A review by jjwilbourne
Shift Out of Luck by Brock Bloodworth, H. Claire Taylor

dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

4.5

Back again with the 3rd installment of the Killhaven Police series!

Cursed with bad luck, Officer Norman Green and Heather Valence are tasked with surviving a single shift without risking stepping in dog droppings, or—on their bad days—risking their lives and the lives of the officers around them. And if that’s not enough, there is definitely something illegal at play as children begin disappearing. Valence is determined to get to the bottom of the string of disappearances, and Green has to decide if he’s going to play by the book or join Valence’s rogue quest… and hope his luck doesn’t completely run out.

You don’t keep reading this series if Bloodworth and Taylor’s dark humor doesn’t fill your soul with something you didn’t even know you were missing. And while Green’s luck has been compromised, your luck is redoubled because this is possibly the most exciting and humorous installment yet. 

Book 1 was more or less an introduction to Green and his world of paranormal creatures. Book 2 was a bridge with enough of a hook to keep me reading. Book 3 is the fulfilled promise. Shift really hits the fan in this novel, and the ending payoff is the explosive action sequence I’ve been craving since the first installment.

These books are short and quick reads and are perfect palette cleansers between longer works. And even though I’m more likely to be found reading an epic fantasy novel, I find myself eager to recommend this series to readers who are looking for something that’s easier to digest.

Shift Out of Luck feels like a conclusion, but at the same time, a beginning in a world that continues to be fleshed out with layers of mysteries and dark plots. There’s more to be uncovered, and I’m not ready to leave this world. Hopefully, Bloodworth and Taylor feel similarly and keep the books coming until I get all the answers I need.

If you haven’t started this series yet and you love the idea of a supernatural police procedural that will make you laugh (followed quickly by the question: “whoa… is there something wrong with me?”) go pick up the first book, Shift Work, right now. No regrets.

*Full Disclosure — I work for the publisher, but I wasn't paid to review this book. While this is an honest review, I was involved in the production of the audiobook, but I make no profits from sales of this title.*