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Nightcreature #6
Rising Moon
Denizens of The Big Easy know its steamy nights can hide any number of sins and secrets. Private-eye Anne Lockhart is counting on it. Her life has been in a holding pattern ever since her sister Katie disappeared without a trace…but when a clue leads Anne to a jazz club in the French Quarter, everything changes. Rising Moon's proprietor, John Rodolfo, is mysterious in his own right, a gifted musician who reaches deep into Anne's soul and whose mere presence taps into desires she can't afford to indulge...
By going undercover at the Rising Moon, Anne can get close to people who know what goes on after dark--people like John, whose nocturnal disappearances are more than a little suspicious. But unlocking John's secrets is harder than Anne had anticipated. What's far too easy is surrendering to him. And now someone--or something--is stalking the innocent and the guilty, and waiting for Anne's next move...
By going undercover at the Rising Moon, Anne can get close to people who know what goes on after dark--people like John, whose nocturnal disappearances are more than a little suspicious. But unlocking John's secrets is harder than Anne had anticipated. What's far too easy is surrendering to him. And now someone--or something--is stalking the innocent and the guilty, and waiting for Anne's next move...
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 2, 2007
18 people are currently reading
887 people want to read
About the author
Lori Handeland
110books1,343followersLori Handeland is a five-time nominee and two-time winner of the prestigious RITA Award from Romance Writers of America, as well as the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over sixty novels spanning the genres of paranormal romance, urban fantasy, contemporary romance, historical romance and historical fantasy.
After a quarter-century of success and accolades, she began a new chapter in her career with her women’s fiction debut, Just Once (Severn House, January 2019), which received a coveted, starred review from Library Journal and was optioned as a feature film by Catalyst Global Media.
Lori lives in Southern Wisconsin with her husband of over thirty-five years. In between writing and reading, she enjoys long walks with their rescue mutt, Arnold, and visits from her two grown sons, awesome daughter-in-law and perfectly adorable grandchildren.
After a quarter-century of success and accolades, she began a new chapter in her career with her women’s fiction debut, Just Once (Severn House, January 2019), which received a coveted, starred review from Library Journal and was optioned as a feature film by Catalyst Global Media.
Lori lives in Southern Wisconsin with her husband of over thirty-five years. In between writing and reading, she enjoys long walks with their rescue mutt, Arnold, and visits from her two grown sons, awesome daughter-in-law and perfectly adorable grandchildren.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
May 27, 2016
Though every book in Nighcreature Series could be read standalone, I wouldn't recommend this one to read as standalone. The book seems standalone until end and takes very important persons from earlier book . I couldn't reveal more as it would be very spoilery but like any other books in this series I enjoyed this way too much! Talk about guilt pleasure reads!
As always the book starts by introducing a very head strong female character Anne who is searching for her missing sister Katie.
She is PI and could find people easily but could not find her sister anywhere and it drives her crazy. She receives a lead on it and arrives in New Orleans and takes a job in ‘Rising Moon� pub as waitress. She finds something strange with blind pub owner and musician John Rodolfo and story picks up from there.
The story is far from cute and cuddly but enjoyable and refreshing. Of course thrown into mix, werewolves to fight, curse to be cured, make peace with family and so on and so forth, makes it a great one.
We still don’t have closure on Katie front, as this is werewolf series and Katie is missing, it doesn't require someone to be Einstein to guess why she is missing or what she has become for that matter. She is found but gets away again so I’m guessing we would be seeing her again somewhere along the series.
March 12, 2011
Re-read October 29, 2010 - Review written for the re-read
I read the entire paranormal Nightcreatures Novels series by Lori Handeland a while back and of all the books, the three novels set in New Orleans (Crescent Moon, Midnight Moon, Rising Moon) are my favorite, and Rising Moon (Book 6) is at the top. I remember writing the following note the first time I read this book back in February, 2008:
Rising Moon. I loved, loved, this book. I have to say this is my favorite of all the books set in New Orleans. The romance was great. John was great! The mood of the book was the best and the monsters were excellent because well... that whole gray area again -- good/evil -- who knows?! Will we meet (some of the characters) again? I wonder....
In that little note my reasons for loving this book were sketchy at best, although the meat is there. In Handeland's hands New Orleans becomes more than a setting, and as I re-read this story I again felt transported and through her writing experienced the music, the dark streets, the tastes and smells of the city, the fun and danger. The place attracts and repels the reader, it's both dangerous and beautiful. This sets up an atmosphere that is perfect for this mystery thriller / paranormal romance -- and this story is both.
The characters in this story are just as dark, dangerous and ambiguously attractive as the city itself. Even Anne, from whose perspective we see the events unfold, is not a black and white character. She's conflicted and lies when she has to to accomplish her mission -- that of finding her missing sister. Anne is a private PI with no life, a woman, who by her own admission, is not physically attractive and has no time for sex, men or relationships -- at least not until she finds her sister. That all changes when she walks into the Rising Moon club and meets jazz musician and club owner, John Rondolfo.
