I have read and loved the Sookie Stackhouse series so I wanted to love this.
I did like this story but I didn't love it. It is ok written and unfortunately, it wasn't one I didn't want to put down. It actually took me 2 months to read this book.

I don't know if I will continue on with this series.

Some may love it.

Just as the cover implies, An Easy Death is a cowboy shoot 'em up style book. In the classic comedic style of Charlaine Harris we are introduced to our bad-ass heroine who doesn't like anyone meddling in her affairs and has kept her hand on her gun mos of her life just to survive.

Characters
Something Harris is a master at creating are characters. Her original series 'True Blood' characters are unforgettable and as such so are the ones in An Easy Death. Not only is our lead gal likable, she has many traits readers may wish they had; including a fearless personality. Additionally Harris introduces us to a whole host of characters you come to care about. Although fair warning there are a lot of people that don't make it in this wild west dystopian environment; so try not to get too attached.

Alternate Dystopian History
The setting of Harris' new series is really interesting. It's back in the 1930-40's or so (I think) and yet the USA has been split into factions/areas that are no longer one country due to a rise in magic and magical abilities. This has led to outlaw areas, new regimes and intense politics. My fave part (because I'm very biased) was that Canada held onto their land and got a chunk of the northern United States. So I just have to say thanks to Harris for not assuming my country would fall. ;)
The other side of the split of the USA is that the Russians have taken over portion of the former country including what was California. They are the ones with the most magic and a royal bloodline that includes the original royal line whom all suffer from hemophilia. There's no lack of politics in this world and yet it's not complex or heavily set. A perfect balance to the wild west feel of the show.

Action
An Easy Death is primarily a bunch of action scenes strung together with some mysterious plot. But don't be fooled into thinking there is a complexity to this story. At the end of the day it's just like your average John Wayne style story. Except our lead gal doesn't end up with near as many people in bed with her as Wayne might have had back in the day. (lol)

Overall
This is a fun, take a break and laugh book. Just like the Sookie Stackhouse series (True Blood on HBO), Harris has taken a relatively simple approach to let us know that the books are really all about having some laughs, shooting up a lot of places and our heroine surviving. As our lead gal is only 19 (or so) she displays a strong desire to survive that is admirable and reminded me that I can totally handle -35C (on one of the days I was reading this) so long as no one is shooting at me. I look forward to the next book and hope that this series can go on for 3-6 books and be solid additions to my TBR as 'break' reads from some of the heavy literature out there.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

This book was one that I was not sure what to think going into, and now that I’ve read it I’m not sure what to think coming out of it.

It has a very cool wild-west sort of vibe to it that appealed to me from the beginning, though that perhaps, may have been my interpretation of the setting. That being said the descriptions of the setting are vibrant and not-so picturesque but rather brutal and slightly frightening.

Gunnie Rose is interesting though I found myself rather startled at her age, versus her experience, giving me much the same reaction that many people have in the book to her.

The magic within this world is much different than that in Harris’ previous work, which is good because it proves she’s not sticking to just one thing.

This is a story that definitely deserved more expansion, which is why I am glad to hear that it is a trilogy and make no mistakes that I will be signing up to read the remaining books as well.

The plot sometimes meandered but always drew back into sharp, violent focus.

Read This If:

you like Charlaine Harris
you like dystopian fiction
you like the Wild West

I received an ARC of this from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I was super excited to have this request approved because I have enjoyed most of Charlaine Harris' novels and this book was no exception. This was a bit of a different take on her usual books, it being about a female "gunnie" but it still had that supernatural element that Harris is known for. It somewhat reminded me of the Dark Tower series by Stephen King though nowhere near as complex.
The setting is different and really interesting. I think it's a post apocalyptic world, focusing on the US and Russia, though still in the past. The world is in an interesting state of affairs. It is quite literally the wild west, with the Russians setting up shop in what is now California. The story focuses on young Lizbeth Rose who is a "gunnie" for hire. She gets employed by a pair of Russian wizards who are attempting to track down Rasputin's (yes that Rasputin) direct descendants in order to use their blood to save the current Tsar's life. What follows is a series of power struggles in the fight for supremacy and death follows at every stop. This happens both literally and figuratively as zombies also appear in this novel.

I really enjoyed it. Lizbeth is a strong, ruthless, independent female character and I can't wait to see what happens in future books.

Alternative history Western with a great heroine. Good world-building, a bit brutal. Fans of Charlaine Harris' other books like likely enjoy this one.

