Cover Image: Dead Eye

Dead Eye

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Member Reviews

I didn't write a review for this, I simply liked it enough to rate it 4 stars on Goodreads and then continued on to the next in the series. I am waiting for the next book in the series because Alyssa Day hooked me with these characters and the chemistry.

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A very entertaining fantasy book, I will gladly seek out others in the series. Realistic characters and events.

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Loved this book! It was hilarious when it was all action and even then it had a humor to it! I can't wait to read the next book.

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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A Dead Eye for the Tiger Guy!

'“Sometimes it takes a tiger’s eye to see the truth”

Sometimes when Tessa touches people she can see the truth. She can see how they will die. What she sees isn't always a terrible death, but the physical impact of this gift can be too much even for Tessa. Tessa manages this 'talent' by living a very quiet life in the town of Dead End where she works in the local pawn shop with her boss Jeremiah, at least things were quiet until Jeremiah was shot dead and his body left on the back doorstep of the shop.

Now Tessa has now discovered another dead body at the back door of the pawn shop and this time it is a local girl. Tessa doesn't know why dead bodies keep turning up on the doorstep of the shop but of course it is something that she wants to look into because something is going wrong in the town of Dead End.

Jeremiah's nephew, has been away for the past ten years, fighting against vampires in the rebellion. Jack, who is a tiger shifter, also has questions about his uncle's death and he is determined to get to the bottom of the crime especially since the local sheriff doesn't seem to have any ideas and has conducted what can only be described as an incompetent investigation.

Jack has his own magical powers and abilities, and he is determined to get answers and so he starts sniffing around and this also includes sniffing around Tessa. Jack knows that he can and will use his strength to get the answers he needs and of course he's also hoping he'll be able to use his strength and all his charm to get Tessa, but first both Jack and Tessa need to find who killed Jeremiah and who is frightening the townspeople of Dead End.

This is the first book in the series and I enjoyed it so much that I went and bought the prequel story before I had finished this one. I do enjoy shifter stories and this is a nice mix of urban fantasy and cozy mystery.

The world building is good and in the story paranormal creatures live openly and there are a range of different paranormal characters. Magic is common and accepted, but there are always those people who will try and use magic for themselves and for very dark reasons.

Tessa is determined to make sure that her home town remains peaceful and so she is only too happy to team up with Jack. As the two work closely together to solve the murders the inevitable happens but before the two of them can explore their feelings for each other they have a murder to catch and a town to save!

I think this is an excellent debut for a new series. The characters are engaging and the story context is fascinating. Jack is a really interesting character, a bit like a shifter James Bond. He is is smooth and suave and yet very lethal. He has sharp teeth and he is not afraid to use them!

There's also a mystery within the story because Tessa and Jack need to find out who the murderer is. Tessa is a witty character and there is humor in the story as well as as well as grief. It is a really well-rounded story and pleasure to read.

I like urban fantasy and paranormal stories so I was really pleased when I saw this book on netgalley and I've not been disappointed because it is interesting, with a really great dialogue between the characters and it is engaging.I can recommend this to anybody who enjoys urban fantasy or books like the Sookie Stackhouse series. If you read this you won't be disappointed.

Copy provided by publisher via Netgalley exchange for an unbiased review.

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Well this is the first book by Alyssa Day that I have read and I have to say that I am thoroughly impressed.

I was sad when the Sookie Stackhouse series by: Charlene Harris ended. They were such good books and had such amazing and entertaining characters. I loved how there was always a mystery and danger lurking around every corner. Well that is how these books are. They have that Sookie vibe that I have been missing and I am so glad I found these books.

In this first book we are introduced to our main character Tess. She is a pawn shop owner with a unique gift or shall I say nightmare in her eyes. Whenever she touches someone for the first time she gets a vision of their death. It is not an easy thing. It is painful and sometimes causes her to black out. So she rather not touch anyone.

The past owner of the pawn shop was like a father to her. He died and left her half of the pawn shop ownership, with the other half belonging to his nephew Jack. Whom no one has seen in years. 6 months later Jack shows up because someone has found him to let him know that his uncle has passed.

Tess is amazed at how nice looking Jack is. But that has to be a mistake. She has a boyfriend and Jack has led a dangerous life as a solider and none knows what he is like now, except that he is a tiger. Not a tiger in the sack and real life shape shifting tiger. Yep.