John's music is mesmerizing, his looks are hypnotizing and Anne can't seem to keep her eyes off him. But there's something wrong with John. He's beautifully dark and brooding, but he's also obviously deeply hurt and suffering, he's blind but not helpless and people around him and the Rising Moon disappear. Anne goes undercover as a waitress at the Rising Moon, hoping to find her sister and to help police Detective Sullivan find out information about the other mysterious disappearances. Soon Anne finds herself involved with John. He seems to be attracted to her in an almost desperate way, and her attraction for him grows by the minute no matter how dangerous the situation. The hot and steamy sexual scenes between John and Anne are as sultry and sensual as the setting itself.
As the plot moves along, and it moves along at a good pace, it's tough to figure out who is good and/or evil. The secondary characters are just as ambiguously gray as the central ones, making them excellent additions to this story. The reader never knows who to trust, or what twist or turn will come around the next corner. There are dark, scary moments that made my heart beat faster, Anne's TSTL moments (there are always some of those) gave me anxiety attacks, and although there were hints along the way I couldn't wait to figure out who was who by the end. There are all types of legends and monsters: voodoo, werewolves, loup-garou, and of course the Jäger-Suchers (Hunter-Searchers) make a brief appearance.
I enjoyed Rising Moon this time around almost as much as the first time. Anne's decisions (TSTL moments) frustrated me a bit more during this re-read, but not enough to make too much of a difference. This book really is a spooky and steamy read. I enjoyed the twist at the end and what I thought was an excellent resolution. Great read.
I read the entire paranormal Nightcreatures Novels series by Lori Handeland a while back and of all the books, the three novels set in New Orleans (Crescent Moon, Midnight Moon, Rising Moon) are my favorite, and Rising Moon (Book 6) is at the top. I remember writing the following note the first time I read this book back in February, 2008:
Rising Moon. I loved, loved, this book. I have to say this is my favorite of all the books set in New Orleans. The romance was great. John was great! The mood of the book was the best and the monsters were excellent because well... that whole gray area again -- good/evil -- who knows?! Will we meet (some of the characters) again? I wonder....
In that little note my reasons for loving this book were sketchy at best, although the meat is there. In Handeland's hands New Orleans becomes more than a setting, and as I re-read this story I again felt transported and through her writing experienced the music, the dark streets, the tastes and smells of the city, the fun and danger. The place attracts and repels the reader, it's both dangerous and beautiful. This sets up an atmosphere that is perfect for this mystery thriller / paranormal romance -- and this story is both.
The characters in this story are just as dark, dangerous and ambiguously attractive as the city itself. Even Anne, from whose perspective we see the events unfold, is not a black and white character. She's conflicted and lies when she has to to accomplish her mission -- that of finding her missing sister. Anne is a private PI with no life, a woman, who by her own admission, is not physically attractive and has no time for sex, men or relationships -- at least not until she finds her sister. That all changes when she walks into the Rising Moon club and meets jazz musician and club owner, John Rondolfo.
John's music is mesmerizing, his looks are hypnotizing and Anne can't seem to keep her eyes off him. But there's something wrong with John. He's beautifully dark and brooding, but he's also obviously deeply hurt and suffering, he's blind but not helpless and people around him and the Rising Moon disappear. Anne goes undercover as a waitress at the Rising Moon, hoping to find her sister and to help police Detective Sullivan find out information about the other mysterious disappearances. Soon Anne finds herself involved with John. He seems to be attracted to her in an almost desperate way, and her attraction for him grows by the minute no matter how dangerous the situation. The hot and steamy sexual scenes between John and Anne are as sultry and sensual as the setting itself.
As the plot moves along, and it moves along at a good pace, it's tough to figure out who is good and/or evil. The secondary characters are just as ambiguously gray as the central ones, making them excellent additions to this story. The reader never knows who to trust, or what twist or turn will come around the next corner. There are dark, scary moments that made my heart beat faster, Anne's TSTL moments (there are always some of those) gave me anxiety attacks, and although there were hints along the way I couldn't wait to figure out who was who by the end. There are all types of legends and monsters: voodoo, werewolves, loup-garou, and of course the Jäger-Suchers (Hunter-Searchers) make a brief appearance.
I enjoyed Rising Moon this time around almost as much as the first time. Anne's decisions (TSTL moments) frustrated me a bit more during this re-read, but not enough to make too much of a difference. This book really is a spooky and steamy read. I enjoyed the twist at the end and what I thought was an excellent resolution. Great read.
November 2, 2009
Oh look, a werewolf� or a ghost� and a missing sister who of course goes to New Orleans, which is the paranormal apex of the universe. But never mind all that, just let’s concentrate on the important thing. Yes, you got it. SEX. Woo hoo! More sex than you can deal with, unless you are in a prison and far from any relief of any sort. And not just sex but lusting, and self doubt for wanting sex with certain others and even a blind sexy jazzman who enthralls the world with his plaything—yep, Yanni watch out! There is a plot, but it sucks, and I am have much more fun making snark at the book than I did reading it so let me alone here. Don’t read this one; you will NOT have missed a thing and trees will thank you. Unless of course you need to read about sex. But there are other books in the series that might entertain you along the sexy way.
January 1, 2011
The Nightcreature series is so cool! And of course, Lori's writing style is so comfy and descriptive. I also love that every single heroine in this series feels so real, and so different. They're just ordinary gals thrown into extraordinary situations with some lovely heros. Yikes! You've just gotta check out these guys.
