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The Vampire and the Case of the Secretive Siren by Heather G. Harris, Jilleen Dolbeare Narrator: Alyse Gibbs
Series: The Portlock Paranormal Detective #2
Published by Hellhound Press Limited on May 3, 2024
Genres: Mystery, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
Length: 7 hours and 9 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Library
Purchase Links: Amazon*Libro*Kobo*Chirp*B&N
Goodreads
Sex, drugs and siren songs.
Ok, so not much sex is going on. The closest I’ve gotten to some action is a date with Stan which ended in disaster. But with all the eye-candy walking around this small town, including the sexy vampire leader, Connor, I’m definitely re-thinking my ‘no dating’ rule. I don’t get the chance to do much about it though because some ruffians think it’s funny to break into the Grimes’ moonshine shop.
It doesn’t take too long to identify the shifters responsible, but it opens up a whole can of worms. Inebriated worms, like the ones you find in tequila. The kids weren’t just drunk, they were high. High on a new kind of drug that’s washing into Portlock. Literally. We found bags of the stuff floating in the harbour and it quickly becomes clear that this drug is anything but recreational. It can make you high, or it can shut down your organs quicker than you can say ‘shotgun funeral’.
We need to find the dealers and shut them down, before any more of our town gets hoodwinked by this powerful stuff.
Oh, and there’s a small problem with the barrier. The barrier that keeps us all safe from the cryptid monster that lurks beyond its confines. That barrier. Rips have been appearing in it, and if it falls, we’re all doomed.
An average day in Portlock then.
Dive into this fast-paced urban fantasy series if you love mystery, humour, found family and a slow-burn romance.
Also in this series: The Vampire and the Case of Her Dastardly Death, The Vampire and the Case of the Wayward Werewolf
The Vampire and the Case of the Secretive Siren is book two in The Portlock Paranormal Detective by Heather G. Harris & Jilleen Dolbeare and Narrated by Alyse Gibbs.
It was such a treat to return to Portlock! I was completely hooked by this paranormal mystery and absolutely can’t wait to dive into the next audiobook.
Bunny, our lead heroine, is definitely not your average vampire. We’re starting to get some cryptic hints about how she was actually murdered when she was turned, which just makes me more curious. On top of that mystery, it looks like she’s busy being trained to take on the Nomo role in town.
We dive deeper into the supernatural setting, even taking us beyond the town’s life-saving barrier and giving us a glimpse of the dark thing out there. We continue to learn more about the different characters in town and I find them to be pretty cool and quirky.
The romance takes a backseat in this series, unfolding at a very deliberate, slow-burn pace. Conner, the dark haired vampire leader of the Portlock vampires and Bunny finally kiss. The interaction triggers actual sparks, leaving Bunny—and the reader—searching for answers about the deeper meaning.
I really enjoy the mystery at the heart of each book in this series, but I do wish we got more progress in the romance department, learning about Bunny’s powers, and moving the overall arc plot forward faster.
Audio: The narrator truly brings the story to life, providing distinct and memorable voices for every character.
Overall, The Vampire and the Case of the Secretive Siren delivers a unique supernatural setting filled with engaging mysteries. I’m definitely planning to continue my listening of The Portlock Paranormal Detective series.
Rated: 3.5 Stars
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About Heather G. Harris
Heather is an urban fantasy writer and mum. She was born and raised near Windsor, which gave her the misguided impression that she was close to royalty in some way. She is not, though she once got a letter from the Queen’s lady-in-waiting.
Heather went to university in Liverpool, where she took up skydiving and met her future husband. When she’s not running around after her children, she’s plotting her next book and daydreaming about vampires, dragons and kick-ass heroines.
Heather loves to travel and once spent a month in Thailand. Thai food remains a firm family favourite. It goes without saying that Heather is a book lover. She grew up reading the likes of Brian Jacques and Anne McCaffrey.
About Jilleen Dolbeare
Jilleen Dolbeare is the author of the Shadow Winged Chronicles, an urban fantasy series about a shape-shifting bush pilot in Alaska.
She loves riding horses, warm ocean beaches, and long walks in the mountains, none of which she can do in the Arctic, so she writes.
Her activities are riding her four-wheeler on cold ocean beaches (often frozen or covered with ice), and long walks to and from work when it’s 40 below—in the dark. She does keep her stakes sharp for those vamps that show up during the 67 days of night.
Jilleen lives with her husband and two hungry cats in Barrow, Alaska where she also discovered her love and admiration of the Inupiaq people and their folklore.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2026 Audiobook Challenge
- 2026 Beat the Backlist Challenge
- 2026 COYER Out To Lunch Again
- 2026 Library Love Challenge
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