I have thoroughly enjoyed every book in the Alpha and Omega series by Patricia Briggs so far and Dead Heat does not disappoint. Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advanced reader's copy of this book.


Description: For once, mated werewolves Charles and Anna are not traveling because of Charles’s role as his father’s enforcer. This time, their trip to Arizona is purely personal, as Charles plans to buy Anna a horse for her birthday. Or at least it starts out that way...
  Charles and Anna soon discover that a dangerous Fae being is on the loose, replacing human children with simulacrums. The Fae’s cold war with humanity is about to heat up—and Charles and Anna are in the cross fire. 

Review: The Alpha and Omega series has a different feel than the Mercy Thompson series. While both are fantastic urban fantasy series, the Alpha and Omega series feels more intimate as it focuses on the main relationship of Anna and Charles rather than a large cast of relationships featured in the Mercy Thompson series. Instead of adding superfluous drama in the paring of Anna and Charles, we observe how these two characters come together and wonderfully complement each other. In Dead Heat, Anna wants to have children and Charles is reluctant to appease her. Anna doesn't hold a grudge against Charles' opposing view, but rather tries to understand his point of view which nicely ties in to the central mystery of the book.
 The mystery and hunt of the powerful and evil fae who has been using children as a power source kept me turning the pages as the suspense build and the clues were spread evenly throughout the story. An additional bonus was the inclusion of strong secondary characters such as the Sani family, which not only made the mystery even more pressing to solve but also showed us the vulnerable and sensitive side of Charles which we don't really see or sometimes have a hard believing he has one due to his rough exterior and his position as the executioner in his father's pack. The inclusion of horse breeding and riding didn't personally appeal to me but I do see its purpose in the story. Overall, Dead Heat is thoroughly enjoyable and a wonderful read with characters who seem more like friends. It is going to be hard waiting for the next time we see Anna and Charles or Mercy and her crew.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There is some disturbing scenes, strong violence, and a couple fade to black sex scenes. Recommended for mature teens and adults.

If you like this book try: Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs, Kate Daniel series by Ilona Andrews, Dresden Files by Jim Butcher, The Other series by Anne Bishop