Vampire Shift (Kiera Hudson Series One, #1) in Tim O'Rourke Fans

Jun 24, 2011 Jennifer rated it it was amazing

Deserves more than FIVE stars!!! As I have been patiently waiting for this release I will be honest, this review is bittersweet for me. One the up side I absolutely LOVED this book, one the down side I finished it in just a few hours and now it's over. ;) It's not that it is a short book or a novella, it was that it caught me at the first few lines and I could hardly put it down from there! I stayed up till 11:30 pm because I just HAD to know how it ended. Vampire Shift was thought to be release Deserves more than FIVE stars!!! As I have been patiently waiting for this release I will be honest, this review is bittersweet for me. One the up side I absolutely LOVED this book, one the down side I finished it in just a few hours and now it's over. ;) It's not that it is a short book or a novella, it was that it caught me at the first few lines and I could hardly put it down from there! I stayed up till 11:30 pm because I just HAD to know how it ended. Vampire Shift was thought to be released on Amazon.com on Sunday, June 26, 2011 but to my surprise I got a message from the author that is was up and ready for download! This is not your run of the mill vampire story by any means. There are murders, and mysteries, twist and turns throughout. The main character, Kiera Hudson, is a fresh out of the Academy cop in the southwest of England, who volunteers to go to the town of The Ragged Cove, a town so remote she loses radio signal in her car the closer she came to the town, no phone signal, closed signs on most of the little shops and stores that line the cobblestone streets, and on first inspection not a soul around. Oh and also a town where other cops that have been sent to work there have gone mysteriously missing! O'Rourke left nothing missing in my imagination of this quaint little town. His descriptions are so thorough, and the story plays out beautifully. On arriving to The Ragged Cove, Kiera pops in to the police department to meet her co-workers, one a hottie, one a arrogant jerk, and another a grandfatherly type. Not soon after saying her hello's she tags along to a murder call and gets her first taste of the craziness going on in this quiet little town. As the story progresses Kiera discovers things about her family she never thought possible and finds love she wasn't looking for. Things are not always as they seem in The Ragged Cove and you will be on the edge of your seat wanting to know more the further along you read. This is a great beginning to a Kiera Hudon trilogy that will not disappoint! ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

May 02, 2012 Sue McGarvie rated it really liked it

So, today I finished reading this book, it took a few days since I only read during commute to my different jobs, but I swear more than once I almost missed my bus-stop because I was so buried in the book. The characters were so easy-to-get-to-know... the paranormal stuff in it was simply credible and the writing was easy on the mind. I must say I honestly enjoyed this book and will read the second one in the series very soon, I just need to complete some buddy reads with my group before I get t ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Oct 08, 2012 Jackie rated it it was amazing

Loved it - kept me gripped ALL THE WAY THROUGH. My God - at last, an English male writter that rocks at PNR. I have been waiting what feels like forever to find a decent story by a Brit, with familiar settings and of course, familiar swearing helps too. I have only found the best writters to be American/Canadian and female, so it was very refreshing to read his "version" of the paranmoral/vampire world. Book 2 downloaded :) Thank you Tim! ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Feb 13, 2012 Alley B rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-and-reviewed, paranormal-romance, vampire, ya-series, e-book-only, favorites

Lately, I’ve hit a bit of a slump in finding books that appealed to me. I’ve been staring books that I end up stopping because they don’t grab me, I don’t feel I can relate, it’s poorly written or all of the above. I recently read an article about Tim O’Rourke and how his books are said to rival Stephanie Meyer’s work. Needless to say, I was pretty intrigued and decided to check out Vampire Shift, the first in the Kiera Hudson series by Tim O’Rourke. The cover alone drew me in and after I began Lately, I’ve hit a bit of a slump in finding books that appealed to me. I’ve been staring books that I end up stopping because they don’t grab me, I don’t feel I can relate, it’s poorly written or all of the above. I recently read an article about Tim O’Rourke and how his books are said to rival Stephanie Meyer’s work. Needless to say, I was pretty intrigued and decided to check out Vampire Shift, the first in the Kiera Hudson series by Tim O’Rourke. The cover alone drew me in and after I began reading, I simply couldn’t put the book down.

Vampire Shift follows a 20-year-old Kiera who just graduated from the police academy. Upon graduation, she volunteers to be stationed in the small English town of The Ragged Cove. This costal town has a bad reputation for the number of murders that have been occurring over the past few years. Once she arrives in the town, she thinks that she may have gotten herself into a very strange situation. With her special gift of sight, she is a very thorough policewoman and she sees clues that no one else seems to be able to see. After her run-in with a vampire at her second crime scene, Kiera begins to question her fellow policemen and her own past. Complete with crucifixes, graveyards and holy water, this story will definitely have you guessing!

I really loved reading this book. First and foremost, this was a very well written novel. O’Rourke did not over do his descriptions or introductions into his own, different vampire world. He gave you as a reader just enough to understand what was going on, but not enough to keep you from trying to figure out the mystery behind this little, seaside town and its' inhabitants. Also, O’Rourke didn’t overplay the romance in this novel. Make no mistake, there are some very hunky men and a great romance in the book, but the story is about just that, the story. Vampire Shift plays most heavily on the mystery surrounding Kiera and the other characters and I really enjoyed this change of pace.

As an older reader of young adult fiction, I was pleased to read about a more mature character. Kierea wasn’t a 16-year-old high school student struggling with what to do with her life; she had a job and lived on her own. It was different to read a paranormal romance book where I could place myself in the main character's shoes.

