Format: Kindle, 344 pages
Release Date: June 2nd 2020
Publisher: Te Da Media
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Genre: Humorous Fantasy
Ash wanted a career filled with challenging mysteries. She should have specified she didn't mean her family.
When a murder scene reveals a connection to Ash's father who abandoned her when she was thirteen, she's stunned. He may be the key to stopping Chariot from achieving immortality.
The catch? He could be hiding anywhere in the world.
To make matters worse, Levi, Ash's romantic entanglement and brand-new boss, has his first official case for her: helping his ex-girlfriend, a.k.a. Ash's childhood tormentor.
No one ever said adulting was easy.
As secrets multiply and alliances get deadlier, Ash's investigation takes her back into Hedon and into her own past. Cracking this case could reunite her family... or cost her everyone she holds dear.
Actual ghosts have nothing on the ghosts of her past.
Shadows and Surrender is the third installment in author Deborah Wilde's The Jezebel Files. Ashira Cohen is the only female Private Investigator in Vancouver. But, now that she's completely accepted the Jezebel mantle which comes with full body armor and a wicked knife, she's now one of only 13 who have been fighting a war against Chariot who wants to rewrite the world in their image. She's not allowed to tell anyone she's not a mundane for fear of reprisals against her. In a way, this book continues where previous installment left off. This story opens with Ash being grilled about a murder she may or may not have had anything to do with. She did.
That's what happens when you try to attack Ash. She's not defenseless by any means. She's got a wicked cool body shield and a blood knife that can keep her out of danger. She soon discovers yet another dead body who just happens to be the mans sister who was apparently doing bad things with dogs. She ends up adopting a cute little dog she names Mrs. Watson which you can see on the cover and hilarity ensues. What's even more curious and disturbing, is that Ash finds a copy of A Study in Scarlet in the woman's home. The book once belonged to her father Adam Cohen.
Adam disappeared 15 years ago after she was in an accident. Finding Adam was Ash's one hope that he might know where one of the missing scrolls went. This mystery has kept Ash in a bad place for many years thinking she was to blame. On top of all of that, she ends up having to deal with Levi Montefiore's ex-girlfriend Mayan and a necromancer. Mayan is a girl who also went to the same Jewish summer camp as Ash, Miles, and Levi and tormented her endlessly. Note to reader, these mysteries and investigations are literally right on top of each other. If you think you've solved one, someone tosses in a wrench and the investigations are expanded.
Ash is still in the process of figuring out if she can actually trust her alleged Attendant, Rafael who she once called an Evil Wanker for good reasons. Rafael is the keeper of all of the Jezebel knowledge. A curious situation has developed between the two characters which I'm not going to spoil. There is more than meets the eyes when it comes to Rafael as well as Ash being taken seriously. On top of all of this, Ash has to tread carefully when it comes to the Queen of Hearts who operates Hedon. She doesn't take things lightly and is itching to turn Ash into one of her garden's statues.
Ash is an enemy to Chariot which is bent on acquiring immortality. If they get all 5 scrolls, they will have won and Ash and her team will have lost. Chariot and Jezebel's have been warring against each other for hundreds of years. Ash and Rafael have (3) scrolls, Chariot has (1) and (1) is missing thanks to Ash's father. His disappearance guides everything that Ash has done over the years. It's the one mystery she hopes to resolve before doing a final battle with Chariot.
Key characters beside Ash:
Levi Montefiore, Head of House Pacifica. Once was Ash's nemesis going all the way back to summer camp, now her alleged boss who is also her lover. Levi is a powerful man who is fighting against the Untainted Party's attempt to control anyone with magic. He is also a bit on the over protective side at times.
Rafael Behar, Ash's Attendant who has come close to finally accepting that Ash isn't a total failure. There's something going on between the two of them that need to be discussed without spoiling the book. Rafael's discoveries at the end of this book tore my breath away. It also leaves Ash is a bad place wondering what's going to happen next.
Miles Berenbaum, Head of Security for House Pacifica, another one of Ash's summer camp challenges, thorn in her side, but not for the reasons you may think. Miles and another key character Arkady Choi, Ash's next door neighbor, mentor, and all around mystery man, are exploring a relationship. I don't think Miles hates Ash, I think she loves getting under his skin and he's trying to make her see the light before she ends up badly hurt.
Priya Khatri, Ash's friend, employee, and hacker who now works for House Pacifica. Priya and Ash's scenes are mostly humorous until Ash does something stupid, again, to put her in a bad mood and they have to revisit the fact that sometimes Ash can be a real bitch. Priya's mom loves Ash and is always sending over Indian food. Priya is also a key member of Team Ash who is fighting against Chariot and their world domination attempt.
I
got through this book just fine and there was plenty of action and
romance. Then the author hits me upside the head with a devastating
revelation which causes untold grief for Ash and other characters. This
revelation is definitely setting the stage for the alleged final book
in this series called Revenge and Rapture which is releasing in October. I will be continuing this
right to the very end to see what happens to Ash and her allies. I want
to see if Ash and her mother, Talia, can finally move forward now that
certain truths are being revealed. It's way past time in my humble
opinion.
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