Waking the Witch by Kelley Armstrong

Waking the Witch:
The orphaned daughter of a sorcerer and a half-demon, Savannah is a terrifyingly powerful young witch who has never been able to resist the chance to throw her magical weight around. But at 21 she knows she needs to grow up and prove to her guardians, Paige and Lucas, that she can be a responsible member of their supernatural detective agency. So she jumps at the chance to fly solo, investigating the mysterious deaths of three young women in a nearby factory town as a favor to one of the agency's associates. At first glance, the murders look garden-variety human, but on closer inspection signs point to otherworldly stakes.

Soon Savannah is in over her head. She's run off the road and nearly killed, haunted by a mystery stalker, and freaked out when the brother of one of the dead women is murdered when he tries to investigate the crime. To complicate things, something weird is happening to her powers. Pitted against shamans, demons, a voodoo-inflected cult and garden-variety goons, Savannah has to fight to ensure her first case isn't her last. And she also has to ask for help, perhaps the hardest lesson she's ever had to learn.

Waking the Witch by Kelley Armstrong is the eleventh book in her Otherworld series, and like all of Kelley's work, this book is action packed and full of intrigue. Savannah, the daughter of a witch and a sorcerer, has waited years to prove her independence and abilities as an investigator to Paige and Lucas the young couple that raised her after the death of her mother. Now an opportunity presents itself when Jesse, an investigator from another PI firm approaches her with a case concerning what appear to be three human women murdered in what looks like a supernatural ritual. What first presents itself to be a simple human homicide investigation, quickly turns into more than Savannah and her fellow investigators are prepared for. With the help of her friend (the man that she loves), Adam, they discover what they believe to be an ancient myth of Witch Hunters, and Savannah is in danger. And there is more to this case than faked rituals and witch hunting, an old enemy has returned and she's playing for keeps. Her ultimate goal? Revenge, Savannah must die. Adam joins Savannah in the small town where she is investigating and although it is difficult for Savannah, she accepts the help that he offers and in doing so puts Adam in danger as well. In order to save them both, Savannah is forced to summon the same power she accidentally tapped into on the tragic day that her father was killed.

I've been reading the Women of the Otherworld series since it was initially released with the first book Bitten, each book surpasses the last leaving you with characters you think about long after you have put the book down and longing for more of the Otherworld. Although the Otherworld books are written in a series, and there are reoccurring characters throughout, each book can be picked up and read individually and the reader will be able to fully comprehend and enjoy what is going on in the book. Kelley's writing style gives Waking the Witch easy flow and keeps you turning the pages of this Urban Fantasy/detective style novel. I have been waiting for Savannah's book ever since we first met her in Dime Store Magic and I was not disappointed! Savannah has grown not only in age but in character; she still maintains her smart-mouthed snarky humor, but she also knows when (and sometimes winces at the pain) to bite her tongue. She has matured into a wonderfully strong yet still vulnerable woman and is an enticing character to read. Savannah's book does end on a cliffhanger, but it's one of those cliffhangers that have you wanting for more, flipping the page back and forth while saying: "WHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE'S NO MORE?"