Omens by Kelley Armstrong

Olivia Taylor-Jones has enjoyed a life of privilege - raised by loving and wealthy parents who were able to give her all their love and all the resources their money could offer.  She has wanted for nothing, and she will soon be married to her very own loving husband in the form of James Morgan.  The one spot of disappointment in her life is not being able to find a job, but her parents money means she can offer her time in volunteer roles.  It seems as though her future is going to be a happy marriage to a man who adores and respects her, returning to school to gain her masters, and then looking for a suitable job.  Clear, simple, precise - and driven completely off course when she discovers that her loving parents are not her biological parents.  Her biological parents are serial killers and the revelation has become national news and derailed all her plans.

Driven from Chicago by the press and their interest in her, Olivia finds herself in the small town of Cainsville - a place she had never even heard of before.  The people of the town are strangely interested in her life, and they seem to know a lot more about Olivia than she knows about herself.  One of the unexpected new acquaintances in her life is lawyer Gabriel Walsh, who represented her birth mother in a failed appeal.  Gabriel is driven, focused, and determined to be involved in the case - even though Olivia is not in a position to pay him for his time.  It is an uncomfortable relationship for both of them, and it soon becomes clear that Gabriel is playing his own long game and that he can't really be trusted - but Olivia needs his help more than she knows.

I picked up Omens because I was looking for something to read and it was shelved in my library's crime section (don't worry the rest of the series is in fantasy).  I was absorbed in the story right from the start, not only because it starts with a bang, but also because the characters and character development are so strong - this is a book that balances plot development with character development very nicely.  I like Olivia and her world immensely - she is not a whining socialite who helplessly flaps her hands and waits to be rescued.  Olivia is a woman who knows her own mind and who is not afraid of getting her hands dirty, and there are some laugh out loud moments as Gabriel realises just how feisty she is and how well she can hold her own.  

This is an exciting series and I am looking forward to jumping into book two because this is not your average supernatural series, there is some truly original ideas here that will appeal to a wide range of readers.

 If you like this book then try:

• Night shifted by Cassie Alexander
• Dark descendant by Jenna Black
• Moon called by Patricia Briggs
• Spiders bite by Jennifer Estep
• Prowlers by Christopher Golden
• Precinct 13 by Tate Hallaway
• Dead witch walking by Kim Harrison
• Blood price by Tanya Huff
• Summon the keeper by Tanya Huff
• Children of the night by Mercedes Lackey
• Cast in shadow by Michelle Sagara
• Eight million gods by Wen Spencer
• Alien taste by Wen Spencer
• Kitty and the midnight hour by Carrie Vaughn

Reviewed by Brilla