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It's a Mad Mad World
— feeling terminator
"Hunter's Trail", is the final book (for now) in the Scarlett Bernard series that started with "Dead Spots" and went on to "Trail of Dead" .
"Hunter's Trail" is written with the confidence of an author who knows the world she's created and has developed the characters who live in it. The plot deals with the consequences of Scarlett's actions after the killings in The Hair Of The Dog in "Trail of Dead."
I liked to the fact that what seemed such a good and kind thing to do in "Trail of Dead" has some very bad, impossible to foresee, consequences in "Hunter's Trail" a few weeks later.
I also like that Scarlett spent the entire book walking with a stick because of the injuries she received in "Trail of Dead". It made the whole thing more convincing and provided a good reason for her having to have help whether she liked it or not.
In "Hunter's Trail" I felt I was finally starting to get a clear picture of how the cultures of the Vampires, Wolves and Witches are. For me the Wolves, haunted as they are, come out of it best. I admire their constant struggle for control and their willingness to help each other. The Vampires are much more alien and frightening than the "Twilight" versions: amoral, immortal, apex predators who ALWAYS put their own needs first and the Witches who have they have the same failings as the rest of us but have far more power to make mistakes with.
The insight into the supernatural communities comes partly from the nature of the new threats in "Hunter's Trail" - a Nova werewolf killing innocents and a European witch sect exterminating werewolves both highlight what the LA "Old World" communities have struggled not to be.
Scarlett started to take control of her life in "Trail of Dead" in "Hunter's Trail" she finally realizes her own worth makes herself a player in the "Old World". This, together with her FINALLY choosing between the two males in her life (and she chose the right one - I was surprised to find I cared about that) , rounded off the "trilogy" nicely, while leaving the door open for Scarlett to return.
Melissa Olsen has started a new series, set in the same world but with a different main character - get ready to smile - Lex Luther - no not a bald guy from Smallville but a former US Army Sergeant named Allison "Lex" Luther. It comes out on audible on May 1st and is currently on sale for $5.24 here - and no, I don't get paid for saying that.
"Trail of Dead" is (apart from the title which I think is rather dull) is an improvement on "Dead Spots", book 1 in the series. Melissa Olson's writing is more confident and assured, the plotting is tighter and more complex and the world building is a little bit more subtle.
In "Trail of Dead" I actually started to like Scarlett Bernard and understand the impact that she has on those around her. She's come out of her "I'm doing this because it's the only thing I'm good for" trance and started to think through her life. It turns out that she's brave and, in her own way, driven by a sense of honour and a desire to help those she cares for.
Her bête noir and former mentor, now a scary bat-shit-crazy vampire is an excellent villain to his and boo at. She makes the other monsters that Scarlett works for: vampires, witches and werewolves, seem positively civilized.
The "shall I choose the gorgeous and righteous cop or the totally devoted werewolf surfer-boy" trope could have become a little tired - too Stephanie Plumb for my taste - but Olsen pulled an original plot twist that saved the day and kept everything a bit more plausible. I do wish she'd stop telling me that Jesse smells of oranges and Armani, it doesn't sound an attractive combination and it became a sort of leitmotiv that was played every time he and Scarlet were in a scene together.
The concept of a "null", the original idea around which the series is based, continues to develop at satisfying pace that shows progress but hints at more to come.
I'm confident that this will turn into a fun series. I know the third book is out but I'm waiting for the audiobook to be available.
Melissa Olson has achieved something quite unique, she's added a brand new type of supernatural to the, by now normal, mix of vampires, werewolves and witches. Scarlett Bernard is a Null, she creates dead spots for magic. In her presence, vampires and werewolves become human and witches cannot cast spells.
This is a truly odd, negative, super power. It doesn't turn Scarlett into an apex predator but it does give her some protection from them. She lives in a niché where she can be used by the various super natural factions to clean up messes, usually deaths, without being a threat or being threatened. She is valuable because she helps keep the "Old World's" secrets.
At least, that's how we see the world at the start of the story.
The plot places, Scarlett in a situation where she has a deadline to prove she had no involvement in some gruesome killings or face execution. The twists and turns of the plot are perfect for building a picture of the supernatural world while making it satisfyingly difficult to figure out who is guilty of what.
I enjoyed the fact that Scarlett, because her powers are essentially negative, couldn't just use muscle or magic to solve her problems, she had to use her brains and rely on her friends. This made the whole story more engaging.
Circumstances have thrown Scarlett together with a freshly promoted plain-clothes LAPD officer, Jesse Cruz. He is new to the "Old World" and becomes the device through which much of the exposition is done. He is also a very moral person (hey, if you can accept that LA has vampires, werewolves and witches, then is a moral LAPD officer such a stretch).
I didn't like Scarlett very much at the start of the book. She seemed glib, superficial, numb as well as null and I didn't much care what happened to her. As the book progresses, two things change, Scarlett's back-story of trauma, guilt and exploitation is revealed and,partly in response to Jesse's reactions to the Old World and partly as she slowly realizes that she actually has some friends, Scarlett takes stock of her life and her attitudes and starts to make changes.
By the end of the book, I was interested in Scarlett and the world she lives in and ready for another instalment.
"Dead Spots" was an entertaining read that had some problems with pace and perhaps a little too much exposition, but which appealed to me because of its flashes of originality and the intelligence and pragmatism of Scarlett Bernard.
I keep finding these little gems and Trail of Dead is another one. I read the first in the series, Dead Spots, and while it had a few rough places, Trail of Dead is much better. I still feel it's extremely difficult for the first book in a series to be one in a million but it can be good enough to hook you for the next. 
