The Case of El Chupacabra by Kelley Armstrong (serialized e-fiction)

Title: The Case of El Chupacabra
Author: Kelley Armstrong
159 pages (PDF)
Format: e-fiction
Rating: 7/10

Synopsis:
Sean Nast has a dilemma: he's party to a problem that ethically, he can't ignore, but intervening means "outing" himself to his family. He passes the case on to Lucas, who investigates.

Review:
Each year, Kelley Armstrong embarks on a creative project that will only be available on her website for free, so that anyone can read it at zero cost. In each case, the author has consulted with her fans on a wide range of aspects, from lead characters to basic plot outlines, leading to a work of fiction that involves the fans from start to finish. It’s a wonderful idea and one that Armstrong utilizes to maximum effect.

In this case, there is a progression of characters already introduced through the official, published volumes in the Women of the Otherworld series that sees one of the much younger characters, Savannah, growing up a great deal and it’s nice to have a little more focus shifting to her, showing that there’s definitely scope for a future book featuring her as the main character.

Posted in regular installments, the tension is kept at a very good level throughout, leaving cliffhangers at just the right points to keep readers interested and gets them to return for the next chapter – no easy feat when the project is spread over an entire year! The result, in this case, is a nifty little story that highlights one of the “species” from the otherworld that has previously only really had a cursory glance and whets the appetite for a future novel featuring the vampires more prominently.

It’s not quite as engaging as Armstrong’s novels, but it’s an interesting aspect of her writing that fans shouldn’t miss.