Jack has not even been home long and a body is dumped at the back door to the pawn shop. Jack suddenly figures out that his uncle was murdered and was not dead due to natural circumstances. The sheriff is an idiot and Jack is determined to find out who done it and if it is connected to the new body.

The chemistry between Jack and Tess is magnetic and I want more. I can't wait to read the next book to find out if they ever become a couple or not. They should. Tess is smart, sassy and funny. Jack is sexy, strong, smart and protective. The banter between them was awesome. They had me cracking up.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a page turner that flowed nicely and was mysterious and a light cozy type read. I really enjoyed the vibe I got reading this book and can't wait to continue the story in the next book. I think I can say I am hooked. ;)

*ARC provided by Netgalley and publisher

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Princess Fuzzypants here:
What happens when you cross Carl Hiassen with Buffy The Vampire Slayer? You get a sassy, funny and exciting story set in the swamps in South Florida with bizarre characters and supernatural elements. Witches, vampires, shape shifters and stuffed and slight shabby alligators are vie for attention in this book.
At first, I was not sure if I was going to like the book. Soon I was drawn into the story of Tess and Jack and their investigation into the murder of the man who bequeathed the two of them half ownership in the pawn shop in Dead End. Before long they are partners in more ways than one as they try to figure out who would murder Jeremiah and all the other people dying around the small community. And what a community it is. Not far from Orlando some of the residents would be comfortable in Universal Horror movies. It is off the beaten track in a world of of its own.
I am not a huge fantasy fan but I loved the book and could not put it down once it got revved up.
The characters are what make it great. It is all about the characters for me. Do I care what happens to them? Both Tess, who can foretell a person's death by touching them and Jack who spends half his life as a tiger draw the reader into their stories.
I give this five purrs and two paws up.

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Tess has lived in Dead End her whole life. Although the town is no stranger to the weird and unexplained, she’s a bit of an oddball; able to see a person’s death when coming into contact with another. She runs a pawn shop, which she is now partial owner, and genuinely loves her job.

Jack, a tiger shifter, has been away for ten years, leading the human resistance against vampires and working side by side with the Atlanteans. He recently discovered his uncle (and only family member), Jeremiah, was murdered, and after being back in Dead End for less than a day, another dead body is dumped at the door to his deceased uncle’s pawn shop. Now Jack is determined to figure out what’s going on.

I absolutely enjoyed reading Dead Eye, the first in Ms. Day’s new Tiger’s Eye Mysteries (although the book was previously released). The story is shared by the first person POV of Tess, and features Jack, one of the heroes from the Warriors of Poseidon series. There are so many delightful surprises in this one... and not at all what I expected after reading the Warriors of Poseidon. Dead Eye is filled with light-hearted humor and has a cozy-mystery vibe.

The mystery of who killed Jeremiah and what is happening in Dead End builds slowly and clues delivered sporadically. Tess and Jack do a great job of seeing the interconnected strings that tie everything together. While it’s not a surprise who did what and why by the time the master plan is revealed, it unfolds in a way that is thoughtful and interesting.

Tess is a great heroine. She’s an “average Joe” (with a weird gift of being able to foresee a person’s death), who rises to the occasion. She finds courage when she doesn’t expect it. She’s kind and good, but has a wicked side when it comes to seeking vengeance against those who’ve done harm to innocents. Jack compliments her in many ways, bolstering her and allowing her to be more. Their attraction is slow-burning but obvious to the reader.

Dead Eye is a fabulous, engrossing story filled with great humor, interesting adventures, and a hint of romance that has the potential for some serious heat. I found myself cheering for Jack and Tess. I enjoyed meeting all of Dead End’s denizens, with all their quirks and flaws. The core group is solid and will look out for one another, which sets this up to be a wonderful series.

My Rating: A, Loved It

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“A tiger, an alligator, and a redneck walked into my pawnshop.”


You know any book that starts out with that as an opening line is going to be great! This book belongs to the peculiar genre that’s best known for Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse series – cozy paranormal mysteries with a dash of romance. Since I love all things paranormal, romance, and cozy mysteries, this was right up my alley.

It was only after I started reading this that I discovered it ties in with a previous 8 book series. It was mildly confusing because it felt like there was a lot of backstory we were already supposed to know regarding the vampire war. However, the book is from Tess’s first person POV, so since she doesn’t really know that much about the other events, it was more of a minor annoyance.

