As a Gineal troubleshooter, Ryne is under a lot of pressure. Not only has her sister abandoned her powers for a human, but she’s also plagued with finding her mentor and bringing her to justice for the descent into the Dark Magics that now whisper to Ryne. Watching Deke Summers, P.I. may seem to be a way to wind down, but in actuality, it’s research into another of Anise’s heinous acts. Whenever Deke looks into the camera, those cartoon eyes stare back at Ryne with human cognizance. Anise has imprisoned a human soul inside the cartoon and Ryne is intent on freeing him. When she does, her life changes and everything she ever thought she knew is questioned.

Deke wakes up naked in a strange woman’s bed and finds his life completely turned upside-down. Things that he never even imagined could exist, not only exist, but are after him for some reason. His life as he knew it was a cartoon and he’s extremely attracted to the fiery woman who freed him. Facing death at every turn and being forced into a position of being protected is not what he expected at all. But, a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do, even in this crazy new world.

In the Midnight Hour was an absolutely fantastic journey into the new world that Patti O’Shea has created. A master at creating an alternate world that is eerily real, Ms. O’Shea introduces us to the Gineal, a separate race of beings that patrol the darker side of things and protect humans from the things that go bump in the night. I found the intensely detailed community of the Gineal fascinating and really well put together. Not only is her newest world amazing, but the people she’s created to live there are awesome as well. I was laughing aloud at Deke’s barbs and pointed comments aimed at Ryne. Ryne had so much to deal with in her life, both personally and professionally, and she did so very well and very consistently throughout the book. I was very happy to see that this just the first book in a new series, Light Warriors. I am excited to see where she’ll go next.

Reviewed by: Serena