Death Takes a Holiday (F.R.E.A.K.S. Squad Investigation, #3)

by Jennifer Harlow

[MurderByDeath]

3.5 stars. A very enjoyable read, but not my favorite of the series, although not really the fault of the author.

The last book ended with the team divided and animosity brewing and this book focuses on trying to resolve the tension between Will the were and Oliver the vampire, as well as attempt to resolve the feelings Beatrice has for both of them. This is truly the main plot of the book, while the sub-plots revolve around the Lord of San Diego trying to 'take' Bea and Bea trying to tie up loose ends with the boyfriend she broke up with before leaving San Diego behind. Juggling all three of these made for a bit of a herky-jerky read; the whole Lord of San Diego plot felt anti-climatic - I couldn't believe it ended that easily. The issues with Steven, though hinted at during parts of the story, were all packed into the very end of the book - almost like someone was trying to meld two novellas into one full length book; both were good, but neither meshed with the other into a cohesive single story.

As always, the characters of this book are great fun. Oliver is so cheeky, I couldn't help but laugh. I'm hoping with all of that's happened in this book, we'll see a lighter side of Will - he's just too, too tortured. The rest of the crew got barely a mention, as the plots this time really didn't call for them to participate.

Overall, I really enjoy reading this series and I'm looking forward to the next book coming out. If you like the lighter side of paranormal, but not *too* light, you might find this book to fit the bill.