Dead End, Florida is full of interesting characters – some who are hiding some supernatural secrets – and Tess is one of them. Sometimes when she touches a person, she can see their death. Due to her secret, Tess has given up her dreams of college and has stayed in her hometown, working at the local pawnshop. Jack has been away for years, and has only come back because his uncle has died and left him half of the pawnshop. He intends to sign over his half to Tess and then head out again, but, of course, the morning he comes back, a dead body is dumped at the backdoor of the pawnshop – again. And that’s how Jack discovers that his uncle was murdered. But are the murders of two people in this small, weird town related?

“Maybe the secret wasn’t that some people were so much braver than the rest of us. Maybe the secret was that you just quit giving a damn when you had nothing else to lose.”


Tess is caring and brave, and protective of her friends. Jack was more of a cipher, at least for me coming in without any prior knowledge, but his flirting with Tess was adorable. There’s a definite attraction between Tess and Jack, though it doesn’t go beyond a few kisses in this book. I’m assuming that the “will-they-won’t-they” will, in true cozy mystery fashion, be an underlying theme of the series, and the ending definitely left the door open for more books.

The mystery was pretty predictable, but, honestly, that didn’t really bother me. I feel like these types of cozy mysteries are more about exploring the partnership between the two main characters, and getting introduced to a cast of quirky characters, and the book doesn’t take itself too seriously. There’s plenty of humor, including a tigger joke that made me choke on my tea.

This was just so delightfully fun, and reading it put a smile on my face, and I happily added the next in the series to my TBR list. Recommended for anyone looking for a quick, fun, and cozy read – especially ones involving taxidermy alligators!

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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ARC - I voluntarily offered to review this book with no obligations and my opinions are honest!
Jack came to Dead Eye because of his uncle.
When his uncle died, Jack inherited half of a pawn shop.
The other half belongs to Tess.
Jack's welcome to Dead Eye came in a form of a dead body.
Now Jack + Tess have a mystery to solve.
Will they solve the uncle's murder?
Will they both give love a chance?
Loved the storytelling + the characters!

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What is it about?

If Sookie Stackhouse and Stephanie Plum had a baby, it would probably be Tess Callahan. Tess is a cute, somewhat clumsy, part owner of a pawn shop in Dead End, Florida. She inherited the shop from her boss and friend Jeremiah after he was murdered and dumped at the pawn shop. 6 months later his nephew Jack finally comes to town and not soon after another body is dumped at the pawn shop. Jack and Tess work together to figure out what really happened to his uncle. 

It may be good to know that Jack is also a tiger shape shifter. 

Was it good?

Yes. This book was so much fun to read! It's about as light-hearted as a murder mystery can get and still be creepy. There are elements of romance, fantasy, and mystery. At 210 pages it is a quick, fun, read that you should sneak in between your massive fantasy tomes that you normally read. It's one of those books that can really help you appreciate and remember that reading should be fun. 

I especially enjoyed the banter in this book. The character Tess is really quite funny. 

The only thing that really annoyed me was when she said that croutons are bread's evil cousin. That's not something I can agree with. I love bread. I don't often eat salads, but when I do the croutons are an important part of it.

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Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for an ARC of this book.

A paranormal romance mystery that I found quite funny!

This is the first I've read by Alyssa Day but I very much doubt it will be the last. Would recommend if you're a fan of Charlaine Harris

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This book is a paranormal romance and cozy mystery at same time. Fun to read and enjoyable with interesting characters.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley

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I absolutely adored this offering from an author who I normally associate with steamy paranormal romance. Having devoured her Warriors of Poseidon series I had no hesitation in snatching this book up even though the cover and indeed the synopsis promised something very different. Definitely a more quirky setting that in many ways reminded me of Midnight Texas but there's a huge connection to her previous work and believe it or not it's tiger shaped!
Tess has inherited half a very exotic pawn shop after its owners murder and finally his nephew Jack has returned home to claim his half. I'd like to say it's all love and roses right from the start but where's the fun in that? No expect murder, black magic, secretive agents oh and a whole lot of taxidermy!
I loved the mystery and of course the ever resourceful Tess who really shines. Add in a hunky shifter who delights in teasing and it's a fun read. Plus it is a world that's expanded by a lovely and often funny supporting cast. More urban fantasy than I expected but nevertheless I really enjoyed reading this and can't wait to discover just what will happen next in Dead End.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

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This was such a difference from her other works. I really enjoyed this one. I want to learn more about the town's characters. I hope she keeps this series going.