The mystery in this novel kept me glued to every page, until I found out how it all came together. The tension was fantastic, and I was suspecting everyone of everything. Lol. I loved the attraction between Anne and John, and of course the way New Orleans was painted. Lori made me see every detail as if I was there, and I've never been anywhere near it. She really is awesome!
The mystery in this novel kept me glued to every page, until I found out how it all came together. The tension was fantastic, and I was suspecting everyone of everything. Lol. I loved the attraction between Anne and John, and of course the way New Orleans was painted. Lori made me see every detail as if I was there, and I've never been anywhere near it. She really is awesome!
September 2, 2012
Yes, somehow I ended up reading the sixth book in the Nightcreature series. I didn't know it wasn't the first one but it was still good and I don't think I missed much but I will be reading the first in the series soon.
I really liked this book. It was interesting and made you want more. From the beginning, I was interested in knowing what was going on behind the scenes. I loved that we got to slowly learn everything as Anne pieced things together. I thought the random pieces of voodoo was interesting, how she would find a random bag of herbs in her pillow. I really liked John. He was mysterious and sexy, even though he ended up be something else. I found it really interesting that the "good guy" turned into the "bad guy" for a bit.
I really liked this book. It was interesting and made you want more. From the beginning, I was interested in knowing what was going on behind the scenes. I loved that we got to slowly learn everything as Anne pieced things together. I thought the random pieces of voodoo was interesting, how she would find a random bag of herbs in her pillow. I really liked John. He was mysterious and sexy, even though he ended up be something else. I found it really interesting that the "good guy" turned into the "bad guy" for a bit.
October 4, 2011
Wow, this was definitely one of the better books in the Night Creatures series, and tied right in with the past 2 books! The story had twists and turns with a surprising ending as to "who" the werewolf or werewolves were. This book, along with the 2 before it, that took place in the New Orleans swamp, are really what I expect in a series. The stories take place in the same area, and involve the same characters on yet another adventure together. Looking forward to how these characters tie in with the next book: Hidden Moon.
August 3, 2011
I really enjoyed the book, especially the twist in the end. I would never have guessed John's identity. However, the dissipation of the curse was somewhat predictable, but not badly done nonetheless.
All in all given that I've read all of Handeland's books on this series I think I enjoyed this one the most. Which is a surprise. Yes, I loved the first one I read, but this is good. I think because we see a bad man come to his senses and change his entire life, including his name to reflect what that realisation has wrought on his life.
All in all given that I've read all of Handeland's books on this series I think I enjoyed this one the most. Which is a surprise. Yes, I loved the first one I read, but this is good. I think because we see a bad man come to his senses and change his entire life, including his name to reflect what that realisation has wrought on his life.
March 1, 2014
Great read. Hot, dark and sexy.
November 16, 2010
Anne Lockhart is a P.I. from Philadelphia who has spent the last three years searching for her sister who disappeared. Someone sends her a picture of Katie, taken in front of the Rising Moon in New Orleans and Anne takes off. It's the first solid lead she has had in a long time. As soon as she arrives, strange things go bump in the night. It's New Orleans and the moon is full. Against the advice of the hunky police detective, Connor Sullivan, Anne takes a job at Rising Moon. Mardi Gras is coming and they need all the hands they can find. Rising Moon is very popular because of the music of John Rodolfo who can make a piano cry and a saxaphone sing. Anne is strangely drawn to John and then bodies begin to pile up. They appear to be animal kills, with the throats ripped out. Who is the werewolf? Why do people keep disappearing around Rising Moon? And why can't Anne stay away from Rodolfo? This is the sixth book in the Nightcreatures series. They are all very entertaining.
April 10, 2009
Private investigater Anne Lockheart goes to New Orleans to find her missing sister. Katie has been missing for three years when a mysterious envelope appears in the mail showing a picture of Katie in front of Rising Moon, a jazz club in New Orleans. Club owner, John Rodolfo, is a blind musician headlining when Anne arrives. She is spellbound by him and his music and allows herself to be distracted by John. She joins forces with Conner Sullivan, NOPD detective working on a lot of murders in town and fearing for Katie though he hasn't met her.
This book has elements of werewolves, loup garou (and no they are not the same thing), voodoo, hunters and of course, murder. Very well written and fast paced. It grabs you from page one and doesn't let go until the end. You will feel a gamut of emotions throughout, some tender, some fierce. Lori Handeland sure can write 'em. Enjoy!
This book has elements of werewolves, loup garou (and no they are not the same thing), voodoo, hunters and of course, murder. Very well written and fast paced. It grabs you from page one and doesn't let go until the end. You will feel a gamut of emotions throughout, some tender, some fierce. Lori Handeland sure can write 'em. Enjoy!
December 11, 2012
This book was really good!
A good "triangle" love story...i usually hate the triangle love stories because there such BS! but i liked the book.
PROS:
1.Really good story
2. made sense
3. very descriptive
Cons:
1.The main character can be so stupid at times
2. The end felt rushesd
A good "triangle" love story...i usually hate the triangle love stories because there such BS! but i liked the book.
PROS:
1.Really good story
2. made sense
3. very descriptive
Cons:
1.The main character can be so stupid at times
2. The end felt rushesd
March 19, 2013
Wasn't sure I would end up liking this one as it seemed to have no tie to the previous books except taking place in New Orleans, but it made sense in the end. I ended up really liking this one. I read it in one day.
