Review: The Dog in the Alley (Beyond the Veil Book 4) by K. M. Avery

Rating: 4.5🌈

The Dog in the Alley switches over from focusing on the relationship between medium/warlock Edward Campion and his partner Dr Mason Manning, orc, witch and respected historian and Edward’s magical growth. That’s was the primary theme of books one to three.

Now the focus turns to Detective Valentine Hart a great character and personal favorite. Hart, an important element in all the prior stories, was changed by the Arcanavirus into a 6’5” violet eyed gorgeous elf who presents himself as a coldly effective, wry, snarky personality who barely tolerates the bureaucracy of the political system and police department he works within. He’s gruff, unbearably rough while being one of the few types of Nids the human population can tolerate simply because he’s beautiful, a elf Fairy Prince of the folklore made a breathing being. Unlike the ghouls, vampires, death witches, shifters and other beings once formerly human who are hated, protested against, and even killed.

Here K. M. Avery explores Hart’s surprising history, reveals the true nature underneath the “sarcastic , cold“ persona Hart uses as a shield,

and brings in a shatteringly horrific case that both ties into the previous stories and yet adds another layer of the growing abuse that the Nid population is suffering under.

Avery also introduces several characters that are just fascinating. One is the dog of the title. I have a slight issue in that we only get partial foundation for what is a major character. Most of that is in his dog form which, admittedly, is utterly adorable. But the man? Remains a bit of a mystery.

The other is a Tiger shifter. He too is a main character who appears to have a journey in the series but is this the last book? I don’t know.

The ending is somewhat abrupt. Both in terms of what has happened in terms of our detective in his life, professionally. We get a here’s where he is now . And the same hint of a surprise in another direction.

After everything that’s gone on, it’s a light ending for a very serious, heavier narrative.

The Dog in the Alley (Beyond the Veil Book 4) by K. M. Avery is about one of my favorite characters, Detective Hart. It does a excellent job in making a fascinating character even more richly layered. My only issue is that the author just didn’t completely stick the ending. It didn’t quite live up to the complex, well plotted , parts that went before.

I certainly hope the author intends to go on. It’s a great series and is full of characters and elements that haven’t been fully explored yet.

I’m definitely recommending. This and the series.

Beyond The Veil series:

✓ The Ghost in the Hall #1

✓ The Boy in the Locked Room #2

✓ The Skeleton Under the Stairs #3

◦ The Dog in the Alley (Beyond the Veil Book 4) m

Goodreadshttps://www.goodreads.com › showThe Dog in the Alley (Beyond the Veil, #4) by K.M. Avery

Description:

Some days, an elf can’t get a break.

I’m overworked, underpaid and underappreciated, and up to my lavender eyeballs in missing and murdered shifters. To make matters worse, I’ve acquired a dog.

Sort of.

He’s not actually a dog. I don’t know his name or anything about him other than the fact that he’s mostly hairless and is blind in one eye—and he’s a witness to one of the unsolved shifter murders that’s keeping me up at night. We found him at a crime scene, injured and scared, and I just can’t make myself lock him up for obstruction of justice, even though I probably should.

He won’t shift back, so here I am with a dog that isn’t a dog following me everywhere and eating off my plate every time I turn around.

The weirdest part is that I’m not sure I want to go back to living without him constantly underfoot.

A slow-burn M/M Paranormal Shifter Romance
Book 4 in the Beyond the Veil Series

———-

Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.

Review: The Skeleton Under The Stairs (Beyond the Veil #3) by K.M. Avery

Rating: 4.5 🌈

The Skeleton Under The Stairs is the third book in the Beyond the Veil series and the one that wraps up Ward and Mason’s section of the series.

And while it’s a much better story then the previous one, The Boy in the Locked Room #2, it still leaves so many elements, minor to major, dangling within this couple’s story thread that I find it hard to think it successfully finalizes their part in the series arc.

The main couple consists of Ward Campion, medium via the magical ability granting Arcanavirus, who now has new magical abilities that point to him being a warlock. That new power, plus the recent combination of his business with Lost Lineage Foundation, which helps those find their deceased family, and their upcoming marriage, has him overly stressed about finances and insecurities.

