Vampire Shift (Kiera Hudson #1) by Tim O'Rourke
Format: e-book
Publisher: Createspace
Published: 6th June 2011
Pages: 251
Main Characters: Kiera, Luke, Potter, Murphy
Date Started: 21st June 2012
Date Finished: 27th June 2012
Rating Given: ****
Blurb from Goodreads:
When twenty-year-old police recruit Kiera Hudson is posted to the remote town of The Ragged Cove, her life is changed forever. Investigating a series of horrific murders, grave desecrations and missing persons, with her unique ability of ‘seeing’, Kiera soon realises her life is in danger.
But when Kiera is crewed with Police officer Luke Bishop, not only is her mind and heart opened to a terrifying new world, she comes to suspect that Luke might be involved in the killings.
In a race against time to unearth the truth, Kiera must discover the identity of who or what is behind the gruesome deaths on the ‘Vampire Shift’.
This book had been on my wishlist for awhile and then the author got in touch with me and asked if I wanted to review his book for him which I obviously jumped at the chance and I'm glad I did.
The cover is actually what made me want to read this book as I love it so much so that I will have to get my hands on a hardcopy so it can sit on my shelf. I love that the face takes up all the cover space yet it still looks interesting. The reason why it looks so interesting to me is the blood running from her eye it looks so effective against the pale skin. I love the colours that have been used epesially the purple from the hair and the golden eye they are so eye catching.
This is my first book I have read by Tim O'Rourke and it most definitely won't be the last. I loved the different take on the vampire myth after reading pleanty of them I didn't think there could even be a different take on them but O'Rourke deffinitely did. I'm not usually one for creepy books but O'Rourke has changed my mind as it was creepy but I was so intrigued by everything that was happening that I didn't care. The only thing about his writing that did put me off was towards the end it would seem Kiera had flashbacks to murder scene's that she had seen earlier in the book. The reason I didn't like that was because it seemed like something a film would do but just didn't make sense in this book.
There was so much going on in this book that kept me gripped throughout the book as I love a book that can have so much going on but not overwelming me. There was scene's that had me on the edge of my seat and then smiling along with it in the next. I loved that I never knew what was going to happen next it makes a refreshing change.
Kiera was a great female character as she was strong, independant, smart but also she had a softer side to her that made me warm to her. Kiera is able to see things that not everyone else notices which I am looking forward to finding out the reason behind this in the coming books. The rest of the characters I would either love or hate at one point or another as like Kiera I never quite knew who to trust. What I didn't like though was the connection between Kiera and Luke it just seemed a bit forced and rushed I just didn't believe it.
Overall a highly gripping story and would recommend anyone who likes vampire stories to give this book a try.
