Murder by Death

I read this, or started to read this, a few years ago.  I think I finished it back then, but I didn't like it and never reviewed it and remembered almost nothing about it.  Last week on one of my GR groups, a couple of my book twins wondered why I hadn't yet read the series; if I like Mercy Thompson, then I'd like these books too.  Since I didn't remember enough of the book to say why I didn't like it, so I picked it back up again and gave it another read.

Now I remember what I didn't like about it.  I don't do well with wounded bird MC's and Cat is pretty damn wounded; her mother has emotionally abused her from birth and her outcast social status has left her desperately dependent on her mother's approval.  Add to that her-self hatred, her one-dimensional view of the world, and her total naiveté when it comes to all things sexual.  Yuck. Yuck. Yuck.

But I love Bones.  He's got it all together.  Here's a man with a past far more damaged than Cat's (and I love the history the author gave him, so very not stereotypical for a male character) but he doesn't wallow in self-hatred for what he was, or what he is (and he was changed against his will).  Granted, he's had a couple more centuries to get a grip.  He's a bit more bawdy than I'd find attractive in a man, but he keeps it in check most of the time and seems to use it only for effect.

What I didn't remember about this book, however, were it's many redeeming qualities.  There's humour to be found in much of the dialog, increasing as the story progresses.  This fits with Cat's increasing maturity as the book progresses as well.  She's not the wounded bird at the end of the book that she was at the beginning.  She accepts herself, what she is, and that the world isn't black and white and when she does that, I begin to like her much more.

I hated the ending.  I hated the whole "I must sacrifice for the good of others" and the whole fantastical men-in-black BS.  But I've read the synopsis' for the rest of the books in the series and I think I'll like the rest of them much more so than this first book.  I'm at least going to give the next two a try.