The fun part of taking advantage of NetGalley's "Read Now" collection is there is always some hidden pleasure or another to discover. A one-sitting canidae (werewolf to the tediously traditional readers like me) led urban fantasy chase story, this meets lots of my expectations. I was really amused and drawn to the very first pages' freshening-up of Little Red Riding Hood in particular...bringing to it that little something extra that comes from an eyewitness account of a crime as opposed to a polished and practiced witness-stand testimony via the Brothers Grimm. Much new information comes to light.

In general, I'm a lycanthropy fan. In this explicit case, I'm on a spiky fence because I question some of the judgment calls an author must always make...there seemed to me to be a peculiarly removed vibe to this fun take on a lesbian private eye-cum-werewolf urban fantasy. It's clearly an authorial choice, I must say, because it's in the structure of the sentences that're written in passive voice. It isn't, however, alienating to me as a reader. Honestly this surprised me because, under most every circumstance, I am hate-reading passive constructions in short order. So that was a surprise but was it a good one? I can't decide.

What made me finish the book in that one sitting mentioned above was the clarity of the conflict between Ari, our wolf sleuth, and her nemeses. If I can feel the pull of the story despite a narrative construct I'm not fond of, then there's something extra to this writer's storytelling chops. Kudos for that!

Wow. Intense. Geonn Cannon gives us a great mystery to kick off the Underdogs series.

I wasn’t sure where this story was going at first, but it turned out to be really a good mystery. A rich and powerful family hires Ari to make sure the heir is staying clean and sober when murder comes knocking. Of course Cannon gives us more and it is heartbreaking, strong, and in the end about loyalty. I will give a word of warning as Cannon touches on child sexual abuse, non-consent, drug-use, and there is some violence in the story.

At the heart of Underdogs is loyalty. The relationship between friends, family, and those who are on the path to recovery and those that help them. I have to admit that my favorite character is Laura. The journey she goes on during the story, on-the-page and off-page, is familiar yet still moving.

There are quite a few grammatical errors in the story and I am surprised that it is being put out for review with so many errors as I got this almost ten years after its initial printing. I was getting annoyed by them, but the story is good.

Cannon gives us a good old-fashioned action mystery that just happens to have a paranormal slant to it. Ari gives Jessica Jones (Created by Melissa Rosenburg, 2015) a run for her money and then some…well because she is a lesbian of course.

I received a free copy of this book and I am writing a review without prejudice and voluntarily.

Underdogs is the first book in the Underdogs series by Geonn Cannon. Ariadne Willow is a private investigator with a secret weapon. She’s a canidae, a person with the ability to transform into a wolf at will. Using her heightened senses to track and her shapeshifting to follow people without being seen, she’s made a decent business for herself and her associate Dale Frye. When one of the richest women in Seattle wishes to hire her, Ari and Dale think their ship has finally come in. All Ari has to do is observe the client’s tabloid-friendly daughter, fresh out of rehab, and confirm that she’s truly clean. Ari thinks the case will be a piece of cake, but a moment of shocking violence changes everything. Soon Ari finds herself backed into a corner with no way out, forced to either run or risk losing everything she holds dear by fighting an enemy with unlimited power and resources. With Dale refusing to leave her side, Ari decides to make a stand to remind her enemies that there’s only one rule in betting.

Underdogs is a urban fantasy mystery with a little bit of everything. There is the paranormal element, which was different enough from things I have already read that I kept wondering what else might exist in that world, and who else might be other. The detective and mystery portion had some twists that I rather expected but some that took me by surprise. The world and character building was very well done, and I felt like a good amount of reveals were made without any overwhelming info dumps. Although, I would not mind more information on some past events in some kind of novella or prequel. Not that that would be necessary, but rather because I liked the characters enough to want more. Ari and Dale make a great team, and there are clearly some interesting stories in both their pasts. I am not sure where the series will go from here, but I do plan on finding out.

There are some triggers in here- there are several kinds of abuse and betrayal referenced that might be hard for survivors to get past. Just so those that need to prepare themselves can.

Underdogs is a solid series starter that left me satisfied but intrigued.

I'll admit this is one of my favourite genres. But I especially liked this one as it feels like a mystery within a mystery.

I was a little confused at first when I started the book because before the book starts the author gives you a snippet of the Little Red Riding Hood story. Yes, the lead character does refer to herself occasionally as the big bad wolf but in essence she is anything but. So I guess it affected my expectations when she turns out to be nothing of the sort.

It did not in any way deter my enjoyment of the story. The author makes you laugh and cry but you find yourself routing for the underdogs hence the title.

It is truly a David and Goliath story, a good verses evil where the good guys win.

The problem I'm having is how much to reveal. So I've decided to stop there. This book is definitely worth your time. So grab a drink put your feet up and enjoy. You wont be able to put it down.

Yes, I would recommend this book.




*ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley*

Ariadne is a private investigator and able to transform into a werewolf, together with her friend Dale, she is assigned to look after a wealthy socialite.  Male author but hey, well written with the female lead depicted well. I thoroughly enjoyed this story, it kept me entertained to the end. Easy to read in a couple of quick sessions.

A psychotic mother, a disgraced cop with a dangerous ego, a damaged daughter and an unsuspecting detective.

Ari is a small time private investor with a specific skill set - she's a shape shifter. She is great at remaining under the radar while on stakeout. Who would suspect a stray wolf as the one watching you?

Ari takes on a surveillance job, looking for proof a reformed addict is on the straight and narrow. Once she accepts the job, everything changes with irreparable damage.

This is the third book I've read by the author - he consistently writes a well paced, engrossing story featuring strong women.

Underdogs is the first book in the series. When I picked this story I was going for the werewolf investigator line, as I was always into this type of fantasy books.

It’s about Ariadne Willow a private investigator who’ve been hired for a job, and she was thinking it’s will be a simple accomplishment till an unexpected violence. Ari has a secret, she is a shapeshifter and it helps her in following people without being noticed. Her best friend Dale, who is her sidekick. There relationship is forming in front of our eyes, getting some love story in between the actions.

I wasn’t disappointed at all, I got what I was expecting, female lead, werewolf, mystery, paranormal fantasy, action and some romance. There were some twists in the book to spice up the storyline.

Underdogs by Geonn Cannon is about Ari, who runs a private detective agency with the help of her assistant Dale. The fact that she can turn into a wolf at will makes some of her tasks easier. She is assigned to observe Laura, an heiress of a very influential family with past drug problems. During the assignment, she becomes more deeply involved than initially thought.

The story is well written and makes you curious about the resolution. In addition to the main story, there is also a small love story running alongside, which lightens things up a bit. I would have liked a little more explanation about the shapeshifting or shapeshifters itself, but by the obviousness in the narrative, I have not questioned this as a reader.

I received a copy from netgalley in exchange for a an honest review.

Wow. Where did this author come from and how have I not read one of his books before? Normally, I don’t read books with a female lead that are written by men because they don’t get the “why” behind of thoughts and action but Geonn did a great job. There wasn’t a moment where I scoffed at something the MC did. The writing was gritty and the book was a page turner. I was sad at the end when certain events took place but I enjoyed the entire book.

NetGalley ARC Educator 550974

An amazing one sitting read. This is a stand alone in the Underdogs Series, however you will search out the rest of the authors books.

Action packed and emotion evoking. Though it's written by a man, he does not fall into the trappings of how clueless men describe women.