Cameron Haley

I was thrilled to get my hands on Skeleton Crew, as I thought [b:Mob Rules|7740381|Mob Rules (Underworld Cycle, #1)|Cameron Haley|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1278439394s/7740381.jpg|10547528] was terrific and right from the opening scenes we are thrown straight back into the maelstrom of violence and magic that is LA in this alternate world. The uneasy peace Domino brokered is threatened by a greedy gang headed by Mobley who has unleashed Demons in a quest for more power and show more unintentionally triggered a plague of zombies that threaten to destroy the entire city. Domino needs to figure out what is causing the dead to rise, and then defeat the encroaching evil as it bleeds into existence.The Underworld Cycle series is a gritty urban fantasy that embraces the violence of the power struggle between good and evil. Events are graphic (particularly that spawning bug), the language at times can be crude but it has an authenticity that works within this context. Haley's world is creative and intriguing for it's detail and scope. King of the Seelie fairies, Oberon runs a nightclub, ghosts linger at the veil of realities and evil lurks in a shadow world called the between.Domino is very likeable, she is self aware, even if conflicted over what she does and what she wants and strong, determined and brave. Her relationship with Aden is resolved in this installment though not as you might expect. She still has the support of Honey, is tormented by her resident ghost and djinn familar all who make an interesting cast.With the addition of confused and hungry zombies the action in Skeleton Crew is non stop and the pace pulls you along at breakneck speed. I reluctantly put it down at 4 in the morning after foolishly thinking I would just read a few pages when I went to bed at 2am, and barely made it through the next day on 2 hours sleep.This series is shaping up to be a favourite of mine, I really enjoy everything about it and I am already eager for the third. show less

I picked SKELETON CREW up without realizing zombies played a HUGE role in this sequel to MOB RULES. I know, it's in the summary - but I didn't read it at all since I was already interested in seeing how things played out for Domino. A leap of faith, really, considering my lukewarm reactions to the 1st book.

Is there anything that zombies can't make gold? Actually, I can think of a few reads that didn't work out, but SKELETON CREW really really blew my mind away. In a good way. In the good show more rock-my-socks-off way. Zombie outbreak never looked more sexy or dangerous or crazy-awesome. Seriously I think Cameron Haley has renewed my zombie addiction ten-fold after being in such a slump last fall!

I do not think reading MOB RULES is necessary to appreciate the sequel to the max. It may help to explain the magic system, the gang and Faerie Court politics, the tension between Domino and Adan, but otherwise I think the story rolled smoothly on its own with it as things start to snowball into an avalanche. There simply wasn't any time to worry about backstory - Domino and company had too much on their plate to handle without wallowing in the past for long.

I loved how SKELETON CREW incorporated South American mythology into the storyline, especially in regards to the zombie infestation. A really unique spin that definitely added some spice to the experience - and I never realized how special Mexican Hairless Dogs are! Who knew that they would play such a significant part here? Or that La Calvera Catrina could be such a deliciously dynamic villain? Who would have dreamed that South American mythology and cultural references + zombies would create such a fascinating story?

The action never let up for a second! Whenever Domino gets even a hint of a break, she gets slammed with another problem to handle - and sometimes they were interconnected. Of course, as her troubles start to culminate and the end of humanity is near, everyone - gangs, Faerie Court, spirits, federal agents - wants to play hero in order to be rewarded with more power that will surely result for their cooperation. Too bad there isn't really enough power to go around...

SKELETON CREW has definitely got me hooked on this series! Cameron Haley has created an amazing world that solidified in this sequel, and I am dying to find out what happens next! Domino and gang may have successfully swept their zombie problems under the rug, but have they enough juice to contained the demons and Faeries from overrunning L.A.? show less

This is my first foray in to supernatural chick-lit thrillers, and I cheated by picking a well-reviewed first novel rather than trying on a best-seller. It was good. You could drive a truck through the plot holes, but it hit some good notes, and the writing wasn't offensively bad. It had a fairly original conception of magic (who doesn't these days) in which magical "juice" is tapped from human vice using graffiti and other methods. Organized crime, then, is just as concerned with tapping show more juice it can use to defend turf as it is with turning a profit. The heroine and protagonist is defined just vaguely enough to identify with, and sometimes struggles with the moral code - the "mob rules" - by which her job as the boss' hit girl is justified. I probably won't read the sequel, because there are meatier F/SF romps than this one, but I'd certainly recommend it to anyone in the massive market for tough-girl vampire-killer books. show less

Are you tired of reading the same book over and over again under the guise of a different title? You know the ones: girl meets boy with a secret, magic is plentiful, perhaps a vampire is featured, and don’t forget the happy ending. Well, Cameron Haley may have started with this formula, but he blew it up—literally. The main character, Domino, works for the baddest mob boss in L.A. As a strong magic user, she’s his lieutenant in the outfit, which means she takes care of business the show more boss doesn’t want to deal with. When a member turns up dead and missing his skin, Domino tries her hand at investigation. She reaches out to the member’s soul to find out who killed him, and when that doesn’t work, she resorts to older magic to bring back his ghost. Shortly after her investigation starts, she’s dating a guy—who has a secret!—that she found along the trail. At the same time, Fred the vampire makes an appearance, but is he “vegetarian” or killer? From there, every time I thought I knew where Haley was taking the story, it would take an interesting turn in a different direction. Haley would play out the most logical conclusion almost to the end before she changed the path 90 to 180 degrees to show us another possibility. I bet you’re wondering about the happy ending, but you’re just going to have to read it for yourself.
I received my copy of this book from the First Reads giveaway program where members can offer a copy or several copies of a book for other people to collect. The system works mostly on random selection, but the process is simple. With three clicks of the mouse, I let Cameron Haley know I was interested in this book. He had listed three signed copies in celebration of his first book release, and 867 members requested a copy. I didn’t pay anything to sign up for an account, to enter, or to receive my book. The only stipulation is that I was asked to post my review of the book on the website (and any other venue I chose). This was not hard and was a pleasure to accomplish—to the point that I might have skipped some homework in order to finish reading this amazing book. I look forward to more books from this author. show less