I don't know what happened, perhaps when switching kindles, this one got lost in the shuffle. I can't find it in my kindle account. I'm unable to fully review due to being unable to access.

Sorry for the delayed review. I have been working this year to catch up on my netgalley backlog.

Outstanding! Now this is what I'm talking about!

I have read - or tried to, at least - another book of Clara Coulson a long while back. It was in First Person POV, which is already tough for me to like, but it touched another pet peeve of mine, right from the start: it was in Present Tense.

But enough about the past - let's go back to this particular book.

It was magnificent! In this story, we see Stella Newport, a newbie in the Paranormal Squad, who's ordered to work with Oswald Bolton on a series of murders that stink of paranormal interference. But the moody and closed-off Oz is not only hard to work with, he's downright a pain in the butt. Can these two become a true team in time to stop the trail of blood and corpses?

I have to say, I was hesitant at first. I liked the concept, but that's how I had stumbled on that other book I told you about. So I told myself to not expect much. But I was wrong! Oh so wrong! First and foremost, no present tense! And that was a bonus! Not to mention that the characters were downright addictive! I needed more of them even while I was reading!

Stella was a gift to humanity! She was witty, and kind, and capable without trying to flaunt it - in fact, she kept her real powers and skills hidden until she was forced to show her hand waaaaaay into the story already. She was this quiet force full of intellect and soft-spoken words, with a firm hand in combat and a sharp tongue subtly thrown in the mix sometimes. She was the perfect person to compliment Oz as his partner out in the field.

Speaking of Oz, he got into my Book Boyfriend List of '17. Because I'm weird, and grumpy dudes make me hot! The guy was smart as all hell, cynical, had a permanent scowl on his sexy mug, and was being an ass to almost everyone he met and talked to. What's not to like?! (I know, I have issues)

But he was also a broken soul who was too afraid to admit he needed someone to ignore his flaws and accept him as a friend and a partner. Someone who would be capable of staying alive because he had gone down the road of losing one partner already and couldn't bear for someone else to die in his arms again. And that spoke volumes to me, making him even more irresistible!

The pace was deceptively slow. You follow the two Larks along, as they search for the killer, trying to stop him before he runs away or kills even more people, and you think, right by their side, how hopeless the situation is. No clues were ever where they hoped to find them. Nothing seemed to connect the murders at first. And it was frustrating. But the pace was only that way for the good guys. Because the killer was damn fast and the story takes a quick speed-dive the minute they figured it all out - from then on, the race against time was even more intense and shiver-inducing!

I loved this book, seriously! And I want to read more of Oz and Stella! There was possibly something there between them, or it could be the romantic in me - but even if there wasn't, I don't think I mind that much. The duo was just perfect the way they were. And while the story had its gory and scary moments, I enjoyed it all the same and couldn't put it down!

***I was given an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinion stated in this review is solely mine, and no compensation was given or taken to alter it.***

My apologies - for some reason the file for this book did not download, and I did not realize until after it had archived. Thank you for the opportunity to read it - I'm sorry I missed it. (Star rating is not reflective of any opinion, but only of the fact that Netgalley will not allow submission without)

Clara Coulson is certainly a definite on my reading list after reading this book. I was lucky enough to read a copy through NetGalley and the publisher in return for my honest review and I can say it easy to talk this book up because it was a great read.
It begins with an action-packed moment and does not slow down until the last page - from people losing heads to dealing with broken ribs, there is not a quiet page in 'Speaker of the Lost'.
Who knew that FBI had a paranormal squad - yes, they do and they are kept quite busy. Stella Newport, newly minted 'Lark, as these agents are known is about to hit the ground running becoming the latest partner of Oz Bolton, a brilliant investigator, who isn't very kind to his partners - in fact, he doesn't see the need for a partner. Part of this is connected to an incident in his past when he lost a partner who he valued greatly. But Stella is there to take no prisoners (well, not unless they are the ones who have committed a crime) so Oz may have met his match.
As Stella deals with weather and her partner in Bismuth, Maine - she and Oz quickly come to realize that there is something extremely paranormal afoot as several men find their heads no longer attached to their body. The question is can they work out in time how to stop the deaths and return the perpetrator to the other side of the veil.
I honestly loved Stella and Oz and can't wait to see where their partnership goes to beyond this story. Everything about this book was well-crafted and I actually had to just keep reading once I started because I wanted to see where it would all end up. An absolutely super start to a series I hope will continue for a few more books as it really hits the mark of strong urban fantasy.

