Graveyard Shift

Strong finish to an inventive paranormal M/M trilogy that wraps up a lot of plot threads while leaving satisfied readers with room to hope that there might be more books to come someday. Our Private Investigator duo of Wes Cooper and Hudson Rojas, along with their found family/fellow investigators are trying to figure out the connection between the overdose deaths of several shapeshifters and the sightings of numerous new vampires in the area. The case becomes surprisingly personal as signs point to the involvement of someone from Hudson's past. As pieces of the puzzle come together, Wes realizes that he will have to stretch his newfound powers as a god to save the ones he loves - and that there may be some tragedies he can't avoid. Jenn Burke does a stellar job of keeping the action moving while continuing to flesh out the MCs and secondary characters. While I felt Hudson got a bit of a short shrift in [b:Give Up the Ghost 43263020 Give Up the Ghost (Not Dead Yet #2) Jenn Burke https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1547126197l/43263020.SY75.jpg 67141841], he is in his element here, using both his years of experience as a police detective and his current life as a vampire to solve the crime and catch the bad guys. He's still on the grumpy and laconic side, but he clearly loves Wes, and the bonds he is forging with the rest of the group are vitally important to him. Plus the sudden appearance of his long-lost niece shows how far he will go - too far? - to reconnect with his family. Of course the series wouldn't work without Wes Cooper, half-ghost and as he wryly refers to himself, “the god of who knew, winning hearts and minds since 2019.” I can't think of another paranormal I've read that features a major character who is trying to figure out what it means to be a deity. He may have awesome powers (and responsibility, just like Spider Man), but he still engages in some TSTL (too stupid to live) behavior and planning isn't his strong suit, so he certainly isn't infallible. He still has a lot to learn and even a god has to admit that he's wrong sometimes. To give you an idea of the book's stakes, something happens at about the 50% mark that felt like the climax of [b:Give Up the Ghost 43263020 Give Up the Ghost (Not Dead Yet #2) Jenn Burke https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1547126197l/43263020.SY75.jpg 67141841], so that the big showdown here is about 250% more dramatic. And fair warning, some VERY SAD stuff happens. Carina Press may guarantee you a HEA/HFN for Wes and Hudson, but that guarantee doesn't cover every secondary character. I'm happy to leave Wes and Hud and the rest of the crew here but if Jenn Burke is able to write more about these characters I'll definitely come along for the ride.ARC received from Net Galley in exchange for objective review.