My Review of “As Lie the Dead” by Kelly Meding

Review - “As Lie the Dead(Dreg City: Book 2)” by Kelly Meding:

“As the silence drew out, the tension became a tangible thing, wrapping cold, icy fingers around my heart and squeezing tight.” Not only is this an excellent example of Ms. Meding’s ability to show you exactly how her first-person heroine was feeling, it is a perfect description of how I felt in a quiet room reading this edge-of-your-seat novel.

I was captured by this story—from the vibrant collage on the front cover with the menacing, winged creature, to the vast detailed depictions of each action sequence, to the way the narrative kept me teetering always just on the edge of a suspenseful confusion, to her complicated world of varied paranormal creatures constantly with changing alliances.

This world was so complicated, so diverse, as was each of the characters that it lent itself well to the genre. The tension built because of the amazing way it all played out. The triangle of sexual tension Meding creates between the first person female narrator, Evangeline and her two, constant heroes was fraught with emotional depth, vast back stories and intricate circumstances.

The book was a recipe for paranormal suspense. The surprises never stopped coming as if making a pact with the devil was not enough. If the author used one, I would love to see the storyboard for this one. Simply put, read it. And, although not absolutely necessary, I was blown away by it enough to feel confident in recommending reading “Three Days Dead” first. Just buy them both at one time and save yourself the trip.

Product Description From Amazon Buy Page:

Evangeline Stone, a rogue bounty hunter, never asked for a world divided between darkness and light . . .

. . . or the power to die and live again in someone else’s borrowed body. After a murder plot meant to take her out leaves an entire race of shapeshifters nearly extinct, Evy is gnawed by guilt. So when one of the few survivors of the slaughter enlists her aid, she feels duty-bound to help—even though protecting a frail, pregnant shifter is the last thing Evy needs, especially with the world going to hell around her.

Amid weres, Halfies, gremlins, vamps—and increasingly outgunned humans—a war for supremacy is brewing. With shifters demanding justice, her superiors desperate to control her, and an assassin on her trail, Evy discovers a horrifying conspiracy. And she may be the only person in the world who can stop it—unless, of course, her own side gets her first.
 

About the Author

            A native of the Delaware seashore, Kelly Meding briefly attempted life in the bustle of the Northern Virginia/DC Metro area, before retreating back to the relative quiet of the Eastern Shore.  She lives in a small town near the beach, with a neurotic cat who occasionally meows at ghosts.  Kelly received her Bachelor's Degree in Communication in 2002 and she hasn't used it since, preferring instead to wile away her non-writing hours on the sales floor of a national retail chain.  After discovering Freddy Krueger at a very young age, Kelly began a lifelong obsession with horror, science fiction, and fantasy, on which she blames her interest in vampires, psychic powers, superheroes, and all things paranormal.  When not writing, she can be found crafting jewelry, enjoying a good cup of coffee, or scouring the Internet for gossip on her favorite television shows. 

Reviewed by Kiki Howell for Suspense Magazine

www.suspensemagazine.com