March 16, 2008
I liked it, really cool! Glad Anne and John got together!
January 18, 2014
I thought this book was very good and hope to find other books by her
October 27, 2010
I didn't guess who he was till right at the end!
December 26, 2013
loved Anne and John Rodolfo...a great read
January 9, 2023
Band 6 von 11
Ich hatte schon genug Sorgen in meinem Leben. Was mir gerade noch fehlte, war eine Affäre mit einem Mann, der sich nach dem Tod sehnte - auch wenn er küsste wie der Teufel und aussah wie ein Engel.
S. 61
Inhalt
Auf der Suche nach ihrer verschwundenen Schwester verschlägt es die Privatdetektivin Anne Lockheart nach New Orleans. Dort wird sie vom Polizisten Sullivan engagiert, ihm mit einer sich häufenden Anzahl Vermissten und Ermordeten zu helfen. Die meisten der Opfer wurden zuletzt im Jazzclub Rising Moon gesehen, und so heuert Anne dort als Kellnerin an. Doch sie hat ihre Rechnung ohne den Besitzer und Jazzmusiker John Rodolfo gemacht...
Meine Meinung
Nachdem Band 5 ein "Abtaucher" für mich war und mich nicht so recht zu überzeugen vermochte, war dieser 6. Teil der Reihe nun wieder ganz nach meinem Geschmack. Krimitouch, Voodoo in New Orleans, ein bisschen Grusel, eine starke Heldin.
Anne Lockheart will nur eines in ihrem Leben; ihre verschwundene Schwester finden. Sie glaubt nur, was sie auch sieht, ist sehr pragmatisch in allen Belangen und weiß, was sie tun muss, um zu bekommen was sie will. Sie hat mir sehr gut gefallen als Protagonistin.
Den männlichen Part spielen hier Detective Conner Sullivan, der sich seinem Job verschrieben hat, und der undurchsichtige und mysteriöse Jazzmusiker John Rodolfo, der mit seinen ganz persönlichen Dämonen zu kämpfen hat. Auch die beiden fand ich ganz tolle Charaktere, wobei hier Sullivan den Good Guy verkörpert - und ich somit dem Bad Guy John etwas mehr verfallen bin ^^.
Dieser Band hat sich wieder mehrheitlich dem Voodoo gewidmet, was ich sehr spannend finde. Doch zwischendurch habe ich etwas den Faden verloren vor lauter Lopu-Garou, Lougarou und Werwölfen, denn obschon alles irgendwie dasselbe umschreibt, ist es das nicht. Dennoch war es wunderbar, wieder in diese Welt abzutauchen und ich bin gespannt, wohin und der nächste Teil um die Jägersucher führt - tatsächlich fand ich diese hier etwas lau vertreten und hoffe auf mehr Präsenz im nächsten Teil.
Fazit
Eine Privatdetektivin auf der Suche nach ihrer vermissten Schwester trifft auf einen undurchsichtigen Jazzmusiker in der Mardi Gras-Hauptsaison in New Orleans. Mystisch, gefährlich und spannend. Hat mir wieder sehr gut gefallen.
4.5 Sterne
Ich hatte schon genug Sorgen in meinem Leben. Was mir gerade noch fehlte, war eine Affäre mit einem Mann, der sich nach dem Tod sehnte - auch wenn er küsste wie der Teufel und aussah wie ein Engel.
S. 61
Inhalt
Auf der Suche nach ihrer verschwundenen Schwester verschlägt es die Privatdetektivin Anne Lockheart nach New Orleans. Dort wird sie vom Polizisten Sullivan engagiert, ihm mit einer sich häufenden Anzahl Vermissten und Ermordeten zu helfen. Die meisten der Opfer wurden zuletzt im Jazzclub Rising Moon gesehen, und so heuert Anne dort als Kellnerin an. Doch sie hat ihre Rechnung ohne den Besitzer und Jazzmusiker John Rodolfo gemacht...
Meine Meinung
Nachdem Band 5 ein "Abtaucher" für mich war und mich nicht so recht zu überzeugen vermochte, war dieser 6. Teil der Reihe nun wieder ganz nach meinem Geschmack. Krimitouch, Voodoo in New Orleans, ein bisschen Grusel, eine starke Heldin.
Anne Lockheart will nur eines in ihrem Leben; ihre verschwundene Schwester finden. Sie glaubt nur, was sie auch sieht, ist sehr pragmatisch in allen Belangen und weiß, was sie tun muss, um zu bekommen was sie will. Sie hat mir sehr gut gefallen als Protagonistin.
Den männlichen Part spielen hier Detective Conner Sullivan, der sich seinem Job verschrieben hat, und der undurchsichtige und mysteriöse Jazzmusiker John Rodolfo, der mit seinen ganz persönlichen Dämonen zu kämpfen hat. Auch die beiden fand ich ganz tolle Charaktere, wobei hier Sullivan den Good Guy verkörpert - und ich somit dem Bad Guy John etwas mehr verfallen bin ^^.