Oh my stars, yes! Move over, Sookie Stackhouse, and take a seat, Angel Crawford! There's a new snarky southern chick in town and she's jumped right to the top of my supernatural fun list! This is not a deep read, but goodness, did I enjoy it!

In An Easy Death we follow Lisbeth "Gunnie" Rose who lives in an alternate timeline where (when?) the US became fractured with the assassination of Roosevelt. Without his guidance, the country was divided and broken into pieces -- some parts were absorbed by neighbour countries Canada and Mexico, some states were taken by other countries altogether.

Americans who were caught in states with new leaderships are trying to migrate to New America, and to stay safe on the trail, they hire gunnies for protection. Lisbeth Rose is one of the best gunnies, with an almost second sense to warn her of looming danger, and an aim that can take down even the quickest targets.

Although Gunnie Rose comes close to falling into some tropey traps, I didn't find the character annoying at all, and my attention was held from start to finish. I alternated between reading and listening to the audiobook as narrated by Eva Kaminsky. I think this may be a case where the narration truly elevated a good book to one that was completely unputdownable!

My only real disappointments here are that I don't know how long I'll have to wait for the next book in the trilogy, and the fact that it's only planned to be a trilogy -- I loved the world building here and I think there are many more stories that could be told in this world.

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for providing me with a DRC of this book.

Wow. Charlaine Harris out does herself with "An Easy Death". I have long been a fan of her work, most recently her Midnight, Texas trilogy, so I thought I knew what to expect. From the very beginning I could tell this novel is a step above what I am used to from her. Gunnie Lizbeth Rose is the perfect heroine to root for, young and spunky with a quick trigger finger. But she's been through a lot and her experience shows. If she had a motto it'd be 'When life get"s tough, you need to be tougher'. This story takes us on a dystopian journey through what was once known as America, as Lizbeth escorts two powerful Russian wizards on their search for a way to save their empire. Poverty is the norm, and its a dog eat dog world. Can Lizbeth complete her mission? Or will she die trying? Highly Recommended!

I am mighty surprised to find myself having read another Charlaine Harris book. I’ve kind of grown out of my obsession with the vampire/werewolf/supernatural female driven YA books turned movie/tv show etc. I loved this when I first discovered it, it spoke to me, it made me feel like I was that ordinary outcast female who suddenly discovered she was something special. But like every over-saturated trend, I’m over it.

Enter An Easy Death. Another female driven seemingly somewhat supernatural story — but with a gunslinger! The wild west! This definitely sounded like a new and intriguing twist and I was hesitantly excited to give it a read, hoping to be indulged in a magically new world I haven’t seen before.

I liked Gunnie Lisbeth Rose a lot. She had a hard edge to her and a shoot first, ask questions later kind of attitude that never left her analyzing her actions. It was nice to see a ruthless woman standing her ground, acting as the muscle to two magicians unaware that what they are looking for was right in front of them.

I didn’t feel like the magician characters, Eli and Paulina, were all that developed, though. Other than what we were told about them, you don’t really see any growth or personality in them. Granted, they are secretive and keep to themselves, but so was Lisbeth and yet, we see a lot of character from her even outside of her point of view narration.

[Spoiler] And then we’re supposed to believe there’s some chemistry between Lisbeth and Eli, too. While there’s mention of this a bit in the beginning, that is the last thing I expected and they just didn’t fit right together in my mind. And of course, as soon as this connection is made, the rest of the book is full of sex scenes and longing glances and butterflies, which honestly, just felt like filler in my opinion. It seemed random, like I said, and it wasn’t very well grown, so it just felt like it was thrown on top of shameless gratification, which I’m tired of. [end spoiler]

I quite liked the story and how it all came together, though. At times it felt a little repetitive… the three embark down a road and are attacked by bandits… the three enter a small town and are attacked by someone following them…. the three… you get the point. But in fairness, that is the reality of the time and ultimately what Gunnie Rose’s job is – protect the magicians on the road as they travel. It played out kind of like a western movie, where everything goes up in gun-smoke at one point or another and I like that feel and thought it was done quite successfully.

I’m sure this is meant to be a series, but I don’t think I quite have an interesting in reading more. Though I did enjoy the story and Gunnie Rose; it was a fun little wild west story with a mix of magic and not a vampire or werewolf in sight.

Charlaine Harris has a way of sucking me in to her books and I was curious to try this new one.

In An Easy Death, we're introduced to an alternate history of America where President Franklin Roosevelt was assassinated and a massive influenza outbreak during the Great Depression killed the vice president and caused a large population drop. Lizbeth makes her living as a gunnie, a gun for hire who acts as guide and protection for those traveling through the area.

