How to Lure a Hunter: VRC Book 3, Alice Winters

I'd been waiting for Karsyn's book for quite some time and knew we'd be in for a bit of a ride with him.  Originally I thought it'd be him paired with DeGray, but once Claude made himself known, quite loudly and ridiculously, it was clear there was going to be another "odd couple" bit.  I'm happy with the pairing, definitely, and felt they worked really well together once all the truths were out and the walls knocked down, it just wasn't as compelling or hilarious as I'd found Marcus and Finn's story.  I'm still every bit invested with the VRC and am looking forward to more and interested to see how the next story works to give us new dynamics and shenanigans.

Claude was every bit as sweet and colorful as his clothing and his complete oblivious honesty about his clothing choices was well-played.  His belief in his outrageous combinations were unshakeable.  I liked that he was different from every other character we've gotten from Alice Winters thus far which gave a sweet, almost naive quality to the story that keeps the overall series feeling fresh with new perspectives and talents for ridiculous.  That Claude can also kick some major tail is a bonus.  He doesn't like letting the violent side of him out and it seemed a hardship unless Karsyn was requesting or needing it.  And his dynamic with Marcus was endearing.  We'd been led into an understanding of someone manipulative and possibly violent and yet what we got is someone childish in all the best and most humorous ways.  I liked him.

Karsyn on the other hand, didn't really end up as I thought he would.  Most of that was a good thing with his incredible vulnerability and softness.  I really liked his affection masked as snobbish disdain in his interactions with Finn and while many of his barbs were a bit too pointed at Claude, his softness compelled him to feel badly about it and either make amends or almost fall over himself to pretend like it never happened.  Only Claude would be able to see the innermost part of him and enjoy every bit of all of him, the prickly and the soft.

Based on the title and after the first murder scene I could guess very clearly where we were going with the dramatic elements of the story.  The depth to which it was taken however, was the surprise.  It was painful and I could see why Karsyn ended up acting the way he did.  I think the resolution worked because we got to see a lot of Claude in his moments of badassery, but some of it was a little over the top and slightly confusing in a "I don't really see why that was important to include" way.  One character ended up crazy in a way that worked despite being overly dramatic, and another was kind of an overly exaggerated non-issue.  They didn't really matter to any part of the story at all besides a certain creation bit and I feel they should have been excluded from after that moment.

This story was absolutely a departure in the overall feel and relationship dynamic in the first two VRC stories.  Not so far that it doesn't fit, but enough to know we're not reading recycled characters and plots.  I liked most of the changes in the story and really enjoyed the flashback scenes that gave us Karsyn's heartbreaking past in bits and pieces as present moments triggered them.  It was a great way to get a full picture of the past without an excessively long info-dump conversation scenario.  Claude's part of the background was amusing and where we know him through Marcus, a few holes were filled in, but nothing as detailed as Karsyn's detailed history.  I'm truly interested to see where we go from here and whether we'll get the answer to our curiosity about DeGray's compromising situation.  A more subtle win of a story from Alice Winters.

*$4.99 on Amazon

Alexei
When Marcus Church brings his brother Claude in to help solve an unusual murder, I’m positive he did it just to disrupt my monotonous life. None of my coworkers in the Vampire Related Crimes unit seem to understand that I want to keep a wall between me and everyone else—especially Claude, who does everything he can to break through it with an annoying smile.

After more vampires begin to die, Claude pinpoints the actions of the killers to a group of vampire hunters, leaving us in a race to stop them. When I discover that I have a target on my back, I’m surprised that Claude insists on staying by my side, even when things go from bad to worse. I’m determined to keep him out—I’ve lost enough people in my life—but I can’t stop feeling something every time he breaks through.

Claude
When I reunited with my brother, I never imagined it’d throw me right into Alexei Karsynov’s path. He’s short-tempered, stubborn, and dangerously adorable whenever he smiles—he just doesn’t realize it yet.

When Marcus asks me to help with a case, it gives me the excuse I need to get closer to Alexei, but what I discover threatens to change everything. Suddenly, I find myself wanting to do anything to protect Alexei and to see him smile, despite his efforts to keep his distance from others. I’m determined to show him that he can’t live in the past when his future is so much brighter.