Omens (Cainsville)

I love Kelley Armstrong and if you are familiar with her writing style you will not be disappointed. I wasn't even half way through this book before I had ordered the rest of the series that was out. I waited very impatiently for the final book to be released and it just arrived today so I'm super excited. This book is a twisting turning series that will have you captivated from page one. The characters are well developed and pretty much all of the questions you will have get answered either in this book or in a future book in the series. (I can't think of any that weren't) This can be read as a stand alone book if you want. The "mystery" is solved at the end, but there are "sub plots" that aren't answered. There is a supernatural vibe to these books although in this book it isn't as at the forefront of the story, but is expanded upon later in the series. It all rolls into a tantalizing mystery that will leave you turning pages well into the early morning hours and begging for more.

It is set up as a paranormal novel, but the paranormal premise is going nowhere. Olivia, who is adopted, finds out that her real parents are serial killers. Her adopted mother is having nothing to do with her and leaves the country. Her fiancé is lukewarm. She visits her real mother, who denies that they killed anyone. With the aid of attorney Gabriel Walsh, she begins to investigate what happened.

Olivia is now residing in Cainsville, a town filled with gargoyles. There is a whole side story about the gargoyles. Is this going someplace? I certainly have no idea. Some of the people in town have abilities, and Olivia can read omens. The black cat, the ravens, the crows, the poppies are omens. Is this going someplace? It hasn't yet. Cainsville is a special town that will protect Olivia from the outsiders. What does this even mean? We are never told. Then to ratchet up the suspense, we are told Olivia had spina bifida as a child. It is unclear why she went after her old medical records, but then she dismisses what she finds as inaccurate. It is just another paranormal mystery that is left unexplained.

The majority of this book was spent setting up the characters and writing background, and we get a lot of explanation on what appears to be irrelevant. For example, we get a lot of information about the bike club/gang. I have no idea why. Will these elements be important to the main theme of the story, or is this just filler?

Even when Olivia and Gabriel solve the murder case of the last couple, it was just done as a second hand confession. You are left wondering why the confession even occurred. Then the confession is wrapped in mystery. You still don't know exactly why the real killer did the deed. Therefore, there still is no real ending. You will have to get book 2 to find out why they were killed.

Is it worth getting book 2? It is worth reading it, but I will get it from the library. It is not something I want to add to my book collection. Maybe the later books will be better, and I will change my mind. Currently, there isn't enough to this book to say if this serial novel is worth purchasing.

What would you do if you found out you were adopted, and your biological parents were notorious serial killers? This is how "Omens" begins, with a bang, and it doesn't stop until the very last page.

Olivia is a rich socialite who has her whole life planned out. She's engaged to a future politician, and intends to go back to school for her PhD in literature. But her world falls apart when she realizes that her bio parents were the grisly Larsens, a couple convicted of murdering eight people.

Olivia runs away to small town Cainsville, where nothing is what it seems. There are glimpses of supernatural elements and pagan traditions here and there, which I'm sure will be revealed in later books. Intertwined in the town's background is Olivia's quest to find out whether her parents really were serial killers. Again, nothing is what is seems, and that's a big portion of what makes this novel so much fun.

I can confirm that I will read everything written by Kelley Armstrong. She had me at DIMESTORE MAGIC in 2006 and I've read much of that series since. I've re-read some as audiobooks. I've read her YA series Darkest Powers as well as the Nadia Stafford series about the assassin for hire. The rest of her books are on the WWBL or on Mt Git'r'Read. Not many authors can write like this, several series and each with a unique voice.
I can only hope that the Cainsville series comes out in audio format at some time as I would gladly listen to OMENS. This is suspense + dark fantasy excellence.
Most outstanding is how strong the main character, Olivia, is. She finds out she's adopted and her true parents are notorious convicted serial killers. She discovers that she has a knack for research and investigation. She is stubborn and is definitely not a pushover. She can make a go of it even after removing herself from her adopted family's wealth and her life of luxury that has been all she's known.
She's scared but she keeps pushing forward. She battles the media, her family, families of the victims of her birth parents, the perceptions of the general public. She's always known she's different than her wealthy peers, but now she's getting to know just how different she is.
She doesn't exactly embrace it, but she grows to accept her enhanced difference.
The book reads as a suspense mystery with a tinge of magic and dark fantasy.
Definitely recommend.

Olivia’s life should be perfect the daughter of a wealthy family, the perfect fiancé she’s been able to focus on school and her volunteering. When the truth suddenly comes out about her birth parents her life is thrown upside down into a downward spiral. Olivia who had no idea she was even adopted learns that her birth parents are convicted serial killers. Her perfect life is falling apart her mother is freaking out her fiancé wants to put off their marriage and all she can do is run away from the media storm intent on wanting the story.