Dieser Band hat sich wieder mehrheitlich dem Voodoo gewidmet, was ich sehr spannend finde. Doch zwischendurch habe ich etwas den Faden verloren vor lauter Lopu-Garou, Lougarou und Werwölfen, denn obschon alles irgendwie dasselbe umschreibt, ist es das nicht. Dennoch war es wunderbar, wieder in diese Welt abzutauchen und ich bin gespannt, wohin und der nächste Teil um die Jägersucher führt - tatsächlich fand ich diese hier etwas lau vertreten und hoffe auf mehr Präsenz im nächsten Teil.
Fazit
Eine Privatdetektivin auf der Suche nach ihrer vermissten Schwester trifft auf einen undurchsichtigen Jazzmusiker in der Mardi Gras-Hauptsaison in New Orleans. Mystisch, gefährlich und spannend. Hat mir wieder sehr gut gefallen.
4.5 Sterne
October 1, 2019
I'm a big fan of Lori Handeland, usually because of her small-town settings and down-to-earth heroines. This book was a bit of a departure for the series, with a setting in New Orleans during the lead-up to Mardi Gras, but it worked for me. Voodoo priestesses! Jazz clubs til all hours! And, of course, all that swamp magic! Plus a tortured hero and a heroine determined to get to the bottom of it all. Definitely recommended!
February 3, 2018
Näh, ich glaube, das ist tatsächlich der Band, den ich am wenigsten mag, weil mir dieses "Ich muss für meine Sünden büßen" total auf die Nerven geht, umso mehr, wenn man das Buch dann gelesen hat und "mehr" weiß, als noch zu Beginn. Mich hat die Charakterentwicklung einfach nicht überzeugt und ich fand auch, dass die Chemie zwischen den beiden nicht unbedingt gepasst hat.
July 12, 2021
I did Not see that coming!
July 27, 2023
Viel Verwirrung, viel Voodoo, viel viel
February 17, 2023
The heroine has never given up the search for her missing sister even though it's been 3 years without any word from her. So, when she receives a mysterious photo of her sister out from of a bar in New Orleans the heroine doesn't hesitate to jump in a plane to investigate. There she meets the large intimating black man who serves the drinks and the blind stunningly beautiful owner who instantly snatches up her attention.
Normally a woman as plain looking as her could never hope to attract such a man but the fact that he's blind gives her a bit of courage, not that she isn't already courageous as is. Receiving no help from either man, she goes to the detective and upon learning about the multiple missing persons whose last known whereabouts were the Rising Moon bar, she decides to take up a job as a waitress at the place. Her instant attraction to the moody and bipolar hero is hot and steamy even from the jump. Though he says he can't get involved with her, he can't seem to keep his hands off of her. And the heroine is not a blushing virgin, even though she is self-conscious she knows she wants hero so she pushes for an affair. Both of them say that love is not involves, that their sexual affair will not develop into anything meaningful but the heroine knows that they are just bullshitting each other.
Tortured and mysterious but magnetic and deliciously hands on, showing her just how passionately he desires her, the heroine refuses to believe that he could be responsible for anyone's death. But the evidence keeps piling up. On top of the fact that his bar seems to be a common denominator between all the missing people, she's seen him with victims and she knows he has secrets. Secrets that make his weighed down with regret and scars from a suicide attempt. Written in the first person, the reading doesn't find out the truth of what he's so tormented about until the end and even thought the series is about werewolves, the author does a great job at creating doubt about what the hero is. Turns out he's a cursed werewolf. Not a mindless beast but in possession of his mind when she shifts and tortured with the memories of what he did when he was first turned. To make amends he's been killing all the werewolves he created in an attempt to break the curse.
I loved this book so much. The whole atmosphere of Voodoo and New Orleans and wolfs and mystery makes for an interesting read. The chemistry between the two characters was off the charts and I can't say how much I adored the heroine. She was so amazing because she had such a level head on her shoulders and despite the understand doubt about the werewolf myths around her, when presented with the evidence, she doesn't dismiss the truth. She was also a passionate woman, able to take what she wanted despite her insecurities. And the hero was so dark and moody but when he's with the heroine, you could feel how much he loved her despite her denials theirs was anything but a sexual affair and despite the fact that it's all written from the heroine's point of view. Great book. Best of the series by far.
Normally a woman as plain looking as her could never hope to attract such a man but the fact that he's blind gives her a bit of courage, not that she isn't already courageous as is. Receiving no help from either man, she goes to the detective and upon learning about the multiple missing persons whose last known whereabouts were the Rising Moon bar, she decides to take up a job as a waitress at the place. Her instant attraction to the moody and bipolar hero is hot and steamy even from the jump. Though he says he can't get involved with her, he can't seem to keep his hands off of her. And the heroine is not a blushing virgin, even though she is self-conscious she knows she wants hero so she pushes for an affair. Both of them say that love is not involves, that their sexual affair will not develop into anything meaningful but the heroine knows that they are just bullshitting each other.
Tortured and mysterious but magnetic and deliciously hands on, showing her just how passionately he desires her, the heroine refuses to believe that he could be responsible for anyone's death. But the evidence keeps piling up. On top of the fact that his bar seems to be a common denominator between all the missing people, she's seen him with victims and she knows he has secrets. Secrets that make his weighed down with regret and scars from a suicide attempt. Written in the first person, the reading doesn't find out the truth of what he's so tormented about until the end and even thought the series is about werewolves, the author does a great job at creating doubt about what the hero is. Turns out he's a cursed werewolf. Not a mindless beast but in possession of his mind when she shifts and tortured with the memories of what he did when he was first turned. To make amends he's been killing all the werewolves he created in an attempt to break the curse.
