Skin Deep (Laura Blackstone, Book 1)

by Mark Del Franco

Book Overview

A THRILLING NEW URBAN FANTASY SERIES FROM THE AUTHOR OF UNFALLEN DEAD AND UNQUIET DREAMS . She'll need to keep up appearances-if she wants to stay alive... Being an undercover agent has its... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0441017436
• Release Date: July 2009
• Publisher: Ace
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.8" x 0.8" x 4.3"

Customer Reviews

great new character

this is a bit of a surprise because it is a much better read than some of the reviews would indicate. intriguing and suspenseful. it is now my favorite from this author and i am looking forward to the sequel. inventive and refreshing different!

Can feys, humans, and other magical creatures coexist peacefully in the modern world?

Laura Blackston, Washington D.C. Fey Guild public relations manager, is a woman of many talents -- and disguises. With the use of a three-carat emerald, she expertly creates and maintains a skin deep glamour as three separate people. In addition to her persona as Celtic fey Laura, she also works undercover as Druid police agent Janice Crawford, and International Global Security Agency terrorist expert Mariel Tate. She leads a busy life juggling three lives that no one else must know about. While assisting the police SWAT team on a meth drug raid as Janice, her partner is killed and she is also attacked. With her magical skill this could never have happened unless someone else with powerful magic was involved. Janice's investigation into what went wrong leads her to connections to her other personas. Someone has made a connection between the three women she portrays and wants her dead. Now all three characters and their carefully constructed worlds are about to collide. Laura is a unique, well-developed character, and her magic abilities and "split personalities" make this book an interesting read. The author takes great care to provide details of how magic is constructed and used. For example: "A masking spell created the illusion of a wall, tactilely and visually. The spell was keyed to her body signature, and it tingled over her body like cobwebs." These kinds of details throughout allow the reader to suspend disbelief and enjoy the story. Another thing the author does well is to explain the relationships between the various magical entities. For example: Two Fey factions, the Celtics ruled by High Queen Maeve of Ireland, and the Teutonic fey ruled by Donor Elfenkonig of Germany, are hostile toward each other. There's also infighting among many of the other magical creatures, and the fact that they live in the human realm creates lots of extra drama. Of course there's plenty of action to keep the pages turning. Packed with fairies, brownies, elves, dwarves and other classic fantasy creatures, this action-packed novel introduces a great new urban fantasy series. The story content has layers of texture that should keep its reader engaged till the final page. Fresh Fiction

Good start to a new series

I've enjoyed Mark Del Franco's Connor Grey series, so I was happy when I saw this book, set in the same universe. Setting the book in a different setting raises a new dynamic and gives the opportunity for different stories. In addition, the protagonist is very different from Connor Grey. Where he's been learning to get along with limited magic, she uses magic quite a bit in her daily life. Overall, I thought it was a good book, although not perfect. The plot was exciting - that's Mr. Del Franco's strengths in the Connor Grey books. What's missing is the characterization. Laura mentioned it herself at one point - she spent so much time being different people, that no one really knew who she was. I didn't really get a good feel for any of the characters, although enough hints were given that I'm interested in them. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series to see how they grow.

Good start to the series

I was really surprised at the reviews this book received. It is an undemanding read perfect for when you're stressed out or just want a quick vacation from reality. That said the characters are interesting, the book is written with humor and the mystery is well plotted. I give Skin Deep five stars because when I bought it I was looking for an urban fantasy with good characters and plot that wouldn't take forever to read and this book fits that description. I will be buying the next one as soon as it is out!

Hey! This is a good book!

I don't understand these reviews; I really liked the book. I had read his 'Connor Gray' series and thought that a very good series. For a long time I would not buy this book because of these reviews. Then, I decided that if I liked the other series so well I ought to try this myself and was surprised to find it a good read. I thought it quite understandable that Laura has not much of a personality because she works all the time and splits her life into 3 personalities. In the book, she sees that herself. I will definitely buy the next book.