Our protagonist is a young woman who is level-headed, always busy, bright but not brilliant, and has a Special Quality that makes her stand out to those around her.

I like a good mystery, and this one was nice because I couldn't really predict how it was going to end.

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this title.

This was a fun read, and a good start to a series. The characters were relateable there were lots of action plot points driving the story forward.

The one thing that really annoyed me was the overuse of the "And then she fell asleep/passed out/was knocked out and woke up at the start of the next chapter". trope. I think it happened at least 6 times and that was 6 times too many. It felt kind of lazy considering how many books the author has written and the vast amount of experience she has.

Charlaine Harris paints a dystopian North America broken into several lawless countries where the gun rules. In Tacoma Lizbeth Rose, a gunnie, is hired by grigori(wizards) to protect them as they look for a descendant of Rasputin who could give blood to the Russian tsar(now ruling in what was California) Lots of malevolent magic and violence in a swift moving plot with a gun slinging heroine.

Quick Summary:

Set in an alternate history where the United States is fractured, and magic is mistrusted gunslinger Lizbeth Rose takes a job offer from a pair of Russian wizards. She may be young, but Gunnie Rose has acquired a fearsome reputation after surviving the treck across the Mexico border. The wizards are frantically trying to locate the only man whose blood they believe can save their tsar's life. As the trio journey through an altered America, it becomes very clear that a powerful force does not want them to succeed in their mission. Lizbeth Rose is a gunnie who has never failed a client, but this job will test all of her skills and resolve to get them all out alive.

My Thoughts:

I had a feeling I was going to love this book because I loved the authors Sookie Stackhouse series as well as the True Blood adaptation. They were both super addicting. This new series is marketed as an electrifying new thriller centered on a young gunslinging mercenary, named Lizbeth Rose. She might be young, but her skills with a gun and her survival instincts are some of the best. Its given her a fierce reputation for getting her clients to their destination alive despite the odds against them. I loved seeing her mind at work and how she gave zero f*cks what people thought of her. She gave me some queer vibes, but its not 100% confirmed. I hope we see it confirmed in the sequel because I really want her to be bi.

The other two characters we see the most of are the two wizards who hire Liz to find one of the only people they believe might be able to save their Tsar life. They hire her despite acting like they're more capable than her, but it doesnt take long for them to realize they might actually need to listen to her advice. I liked both wizards well enough despite one of them being pretty abrasive. Theres a lot of death and I wasnt sad about many of them since we didnt get to know most of those characters very well before they died. I still found some scenes a little heartbreaking though. I found myself thinking about these characters long after Id finish the book.

I was a little put off at first with the introduction of characters being all mashed together and not having a clear picture of the world, but after a few chapters I was hooked. This was a gritty western tale with none stop action and danger at every corner. It mixes of a post apocalyptic setting in an altered history with some magic. I loved how the author made it all work together to create this western type atmosphere with a bunch of showdowns between wizards and our gunnie Lizbeth Rose. The fast pace and high stakes made this the perfect book to escape into. I think this is marketed as a young adult series, but some of the graphic content makes it seem a bit older than that.

It pains me to write this review, almost as much as it pained me to finish this book. I’ve always enjoyed Charlaine Harris’ writing: the Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood series, Harper Connelly, Midnight, Texas. When I saw that Harris had a brand-new, what I would call, dystopian/fantasy, I was all in.

An Easy Death simply did not meet my expectations. I’ve always loved the way that Harris could make me laugh out loud through a unique dark story. While Lizbeth Rose had a constant stream of sarcasm flowing from her mouth, it just didn’t hit the mark.

Did Harris create a new concept of a dystopian world with An Easy Death? Absolutely. Was Lizbeth Rose a well-developed, strong heroine? Definitely. Sometimes this just isn’t enough. An Easy Death was dragged out far too long with too much repetitive action: Lizbeth leaves town escorting her charges, she kills bad guys, arrives in the next town, has a bath, changes clothes, repeat. Come on, Charlaine, you can do better than this.

If you don’t know Charlaine Harris, (what rock are you living under?) I would have to say that An Easy Death is not the best place to start. Go for Dead Until Dark or Midnight Crossroad. From a technical aspect, there is nothing wrong with An Easy Death, but it felt like the story was tossed together just to get a book out.

*3 Stars

In an alternate history, Franklin Delano Rosevelt was assassinated before he could be elected and therefore did not enact the policies to end the Great Depression. As a result, Canada has taken much of the northern part of the country and Mexico has reclaimed Texas. Magic exists but it is allowed only in California which is now the home of the Holy Russian Empire under the Romanovs who escaped the revolution back in Mother Russia.

