Reviewed by Ayrial King for Readers' Favorite

The NightShade Forensic Files: Under Dark Skies Book 1 is about the first case of Senior Agent Eleri Eames and medical examiner-turned Agent Donovan Heath. They are recruited by the NightShade division of the FBI to investigate a case of child kidnappings in the heart and heat of Texas. Surveillance and literally sweating revealed an isolated community within the city of Brownwood called the City of God, which is run by Joseph H. Baxter. After catching a lucky break from a young boy escaping the City and following up on other possible escapees from the past, Eames and Heath still don’t have enough evidence to take Baxter down. Relying on special skills only they, to their knowledge, possessed and more members of the City of God trying to escape, will Eames and Heath be able to take down the leader before he decides to send the City to its maker?

I could not put this book down! It had me hooked from beginning to end, from Eleri’s last day at the hospital to her and Donovan’s relaxing but brief stay at her family’s beach home. Throughout the story, A.J. Scudiere paints these two with many layers, making them more relatable such as Donovan noting how he had performed studies and researches on himself in college to see how different he was from normal humans. Scudiere shows Donovan as more straightforward – and being a medical examiner he most likely can’t help it – and to the point than Eleri, who grew up with having to do things a certain way because of family traditions.

I thought I understood Eleri, but that’s because it’s through Donovan’s eyes. When her thoughts became more open, I realized she was more complex because she had come to distrust her precognitive and psychometric abilities, even when she relied on them heavily. That was more evident during her angry exchange with Donovan after he hid Baxter’s picture under her pillow. I felt like his heart was in the right place, but he didn’t fully understand how her abilities affected her physically, emotionally, mentally, and possibly spiritually. Had he known that she experienced what she sees, I’m sure he would never have done that; at the same time, she never truly opened up about her abilities except when she talked about Emmaline and didn’t fully go into what happens to her when her abilities kick in, just how they started. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait for Book 2.