My Experience with Shift Work by Brock Bloodworth and H. Claire Taylor

I love taking a half-step out of my wheelhouse. Historical Fantasy, Alternate History SciFi, SciFi Thrillers, and other mashup genres are a great way to dip your toes into a genre that you wouldn’t normally pick off your bookstore’s bookshelf. So when I began reading Brock Bloodworth and H. Clair Taylor’s Shift Work, a Paranormal/Urban Fantasy Police Procedural novel, I was excited to experience this sort of mashup.

Norman Green is a rookie cop with everything to prove. He is, after all, the only human in the Fang 900s. Filled with werewolves, were-bisons, leprechauns, telepaths, vampires, ghosts, and many other paranormal creatures, Officer Green is at a massive disadvantage as a Kilhaven cop. But he’s determined to win over the respect of his peers, especially his FTO, Officer Valance—a werewolf whose a non-hyperbolic mix of a werewolf, rebel cop, and complete ass. If Green can survive her training and indoctrination—and not shoot anyone in the process—he’ll earn his place on the force.

When describing this novel to my wife, I went with “it’s like an “R” rated Zootopia.” And I meant that in the very best way. It has a similar story, but I would never hand this novel to a child. Full of dark humor and cynical characters, the first entry in the Kilhaven Police series is a comedic masterwork that should card you at the door.

I loved how Bloodworth and Taylor used an alternate version of our world—one full of paranormal creatures that are normalized and fully integrated into society—to perfect comedic effect. And while this novel is part-crime story, it’s only the beginning of a much larger plot. The primary thrust of the novel is the characters and that’s perfectly fine with me. In fact, it’s probably required because it is also comedy.

If you’re interested in reading character-centric paranormal-police procedural mashup and also love dark humor, give Shift Work a read. You’ll love it.