Book Review: Dancing With the Devil by Keri Arthur

Dancing With the Devil is the first book in the newly reissued paranormal romance Nikki and Michael series by Keri Arthur. This printing is currently scheduled for release on July 30 2013. Nikki James is a private investigator with some special gifts, and some emotional issues. While on the job, following a spoiled rich girl, she stumbles into something much bigger than she could have expected. The girl is not alone, and the man she is with is powerful and very dangerous. Michael Kelly is there on behalf of a secret organization to protect Nikki, but he also has ties to the evil Nikki must fight. Together they must fight a great danger, while facing up to their own issues to survive and quite possibly find love.

Dancing With the Devil is the good start to a mystery and suspense series with an undertone of romance. The introduction to the paranormal world is done in a slow pace, and since I rather knew it was coming it seemed to me like Nikki, who is gifted in her own way, should have caught on a lot sooner, however the pacing did make sense for the plot line. The ease in which Nikki's boss Jake accepted Micheal into the inner circle also irked me a little. However, overall the action larger picture kept me interested and reading. I have the galley for the next book in the series, and will continue reading. With all the introductory stuff out of the way, the more complicated mysteries, high action, and relationship work can really get started. And at the end of this first installment Nikki and Micheal clearly have chemistry and issues, so I have a feeling that their romance will be off and on or at least facing some serious bumps in the road in the following adventures.

Dancing With the Devil was a solid start to a series, and offers a look at the voice of a now established author in the genre was in the beginning. It did not stand out to me as a must read, but if Arthur ramps this series up to the level of her other work I have faith that book 2 of the series, Hearts in Darkness, will do that. If you are a fan of Arthur's work you will want to check out the new series, if you have reached the wall with paranormal romance or are just leery about starting another new series, I recommend checking to see if the next book lives up to the promise before getting attached to Nikki and Micheal. I do not know how I missed this series the first time around, but I am willing to give it a chance.