Publisher's Weekly Review
Snyder's pulpy, suspenseful debut shocks, surprises, and titillates, but the love story lags behind the worldbuilding. In an only slightly more dystopian near future, New York City is home to vampires, shifters, and sorcerers--as well as rampant organized crime. Criminal defense attorney Neha Ahulwalia knows that her new client, wolf shifter Joe Peluso, is a killer, but she's inexorably drawn to him anyway. Instinct tells her that "Joe Peluso was the monster in the closet, the creature you were warned about in fairy tales... and still, somehow, not the scariest white man Neha had encountered while doing her job." She's certain there's more to his story, and she's right: Joe is a vigilante and the six mobsters he dispatched were very bad men. Joe and Neha fall in lust at first sight, then fall in love on the run after fleeing a shoot-out at the courthouse. The remainder unfolds somewhat unevenly, delivering an ungainly mix of visceral thrills; explicit, fevered coupling that leans heavily on the idea of fated mates; and repetitive, sometimes awkward exposition that sets the stage for future volumes at the expense of the present. Snyder easily charms the reader into wanting more from this world, but the romantic relationship pales in comparison. Agent: Courtney Miller-Callihan, Handspun Literary. (Jan.)
Kirkus Review
A jaded New York werewolf who's been branded a criminal has little hope for his future until he crosses swords with his take-no-prisoners lawyer. While there's little doubt that ex-Marine Joe Peluso has killed six Russian mobsters, psychologist and lawyer Neha Ahluwalia is determined to look for nuance that will help mount a defense. However, Joe, who has killed the bear-shifters to avenge the death of his foster brother, refuses to disclose any details. Joe's abrasive reticence aside, Neha is fighting battles on several other fronts in a country rocked into political chaos by the revelation that supernatural beings walk among ordinary citizens: She must beware of the nefarious links between New York's Russian underworld and its government, duck the surveillance drones forever circling the city, and contend with social prejudices that deem her wolf-shifter client a monster. Even as Joe and Neha are trying in vain to fight an uncomfortably strong sexual attraction, they are thrust into a battle for survival when Joe is attacked in jail. Cornered by dangerous predators, they turn to the Third Shift, a powerful security organization trying to restore justice in a deeply polarized society. In the inaugural installment of the Third Shift series, Snyder builds a compelling universe, evocatively describing everyday life in a world where social structures are fractured by prejudice and fear. In the process, she alludes to several contemporary realities, including the difficulties associated with measuring varying experiences of marginalization and oppression against each other. While Joe and Neha are engaging personalities, the progress of their relationship feels abrupt and lacks emotional heft. But the cast of secondary characters is so refreshingly diverse and engaging that it's easy to overlook the protagonists' penchant for going around in circles. A familiar romance set in an extraordinarily gripping world. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
A Punjabi Sikh overachiever, Neha Ahluwalia is not only a lawyer but also a psychologist. When her prestigious law firm sends her to interview a client, she can extract nothing from him that may help his case. Big and strong Joe Peluso, ex-armed forces and a genetically altered shape-shifter, has no hopes for any kind of positive outcome after shooting a half-dozen Russian mobsters in a nightclub. The only information he offers pertains to his erotic preferences. The two, powerfully drawn to each other, meet alone just before court, then escape together when the courthouse is attacked. On the run, they find abundant help from Neha's associate at the law firm, a sexy Irish vampire, a cop and his girlfriend, the sister of the Russian kingpin. Neha ends up getting swept into the world of the Third Shift, a super-secret spy agency that helps her go undercover with Grace, an Asian agent. After a slow beginning, the adventure and romance kick in full blast in Snyder's engrossing and diverse tale of paranormal romantic suspense that launches a promising series.
