Hello again my fellow bibliophiles,
I am taking part in an amazing blog tour, organized by the one and only @TheWriteReads on Twitter (you rock, Dave!!), and I am so glad that I took part in this one because this book was something else. Josie Jaffrey took the vampire trend and spun it into something so amazing that I just couldn’t put this book down. It’s so good, and I can’t wait to show you more about why I enjoyed this book so much.
Blurb
If the murderer you’re tracking is a vampire, then you want a vampire detective. Just maybe not this one.
It’s not that Jack Valentine is bad at her job. The youngest member of Oxford’s Seekers has an impressive track record, but she also has an impressive grudge against the local baron, Killian Drake.
When a human turns up dead on May Morning, she’s determined to pin the murder on Drake. The problem is that none of the evidence points to him. Instead, it leads Jack into a web of conspiracy involving the most powerful people in the country, people to whom Jack has no access. But she knows someone who does.
To get to the truth, Jack will have to partner up with her worst enemy. As long as she can keep her cool, Drake will point her to the ringleaders, she’ll find the murderer and no one else will have to die.
Body bags on standby.
May Day is the first book in Josie Jaffrey’s Seekers series, an urban fantasy series set in Oxford, England.
Trigger Warnings (as quoted from the book):
“General warning for violence/murder.
General warning for blood/gore, including blood-drinking, description of injuries, dead bodies, forensic investigation, autopsy.
Brief mention of suicide.
Blood drinking as sexual/pleasurable behaviour.
Some swearing (up to and including ‘fuck’).
Use of ‘date rape’ drugs including Rohypnol, in a non-sexual context.
Predatory sexual behaviour discussed on-page but not seen, including stalking, sexual assault and rape, physical abuse of women for sexual pleasure. Use/abuse of prostitutes mentioned.
Misogyny from side characters.
Brief mention of miscarriage.”
Thoughts
Like I said, this book is something else. Due to the cover, I had different expectations, and I was so surprised to find that this took place in an urban setting! I absolutely loved it, though. I loved the idea of a vampire detective agency, and I loved the whole team dynamic too. Vampire detectives, with teams and a captain and everything!! I got some Brooklyn 99 vibes from them, especially between the Jack Valentine and her superior, Boyd – they reminded me of Jake Peralta and Captain Holt, but not as friendly. I also loved Cam. He’s such a sweetheart! His friendship with Jack is also so wholesome and sweet. The team dynamic isn’t perfect, but it works in its own way, even when there are a number of bumps during their disconcerting investigation.
I really enjoyed the LGBTQ+ representation in this book too. It was very refreshing. I love that the main character, Jack, was bisexual, and whilst the love triangle is a trope that has honestly “been there, done that”, Josie gave it a messy twist which made it very intriguing, and I really enjoyed experiencing it.
The murder mystery was my favourite part though. It was so complex, and every clue led to something even more complicated and mysterious, I was struggling to make sense of it all along with the team. It was such a good plot, and I can’t wait to see what will happen next. I couldn’t believe it when I found out who the killer was though. It was very surprising, and the story behind it was very heavy. There were so many twists and turns that I could not keep up!
The ending was PERFECT. What an incredibly powerful way to sum up Jack’s growth and her messy, stubborn, and determined character. She is an imperfect, powerful, vindictive, and determined woman, and whilst there are times you want to yell at her and have a give her a good smack in the face, she is a heroine that you cannot help but cheer on. She is selfish, rowdy, and always knows how to party. She is also incredibly unaware of how self-destructive she can be, but through the course of events, she has to face every part of herself, head-on, especially when a cute doctor and an old nemesis make things even more complicated than they should be.
The Seeker’s take on morality was remarkably stimulating, but also disturbing in the fact that it’s not all too surprising. There were some points where you didn’t even know if the killer was ever going to be found or not. Killers and victims are both crossing the lines, so who are the Seekers really trying to protect? There are some notable and disturbing men with misogynistic attitudes that creep up in this book, but I love how fierce Jack was in battling them.
This is such a great book, and I would highly recommend this to anyone that loves vampires, murder mysteries, and is looking for something new and exciting.
My Rating:
You can buy the paperback version from Book Depository and you can get it with my affiliate link, which is at no cost to you! This is such a great book, and I would highly recommend this to anyone that loves vampires, murder mysteries, and is looking for something new and exciting.
Written by: Alexia DeBono
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