Rating: 4.25 stars
Buy Links: Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novel
Sam Cunningham and Alistair Gatti are settling into their lives together. Sam is working at Alistair’s family speakeasy and the pair are living in cousin Eldon’s former house. Sam knows they will need to find their own place soon, as his aunt and uncle will likely claim the home, but Sam and Alistair are happy together and starting to build a life with one another.
Things get shaken up when a man stumbles into the speakeasy one night and dies right in Sam’s arms. It turns out that Bobby works for Mickey Sullivan, the head of the local crime gang. Not only does Bobby’s death look suspicious, but when his corpse turns up missing, it is clear something is going on. The problem is that no one knows whether Sullivan is behind it, or if one of his rivals is stirring up trouble. But Sam can’t forget the look on Bobby’s face as he collapsed and wants to do something to help. Alistair thinks it was just some bad booze, but Sam can’t help but think more is behind it. Before they can decide next steps, however, a corrupt prohibition agent shows up demanding Sam and Alistair’s help in finding out who killed Bobby, or he threatens to have the speakeasy raided.
When Sullivan offers Sam a job working on hexes for his organization, it seems like it might be the perfect chance to do a little digging. Alistair can’t help but be worried that Sam is in over his head, but Sam is not scared off. He also can admit to himself that he finds the hex work exciting and this is a great chance for him to learn more about magic. It is even better when he gets called in to work on a fascinating, but secret, new project. As Sam and Alistair get drawn further into the investigation, the more complicated things become. Soon, they are in the middle of a fight between rival crime lords, a prohibition agent who won’t hesitate to turn on them, and a killer who doesn’t mind more victims. Now, it will take all they have to make it out of the situation alive.
Lion’s Tail is the second book in The Pride series by Jordan L. Hawk, an exciting historical paranormal series set in the same world as the author’s Hexworld series. This book continues Sam and Alistair’s story started in Blind Tiger, and while you could maybe jump in here if you are familiar with Hawk’s Hexworld, ideally this one is read in order. It has been over three years since the first book came out, so I did refresh myself a bit reading my review for Blind Tiger, but I was surprised how easily I slipped back into this world and these characters. Hawk really excels in historicals and is so good with stories set in this time period. The world of prohibition and Chicago gangsters really comes to life here with so much wonderful detail. Everything from the characters, to the language, to the attitudes of a post-war population just struggling to move forward feels so much of this time and place. And then added to that is the paranormal world building of shifter familiars and magical hexes. It just comes together so well and I found myself once again immersed in Hawk’s creative setting.
The story has a mystery element, as Bobby dies early on under suspicious circumstances and Alistair and Sam are forced into investigating. There are some nice twists and clever layers that keep things interesting. I didn’t find the ultimate bad guy/girl to be a surprise, as it felt pretty clear to me fairly early on. Part of the fun here is
, so I didn’t feel like it took away from my enjoyment to guess who was behind it all. Things get very intense and exciting, and I liked how the suspense side of things plays with the relationship end a little bit as well.On the relationship front, we see things progress nicely for Sam and Alistair, who end the first book in a happy-for-now situation. Here they definitely move forward and their connection is lovely together. They are both independent, but protective over one another. Alistair needs to learn to sometimes step back and let Sam have some independence, but there are also times when Sam is in over his head and needs Alistair’s more savvy presence. The story also touches on Sam’s family, as we get a better sense of the relationship he has with his parents. Alistair wants to step in and protect Sam from their vitriol, but Sam also needs to learn to assert himself with his family and recognize that they are hurting him. So there is some nice closure and development on that front as well.
I really enjoyed this second installment in this series and it reminded me how much I enjoy this world. It has been a while since the last book, but definitely worth the wait. If you enjoy historical and paranormal stories, this is a fun and exciting world and I can definitely recommend this series.