I was intrigued, and having read it I'm hooked! I'll be waiting for the next!! Easy sell to my customers!

A new series, set in the same world as the last one, this is a fun first book. I loved both Stella and Oz, and how they interacted. They make a great team, and it was fun to see them butt heads and slowly draw together as a team.

The action was quick and satisfying, following logical rules. The twist on the headless horseman myth was really well done, he turned out to be a great character. I hope Stella meets up with him again in the future.

Overall, a great first book in the series, and yet another example of great writing from this author. One little gripe, I don't get what the title of the book means. I feel like it should be obvious now that I'm done reading, but I just don't get it.

Imagine being promoted to agent when you still have two months of training left. Then add to it being given a mission assignment in small town Maine with a partner who is known for his incredibly bad mood and his inability to keep a partner for long. This is the position Stella Newport finds herself in. She has been training to become a member of the FBI's Paranormal Squad. She aced her first 3 training missions in hopes of landing the best senior partner when her training is complete. However, since an attack on a convention center in Aurora, Michigan, the DSI (Department of Supernatural Investigations) and the FBI's Paranormal Squad need as many qualified agents on the ground as possible.

The squad's agent-in-charge cuts Stella's training short because of her exemplary training score and sends her to join Oswald (Oz) Bolton in Bismuth, Maine. Oz would prefer to work alone. He is moody, and hasn't recovered from the loss of his partner 5 years ago. Oz and Stella must investigate what turns into a string of murders by beheading. Trying to get answers in a small tight knit and tight lipped town makes it no easy task.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were all so well written. I felt empathy for Oz. Hoping he could finally get over the loss of his partner in order to make his partnership with Stella work. I understood his pain and the attitude he showed the world to protect himself. Frequently through out the story I found Stella doing things that I would do. She was such an easy character for me to relate to. She's a bit of an over achiever, but doesn't do it to make others look bad, but to be the best person she can be. She wants to prove herself to the world around her, but sometimes this leads to her taking bigger risks than necessary. Sheriff Barnes is a character you can easily grow to dislike. It seems like he doesn't care who gets hurt of dies as long as he himself is okay. He's not afraid to bend the rules to benefit himself.

This book was hard to put down. It's very engaging. I think that if you like a good mystery with a little bit of magic and paranormal activity you will love this book. Some of the scenes about the murders are a little graphic, but there is not sexual scenes. I would feel comfortable letting a mature teenager read this book.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was given to me by Net Galley. I started to read it and it was not making a lot of sense and felt that I was missing something, so I read the Crows series and do feel that you need to read them first to get a feel for the Universe before you read this one. Other than that, really good story, good story telling and will be looking out for the next one.

Robbie was down on his luck: he'd fought with his girlfriend because he'd had seven beers which was one too many as far as she was concerned. So she took the car and left him stranded at his friend's house, with no other way to get home but to hike five long miles on a small country road in the middle of the night. Little did he know that his day would soon get from bad to worse. First he lost his girlfriend and his wheels. Then he lost his head… in a very literal and final way.

Now Stella Newport, rookie agent at the FBI's Paranormal Squad is sent to Bismuth, Maine, to investigate what looks like an attack by a headless horseman. And to make things worse, her partner is Oswald Bolton, who doesn't keep the same partner for more than a couple months before they beg to transfer or have a nervous breakdown…

I love when the first book in a new series manages the often impossible task of introducing the world, the characters and their backstories, AND manages to tell a compelling story as well. Speaker of the Lost does exactly that.