O’Rourke’s own personal take on vampires was especially refreshing to read as most writers as of late are taking up the same story as the vampires in Twilight. After all, vampires do drink human blood so they’re supposed to seem a little scary! In O'Rourke's Vampire Shift, he shows readers once again to never count a self-published author out! ...more

Like · see review

Jan 11, 2012 Amanda rated it really liked it

Shelves: horror, urban-fantasy

Amazon kept recommending Vampire Shift to me, but I ignored it for ages because it was listed under YA, and being a fast reader, I didn't feel that it would be worth spending money on. When I finally caved in and bought it [all of the customer reviews were 5 stars, so that swung it] and found that I did really enjoy it...

Vampire Shift is told from Keira's POV, so it's fortunate that she makes for a very likeable heroine. She isn't a coward, but she doesn't wander around putting herself in a endl Amazon kept recommending Vampire Shift to me, but I ignored it for ages because it was listed under YA, and being a fast reader, I didn't feel that it would be worth spending money on. When I finally caved in and bought it [all of the customer reviews were 5 stars, so that swung it] and found that I did really enjoy it...

Vampire Shift is told from Keira's POV, so it's fortunate that she makes for a very likeable heroine. She isn't a coward, but she doesn't wander around putting herself in a endless loop of dangerous situations and she knows when to back the hell away. She isn't anyones doormat, but she realises that sometimes she'll be better off keeping silent. In other words she doesn't irritate me by being a dumb, horror movie-like bimbo, whilst still having vulnerabilities to go with her backbone, so you'll never be sure that she'll walk away from the incoming disaster in one piece.

Having said that; naturally - for the genre - Kiera still isn't quite your average twenty year old police recruit. She has the ability to do what she calls 'seeing'; she has unusually sharp observational skills/photographic memory, admittedly a huge help in her chosen career. This makes why she joined the police even more reasonable, then the idea of Kiera being on a single-handed mission to track down her missing mother. However special, or gifted, heroines are a dime a dozen nowadays, so there is a been-there-done-that feel to things.

Kiera manages to squeeze in a bit of romance with fellow officer Luke Bishop, so if you like romantic angles in your books, the author has you covered. I don't mind a bit of romance in my non-romance books - as long as it doesn't start to distract from the main story and, I always go on about this I know, as long as we can avoid the usual cliques, e.g. love triangles. I do like the general romantic subplot in general, but I admit that I do find Luke a bit boring. He looks hot, he says the right things all of the time, be is so brave, caring, blah, blah, blah. There's nothing bad, it's just personally I find his perfection a bit boring.

I find the character of Potter much more interesting; he doesn't like Kiera's work policies, or her 'weird' seeing ability, so spends most of the book insulting her and making her job harder, but he's funny and unpredictable and keeps things lively. Another memorable character for conflict is Murphy - the Sargent. He's friendly and caring, but is also too laid back and if push came to shove, he'd side with Potter over Kiera, so readers bounce between "aww" and "eww" with him.

I think that Vampire Shift successfully straddles the line between a young adult and adult book; it makes the sense of tension, confusion, stress and danger seem real. I mean if I was in the characters shoes I wouldn't be all "gosh" and, I'd like to think, not running around like a dainty, but headless, chicken. The times have changed from my Point Horror book days, for sure - if they'd have had swearing, sex and not have skipped over the murders, blood and gore, I'd have enjoyed them a hell of a lot more.

The plot mixes drama, horror, action, mystery and romance together successfully, and the book is less then 200 pages long, so it makes a fast, engaging read - perfect for a lazy afternoon or a train/plane journey. ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Apr 02, 2012 Caroline Barker rated it liked it

Vampire Shift is a fascinating read. Set in a small, remote town in England with the main buildings being an inn, a police station and a church. It is surrounded by fields, cliffs and the sea. For some reason when visualising the fields and the inn I imagined the setting to be similar of that in 'An American Werewolf in London'. The only difference being is that this novel is about vampires.

Keira was an interesting character from the beginning, having become a police officer so young and with hi ...more

Like · see review

May 01, 2012 Jenn Green rated it it was amazing

As an avid reader of vampire novels of all kinds it is always nice to see a new angle & boy does this series fit the bill! awesome lead female in Kiera with an equally great cast of supporting charaters (Team POTTER!!!!) with more twists & turns then u can keep up with & no idea who u can trust!! Excellent Awesome Brilliant Story!!!!! New fav. must read Author in Tim O'Rourke & the cover Art is absolutely STUNNING!! Be sure to read this series!!!! ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Oct 13, 2011 Jeana Green rated it it was amazing

If you haven't read this series....READ IT!!! Awesome, creative, energetic and unique. Different from the average paranormal vampire stories out there. The main character Kiera is realistic and I love how O'Rourke goes through her mental thought process like you are in her head. Her personality leaves me full of envy and she doesn't hesitate to tell you like it is. Awe to be young again! :) ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Aug 20, 2012 Lisa rated it it was amazing

Shelves: my-fav-author

The reader is taken into the world of Kiera Hudon. She is a new officer who is thrown into a crazy paranormal world in which she never knew existed. She must put her trust in three other officers. All three men seem not very good at being cops...especially Potter. Kiera question her decision of agreeing to be placed in Ragged Cove. Kiera finds herself fighting for her life and fighting for the town she just became a part of.

Vampire Shift is one of the most unique vampire stories I have ever rea ...more

Like · see review

Jun 18, 2012 Claire rated it it was amazing

Brilliant was hooked from start to finish

2 likes · Like · see review

May 05, 2012 Tanya rated it it was amazing

This is a fab new series by a brilliant author. Tim's writing is superb and and sucks you in from the word go!

There are so many twists and turns in this book that keep you guessing and Kiera's relationship with her new friends Luke, Potter & Murphy is great to see building.

If you like a new twist on the vampire world then check this series out! ...more

Like · see review