I'd heard good things about the series, but the beginning made me think that they were wrong. She uses a lot of glue words, and they slow down reading. The dialog of the Beast is quite gimmicky. But as I read, and was caught up in the backgrounds and mystery, my reservations faded. It became enjoyable instead of a chore, and the story was quite good. I'm not sure if I will continue the series, but it was an enjoyable read, and I am considering more of the Jane Yellowrock books- more for tha characterizations and background than anything else.