This book shows us a world much like our own, where normal citizens don't believe in magic or the existence of supernatural creatures called the fae. Apart from those few people who can actually perform real magic and even open the gateways between our world and the world of the fae to allow them to step over into our dimension. Usually, because the sorcerers needs something from those fae. And that something is usually rather nefarious for everyone else. Good thing is, the fae demand a rather steep price for their services, often up and not limited to the death of the summoner upon competition of the contract. Another good thing is that the government is aware of their existence as well and even has a few special agencies in charge of paranormal crimes.

The story itself starts as a simple murder, albeit executed by paranormal means, but turns out to be much more sinister and far-reaching than our protagonists had expected. The good people of sleepy Bismuth keep some dark secrets indeed, and the town will never be the same after the investigation is closed.

Speaking of protagonists. This story is told from the alternating point of view of both Oz and Stella, and I must admit that the author did a very good job of creating two very distinctive characters with distinctive voices.

Stella is a joy to read about. She is smart. She is resourceful. She calls Oz on his bull%$#t and she isn't afraid to let him know when he crosses a line. She is strong and she knows her own worth, but she is also very human. She can be overconfident and has a tendency to rush into things without thinking them through, but she isn't afraid to acknowledge her mistakes and learn from them.

Oz on the other hand can come across as a total ass, and most of the time he does act like one. A lot of times on purpose because he doesn’t want to be saddled with yet another partner that will turn tail and run in a few weeks or days. He doesn't want to get attached to another partner and feel responsible for them again. And there are reasons for that. I won't spoiler here, but let's just say that the few hints we get about Oz's backstory explain most of his behavior. I actually cheered for him when he gradually warmed up to Stella, because I understood just how hard it was for him to trust somebody again. Or to allow himself to care for somebody again, because he was scared that he would fail to protect them.

I also liked this new twist on the headless horseman myth and how it was woven into the bigger meta of this particular world.

So as I said at the beginning, this book did an excellent job of getting me interested in the world and invested in the characters. It wrapped up the story of the dullahan and the sorcerer who summoned him, but also hinted at a bigger disaster that is yet to come. And I want to read about it. I want to see Oz and Stella working as equal partners, bickering and helping each other, and being awesome. So when is the next book coming out?


PS. I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a unique mix of paranormal and suspense. This was a fun and exciting read that made me not want to stop until I reached the last page. Stella the new recruit within a specialized division of the FBI is called to a small town where things are not as black and white as they seem. Stella gets to meet her partner and much hated FBI agent Oz, they fight the relationship but Stella proves she is not goin any where without a fight. Thank you NetGalley and Clara Coulson for allowing me to read and write a honest review of this book.

I really enjoyed this book! The characters were likable and the story was absorbing. I looked forward to coming home from work and picking it up again all week. I'm anxious to read more from this author.

I loved this book! It's a great way to start a series: introduce interesting characters and a strange mystery and drop hints about backstory and future events along the way. I read it in one sitting and am eagerly awaiting book two!

I’ve read this author’s works before, namely the City of Crows series, and I was eager to read this series to find out if it was just as good. Oz has been paired with a rookie by his supervisor because the department is stretched thin. But, soon, they both realize they may both be in over their heads in this murder investigation: they are dealing with an ancient creature that won’t be stopped until his mission is complete. Will they find out who is behind the murderous rampage before it’s too late? This book was excellent! Out of every book I’ve read by this author, this was one was my favorite. Her wonderful writing, great plots, and fascinating characters just shone bright in this book. I loved the interaction between the protagonists, and how they came to work well together. The book was so engrossing, in fact, that I didn’t want to go to bed until I finished the book. I hope the author is going to continue this series because I absolutely loved it! If you like urban fantasy, you must give this book a try! Highly recommend! Thanks to NetGalley and Knite and Day Publishing/Pikko’s House for the e-book which I voluntarily reviewed.