I loved this book so much. The whole atmosphere of Voodoo and New Orleans and wolfs and mystery makes for an interesting read. The chemistry between the two characters was off the charts and I can't say how much I adored the heroine. She was so amazing because she had such a level head on her shoulders and despite the understand doubt about the werewolf myths around her, when presented with the evidence, she doesn't dismiss the truth. She was also a passionate woman, able to take what she wanted despite her insecurities. And the hero was so dark and moody but when he's with the heroine, you could feel how much he loved her despite her denials theirs was anything but a sexual affair and despite the fact that it's all written from the heroine's point of view. Great book. Best of the series by far.
April 7, 2015
Spooky story about murder and disappearance mystery in New Orleans. Who and where is the body(s)? Anne’s sister Katie disappeared 3 years ago. After Anne became a PI to help her find Katie, she gets her first clue when she receives a photo of Katie in front of a club in New Orleans. There’s a lot of interesting twists and some strange new characters.
For a trained investigator, Anne isn’t very responsible and way to flighty. She’s obsessed by finding Katie and completely unprepared for what happens when she does. It’s for that reason that I’m glad she had John.
John Rodolpho turns out to be a real surprise. This mysterious broody hunk is not who she/we thinks he is. And I wouldn’t have forgiven him as easily as she does no matter how much I loved him. But I’m glad how it worked out. His friend King is very strange. The character is just as mysterious as John and I wish we’d get more info on him.
I never did like Detective Sullivan. Probably for the same reason’s Anne doesn’t go for him. But at least his questions are gone. LOL.
Even though Cassandra was mentioned several times through the book she didn’t appear until about 70% in. By that time half the other characters had died and disappeared. But it does give us a wonderful glimpse of her new life with Devon and Quinn. The rest of the previous J-S people that show up are the same. Edward is still a boring jerk, but I was surprised by Devon’s reactions. He’s really changed.
Quick Thoughts: 1)I know I wondered how Henri gets ‘cured� in the previous book, but this is a nice way though too ordinary.
2)Using New Orleans as a being used as a setting of supernatural stories is becoming too cliché and boring.
3)I’d like to try a muffuletta. I’ll have to find out where to get one.
Fave Scenes: Anne visiting John in jail, the ways to identify a werewolf list, meeting Quinn, Anne’s confrontation with John and Adam and realizing the curse is broken.
For a trained investigator, Anne isn’t very responsible and way to flighty. She’s obsessed by finding Katie and completely unprepared for what happens when she does. It’s for that reason that I’m glad she had John.
John Rodolpho turns out to be a real surprise. This mysterious broody hunk is not who she/we thinks he is. And I wouldn’t have forgiven him as easily as she does no matter how much I loved him. But I’m glad how it worked out. His friend King is very strange. The character is just as mysterious as John and I wish we’d get more info on him.
I never did like Detective Sullivan. Probably for the same reason’s Anne doesn’t go for him. But at least his questions are gone. LOL.
Even though Cassandra was mentioned several times through the book she didn’t appear until about 70% in. By that time half the other characters had died and disappeared. But it does give us a wonderful glimpse of her new life with Devon and Quinn. The rest of the previous J-S people that show up are the same. Edward is still a boring jerk, but I was surprised by Devon’s reactions. He’s really changed.
Quick Thoughts: 1)I know I wondered how Henri gets ‘cured� in the previous book, but this is a nice way though too ordinary.
2)Using New Orleans as a being used as a setting of supernatural stories is becoming too cliché and boring.
3)I’d like to try a muffuletta. I’ll have to find out where to get one.
Fave Scenes: Anne visiting John in jail, the ways to identify a werewolf list, meeting Quinn, Anne’s confrontation with John and Adam and realizing the curse is broken.
April 20, 2012
With a subtitle like "He awakens something within her...", I guessed that this book would probably be thin on plot and thick on juicy sex scenes. I wasn't too far wrong, but I admit I was pleasantly surprised by the realism of the location - New Orleans, post 'Katrina'.
The book was dark, smokey and intriguing enough to carry me to the end within a couple of hours. The erotic content was probably R18 (if books had classification) but not uncomfortable or overdone. It was, however, a little random. Like Bella and Edward of Twilight fame, most of the way through, I found myself wondering what exactly attracted these two people to each other. It seemed like he was playing her to get to her sister but at the same time, honestly and dare I say 'irrevocably' in love with her, while she, just like Bella, seemed high on Supernatural Creature pheremones which completely overrode any instinct for self-preservation.
The fact that our heroine, Anne, was a Private Investigator, did lead to some amusing trips away from her amor's bedroom in order to try and find her 'long lost sister', though most of the time, I think she forgot she even had a sister.
By the end of the book, I felt that the threads had been tied up in a way I had pretty much guessed from the pitch and a couple of clues along the way. This is very much a heat of the moment story which benefits from not too much analysis. Having said that, I felt that Lori Handeland did some excellent research into New Orleans and Voodoo magic which made the whole story seem a lot more grounded.
