Book Review: Precinct 13 by Tate Hallaway

Precinct 13
Author: Tate Hallway
Publication: Berkley Trade (August 7, 2012)

Description: Recent college grad Alex Conner is thrilled to have landed a job as the Hughes County coroner/medical examiner in Pierre, South Dakota. But when her first day on the job ends with a missing corpse, Alex starts to wonder if she would have been better off collecting unemployment...

When the cops made some cryptic comments about being careful with the body they brought in, Alex just thought the boys in blue were messing with her. That is, until something freaky happens that no amount of med school could have prepared her for. By the time Alex gets herself together, the body has disappeared and the other residents of the morgue start talking her ear off.

After working up the courage to report the missing body, Alex is transferred to the mysterious Precinct 13 where she discovers that her new co-workers—including a cute technomage named Jack—are paranormals just like her. Now, Alex is being encouraged to use her ability to speak to the dead to solve crimes. And despite being in the middle of nowhere, Hughes County sure does have a lot of paranormal activity…


My Thoughts: This first book in a new urban fantasy series introduces Alex Connor who is the new coroner for Hughes County in Pierre, South Dakota. Alex ran for the post on a bet. She is a new college graduate in forensic science who is a med school dropout. Things got in the way. Like a conviction that her stepmother was a demon, a boyfriend jailed for assaulting her stepmother, and Alex's own mental problems and hospitalization. After all, the things Alex has seen all her life, including trolls under bridges, couldn't possibly be true.

Pierre and her new job should be just the new start she is looking for. However, when her first body gets up and walks off in the middle of an autopsy, she gets involved in the paranormal part of Pierre. When she confesses to the police chief that the body is missing, she gets directed to Precinct 13 - the paranormal police force in Pierre. There she meets a number of other paranormals including a half-fae officer, a golem, a technomage, and a werewolf-vampire cross. 

Life gets even stranger when she learns that she might be a witch. But if she is a witch, where is her familiar? Enter the former boyfriend - Valentine - who happens to be a very rare dragon and a most unusual familiar. Alex is soon very involved in solving the case of her missing necromancer and also a case involving crop circles and cow mutilations. 

This was a fun introduction to a new series. Alex is a great character who adapts pretty well to the new world she has entered. Valentine is also a unique sort of hero and love interest. Dragons are exactly cuddly or human but he is devoted to Alex. I look forward to reading more books in this series. 

Favorite Quote:

"'I see dead cows' is the dumbest superpower ever," I said. I took a swig from the mocha before I remembered I dropped it. The drink was cold and slightly crunchy.

"It tried to communicate with you?" Jack asked, shoving his hands deeply into the pockets of his wool trench coat. "What did it say?"

"'Moo,'" I explained.

"Oh. Right," he said, looking at the clump of cows. They stomped their hooves and bellowed lowly amongst themselves. After a moment, he asked, "Do you suppose that's a sign it was killed by magic?"

I bought this one (and got it autographed). You can buy your copy here.