*Review* The Immortal Detective by D. B. Woodling

 

Genre: Paranormal Police Procedural

Published: March 21, 2023

Pages: 476

Sometimes being immortal makes you wish you were dead.

Celeste Crenshaw has survived her parents’ grisly murders, grueling and gender-biased police training, a battle with rogue vampires, and even her own death. While immortality might seem a dream come true, can she accept the strings attached?

Celeste spends the start of her immortal life being mentored by the Elders of the Hollow Earth. They release her once they feel certain Celeste has honed her supernatural powers. But little do they know, Celeste isn’t wholly committed to granting eternal life to those deserving. Upon a return home to her immortal lover, and the Kansas City Detective Squad, she battles mortal foes, not so unlike the demonic undead. And when a fellow detective falls victim to a murderous gang member, Celeste faces a gut-wrenching decision and the possible wrath of the Elders.

I received the audiobook version of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review. 

I don't know what I was expecting from this story, but what I got ended up being just kind of meh for me. At the start of the story Celeste has just been turned into a vampire, and it felt like half the book was about adjusting to that life and learning skills and immersion into this organization that seems to be battling to rid the world of bad vampires. Then she returns to her normal life as a detective in Kansas City and I pretty much lost interest. I was invested in the long lives of people like Socrates and Queen Elizabeth and the way they've used their powers to influence major historical events, and then it became a fairly average detective story.

I think I would have been more invested if Celeste had become part of a supernatural police force, investigating supernatural disturbances, rather than just having abilities  that allow her to psychically manipulate suspects and things like that. Basically, becoming a vampire made her job a cakewalk. 

I also would have loved to see more of the exploits of Raina, the two-century old five-year-old, and Fane, the immortal gay babysitter. Their parts in this tale were quite entertaining. 

The narration was acceptable. I didn't have any major complaints, but also don't have any major compliments for it either. It was fairly easy to discern which character was speaking by the voice being used at the time, which is a definite plus. 

Overall I give The Immortal Detective 3.1764 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Amazon

Once the allure of impersonating celebrities began to wane, D. B. Woodling left the stage and turned her attention to writing. Credited with two historical fiction novels, she then switched genres and wrote The Detective Mike Malone series.

Needing a home for an ominous opening line, The Immortal Twin, a paranormal novel, soon began to take shape. Three-headed dragons, undead historical mentors, and police investigations abound in The Immortal Detective, the second installment in Celeste's journey, with plenty of chilling twists and turns.

When she's not creating harrowing fight scenes, steamy encounters, or complex police investigations, Woodling calms her soul with scenic walks, often in the company of a clowder of cats or a know-it-all golden retriever.

Her passion for unputdownable page-turners extends to the well-being of all animals. As a tribute to her beloved Labrador retriever, Annie, she donates a large percentage of her book royalties to "Annie's Gift," a cause benefiting No-Kill Animal Shelters, nationwide.