A good read if you're looking for a more 'adult' paranormal romance - sexy and definitely minus the adolescent pining.
The book was dark, smokey and intriguing enough to carry me to the end within a couple of hours. The erotic content was probably R18 (if books had classification) but not uncomfortable or overdone. It was, however, a little random. Like Bella and Edward of Twilight fame, most of the way through, I found myself wondering what exactly attracted these two people to each other. It seemed like he was playing her to get to her sister but at the same time, honestly and dare I say 'irrevocably' in love with her, while she, just like Bella, seemed high on Supernatural Creature pheremones which completely overrode any instinct for self-preservation.
The fact that our heroine, Anne, was a Private Investigator, did lead to some amusing trips away from her amor's bedroom in order to try and find her 'long lost sister', though most of the time, I think she forgot she even had a sister.
By the end of the book, I felt that the threads had been tied up in a way I had pretty much guessed from the pitch and a couple of clues along the way. This is very much a heat of the moment story which benefits from not too much analysis. Having said that, I felt that Lori Handeland did some excellent research into New Orleans and Voodoo magic which made the whole story seem a lot more grounded.
A good read if you're looking for a more 'adult' paranormal romance - sexy and definitely minus the adolescent pining.
June 1, 2010
I had no idea this was a series. And apparently each book focuses on a different couple. So even though some characters may reappear, you can read them as stand alones (or at least, this one could). I did get the feeling that I was missing out on some backstory, which is when I looked it up and realized that some of the characters are in previous books and have history.
The romance element is a little strong for me. I don't like it when in the first chapter or two they have that "omg I'm gonna jump your bones in 10 pages" encounter. It always feels forced no matter what. Once you get that awkward "instant attraction" mess out of the way the story is pretty good. I don't know that much about the mythologies of werewolves presented in this book so I enjoyed learning some new words and ideas about the were critters. And anything set in NOLA is fine with me! You get an excellent sense of the city and I loved a lot of the descriptions in the book.
It was a fast and enjoyable read. I would like to know if she will follow up and conclude the story later. If she doesn't I'd be mad. I want to know what happens to those "untied" ends that are left dangling. Especially Maggie as I couldn't help liking and caring about her, even though she was just a side character. You do see a lot of the plot coming, but there was a lot of stuff I never saw coming (since I'm not well versed in voodoo or werewolf lore.)
I'd recommend it to paranormal romance fans easily. And it did win a RITA award! (see: )
The romance element is a little strong for me. I don't like it when in the first chapter or two they have that "omg I'm gonna jump your bones in 10 pages" encounter. It always feels forced no matter what. Once you get that awkward "instant attraction" mess out of the way the story is pretty good. I don't know that much about the mythologies of werewolves presented in this book so I enjoyed learning some new words and ideas about the were critters. And anything set in NOLA is fine with me! You get an excellent sense of the city and I loved a lot of the descriptions in the book.
It was a fast and enjoyable read. I would like to know if she will follow up and conclude the story later. If she doesn't I'd be mad. I want to know what happens to those "untied" ends that are left dangling. Especially Maggie as I couldn't help liking and caring about her, even though she was just a side character. You do see a lot of the plot coming, but there was a lot of stuff I never saw coming (since I'm not well versed in voodoo or werewolf lore.)
I'd recommend it to paranormal romance fans easily. And it did win a RITA award! (see: )
March 4, 2017
Anne Lockhart comes to New Orleans in search of her younger sister, who went missing three years ago. But evidence leads her to Rising Moon Bar during Mardi Gras, where she takes a job as a waitress working for blind jazz musician and bar owner, John Rodolfo. The attraction sizzles and he is a major enigma, at times sullen, brooding and able to take care of himself despite his blindness. But he's also under investigation for the disappearances and murders of quite a few people and Conner Sullivan, a local detective has focused his sights on John. He's also pretty focused on Anne, but as a romantic interest.
I really liked this one on the whole. I enjoyed the mystery, which had me guessing as to what John's secret was . It also had me wondering who the "villain" werewolf could possibly be...the one who was actually biting and killing people. This was just a nicely crafted mystery and paranormal story. The romance was pretty good, but I felt that Anne forgave John's deception entirely too easily with too little explanation or even apology. Nor did I care for his attempt at nobility there at the end...which incidentally I felt was a bit rushed. But I've noticed that Lori Handeland has a way of sucking me into a first person narrative like no one else does. I become so enthralled with the story that I can't stop reading it and that's what really makes this series great for me.
I really liked this one on the whole. I enjoyed the mystery, which had me guessing as to what John's secret was . It also had me wondering who the "villain" werewolf could possibly be...the one who was actually biting and killing people. This was just a nicely crafted mystery and paranormal story. The romance was pretty good, but I felt that Anne forgave John's deception entirely too easily with too little explanation or even apology. Nor did I care for his attempt at nobility there at the end...which incidentally I felt was a bit rushed. But I've noticed that Lori Handeland has a way of sucking me into a first person narrative like no one else does. I become so enthralled with the story that I can't stop reading it and that's what really makes this series great for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 22, 2024
A pretty good PNR romance that I read twice (2018 & 2019). I doubt I'll ever read it again.
It follows the formulaic plot of previous books:
Anne, a loner who doesn't think she's attractive, is on a personal mission. This time it's to find out what happened to her sister in New Orleans. People are mysteriously disappearing, some turning up dead.
