Flashback Friday Review: The Voodoo Killings by Kristi Charish

We wanted to revisit Rose Red's review from 2016 because The Voodoo Killings by Kristi Charish is finally being published in the US and it will have a brand new cover! I really like the new cover but I still love the old one more. No matter the packaging, it's an awesome story!

The Voodoo Killings
(Kincaid Strange #1)
Kristi Charish
Canadian Release: May 10, 2016
US Release: June 12, 2018
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For the first time since we launched Bitten by Kelley Armstrong, Random House Canada is thrilled to announce the debut of a new urban fantasy series. Kristi Charish's The Voodoo Killings introduces Kincaid Strange, not your average voodoo practitioner...

For starters, she's only 27. Then there's the fact that she lives in rain-soaked Seattle, which is not exactly Haiti. And she's broke. With raising zombies outlawed throughout the continental USA, Kincaid has to eke out a living running seances for university students with more money than brains who are desperate for guitar lessons with the ghost of a Seattle grunge rocker--who happens to be Kincaid's on-again, off-again roommate.

Then a stray zombie turns up outside her neighbourhood bar: Cameron Wight, an up-and-coming visual artist with no recollection of how he died or who raised him. Not only is it dangerous for Kincaid to be caught with an unauthorized zombie, she soon realizes he's tied to a spate of murders: someone is targeting the zombies and voodoo practitioners in Seattle's infamous Underground City, a paranormal hub. When the police refuse to investigate, the City's oldest and foremost zombie asks Kincaid to help. Raising ghosts and zombies is one thing, but finding a murderer? She's broke, but she's not stupid.

And then she becomes the target...As the saying goes, when it rains it pours, especially in Seattle.

Review:
You all know how much I love Kristi Charish's The Adventures of Owl series, right? Well, I think this series may have surpassed it. I absolutely adored it! This book was everything I wanted it to be! Zombies! Ghouls! Voodoo outside of New Orleans! Ghosts! Poltergeists! All of these things mixed with bits and pieces from various mythologies made for some A+ worldbuilding, which is something I've come to expect from Charish and enjoy the hell out of in each of her books. But amazing worldbuilding aside, how could I not love a book about a voodoo practitioner who lives in Seattle with the ghost of a grunge rockstar?

Kincaid Strange was a seriously kick-butt heroine. I was able to relate to her on an emotional level. She knows how to keep herself together and is a planner after my own heart. She is a really mature heroine who avoids unnecessary drama and gets things done. She was brilliant! Add in her sarcastic wit and sense of humor and she easily became a favorite character of mine.

Also, did I mention this is an urban fantasy murder mystery with zombies? It's totally a murder mystery with zombies, which is such of fantastic premise! This book is fast paced and full of action. Like with the Owl books, there was never a dull moment. I also loved that the supernatural world was known to everybody and that some of the politics of dealing with the "non-living" were explored. It added a whole new dimension to the book. 

And Charish deserves a slow clap for her zombies. They are not your typical zombie apocalypse zombies. No unknown viruses making zombies out of the living. The dead are raised with voodoo and have a surprising range of capabilities and weaknesses. And the Underground City for zombies and ghouls beneath Seattle was such a cool touch.

Charish has a gift for creating a monster mash of paranormal creatures. I loved the secondary characters! Of course, zombie Cameron was a big part of this book and learning what happened to him really drove the story, but there was also Kincaid's ghostly roommate, Nate, and her zombie informant/Otherside ringleader, Lee Ling. Nate was my favorite! Not only was he an awesome character, his and Kincaid's friendship and teamwork was a really great additional dynamic. I really loved the two of them and their interactions together!

I switched back and forth between the audiobook and the ARC while reading this and I can't recommend the audiobook enough! By the time I finished the book, I had listened to over 75% of it. It's definitely one of the best audiobooks I've listened to in 2016. The narrator, Susannah Jones, totally captured the atmosphere of the book and her portrayal of Kincaid and the other characters was on par with what I had imagined in my head.

I can say with certainty that Kristi Charish’s books never disappoint! They are like a breath of fresh air in so many ways. The Voodoo Killings is no exception and is an excellent start to a new series! I love how she made the zombie trope her own. I absolutely cannot wait to read more of Kincaid's adventures!

ARC provided by the author

    1/2

  4.5 /5 Stars