Olivia heads off to find herself ending up in Cainsville hoping to hide her identity but the locals already know more than they are letting on. She meets Gabriel Walsh her mother’s former lawyer who didn’t get her out with the last appeal. Pamela Larsen claims that she’s innocent and convinces Olivia to look into the murders and prove her innocence. As Olivia dives deeper into the murders she learns more about the murders as well as more about the town of Cainsville. Will she be able to prove her parents are innocent? What’s really going on in Cainsville.

I wasn’t sure how I felt about Olivia at first I expected her to be a high socity girl but she’s far from it which I found refreshing and made her more real. As the book progressed I just really loved who Olivia was as a person even if her parents are brutal serial killers she doesn’t let it get her down. I liked Gabriel right away he may be a little out for himself but deep down he’s good at what he does. I also really loved the community of Cainsville they are a little odd but I found it interesting and I couldn’t wait to learn more about the town.

I’ve had Omens on my TBR list since I first caught sight of the cover because Kelley Armstrong is one of my favorite authors. I knew what to expect from the author so I had high expectations and she doesn’t disappoint with another exciting new series. Omens is a captivating thriller that draws the reader in right from the start loaded with suspense and supernatural elements that create a hard to put down story. The characters are easy to connect with I really was sucked into Olivia’s story and couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen next. I love a good thriller with the supernatural aspects it’s a creepy story that was exactly what I wanted. The author has created another amazing must read series that may be my new favorite. I can’t wait to see what happens next for Olivia next I already have the next book on my kindle ready to go.

Very good start to a new series, and I personally am glad to see it. This was more of a mystery than paranormal, or at least to start, and I was really happy that the main characters talked and researched and thought, instead of just hopping into bed.

Have to start out by saying that if you've read Kelley Armstrong's YA series, you'll recognize some of Derek in Gabriel. In fact, Gabriel seems to be a grown-up version of Derek in many ways, especially when waking up after sleeping very soundly. This isn't a bad thing, since Derek was one of my favorite characters and I often wondered what he'd be like as an adult. Gabriel has the size, intelligence, and self-reliance to be a good adult version.

Olivia wasn't a Chloe. She's smart, flexible, and willing to take a leap of faith when she needs to make a point. She doesn't stand back and expect the whole mess to just go away; she jumps in with both feet and makes a difference. I was very glad to see she wasn't just a rich-kid.

The town of Cainsville and its inhabitants were interesting and obviously more than meets the eye. The superstitions and folklore liberally sprinkled thru the book was highly entertaining.

Another character worth comment was Rick of the Motorcycle Club. Potential triangle there. I'm thinking that James Morgan, the ex-fiance, isn't going to be much of anything except possible problems in the future. Gabriel needs to do something about having that 'talk' with Liv quickly at the start of book two, or I can see tension here.

I flew thru the book in less than a day - then turned right around and re-read it, making hilites and notes in my e-reader. Book Two is on my BUY IMMEDIATELY list.

For 24 years Olivia has lived a life of privilege, never having to do a day of real work in her life and never knowing the truth about herself and her family. For she is adopted and her birth parents are well known murders in jail for life. After finding this out she goes to live in a small town called Cainsville that holds wondrous secrets and starts the hunt to find out if her parents really are responsible for killing all those people they were convicted for. With the help of her mother’s former lawyer they start with the last murder and find out more than they ever could have dreamed of.

On the surface the story doesn’t come off as science fiction but more of a legal mystery. The story is written well and I found myself asking questions and forming my own hypothesis throughout the book! The characters definitely draw you in….Olivia is privileged but isn’t as naive as we think she is. She has a stiff back bone and a strong work ethic and when she teams up with Gabriel they are unstoppable. Gabriel is the picturesque tough guy lawyer. He knows how to get people to talk when he wants to and has many different motives for his actions. At times he’s hard to read and every once in a while you see this undercurrent of sexual tension and desire from Olivia and him that just makes you smile.
The town of Cainsville is another thing all together. I still have no clue what’s going on with the people there. Its like they all know this big secret or something and they are just waiting for Olivia to find it out. Is it power? Does every inhabitant poses some supernatural power? Why were they all waiting for Olivia to arrive? Questions that I hope I’ll get the answers to when I read book #2!

Overall the story was well written and a definite page turner! I felt like a detective myself, piecing all the pieces together and trying to find the real story. Exciting! If you are looking or something with a tad bit of SciFi and a more investigational / mystery and you enjoy asking questions to yourself this first book in the Cainsville Series is for you!

Cainsville; a small town an hour outside of Chicago that is run by elders, is full of gargoyles and folklore, and most people in Chicago haven't even heard of the town.

