Sister to the Rain – Melisa Michaels

     This book was bought for me years and years ago by a friend (who probably doesn’t even remember doing it any more) when I was having a bout of insomnia.

     This book starts with a pair of elves walking into a detective agency. Sounds like the start of a really bad joke, doesn’t it? The elves in question have come to Rose Lavine and her partner, Shannon on behalf of (what amounts to) their homeowner’s association. The residents of Fey Valley are hearing strange noises, seeing strange shadows lurking about the property, and small items are going missing from the lawns of the residents. They want Rose to find out who is to blame and put a stop to it if possible. At first glance, the case seems fairly straight forward. When one of Rose’s ex-boyfriends and his extremely jealous sister turn up, Rose’s personal life takes a turn for the awful. When Rose and Shannon can’t find the culprit among the usual suspects, they find a few of the residents are keeping secrets. The Fey Valley Trouble turns from prankster to killer when a teenage boy is murdered. With nothing but dead ends and the past coming back to haunt them, can Rose and Shannon find out what is going on or will they have to call it quits?

     Apparently, this is the second book in the series but I’ve never read the first one. I have been looking for it off and on for years, as well as any others by this author. Her characters are intelligently written. Even though she talks about serious subjects, there’s always a bit of humor or sarcasm to lighten the mood not long after. Melisa Michaels also has a take on elves that I have not seen very often. She writes them as a little sociopathic. They don’t quite understand human emotions or how they work which comes into play quite a bit in the story (and the first book from what I understand). Anyone who is looking for a different view on fantasy novels should give this one a try.

“I am sister to the rain

Fey and sudden and unholy”

--Dorothy Parker