Step into a world of action-packed crime thrillers, where the lines between justice and vengeance blur, and queer women don't just survive—they thrive!
With a knack for packing a lot of punch into every line, Dharma Kelleher crafts heart-pounding crime fiction that is as complex as it is compelling.
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from 26 reviewsI've already started my first book and can hardly put it down.Author has a great ability to picture scenes in your head like your almost there.Cant wait to finish these 4 books and get another series She's written.
What can I say about Avery the Avenger that hasn’t been said. I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish, could not put it down. This series is going from strength to strength with every book. The only thing is waiting with bated breath for the next one, even though Amazon says 2/2 we all know there has to be another one, doesn’t there. This series could run and run. Very Highly Recommended.
This is the second story starring Avery Byrne and in timeline takes place shortly after the first one, A Conspiracy of Ravens. If you are not familiar with Avery, she is a young woman who happens to be transgender. I say happens to be because she is much more and while being transgender has deeply affected her life it doesn’t define her.
This story teems with action and suspense, but it is not just a thriller. It is the story of a young woman who has lost people in the past and who is now coming to grip with some fresh losses. Avery wants justice for those she has lost and is willing to face the danger associated with getting that justice. For better or worse she is a 22-year-old who, like so many around that age, doesn’t really accept their vulnerability. This often puts her in harm’s way and worries those who love her.
While this story can stand alone, if you haven’t read the first one it does have some spoilers.
Disclaimer: I got this as an advanced copy for review purposes. I also get books from other authors for reviews but for all of them I tell it like it is in my reviews.
As if Avery Byrne hasn’t endured enough tragedy in her life already, this story finds her still reeling from the death of her girlfriend when two more of her friends die under suspicious circumstances. While the police are content with labeling their deaths as accidental overdoses, Avery knows in her gut that something more sinister is at play. ‘Avery the Avenger’ is on the case. Her quest for the whole truth of what happened leads her down a twisted and dangerous path that includes corporate espionage, domestic violence, and murder. This is one of those stories that just won’t let you put the book down. I love the unique characters with all their personal foibles, the well-considered plot that keeps you guessing, and the overall attention to detail that draws you into the story so completely that you can see everything unfold in your mind as clearly as watching a good movie. This one definitely belongs on the “must read” list of anyone enjoying a good vigilante thriller.
If you like incredible, fast-paced, non-stop action, a great plot, amazing characters and a satisfying resolution, you have chosen the right book with this one. This is a unique and stunning series featuring a truly engaging character, a bounty hunter named Jinx Ballou, whose sense of commitment to justice for all people (marginalized or mainstream) is inspirational. I have enjoyed each book in the series but I will say that this story is exceptional. It has the action, it has the suspense, it has the grit and excitement I have come to expect from this author, but this story really makes you stop and think about where we are headed as a so-called “woke” society. This story has heart. Lots of heart.
I was provided with an advance copy of this book, for which I thank the author, but I am sharing my honest and unbiased review on a completely voluntary basis.
Well I have to say I have not read any of Jinx’s novels before, something I am now sorely regretting. Because this one is a little cracker with something going on from the first page to the last. This is one hell of an author who writes very good stories that’s for sure. Highly recommended
Some authors write books that you enjoy reading but forget about as soon as finished. Some write books that you like and say that was a good read. Some write books that you finish and pick back up tk read again. Dharma’s ‘Red Market’ falls into the later group.
I got this book as a free advanced copy for people who review books. This book like a well-made movie keeps you engrossed and entertained when you read it. It has characters that are fully developed, not just cutouts to take up space and plenty of action, suspense and pathos to flesh it out. It doesn’t hurt that Dharma is able to weave to story around to plot lines. There is the main plot where Jinx, the main character, tries to solve a mystery and the subplot about the horrible treatment of transgenders, specially young ones, by many in todays world. The fact that Dharma is transgender gives her a powerful self-history that she uses when building her trans and other LGBTQ characters. If you are one of those haters, you should read this to maybe get a glimpse of what your hate does to others. Or maybe not in case it would like horse and water for you.
Oh and like I said about reading some books twice, this one I did. The first time to just enjoy the story and the second time get all the nuances of the story that were missed because of enjoying the story too much.
Once again, Dharma gives us a story with action, adventure, and SO MUCH heart. A brilliant weaving of fiction and fact that have you feeling every twist. Grab this one -you don't want to miss Jinx's adventures!
Wow – another homerun! The characters are compelling and the storytelling draws you in and just doesn’t want to let you go. Avery is so shattered but her resilience just leaves you in awe. Her friends and family are the rocks that help to keep her shattered bits from crashing to the ground and patch the holes that come with life. Gritty, compelling, basically a “to hell with housework” book!