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Dead Eye is a paranormal romance blended with a cozy mystery, combined with a strong set of characters this made for an entertaining and well balanced story. All the characters are strong and easily related to which makes it easy for readers to become caught up in the happenings and ensures that they want to keep reading as well as ensuring that they continue to want to visit the town of Dead Eye. Also, the tension building mystery keeps readers on the edge of their seat with danger and thrills and it has a hint of romance just to spice things up, oh and I mustn’t forget that there were quite a few surprises in store for Jack as he discovers his inheritance which kept me on my toes as well. The heroine is a fine character, but Jack seems more as a sidekick, then the hero. Yet, the title of the book gives the impression that the story will center on Jack, which it doesn't. Tess Callahan is sweet, smart and funny. She runs the Dead End pawnshop where a quirky array of residents bring their items to pawn and where visiting tourists find everything they never knew they had to have. But life isn't all taxidermy gators and vampire fangs, Jeremiah, Tess’s boss, was murdered and left on the pawnshop steps. And now just as his son Jack returns to town, another body is dropped at the shop. Jack is determined to get justice for his father and Tess is happy to help - so long as he keeps his hands to himself. Overall a very enjoyable read and I will look forward to visiting Dead Eye again!

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Dead Eye is a fun paranormal mystery. As a reader, it reminded me of the Southern Vampire Mysteries that were eventually turned into the HBO series, True Blood. But the similarities lie in the fact it’s a fictional universe that has a large variety of paranormal creatures that are “out of the coffin.”

This book incorporates the quirky characters and situations that I love in cozy mysteries and adds a paranormal twist that elevates the storyline. Tess is an every day kind of girl, with the exception that she can foresee your death if she touches you. She lives a fairly normal life and spends most of her days running the pawn shop she inherited. However, things change as a dead body is dumped at the backdoor of her shop on the same day that her co-owner, Jack finally returns to Dead Eye. Jack, who is a tiger shape-shifter, has been away fighting in the paranormal wars for the past decade. Little does he know, the girl that was deposited at the back door died the same way as his uncle, Jeremiah. This sets Jack and Tess on a path of discovery to who is murdering people in Dead Eye and what kind of darkness is brewing in the remote little bayou town.

The author does a great job of creating an amusing set of characters. I found myself chuckling or even laughing as the story unfolds, which is always a plus in my book. As this is the book is the first in a series, I find myself looking forward to seeing how the author continues to develop not only the main characters, but the world they live in. Especially since the author has hinted at some of the political and global impact that the paranormal world has had on the human world. I like books that add a sense of depth to their plot and this one definitely seems like it will have an element of enrichment to the world outside of Dead Eye.

Great start to an interesting and fun series. I look forward to reading the next book, which apparently has banshees in it! If you check it out, I’d love to hear your thoughts, so leave me a comment!

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From the cover art to the premise, this is practically a True Blood/Southern Mysteries/Sookie Stackhouse knock off. That is absolutely great if that's what you want, but it wasn't for me.

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Dead Eye is a cute paranormal cozy mystery with the right amount of romance and suspense. I like the characters and look forward to anymore books in this series.

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Dead Eye is a cute paranormal cozy with an adorable heroine and a sexy hero who is itching to make her purr. Tess Callahan is sweet, smart and funny. She runs the Dead End pawnshop where a quirky array of residents bring their items to pawn and where visiting tourists find everything they never knew they had to have. But life isn't all taxidermied gators and vampire fangs, Jeremiah, Tess’s boss, was murdered and left on the pawnshop steps. And now just as his son Jack returns to town, another body is dropped at the shop. Jack is determined to get justice for his father and Tess is happy to help - so long as he keeps his hands to himself.

Dead Eye is a cute paranormal cozy. It has some romance, but nothing graphic. Neither does it have graphic violence. Dead Eye is a fun read that makes for the perfect afternoon escape.

4 / 5

I received a copy of Dead Eye from the publishers and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

--Crittermom

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This book is very similar to the Sookie Stackhouse series, both in the design of the cover and the supernatural being a major part of the story. Given that, this book does have it's own good points and will appeal to anyone that enjoys both supernatural and mysteries.

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