Review: Protecting the Dead by Katherine Gilbert

Print Length: 237 pages

Publisher: EsKape Press (June 17, 2018)

From Goodreads.com: After a childhood filled with demons and her devil-worshiping parents, Lydia longs for a quiet, normal life, a safe haven somewhere blissfully dull. Being the manager at the Roanoke Apartments seems to fit that bill. But Lydia soon learns that you can't leave the past behind so easily. She finds herself faced with unclogging drains for werewolves, conducting nightly vampire counseling sessions, and caring for two talkative cats. Then there's the distraction of Geoffrey, the hottest, and most angelic, boss anyone ever dreamed of. As if that isn't enough, the demon who nearly killed her shows up to finish the job. So much for a peaceful, simple life...

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My Rating: 3 stars out of 5

I'm going to preface this by saying paranormal really isn't my thing. Every now and then I stick a toe in the water as it were, especially when the premise is as interesting as this one was. So yes, I was disappointed that this book didn't come across the way the premise made it seem, but again, that could be just me.

This book was interesting, I will give the author that. And there were a lot of "species" introduced, and story-lines that often boarded less on the paranormal and more a reflection of true human nature, but even that wasn't enough to keep my attention glued to the pages. I will say that I LOVED the cats in this story. Eveningstar and her doughnuts will not soon be forgotten! 

Lydia starts off wanting to "rationalize" everything in the attempt to have a "normal" life, even though she knows all too well what dangers lurk out there. For the things she has had to overcome in her life, I expected her to have more of a backbone than we were presented with. In fact, she seems to spend the majority of her time either being awkward with others, "discovering her voice", or fawning over her boss. It became a little too repetitive. She has the power inside of herself, if only she would posses the self-confidence to show it.

I also wish there was a bit more action all around. There was the potential, especially for the ending, to be absolutely game-changing, but even that fell flat in my opinon. 

All things considered, I do think this story may still appear to fans of the paranormal genre, and I would read more from this author. 

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

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                           Protecting the Dead is available from Amazon.com