This is a brilliant cop-and-killer story. The cop is a lesbian and that makes it even better. The crime story is tight and the love story is fantastic.

Sept Savoi is a detective with the New Orleans Police Department. She is recovering from a gunshot wound in the arms of her girlfriend Keegan Blanchard. She moves their relationship forward and proposes to Keegan. As the proposal is accepted, their idyll is disturbed with a gory gift delivered to her. And that unleashes her new case.

We wouldn’t like to get into any more of the story lest spoilers creep in, because this is a book where every single page should be enjoyed in its entirety. The pacing is fast. The story not only keeps you hooked, but on the edge of the seat. The relationship between Keegan and Sept sends huge doses of awwww through us. Ditto the relationships between Sept and Keegan’s family, with her own family and a sundry of other characters in the book are extremely heartwarmingly written.

There is some detailed (and some implied) ruthless torture and gore, so if that gives you the shovers, you may want to rethink about this one.

However, this is an unputdownable book which had us skipping meals and even coffee (imagine that!!) – and the addiction to the book was as much for the pace of the crime as for Keegan and the relationship between Keegan and Sept.

Awesome book!

Wow oh wow! This is an amazing book and a must read. It was great seeing Sept and Keegan again. The story starts where it left off from Calling the Dead (also another great read). Though you can read this as a stand alone, I believe you will relate to the characters more if you read Calling the Dead first.
The story is riveting and will keep your attention from beginning to end.

There are no words to describe what a pleasure it was to read this book. These characters are like friends I haven't seen in such a long time and Ali Vali's flow of speech for her characters is like a beautiful poetry. The juxtaposition of using such prose while describing a storyline full of gory murder is what makes this book pure magic. At one point in the book, as some details came to light, I was sad because it only could mean that the book was nearing its end. Then I looked at the page (ebook) and was so happy that there was still half left. The ending is a twist you'll NEVER see coming. If you haven't, I recommend that you read Calling the Dead first. It's not necessary to enjoy this book, but it helps to have a deeper understanding of the characters. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This seems to be a continuation of ‘Calling the Dead’ and while I don’t like to read books out of order I didn’t have any problems following the story line. Following the traumatic injuries Sept Savoie sustained in capturing the serial killer Alex Perlis, she’s now recovered and ready to return to work. She and her partner, Keegan Blanchard, are just about to return home from their romantic getaway when a parcel is delivered to their door. The toe in the jar signals that Sept is back at work. Investigating the death of a woman and two police officers is further complicated by the arrival of an author wanting to do a story on Alex Perlis. Nicole Voles is persistent and disruptive.

This novel has an interesting premise, loads of dialogue, a couple in love, an intense investigation and it’s set in New Orleans. Keegan and Sept have great communication. I love the concept that they each come from powerful local families; Sept from a family of law enforcement and Keegan from a dynasty of restaurateurs. This should be a perfect novel for me but it isn’t. For some reason I just don’t click with Vali’s writing. I can’t pin-point anything that actually bothered me while reading but I felt completely disconnected from the story. This is my second novel by Vali and I felt very much the same in that one too.

I reckon if you’re a fan of Vali this won’t disappoint but I think I will save us both from my reviews and ratings in the future.

Book received from Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

Detective Sept Savoie has to solve some ritualistic killings. This is a nice mystery book, I love the plot and the characters too. It is my first book by Ali Vali and I like it very much.
Thanks to Netgalley for this copy.

I like crime/mystery novels so I figured this might be an interesting read. It was…and so much more. The characters were multidimensional- and some were downright creepy. In order not to give anything away, I’m not going to expand on the creepy part. But there were many ritualistic killings involved with vivid descriptions. However, not everything was doom and gloom. There were lighter moments throughout the story, especially with the family matriarch, Della, and her threatening-teasing ways. I enjoyed the strength of the family and their dynamics when dealing with life’s many issues..The love between Sept and Keegan was also very well developed.The author did a great job capturing the emotional toll that cops and their life partners face especially when killers strike close to home.

Suffice it to say this was a very fast paced read mainly because there was always something happening …sometimes bad…especially with Sept “answering the call”-one to duty and one to death.

If you enjoy this genre, the author will not disappoint you.

Answering The Call is SPECTACULAR! I love ALI VALI and have been waiting for the follow up to Calling the Dead! I love, love, love these characters! I really would like to see the Melinda/St.John story! HINT - HINT- TO THE AUTHOR!

I really don't know where to start...except to say that the book is wonderful on all levels. I don't want to share too much of the plot, but Sept is a detective and her girlfriend is Keegan, a chef. The story is set in New Orleans. The supportive characters are wonderful. Della is hilarious. I love her sharp wit an and her compassion. However, I was hoping Keegan's sister, Jacquline, might end up with Muriel (Cain's cousin) in the Devil Series. I do love the Muriel/Kristin match as well! So all is good. It's just too much time between these delightful characters just sucks. I am hoping that Ali decides to do a series of Sept and Keegan's next adventure - especially with the way she ended the book! The same goes for the Devil series - one a year of each would be a dream come true for your readers Ali!