Review: The Night Beat by Gini Koch

This is the first book in the Necropolis Enforcement Files series by Gini Koch.  I will admit that I only recently discovered the wonderous Gini Koch.  While doing the last Goodreads Best Of voting during the final round, I found that I recognized and had read every single book except for one - Alien Proliferation by Gini Koch.  I found myself simply stunned that I had some how managed to miss what was apparently a great author in on of my favorite genres.  This had to be corrected post haste.  I got and devoured the Katherine Katt (aka Alien) series.  I couldn't believe how great they were and why it had taken me so long to find it.  Of course, when I find an author I like, I will read most anything they write.  Thus, I had to take a look at The Night Beat.

If you have read any of the Kitty Katt series, you may wonder if the main female character, Victoria Wolfe is just a paranormal version of Kitty.  You would be wrong.  She they are both wise cracking, strong female role models, but where Kitty bumbles around and figures things out (mostly by accident) while rocking out to her favorite tunes - Victoria works hard at solving crime and is very competent at it.

Victoria's world could be our own.  Necropolis and the those who inhabit this hidden world are careful to keep most normal people oblivious to their dimension and the beings who overlap.  Victoria is a werewolf, but works for the Prosaic City Police Department and teamed with a normal detective who has no idea who and what she is.

I really liked this book.  My only complaint was that it didn't seem long enough.  We got introduced to all these really great characters, and the action was full on, but we only see things from Victoria's view point.  So it felt like we were missing large parts of the action.  My hope is that the rest of the series takes us through the different characters we have met.  I really can't wait to read their stories.  I gave this book 5 stars on Goodreads because it was amazing and I hope that Ms. Koch hurries up with the next story in the series.

Goodreads:

The majority of Prosaic City’s residents don’t know that their town exists on top of another place -- Necropolis, City of the Undead. For the most part, the two planes of existence manage to remain separate. And when they don’t, Necropolis Enforcement has beings in place to ensure the general human population remains blithely clueless.

Victoria Wolfe is more than just a policewoman. She’s an undercover werewolf assigned by Necropolis Enforcement to work Prosaic City Police’s Night Beat. Victoria’s comfortable working the shift where all the weird comes out to play, especially since her partner is also her perfect man. Or would be, if Victoria could ever work up the nerve to tell him she isn’t like other girls.

It’s hard enough being a werewolf in disguise, but when a creature from the Depths of Hell shows up in an alley preferred by junkies, bums, and hookers, it’s going to take more than just Victoria’s special gun and werewolf skills to subdue the ancient Sumerian demon. Especially when the demon is merely the start of what appears to be a major takeover attempt by the Prince of Darkness.

Soon all of Necropolis Enforcement’s Undead Brigade is involved in the fight to stop the Prince’s Major Minions from taking over Prosaic City and the rest of the human plane. But it’s Victoria who has to face the Adversary and figure out what intricate plan Lucifer has up his wings before everyone she cares about is destroyed.

In other words, it’s just another day on the Night Beat.