Format: Kindle, 295 pages
Release Date: October 30, 2012
Publisher: 47North
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Dead Spots is the first installment in author Melissa F. Olson's Scarlett Bernard series, as well as the first installment in the authors Old World series. The story
actually begins with a horrific crime. Jared and Emily, brother and
sister, are out playing when Jared falls asleep and wakes to hear his
little sister being attacked by monsters. Needless to say, this doesn't
sit well with him, and he makes plans to pay those responsible for his
sisters attack, and subsequent disappearance.
Scarlett Bernard knows about personal space: step within ten feet of her, and anything supernatural is instantly neutralized—vampires and werewolves become human again, and witches can’t cast the slightest spell. There are plenty of people in the Old World that really are not fans of Scarlett. For the past 5 years, Scarlett has used her status as a null to cover up murder scenes for magical people who are killing humans either accidentally, or on purpose, thus helping the Old world keep in the dark from humanity, and the police.
She never speeds, she services her van monthly,
and makes sure she is wearing the most popular shoes so her treads can
not be traced. Scarlett was trained by a woman named Olivia who took her in after her parents died. Scarlett also has an older brother that she is not really interested in having a relationship with because she knows that if Dashiell, or Kirsten Harms-Dickerson, or Will Carling finds out about her brother, he will be used as blackmail to use against her. Can't say as I blame her after what happens in this book.
One night Scarlett is told to rush to a crime scene at La Brea Park by Dashiell, the vampire cardinal of L.A. There are old world dead bodies there that need to be cleaned up and disposed of before the cops get there. Unfortunately, thanks to a delay in taking care of another cleanup, she gets caught at the scene of a grisly murder by LAPD Homicide cop Jesse Cruz who has barely been on the job. Cruz tracks down Scarlett and blackmails her into a deal: he’ll keep quiet about the supernatural underworld if she helps him crack the case.
Their pact doesn’t sit well with Dashiell, the city’s cardinal vampire, who fears his whole empire is at stake. He would love nothing more than to do away with both Scarlett and Jesse and start new with someone else. When the clues point to Scarlett herself as null responsible for several deaths in the area, it’ll take more than her unique powers to catch the real killer and clear her name. In fact, if Scarlett doesn't find and bring the killer to Dashiell in 30 hours, she might as well not come back.
As I have read the rest of this Old World series, including a recent crossover with Scarlett and Lex Luther, I have to be-careful of what I reveal. The entire thing with Olivia is a giant spoiler since you can read the next book's synopsis and it will tell you what happens next. I do have questions thus I will be reading book # 2 soon. There is another null introduced in this book named Cory, but Scarlett does her best to distance herself from the new girl for fear that the villains will use her as leverage to get what they want.
I will also warn readers not to judge people like Dashiell too harshly without first finishing this first trilogy, as well as the newest trilogy. Same can be said of Jesse who has to deal with a triangle between himself, Scarlett, and Eli, who is a werewolf. Molly, who is Scarlett's roommate, is also a vampire. Molly is dealt a hard hand when Scarlett is accused of being a killer by Dashiell. I think one of the negatives people will have is the careless attitude of the Old world supernaturals, as well as Scarlett, yet I don't really believe she feels that way. She's between a rock and a hard place and she's not immortal.
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