Just wow! This is a sensational debut novel from Kelly Gay; the first book in a series which is going to become a definite ‘must buy’. This is original, action-packed, heart in your mouth kind of writing that you just can’t put down.

Our heroine is Charlie Madigan, divorced mum of one and ITF cop, with some unique kick-arse skills that she’s only just learning about.

Her partner Hank is a Siren, an alien, and there is that cop ‘partner’ relationship between the two of them which creates a great dynamic. They’re both like a pair of Riggs’ (Mel Gibson: Lethal Weapon), with that strong bond and amazing ability to get into trouble. Kelly Gay has delivered an emotional intensity between these two that mimics real-life, without having to resort to the usual sexual entanglement.

We also have strong family ties, trusted friendships and really powerful bad-guys. This isn’t the usual loner-chick fighting it out to save the world. Charlie has friends, often that she didn’t even know about.

One of the most original aspects of the Better Park of Darkness is that our bad guys are aliens. Written in a very heaven-hell / Demons versus Angels manner, the various groups take on a Mafia like gang structure, with more hidden beneath the surface and lots of goings on that the public don’t know about. The aliens are from two separate planets, one light, one dark, but have been visiting earth for millennia and are the basis for much of our mythology, including goblins, fairies and of course Angels and Demons.

Very strong plot, with some excellent twists and well developed characters make this a great read. The story doesn’t flow, it more picks you up and drags you along in a fast past turbulent current with moments of calm emotional revelation to give you a chance to catch your breath and absorb the plot before being swept up again.

The whole book is great, but it is also such a wonderful set up for the rest of the series, and actually manages to set up the series in such a manner that you don’t realise it until the end. There isn’t a cliff-hanger, but there is certainly plot to go on with and so much potential for the plot, I just don’t know which way it’s going to be taken.

Why didn't this get a five star if it was that good? World building. As much as I loved the story, there was just too much to cram into the story, so in the process of trying to create the plot flow we missed out on some of the world building and character development. We're going to have it made up to us in the next book, I can see that, but too many characters and too much going on to really be able to do justice to them all in the first book.

If you’re a fan of Jenna Black or Kim Harrison, you’re going to love this series. There is a mix of magical, crime-fighting, action, love and other-ness. It’s a story with strong emotional commitment to the characters and a beautifully written plot with lots of twists.

What a bloody FANGtastic debut! Honestly The Better Part of Darkness by Kelly Gay has absolutely blown me away with its believable and well drawn characters, brilliant worldbuilding and clever plot.

We join Charlie Madigan’s world 13 years after the fact of other dimensions has become known and ‘immigrants’ from the heaven-like Elysia and hell-like Charbydon have flooded into Earth. With the range of new beings, their powers and their social and political structures, the world is no longer a safe place.  Laws and treaties have been created between humans and aliens, but as an Atlanta cop working as part of the Integration Task Force, Charlie knows just how dangerous the world can be. She knows because months earlier she was killed.

She may have been brought back to life, but the nightmares that plague her and her growing unusual powers have her terrified.

With a deft touch Kelly Gay throws us straight into the unfolding drama where illegal otherworld drugs are loosed onto the streets of Atlanta. With the opening scene showing the victim to be Charlie’s daughter Emma’s baby sitter, we know that the ugly world of drug manufacturing and distribution is going to intersect with Charlie’s family on a most personal level.

Charlie is one of the best characters I’ve come across in a long time.  She’s tough, but she has a profound love for her daughter (and refreshingly her daughter loves her back, thank God – I’m so tired of the dysfunctional family as a plot device) and when she’s faced with difficult situations and choices she does the best she can. It’s so easy to care for Charlie because she’s remarkably believable.

The drama develops in a logical and well constructed way – there are surprises, but each is probable, there are plot twists, but on reflection the clues were presented earlier. In all, the way that the investigation progresses is wonderfully appropriate to a good thriller.

And this is what this book is - Urban Fantasy at its most thrilling!  Our familiar world has been twisted into a frightening new shape where characters ranging from the terrifyingly nasty to the heartwarmingly courageous struggle for increasingly high stakes. The tension is made immediate and vivid when Charlie’s family is drawn into the middle of the situation.

When you talk about a book engaging you – well this is a perfect example!  The plot was fascinating and frightening and the characters went through incredible struggles while remaining believable and smart.

Thank goodness we can look forward to the sequel, The Darkest Edge of Dawn, later this year because there are a lot of mysteries still to be solved. The most urgent danger might be over, but there’s a whole lot of evil still cooking up trouble for Charlie!

So, remember this is a debut novel when you want to ponder what a remarkable achievement this is – but then put that aslide, plunge into a wonderful new world and just enjoy the read!