Cassie Scot: Paranormal Detective

In this entertaining series opener, Amsden (The Immortality Virus) introduces readers to the eponymous Cassie, a decidedly mundane member of a magical family. Cassie, determined to make the most of her powerless state, has set up shop as a detective in her hometown of Eagle Rock, Mo., an area overflowing with weirdness of every kind. When she’s hired to deliver a subpoena to a local witch, she stumbles over a dead body and becomes the target of vampires. She must also deal with familial conflict and her complicated feelings for the charming yet unpredictable Evan Blackwood, the dead woman’s cousin. Readers will enjoy Cassie’s fish-out-of-water struggles as she fights magical threats with little more than experience and bravado. Amsden’s take on vampires and the paranormal is interesting, but she doesn’t bring many new ideas to the table. (June)