Dharma already has two very enjoyable series featuring LGBTQ leads, judging by this book I fell sure that she now has 3. Avery Byrne is a talented tattoo artist who happens to also be a goth, transwoman. She wants to settle down with her girlfriend Sam, listen to music, and create art on people's skin. Unfortunately, life doesn’t always care about what you want. Avery has had tragedies before losing people she cared for, now it has happened again, and she is a target as well. The book is packed with action and suspense that keeps you wanting to turn to the next page to see what will happen while giving you characters you can love and others to hate. There is also a little humor scattered through to help break the tension such as the ironic name game Avery and a friend play with name such as Paige Turner a mystery writer.
Dharma Kelleher’s characters tend to be members of the LGBTQ community but unlike many writes who have them she is a one and knows who to portray them. Being a transwoman myself I know that she knows what she says in right own in so many ways.
Note: I am an member of Dharma’s, and several other authors’, ARC teams. We get the books before they release to give feedback. We are ask to think about giving honest reviews be they good or bad or in between but are not obligated to do so. This review is my true feelings about this book with no feedback from Dharma or other reviewers.
This is not for the squeamish reader but if you don't mind a little violence, some love, and a good story this is for you. While the main characters are LGBTQ their story could be about anyone. It would, however, be a good idea to read the first Shea Stevens book, Iron Goddess, first for the back story
In this one Shea wants to just live her life with her girlfriend and adopted niece while running her custom bike shop but life keeps getting in the way.
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I have been following Dharma’s writing for a while now and have been so pleased with how she has honed her skill. This does not mean that her early works were bad rather that they just keep getting better. A BROKEN WOMAN has kept this up in spades.
Dharma has two main characters each with her own series, Jinx, a not exactly by the book bounty hunter, and Shea an ex-con who now builds custom bikes for women. While this story is about Jinx, Shea also plays a big roll in it as Jinx is after one of Shea's biking sisters and that does not make Shea happy to put it mildly. Mild is not a term I would use for describing the action in this book; it is at time violent and unforgiving but in a way that keeps the story going and exciting. Can I recommend this book? Yes 100%, if you like strong female characters who are not afraid of action and don't mind a wee bit of it being violent action.
Ok, I might be a little prejudice since I identify with Jinx for a couple of reasons, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. If you’re not familiar with Jinx she is a ex-cop who is now a bounty hunter and a good one at that. After some ups and downs she now has her own team and is making a name for herself. But she still has a problem with commitments and that can be a problem when you have a heart throb who wants to take the next step. Now throw in some neo-Nazi types who want o send a message, some gunfights, and maybe a bomb or two and life can get a little hectic. Oh, yea she also likes to do cos play as Wonder Woman a role that somehow fits her.
The book is well written and makes a good read. Also, I have Dharma’s earlier books and am thrilled with the growth of a relative new writer.
Note: I am a member of Dharma's Advance Reader group and as such I get free copies of her books, this not change what I say about her books or any authors whose books I am a Advance Reader group member.
This is the fourth (fifth is you count the prequal ‘Blood and Fire’) book in Dharma’s excellent Jinx Ballou series. In this book Jinx has to come to terms with some of her feelings and how she can reconcile her professionalism with the way TERFs treat her and other transgender people. In a hard-hitting page turner Dharma has given us a story that both satisfies the want for a great story and points out some of the issues that transgender people have to face, sometimes on a daily basis.
Disclosure: I am a pre-release reader and reviewer for numerous authors including Dharma and get the book for free and am also a transgender woman. Neither of these things cloud my thoughts about the books I review.
I have been reading Dharma Kelleher's books for some time now and have to the best of my knowledge, read all that she has written. While all of her books are definitely good I must add that each one has been better than the previous one and I can recommend all of them. Blood Sisters follows this pattern.
Like most of Dharma's book there is a lot action much of which is violent, but it is not just gratuitous violence for the sake of violence. Rather it is used to move the story along and to help define the characters she writes about. Shea, the lead character, is a hard hitting gay ex con who defines family not by blood but by a person's character. Her family is her employees and co-worker at her bike business, her motorcycle club sisters, and her actual niece. This book shows her growing realization that while family can be trying at times it is definitely worth the effort.
While this book can be read as a stand alone I would suggest that you check the earlier Shea Stevens books for insights into Shea and to see how she has grown as a person.
Note: As an Advanced Reader of Dharma's and other writers books I get review copies prior to their release. However, that does not affect how I rate a book.
Three Addictive Crime Series You Can't Put Down
Meet Dharma Kelleher
I grew up reading crime novels by Lawrence Block, Sara Paretsky, and Sue Grafton. I loved the stories, the gritty characters and the fast-paced action.
After I came out as transgender, I read queer mysteries by Katherine V. Forrest, Ellen Hart, and others.
I realized I wanted to write action-packed stories of crime and justice, but featuring protagonists like me.
Since then, I've published a dozen crime thrillers about queer women who kick ass with many more to come.
If issues of representation, diversity, and justice are important to you, curl up with one of my thrillers. You won't regret it.