Anne starts working at a jazz club for a hot blind guy, named John Rodolfo. He has a secret past and is a tortured hero. .
The MCs are physically attracted to each other, and soon start having sex. Frequent sex leads to love. At the end, Once again, the MCs end up working for Edward and become Jager-Suchers aka monster hunters-searchers.
👎 I'm not a fan of the setting (New Orleans), or voodoo being part of the storyline. With Priestess Cassandra (previous MC) included.
👎 It's insta-lust leading to insta-love. There are no meaningful interactions between the MCs, outside of sex.
😢 The mystery involving Anne's sister was interesting, but it was sad when Anne found out what happened to her.
It follows the formulaic plot of previous books:
Anne, a loner who doesn't think she's attractive, is on a personal mission. This time it's to find out what happened to her sister in New Orleans. People are mysteriously disappearing, some turning up dead.
Anne starts working at a jazz club for a hot blind guy, named John Rodolfo. He has a secret past and is a tortured hero. .
The MCs are physically attracted to each other, and soon start having sex. Frequent sex leads to love. At the end, Once again, the MCs end up working for Edward and become Jager-Suchers aka monster hunters-searchers.
👎 I'm not a fan of the setting (New Orleans), or voodoo being part of the storyline. With Priestess Cassandra (previous MC) included.
👎 It's insta-lust leading to insta-love. There are no meaningful interactions between the MCs, outside of sex.
😢 The mystery involving Anne's sister was interesting, but it was sad when Anne found out what happened to her.
January 1, 2023
Приватний детектив Енн Локхарт приїздить до Нового Орлеана, щоб відшукати свою сестру. Влаштовується працювати до бару «Місяць сходить», закохується у його власника, має багато класного сексу, переживає безліч небезпечних пригод та дізнається про існування перевертнів і таємну організацію ягер-зухерів, які вистежують потойбічних створінь ще з часів Другої світової.
Це, лячно сказати, 9-а книга з циклу «Нічні створіння», і вона завершує арку подій у Новому Орлеані.
Всі попередні (і, гадаю, всі наступні) книги циклу написані за однією схемою: у місті відбуваються дивні події, ніби напади тварин, а ніби й ні; героїня не шукає кохання, лише правди, але зустрічає таємничого красеня (який, звісно ж, пов’язани� з вищезгаданими подіями), їх одразу тягне одне до одного, і все завершується гепі-ендом.
І якщо ви запитаєте, чи пам’ята� я героїв першої книги і про що там взагалі йшлося, я воліла б не відповідати не це питання.
Проста й невигадлива книга, на один вечір і зуб, щоб розвантажити мозок. І, можливо, наважитися читати англійською, бо текст дуже простий.
Це, лячно сказати, 9-а книга з циклу «Нічні створіння», і вона завершує арку подій у Новому Орлеані.
Всі попередні (і, гадаю, всі наступні) книги циклу написані за однією схемою: у місті відбуваються дивні події, ніби напади тварин, а ніби й ні; героїня не шукає кохання, лише правди, але зустрічає таємничого красеня (який, звісно ж, пов’язани� з вищезгаданими подіями), їх одразу тягне одне до одного, і все завершується гепі-ендом.
І якщо ви запитаєте, чи пам’ята� я героїв першої книги і про що там взагалі йшлося, я воліла б не відповідати не це питання.
Проста й невигадлива книга, на один вечір і зуб, щоб розвантажити мозок. І, можливо, наважитися читати англійською, бо текст дуже простий.
May 24, 2011
Nice to sew up a previous thread from earlier in the Night-Creature series. However if I didn't already have this book on the shelf (and the next one) I wouldn' t continue with this series.
It is all a bit formulaic now - loner girl who is a tough cookie, doesn't think herself as hot, goes in search of something/one that she has lost, meets up with a man of god given beauty but is emotionally tortured. They have the sex of their lives but it can't be love cause that is not on the cards for them, then shock horror there are werewolves in dem der parts! About 2 pages is given over to 'I must be insane, I'm a Christian' then quickly it moves onto realisation that they are in love, that they want to become Edwards minion and go off into the sunset shooting wolves with silver to watch 'em burn baby burn.
It is all a bit formulaic now - loner girl who is a tough cookie, doesn't think herself as hot, goes in search of something/one that she has lost, meets up with a man of god given beauty but is emotionally tortured. They have the sex of their lives but it can't be love cause that is not on the cards for them, then shock horror there are werewolves in dem der parts! About 2 pages is given over to 'I must be insane, I'm a Christian' then quickly it moves onto realisation that they are in love, that they want to become Edwards minion and go off into the sunset shooting wolves with silver to watch 'em burn baby burn.
May 21, 2011
When I read the description on the back, I was certain that this would follow the formula of these books exactly. As far as the main characters went, it did. There is a definate trend in almost all of Handeland's leanding characters. That said, the plot followed a different track than I expected. I could still predict the ending, but it wasn't exactly like the previous books. I think this one finishes up the New Orleans Voodoo cycle. It seems to change location and mythological focus every three books. The first trilogy was in Wisconsin, using Ojibwe folklore. I'm a bit curious to see where she will go for the next trilogy in the series.
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