His partner, Mason Manning, ex professor, historian, witch , orc, also has his problems. His very young nephew is a death witch and just coming into his powers. The only people who can reasonably help him are Mason and the overly stressed Edward.

I do like how Avery doesn’t play down Ward’s feelings about taking on a child with terrifying unstable powers into their home when he also feels that he needs Mason’s time and care too. He’s still very vulnerable, the trial for his assault coming up. And then there’s new murders to investigate.

You feel every bit as overwhelmed as Ward does.. He’s a bit ashamed that he’s reluctant to take on a child who needs them, but that’s wholly human.

More so because that child, Jackson, is beautifully characterized and real. His cries for help are heart wrenching.

The shadow magical organization, Antiquus Ordo Arcanum , that’s behind so many horrors, returns in a terrifying mystery that’s the title theme.

We get new fascinating ghosts, new magical powers, and elements as viewed and used by multiple characters. It’s another well done section.

The relationship between Mason and Ward continues to strengthen as each becomes more aware of each other’s issues, theirs feelings that hurt and help the bond they have grow. Avery, thankfully, toned down the number of sex scenes to allow page time for the couple to work through important issues as they came up when certain events triggered them.

There’s a wonderful dramatic climax but it’s hindered by a lack of foundation laid for the final events, that some pivotal elements and key players were allowed to just fade away, while others curiously stayed. As well as the fact that the criminals /company weren’t exactly dissolved but disbanded.

There are other small threads left dangling too. Jackson ‘s power. Ward’s power , the strange tingling in his back. I could go on about elements brought up and either discarded or forgotten.

It just seems as though there’s another book in Ward and Mason’s story needed to finish their story off.

Especially since the fourth book is Detective Hart’s.

So this is a wonderful book but not a great one. There’s many terrific elements, especially the Arcanavirus that changes people but that aspect too is delegated to the background other than people wearing masks in order not to catch it . It’s a shame because that’s a fascinating concept that got sidelined after the first book.

I’ll recommend it , with reservations about the second story. This is the best of the three. If you enjoy paranormal stories, check it out.

I’ll be picking up Hart’s story when it rolls out.

Beyond The Veil series:

✓ The Ghost in the Hall #1

✓ The Boy in the Locked Room #2

✓ The Skeleton Under the Stairs #3

◦ The Dog in the Alley (Beyond the Veil Book 4) – Oct 27, 2022 Detective Hart’s story

https://www.goodreads.com › showThe Skeleton Under the Stairs (Beyond the Veil #3) by K.M. Avery | Goodreads

Synopsis:

There was a poltergeist on the stairs.

And she wasn’t the only one.

The house was full of restless spirits—all of them killed by the Antiquus Ordo Arcanum, a secret society that didn’t seem to care much for the welfare of either the living or the dead. And Mason and I—along with Hart and Sylvia—are right in the middle of it.

Again.

If that weren’t enough, Mason’s nephew, Jackson, is starting to have nightmares, and when you’re from a family of witches, that can only mean one thing—your power is growing, and you’ve also just become a threat to your own family. In our case, that means Jackson has to come live with us so that Mason can help him learn to control his power, which means that my home life is just about as chaotic—and dangerous—as my work life. Let me tell you, I’m getting pretty sick of hospitals and bandages and sleepless nights.

Oh, and I think I might be a warlock.

Things are going from chaos to worse, and somehow we still have to plan a wedding. And we haven’t so much as picked out the cake.

HEA M/M Paranormal Romance

Book Three in the Beyond the Veil Series

The final book in Mason & Ward’s story

Book One: The Ghost in the Hall

Book Two: The Boy in the Locked Room

———-

Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.

Review: The Boy in the Locked Room (Beyond the Veil #2) by K.M. Avery

Rating: 3.75🌈

The Boy in the Locked Room is a good example of second book syndrome. The first story sets the characters and world building. The second story needs to continue that momentum going, while further developing the storylines (if that’s the format the author’s chosen) as well as allowing for character growth.

It definitely shouldn’t raise more issues than it does contribute towards a bettering a relationship with the characters and the series arc the author’s laying out.

Which is my problem with The Boy in the Locked Room . See full list at the bottom.