Poverty is rampant in what is left of the US and travel is very dangerous thanks to the large number of robbers infesting the highways. As a result, gunslingers have become common as bodyguards for travellers who can afford them. Nineteen-year-old gunslinger Lizbeth Rose or Gunnie Rose has worked for several years with the same people and, thanks to both luck and skill, they have managed to survive the dangers but their luck finally runs out on what should have been an easy job. Gunnie Rose is the only one of her crew to survive. She is offered a job escorting two grigoris or Russian wizards to Mexico in search of a relative of the recently deceased Rasputin - his blood was the only thing keeping the young Romanov prince alive and now they need someone else with the same blood type. Rose is at first reluctant partly because she is mourning the loss of her crew, partly because she, like most people, fear their magic, and partly because she has a secret that, if it should be revealed, could make this trip extremely dangerous for her. Eventually, though, she accepts their contract, a decision she will live to regret assuming, of course, she survives the journey because not everyone wants to see the quest succeed and these antagonists are also wizards and they have magic that is at least as powerful as that of the grigoris she is escorting.

An Easy Death by Charlaine Harris is one fast-paced kick-ass take-no prisoners thriller full of magic and excitement. Gunnie Rose is a whip-smart protagonist and the action never quits. This is the first in a series and I loved every minute of it - I am already looking forward with great anticipation for the next book.

<i>Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review</i>

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada Saga Press for the read of Charlaine Harris’, An Easy Death.

This is my first read for Charlaine Harris, and I'm not disappointed. I was intrigued by the cool cover and story line. Lizbeth lives by the draw of the gun, in a gloomish world. It’s a bit more gun-engaged than I fancy, but it’s what Lizbeth is. And, she was likeable, as were many of the other characters.

It’s a good read.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #CharlaineHarris for the opportunity to read and review the first book in what should be a great new series by one of my favorite authors. I have read all of the Sookie Stackhouse novels, all of the Midnight, Texas novels, and greatly anticipated a new direction from Ms. Harris. I was not disappointed.

The United States of America has suffered a great catastrophe (no, not Trump, but worse) - President Roosevelt was assassinated, and in the ensuing turmoil, other countries have stepped in and divided up the USA - Canada grabbed some of the North, England grabbed some (now called Brittania), Mexico absorbed Texas and some other southern states, and Russia's 'last' Tsar, Nicholas II escaped the White Russian revolution with his entire family and Grigori Rasputin (they call the new country the Holy Russian Empire).

Lizbeth Rose is a gunnie (gunslinger) who, among other things, lives a spartan life in Texoma where life is hard and so many need protection. The book title, "An Easy Death" is what gunnies wish each other when they meet and go off on jobs.

Gunnie Rose helps reunite families who want to move back to the US from the Mexican-absorbed states. She's also the product of the rape of her mother by a 'grigori', as they call the wizards from the HRE who seem to roam the entire continent at will.

After a disastrous run to reunite a family, Lizbeth finds herself at loose ends, trying to recover from the loss of her team when she's approached by two grigoris who want to hire her to track down the brother of her father (whom she has previously tracked and killed in retaliation). The grigoris (Paulina and Eli) do not know who she really is, other than Gunnie Lizbeth Rose, and against her better judgement she takes the job.

Along the way there is a lot of adventure, zombies, revenants, bad wizards, other gunnies, and much gun play.

Without giving the plot away, there is much to enjoy in this Wild West - er, South - adventure series. Recommended for fans of Ms. Harris, fans of alternate history, fans of fantasy and generally anyone looking for a really good read. I, for one, cannot wait for the next installment.

Though familiar with her backlist of work, I had not previously read any of Charlaine Harris's books but chose to give An Easy Death a read. I was not disappointed! Ms Harris has created an intriguing alternate history and some interesting and unique characters. The main character Lizbeth Rose lives by a questionable profession, but she remains likable and relatable. I'm happy that Charlaine Harris writes her books as series, as I can't wait to revisit this world again (and, hopefully, again and again!).

I tried starting this book and was never able to finish it nor enjoy the read. I am a fan of charlaine harris’s past seriesbut this time... it did not do it for me.

I enjoyed Lizbeth and her world. The story is a bit bleak, mostly involving gunplay and treachery. I will read the next book, although I hope the story will expand from being mostly gun battles. Ms Harris's fluid prose keeps the reader engaged and rooting for Lizbeth and Eli.