Started February 6th, 2013. I had this on pre-order as an ebook after I finished the 2nd book in this series and saw that a 4th is coming soon, still sorry that I read the series out of order.
Nice short distraction.
Will certainly read the next one - btw. I tend to not read the teaser chapters of the next book, as not to spoil the surprise and it is too long till I read the rest anyway.
Could have been 4 stars, really bloody, great, but sometimes too obvious, so only 3 stars. ( )

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.

Quick & Dirty: Sophie Lawson is one of those rare humans who can see those things that most humans do not such as werewolves, vampires and fallen angels. Because of this she is the only “breather” who works for the Underworld Detection Agency helping to make sure that those who belong to the underworld behave themselves among the human population. Now she must use all that she knows about her work to save her old boss from those who want him dead.

Opening Sentence: You might think that after a visit from my dead grandmother, a run-in with my dead sister, and a rent-controlled apartment shared with an undead vampire fashionista, a visit from the undead wouldn’t be so unexpected.

The Review:

Sophie Lawson is a normal human whose father happens to be a demon. As such she is the only “breather” who works for the UDA. Also, trouble seems to follow her wherever she goes. As such, it is no surprise when her supposed to be dead boss, Pete Sampson, shows up at her door asking for her help to get werewolf hunters off his trail. With the help of her ex-lover and fallen angel, Alex Grace, maybe they can figure out who hired the werewolf hunters and save Sampson’s life and reputation. I had mixed feeling about this book. One moment I couldn’t get into it and other times I couldn’t get enough. I do believe that reading the first books in this series might have made it easier but it is not completely necessary to read them in order.

Sophie was a character I could relate to. She wants to be this super cool detective chick but always seems to fail miserably. Even so she still tries. Throughout the series she is known for backing down, turning into a big cry-baby, scaredy-cat. In this one, that has started to change and she is trying to become a new woman. The only thing I didn’t like about her is her indecision on which of the two guys in her love triangle she actually loves. Pick one already or let them both go.

Will is her Guardian and is there to protect her from those demons and other creatures who would like to use her to cause problems. Unfortunately, he is horrible at his job. He is a good looking man who has blond hair, hazel eyes and is built like a “soccer god”. Sophie has a fling with him while she and her other lover were taking a break. The other guy in her life is Alex, a fallen angel who is a cop trying to do good so he may return to heaven someday. Alex is the complete opposite of Will but still a hunk. He has blue eyes, brown hair, and is very muscular. I get it, both guys are good guys and total hunks, but still it is not right when both care for her to let them keep hanging on. I can’t pick sides because in this novel of the series Will does not show up very often. Alex is in it a lot and he is your typical hero who swoops in and saves Sophie when she gets herself in way over her head.

The other person who plays a big role in the book is Pete Sampson, werewolf and Sophie’s old boss. He was supposedly killed by a mad man, in a previous book, but had managed to escape. Unfortunately, there were those who found out he had escaped and they hired werewolf hunters to finish the job. He comes to Sophie for help to save his life. Of course there may be more that he is not telling Sophie because when he returns to San Francisco a series of very brutal murders start occurring. Could he be a killer seeking revenge for what had happened to him?

This story did have its ups and downs. Some parts were so boring, I had a hard time wanting to continue reading. Then all of a sudden something would make me sit back and go what! Then I would have to just keep on reading to find out what happened. For those who really enjoy anything supernatural, this is a book for you. For those who need to be contently on the edge of their seats then maybe this one would not suit you as much.

Notable Scene:

Will Sherman is my Guardian. And no, I’m not under eighteen_far from it. I’m also not a trust fund baby a la Athina Onassis or Paris Hilton (pre-sex tape/ pantiless partying/ jail time). I’m simply the Vessel of Souls and Will is, simply, my Guardian.

Yeah, I really thought I could get that one past you.

FTC Advisory: Kensington provided me with a copy of Under the Gun. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. ( )

Magically immune Sophie Lawson is the only human working for the Underworld Detective Agency. Her official title is Head of the Fallen Angel Division, but that doesn’t really keep her very busy. Good thing because Sophie has been having an interesting time lately. And by interesting I mean she’s been investigating some serious crimes that seemed to involve demons. And by investigating, I mean she’s been running around half-cocked, throwing about wild theories that end up being wrong before she finally figures things out and generally getting herself injured multiple times in some way or another.

This time Sophie’s former boss, werewolf Pete Sampson, shows up at her door. This is the Pete Sampson we thought was dead. Just as he shows up in town murders start happening. Murders that look like a wild animal attacked. Or was it a werewolf? Sophie needs to clear Sampson’s name and figure out who is murdering the humans, but she’s starting to wonder if it’s another werewolf or if it’s actually Sampson.

I think I’m starting to actually like Sophie now. She’s not as annoying as she was in the first three books. In fact, she appears to have some kind of natural ability when it comes to wielding a sword. I want to see more of that! We meet Mort who is an interesting, if not deranged, character. I’d love to know his story. Still not liking Alex. If he’s going to be Sophie’s love interest then I’m never really going to love this series. Nina and Vlad’s dilemma cracked me up. All in all the series is getting better and I look forward to the next book 'Under a Spell' due out August 6th.

*Book source ~ Many thanks to Kensington for providing me with a review copy. Please see disclaimer page on my blog. ( )

I really need to start checking if the books that catch my eye at Netgalley are mid series or not. The blurb didn’t alert me to the fact that Under the Gun is the fourth book in Hannah Jayne’s Underworld Detection Agency series featuring Sophie Lawson.

I am a little sketchy on Sophie’s past history past the basics – she is human, but fathered by Satan and a prized vessel of some sort. She lives with her BFF and her BFF’s nephew both of whom happen to be vampires, and she works for The Underworld Detection Agency which is something like a registration and control agency for all of the supernatural creatures who reside in San Francisco which live alongside the human population, who are clueless. Her on again off again boyfriend is both a cop and a fallen angel and with startling regularity, Sophie finds herself in mortal danger.

Though I was lacking some details I found it mattered little as Jayne provided just enough back story to make sense of the world. In this installment Sophie is trying to help her old UDA boss, Pete Sampson, evade the attentions of two ruthless werewolf hunters while growing increasingly concerned he may be responsible for several grisly deaths in the city.

Under the Gun is a fast paced read with plenty of action, a bit of romance and mystery. I enjoyed the humour, sniggering at some of the more amusing scenes involving Nina’s home shopping network addiction and Sophie’s attempt to escape Alex’s office while handcuffed to a chair.

I have to admit though I grew a little tired of Sophie’s ditzy persona. She freezes when confronted with anything vaguely threatening, babbles incoherently in the company of a good looking guy, is hopelessly clumsy and has a tendency to overlook the screamingly obvious.

I doubt I will seek out the earlier books in the series but Under the Gun was a entertaining, quick read that provided the odd laugh and demanded little concentration. ( )

When I picked this book out, I didn't catch the fact that it was the fourth book of a series. So I went to read the first book, Under Wraps, but I didn't enjoy it much. The characters didn't appeal to me enough. I am not interested in buying or reading the second and third books, but I thought I would try reading Under the Gun, anyway, because Sampson caught my interest in book one. However, with neither being a fan of the series or up to speed on all the backstory, I could not get interested in this book. I'll admit I didn't finish reading it. ( )