Housewife Blues and Chihuahua Stories

Book InfoMass Market Paperback, 304 pagesExpected publication: May 7th 2013 by Harlequin (first published May 1st 2013)ISBN 0373885695 (ISBN13: 9780373885695)edition language Englishoriginal title Keeper of the Shadowsseries The Keepers: L.A. #3Source:Netgalley EARCBook Buy LinksAMAZONB&NBOOK SYNOPSISAncestral Keepers Rhiannon, Sailor Ann, and Barrymore Gryffald keep the peace between the supernatural communities in the shadowy Otherworld of Hollywood, where the mortals can be as strange—and dangerous—as the paranormals.When a teenage shifter is found dead on Hollywood Boulevard on the same night as a studio head dies in suspicious circumstances, Shapeshifter Keeper Barrymore Gryffald is sure the deaths are connected. She discovers an eerie parallel to a fifteen-year old tragedy: the mysterious death of an iconic teenage movie star on the set of a cult movie about the Otherworld. Barrie reluctantly teams with the gorgeous and enigmatic Mick Townsend, a rival journalist on her paper, to dig into the movie's history and a cast of suspects that range from teenage runaways to international movie stars. As more victims surface, Barrie can trust no one, least of all Mick, who may well prove to be as inconstant as the shifters Barrie is sworn to protect.My ThoughtsThe Gryffald cousins are respective keepers of the Los Angeles area "others", those paranormal beings who humankind has always glamorized as being something make believe but as Rhiannon, Sailor and Barrie know the Vampires, Weres, Elven, Shapeshifters and more are as real as it gets and their job is to make sure that humans keep thinking they are fantasy creatures as well as keeping humans safe from any "other" who believes that a mortal is fair game for them.As Vampire Keeper Rhiannon has the job of keeping a tight grip on rogue blood drinkers, Sailor as Elven Keeper makes sure that her folk do not "glamour" any unsuspecting human thus providing them with control over their thoughts and actions and Barrie has the job of keeping the volatile and self-destructive Shifters from harming themselves or humans who they come in contact with.This is the story out of the three in the LA Keeper series that allows the reader to experience the glamourous side of Hollywood to a certain extent along with Barrie, it also delves into the seedy underbelly that is the "Hollywood machine" where the bottom line is more important than the actors whose lives are changed forevermore by their brush with fame and fortune and all the seductive power that comes with both.Barrie finds herself in way over her head when she realizes that the answers to her questions are tied up in events that happened 15 years previously and the repercussions to finding those answers she is looking for may just come at a higher price than she is willing to pay. The shadowy presence who is behind all the deaths is one that no one would ever expect and yet is the very one whose power gives them the ability to get close to the victims who do not realize their danger until it is too late.The pace of events is fast, the romance between Barrie and Mick combustible from the beginning and the final confrontation scenes will have you biting your nails sitting on the edge of your seat waiting for the winner of the conflict to emerge. For me this one was a book that had to be read in one sitting; putting it down before finding out who, what, when, where and why was unthinkable!Of the three LA Keeper books this one captured the elegance, charm, sophistication and dark underbelly of Hollywood for me the best. Barrie has been my favorite Gryffald cousin since her character was introduced and her story had the best emotional investment for me too.[EArc from Netgalley in exchange for honest review]