacking children and must be stopped. The hunt is the crux of the story. Anna and Charles go after the offender with a vengeance, with help from both humans and a werewolf pack in Arizona. Parts of the story are dark and disturbing. There are also a lot of heartwarming moments.I enjoyed the setting. I have visited the area many times and appreciate the lay of the land in and around the Scottsdale area. One of the Dead Heat’s locales is a horse breeding/training operation and as a reader, I was treated to an enjoyable lesson in horse breeding, riding and showing. Not being a horse person, I learned a lot. Horse people might like it even more!As I mentioned, Dead Heat is a standalone story, as are all the titles in this series. However, if you read them in order, you will get the most out of them. Technically, there are four books, but if you are going to read the series, I also recommend Alpha and Omega, the prequel to the series.I have listened to all four books on audiobook, as read by Holter Graham. I really enjoy his narrations as he handles both male and female voices well. Occasionally, the voice for children or people in pain/distress get a little muddled. But overall, the underplayed, easy going narration fits well for both Anna and Charles. If you are a fan of audiobooks, I think you will like this one.Originally posted at Whiskey With My Book.

When Charles takes Anna to meet an old friend so that they can buy a horse, they don't expect to be pulled into a missing child case! When the danger affects more than children are they able to help defeat it without losing anyone? This read had me in the edge of my seat, from the excitement of a new werewolf, to the saying goodbye to an old friend. Can't wait for the next book.

I absolutely adore Anna as a character and at this point in the series, she’s fully blossomed and the characters are like old friends. We get to know Charles more too which really gave him depth. The story gripped me and I couldn’t put it down. Love that this one was a little scary, as monsters should be! Excellent writing. This was the second time I read it and I still love it!

I was apprehensive reading some of the reviews which mentioned boring horse terminology as the reason for less than top marks. I needn’t have worried, this is a wonderful book with strong, vivid characters who welcome our pair into a warm Native American family.Charles and Anna feel like a properly bonded werewolf couple and face evil as one with heart and spirit. The writing and story were as excellent as the last book and though part of the plot involved horses, I found it was simply a little background to the main mystery.If you’ve enjoyed previous books you’ll love this one as I did.

I have many favourite A-list authors, but Patricia Briggs is among the very few on my A1 list. Dead Heat carries the Alpha and Omega series energetically forward through a well paced adventure. The battle between good and evil, three dimensional characters, sentiment without sentimentality, all accomplished seamlessly. If you like grown-up paranormal and fascinating adventures, go and get this whole series, also the Mercy Thompson series and anything else written by Briggs.

From start to finish, the story builds book on book, stayed up late to finish this one, knowing tomoz is Saturday, but to be honest I’d have stayed up whatever night I’d read it, many many thanks to the fab author for the best story I’ve ever read x