Red

by Mary Serine and Kate SeRine

[Angie]

Red was a lot of fun! It's like Once Upon a Time with an Urban Fantasy twist! Our narrator is Tess "Red" Little, or Little Red Riding Hood as you probably know her. She's an enforcer for the Fairy Tales' equivalent of a police force. Her current case involves a string of murders and the top three suspects are all her ex-boyfriends. Now it's her job to bring them in for questioning without getting old feelings mixed in, and solve the who, what, when, where, why, and how of this deadly mystery.

I loved how the world of Red was set up. No one's entirely sure how, but some big magic went awry from the fairy godmother and the genie, causing a bunch of characters from Fairy Tales, Literature, Mythology, and wherever to be thrust into our world. Some made it, some didn't. And they all came at different times, and have had to adjust. There are a lot of familiar faces roaming around Chicago and a whole bunch of different species. Of course, they all have to maintain some secrecy, because who's going to believe that their neighbor is Little Miss Muffet?

While I loved the world of Red, I was a bit overwhelmed by it when it came to the plot. There are a ton of characters to keep track of when it comes to the mystery. Tess is our main character and her partner is Nate, the Grim Reaper. There's the three main suspects, plus their connections. There's the other bodyguards, enforcers, and investigators. Tess's Gran, and some random humans who are somehow involved. It was a lot to keep straight, although I figured who one of the culprits was quite early and paid more attention to them and less to everyone else.

Other than the awesome premise and array of supernaturals, Red is your pretty typical mystery. I enjoyed it, but I was never wowed by anything. I did really like the romance that develops though! And while the case was solved, the bad guy is still at large, so onwards to the sequel!

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.