An Easy Death (Gunnie Rose, #1)

by Charlaine Harris

[kimbacaffeinate]

In Lizbeth's wonky world the US fell after the assassination of FDR in the 1930s, and was picked off by the UK, Canada, Mexico, and Russia. Lizabeth Rose is a gunnie *gunslinger* who makes her living providing safe passage for folks. She and her security team escort them from Texoma (formerly the states of Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and  Colorado) to Mexico where opportunities and jobs are plentiful. Ironic twist huh?

After a bad run, Lisbeth reluctantly accepts a job from two Russian wizards employed by the Czar and their success determines whether someone lives or dies.   Eli and Ilya are searching for a direct descendant of Grigori Rasputin.  Despite her niggles, she wants to know what they are up to and how they are tied to her past. The tale that unfolds provides plenty of twists and action.

The world is interesting with gunnies, sorcerers and spotty electricity. The US seems to be trapped in a wild west movie.We are given a vague understanding of the state of the United States. In some parts slavery is still legal, roads and infrastructures never happened and well as modern medical advancements.  Magic is openly accepted but still shrouded in mystery and distrust. I liked how Harris tied Lizbeth's own history into the job with the magicians. It allowed for some growth and connections while giving the listener insight into our young gunnie.

History buffs will find this alternate history fascinating, particularly when it comes to the Romanovs. While these three are searching they are not the only ones, and they will face opposition from others as powerful, if not more so than our wizards and skilled gunnie. I love a good quest and this aspect drew me in.

However, while I enjoyed the overall tale, some aspects felt like a rinse and repeat. The group would enter a town, investigate, gain answers, escape from others and flee to the next town. Only for the same scenario to happen, again and again. Of course we got to see some of Lisbeth's skills, and learn about the wizards as Harris eked out the world,  but it slowed down the middle of this tale for me knocking over a full cup of coffee.

We see some romantic developments, witness some cool magic and gained some closure before the tale wraps up. Despite some of my issues with An Easy Death, I am looking forward to the next Gunnie Rose audiobook.

Eva Kaminsky was the narrator and it was my first time listening to her. I enjoyed her voices, accents and pacing for the tale. I think she added another layer to the story and these characters. I am hoping she continues to narrate the series. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer