Smoke & Mirrors 

by C.L. Schneider 

5 out of 5 

Synopsis 

Secrets are a dragon’s best friend. Deception is a close second. Both provide a sturdy armor, allowing half-dragon shapeshifter, Dahlia Nite, to live undetected among the humans. Walking in two worlds, belonging in neither, she wraps herself in a shroud of lies to hide in plain sight. But nothing stays hidden forever.

When dismembered bodies of multiple species are dumped on the riverbank, the case falls to Dahlia and Detective Alex Creed. Backed by Sentinel City’s new task force, the pair find themselves urged along by clues that seem too good to be true. Bouncing from one crime scene to the next, they hunt for a clear motive in a murky sea of conflicting evidence. Already on edge from the recent string of unexplained crimes, the city begins to unravel.

Drowning in missing creatures, slaughtered remains, masked men—and the search for her sidekick’s missing sister—Dahlia burns the candle at both ends. Seeking answers, she employs her empathic abilities, and uncovers something deeper and more sinister than a simple serial killer’s web. As the dots connect, and worlds collide, she struggles to shields her friends from the truth. But secrets can be deadly. And Dahlia’s not the only one who keeps them.

Review 

When heavy rains reveal dismembered bodies dumped by the river, Dahlia has to uncover one of Sentinel City's biggest secrets.

I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review. I also bought my own copy a few months ago, and been trying to fit it into my reading list since!

Our favourite dragon-shifter is back, with another mystery to solve.

This time, the SAPD have acknowledged that their city is home to some pretty weird stuff, and have formed the Unexplained Crimes Unit, headed by Detective Alex Creed.

Dahlia enjoys being part of a team, but has to work to keep her secrets and solve the crimes that her colleagues don't even know are happening.

She returns with her best friend and hunting buddy - Casey. His usual geeky-over-excited-school-boy character is a little subdued, as his sister continues to be missing, and he can't stop looking for her.

I really enjoyed this third instalment of the series, as Dahlia's secret-keeping reaches dangerous new levels for the humans around her.

The dragon queen finally makes an appearance on Earth, as she intends to get her claws back into Dahlia.

The blight responsible for destroying worlds, has been ticking along in the background so far; but it's presence is so much stronger in this book. You get to see one of the infected worlds, and how it's affected everything around it. It's also clear that Earth's time is running out, as the blight encroaches through the gateways.

Dahlia slowly accepts her fate, that she'll have a part to play in stopping it.

This is such a fun series, and I can't wait for the next book!

Goodreads

Amazon