At the end of The Ghost in the Hall , a book I loved btw, the MC the medium, Edward Campion, had become paralyzed from the waist down, due to a battle with a evil spirit.

Avery’s descriptions of Ward dealing with his long recovery, his disability and it’s very real impact on every aspect of his life is raw, filled with tears, darkness, and is absolutely believable.

Ward isn’t thinking about the boy who needs saving. And still visits him nightly, albeit rarely in the beginning of the book. Ward is rightfully concerned with his own personal issues. His business, which is taking a hit because of his recovery. He’s depressed and feeling too dependent on others, like his orc Professor boyfriend, Mason . They’ve moved in together but even that’s feeling out of sync. The adjustment isn’t going smoothly.

This is where I’m conflicted because Avery does an incredible job with Ward in this situation , once having made the decision to injure Ward so severely in the story. However, it now becomes so much a part of the current story that any other subjects or threads are relegated to a lesser narrative status.

Including the boy in the locked room.

What comes next in the high percentage of scenes after the turmoil of Ward adjusting to his disability and new reality is his sex life. Or rather his and Mason’s. This does dovetail into how both parties are relating to each other physically and emotionally after Ward’s trauma.

But, there’s so many that just as we start with a scene or storyline that’s connected to Rayn, the tormented boy that’s dream walking, and crying out for help, it’s stopped. And we’re back to yet another sex scene.

The entire subject of the book’s title is given very little space until the story is halfway finished which is a shame because the horror and mystery is a excellent idea, but truly not given the depth or details it needs.

So where did the space go to? Chapter 19. A chapter the author themselves states, in a Dear Readers note within the book , can be skipped over because it includes,“an attempted sexual assault in Chapter 19. Readers who have survived similar experiences may be more comfortable skipping ahead to Chapter 20.” Avery has written a raw, graphic scene that’s hard to read, where a vulnerable person is being sexually assaulted. This includes a suspenseful build up as well as the scene itself. It’s the entire chapter.

This also includes a trip to the hospital, rape kit scene, and police investigation. Raw and brutal, as it would be.

There’s one impactful magical element that’s of note. It could be referenced or brought into this story another way outside of this chapter.

So my issue and question is, if a full chapter and entire major aspect of a plot and character storyline be skipped over, is it really necessary to begin with? Especially one that’s so traumatic, carries with it triggers, and deep emotional pain ?

Was it just needed to bring that one magical development to light?

That’s a chapter that could have been used to further the complicated history and horror that’s Rayn. Or any of the other ghosts or families asking Ward and Mason for assistance. Some including Sylvia are fantastic.

And let’s not forget the fantastic elf Detective Hart. His role here was enlarged, remarkable, and again makes me want a series just for him.

So for me? The Boy in the Locked Room (Beyond the Veil #2) by K.M. Avery suffered from :

✓ too many sex scenes, which leads to

✓ a lack of concentration on the actual title subject matter,

✓ the fact it contains an entire chapter devoted to a brutal attempted sexual assault that the author said could be skipped . So is it really necessary?

Final question. If a book has wonderful characters, great ideas, and moments where it seems to come together but just didn’t because of every reason I just stated, would you be recommending it?

I’ll leave you to decide the final answer.

Beyond The Veil series:

✓ The Ghost in the Hall #1

✓ The Boy in the Locked Room #2

◦ The Skeleton Under the Stairs #3

https://www.amazon.com › Locked-…The Boy in the Locked Room (Beyond the Veil Book 2) Kindle Edition – Amazon.com

Synopsis:

Sometimes dreams aren’t just dreams…

The boy begging for help in my nightmares is very real. He’s trapped, and it’s up to me and Mason to get him out. The trouble is, we have to find him first.

It would be a lot easier if we weren’t also trying to solve a series of magical murders and deal with my horrible ex-boyfriend at the same time.

Oh, and on top of that, I’m trying to make this relationship work, but that’s not the easiest thing to do when you’re a magnet for ghosts and murderers, your ex is a complete narcissist, and your boyfriend is an orc witch.

As they say, when it rains, it pours.

A HFN, M/M Paranormal Romance—book two in Mason and Ward’s story.

Book Two of Beyond the Veil.

Book One: The Ghost in the Hall

(TW: Attempted on page graphic sexual assault)

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Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.

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