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Omens

by Kelley Armstrong

Other authors: See the other authors section.

Series: Cainsville (1)

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8485623,217 (3.96)36
After learning that she is the daughter of accused serial killers Todd and Pamela Larsen, privileged 24-year-old Olivia Taylor ends up in the small town of Cainsville, Illinois, to prove her birthparents' innocence. But as she and Gabriel, her mother's lawyer, start investigating the case, Olivia finds herself drawing on abilities that have remained hidden since her childhood, gifts that make her both a valuable addition to Cainsville and deeply vulnerable to unknown enemies.… (more)
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» See also 36 mentions

Showing 1-5 of 56 (next | show all)
I'm ten years late to this party. I'm looking for new series to follow. I missed this one when it came out and the five novels in this series are already in print so I gave it a try.

'Omens' starts with an unusual twist on the 'a woman's perfect life is shattered' premise. Has the woman seek refuge in a cute but spooky small town that has 'We're hiding something' written all over it. Introduces a cast of larger-than-life characters, some of whom are more interested in our heroine than they should be. Teams our heroine up with an unconventional and hard-to-like lawyer to investigate an old murder, which sets up a relationship that starts as a tense 'We don't have to like each other to work together' thing and slides into a 'Let's just keep this professional and ignore the slowly emerging unresolved sexual tension' thing

The premise is a doozy: Chicago heiress, on the brink of marriage to a being-groomed-to-be-a-senator, handsome-on-the-outside-but-beige-on-the-inside, fiancé discovers via the tabloids that she was adopted at the age of two following the imprisonment of her ritual serial killer birth parents.

While she's dealing with the shock of this, various spooky individuals corral her into Cainsville, a 'Gilmore Girls' style of small town with added gargoyles and a slightly 'Rosemary's Baby' vibe to the residents, some of whom have a surprising predilection for the Welsh language.

'Omens' reads more like the Pilot of a new TV series than a self-contained novel. Still, it was an entertaining Pilot that made me want to watch the next episode, so it worked. I'm glad I don't have to wait a year for the next episode book.

It was a fun read that did more than set up a foreboding-filled situation. Our heroine and her lawyer conduct an unorthodox, violent, dangerous and frequently illegal investigation into one of the murders her birth parents were convicted of and uncover dark secrets linked to the CIA of the 1960s and shadowy but threatening figures who are willing to kill to protect those secrets.

The writing style was light and swift without being spare or hackneyed. The tropes are used well and the characters are engaging.

I think this is going to be an entertaining series to escape into. ( )
  MikeFinnFiction | Mar 8, 2023 |
Not really Urban Fantasy, more like a quietish thriller with the barest hints of paranormal. Seems like it's going to be a pretty slow burn (for the mystery and for what looks like a potential romance). This volume wraps up nicely, but it is not at all resolved.

Nothing at all like the Women of the Otherworld series, which is ok by me, but if you are looking for more like that, look away from this series. ( )
  wonderlande | Jan 1, 2023 |
I read the novella Lost Souls a while back and loved it. Since I never read any of the Cainsville books before I Lost Souls was I eager to get my hands on the first book in the series (and the second and third).

As a big fan of urban fantasy was I curious to see how this series would turn out. Luckily the first book is really good and it was great to get the backstory for the characters in Lost Souls.

Olivia has it all, that's until it's revealed that she was adopted as a child and that her real parents are serial killers. Now, her mother can't stand her, her fiance is (or mostly his mother) hesitant about marrying her and the press is after her. She needs a job and somewhere safe to go. And, through weird events does she learn of a town called Cainsville...

Omens is a great book. I love the mix of paranormal and crime and Olvia is a very likable character. Cainsville intrigues me, you can really feel that the town is hiding things. That it looks normal on the surface, but underneath ... well, there is definitely something weird about the town and the ones living there. Then, there is Gabriel. Olivia doesn't know what she will make of him, he used to be her real mother's lawyer, but now there is bad blood between them. Now he wants to help her, well for a price of course.

Omens is just the kind of book I love to read. I love weird little towns in the middle of nowhere and Cainsville is just the kind of town that I just know have a lot of secrets. The first book managed very well to introduce the characters. I'm curious to learn more about Olivia, her parents, Gabriel etc. If you like urban fantasy will you love this book! ( )
  MaraBlaise | Jul 23, 2022 |
ITs OUT NOW. I wants it.


"The main character is 24-year-old young woman who has led a very privileged life, until she discovers she was adopted...and her birth parents are convicted serial killers."


I am hooked. Now for the wait... :/

Update:

Its got a cover now...and its awesome!

  Litrvixen | Jun 23, 2022 |
This was a mish mash of genres. I wish she had just stuck to mystery/crime. ( )
  dianeham | Jun 11, 2022 |
Showing 1-5 of 56 (next | show all)
In the opening chapters of this new series, best-selling author Kelley Armstrong seems to be venturing into dark thriller territory, but the story soon cedes ground to the author’s usual supernatural fare, when Olivia begins having premonitions.

Armstrong also does an excellent job of writing her heroine. Although Olivia initially seems like an annoyingly over-privileged society girl, Armstrong transforms her into someone the reader wants to root for. It’s surprising how smart and fierce Olivia turns out to be once she’s given the chance to break out of her self-absorbed bubble.

The novel’s strengths are the characters of Olivia, Gabriel, and Cainsville itself, but it’s difficult to care about whether Olivia’s parents have been wrongly convicted. Armstrong skilfully entices her readers to crave the next instalment in the series, but frustratingly leaves many questions unanswered.
added by monnibo | editQuill & Quire, Suzanne Gardner (Sep 1, 2013)
 

» Add other authors (2 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Kelley Armstrongprimary authorall editionscalculated
Gosling, AudranCover photosecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Montbertrand, CarineNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Ramondo, AnthonyCover designersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed

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FOR JEFF,
who knew I needed a new story to tell
and encouraged me to take the leap.
First words
Eden crawled into the living room, the rough carpet burning her chubby knees and hands. (prologue)
I waited in the shelter drop-in center for my next appointment. (chapter 1)
Quotations
[Grace's reply when Olivia says she called him.]
'I wouldn't call Gabriel Walsh if I was (sic) on fire.' She pursed her lips. 'No, I might. To sue everyone responsible -- from the person who lit the match to those who made my clothes. But I'd wait until the fire was out. Otherwise, he'd just stand there until I was burned enough for a sizable settlement.' (chapter 18)
Gabriel knocked at my door at ten to six. When I let him in, he sniffed the air, frowning slightly. Then he noticed my guest.

'You have a cat.'

'Not by choice.' I shut down my laptop. 'He came in last night chasing a mouse and apparently he likes it here. I kicked him out in the morning and found him at my door when I came back. I left him in the hall, but he started caterwauling. Grace came. She tried taking him outside. He scratched her arms, so she threw him in here and told me I have a cat.' (chapter 37)
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After learning that she is the daughter of accused serial killers Todd and Pamela Larsen, privileged 24-year-old Olivia Taylor ends up in the small town of Cainsville, Illinois, to prove her birthparents' innocence. But as she and Gabriel, her mother's lawyer, start investigating the case, Olivia finds herself drawing on abilities that have remained hidden since her childhood, gifts that make her both a valuable addition to Cainsville and deeply vulnerable to unknown enemies.

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