Well-to-do Olivia Taylor-Jones regularly volunteers doing social work and wants to go back to school to get her PhD in literature and earn a living. Her fiancé announces during dinner, his intentions to be groomed to run for the senate and she's not sure this is the path she wants for her future. Arriving home she finds a number of reporters outside, aggressively wanting her reaction to discovering that she's adopted and her biological parents are sociopaths in prison for the murders of 8 people; both of which she'd been unaware of. She attempts to dodge the media while looking for a job and a place to live while figuring out who she is. She gets guided to Cainsville where she begins to understand that she has the ability to see omens and what they mean.

She hooks up with a lawyer--great nephew of the psychic who lives across the street from Olivia--who lost an appeal on her parent's behalf regarding the last 2 killings, wanting to find evidence that either supports their innocence or proves their guilt.

This story is completely separate and apparently not even in the same world as The Otherworld series. I found Cainsville and the people and circumstances there, interesting. There's a great deal more to learn about this town and the inhabitants. I really like Olivia. She's a smart, gutsy woman who really wouldn't have to work, but once hearing who she is, wants to make it on her own. The story is heavy on investigation, mostly with Attorney Gabriel Walsh, who has his own agenda and you're left puzzling through the book just how you really feel about him; because Olivia isn't sure. You see many different sides of him as the story progresses.

We meet a lot of characters, and at one point it does feel overwhelming during the investigation. Who did or said what, and their relationship to others. The author does a great job with character-building, the situations and for making you run the gamut of emotions; doubt, fear, hope, tension, etc.

I can't claim to have been sucked into the story right away as others have experienced. For me there was just enough of an interest to keep me reading--it dragged for a bit--until I was fairly far into the book; then it had a much stronger hold on me.

Now that I finished it, am I glad I read it? Can I say that I enjoyed the story? Will I be reading the next book in the series? Yes to all 3 questions. Could I have set it aside when only halfway through it? I could have, but it would have been with a sense of regret.

Read via a library book.

Omens was probably my most anticipated read this fall simply because being familiar with Armstrong's writing I just knew I would get something perfect for not only the season but for the paranormal lover inside of me.

Well written, mysterious, and with characters you can't help but love, I completely devoured this read. It left me wondering, full of questions, and eager to begin the next installment. In short, I was completely hooked.

Imaginative writing, a memorable setting, a mystery that will keep you on your toes, and a town filled with the unusual and unexplained that is bound to have you pondering the story long after you put it down, this truly was everything I have come to not only expect from Armstrong, but what I was hoping for as well.

I can't wait to jump right into book two and hope some of the mystery is further explored and answered.

When we first meet her, Olivia Taylor-Jones is the heiress to a retail fortune and has a life of wealth and privilege. Her beloved father is dead and her mother a little needy; but she is looking forward to marrying James, who is a possible future senator, and intends to build a career and a life for herself with him. All these hopes and dreams come crashing down one evening, when a news story breaks which reveals that Olivia’s real name is Eden Larsen and that she was adopted – taken away from her biological parents, who are the notorious serial killers Todd and Pamela Larsen. Regardless of the shock that Olivia herself feels, those around her take the news even more badly than she does. Her adoptive mother retreats from the intrusive press and flees, thinking only of herself, and James suggests they delay the wedding…

Feeling abandoned and alone, Olivia decides to go away for a while – but it is harder than she imagines to get a job and provide for herself. However, strange occurrences lead Olivia to move to the small town of Cainsville, where she finds both an apartment and a job in a diner. Cainsville is a strange little place, full of superstitions and quirky characters. As Olivia is more than a little superstitious herself, she is sceptical, but also feels hidden and safer in this small – and welcoming – community. Olivia’s birth parents were sentenced for the murder of four couples and she is unable to remember more than glimpses of her past. She is not in Cainsville long when she seems to see various omens and sense things that she cannot explain. She begins to investigate her parents and is soon approached by Gabriel Walsh, the attorney who represented her birth mother. The two team up and begin to investigate the crimes together in an uneasy alliance, to see whether Pamela Larsen’s claim that she, and her husband, were framed for the crimes is the truth.

This novel has plus and minus points. I have never read anything by this author before and, to be fair, doubt I would have picked this up unless it had been chosen by my book club as our monthly choice. I found the crime story confused by the ‘all too cute’ Stepford like town of Cainsville; where the elderly residents are treated with special respect, Gabriel’s aunt is the resident psychic and hidden gargoyles abound. Olivia seemed too sensible to be counting ravens and indulging in endless superstitions, although obviously there were links between her feelings and her birth mother. Also, it seemed really unlikely that her adoptive mother, who had obviously gone to some lengths to adopt her, would have abandoned her so quickly. On the plus side, I generally liked Olivia and the character of Gabriel Walsh. The two embark on an investigation to see whether they can clear the names of the Larsen’s and I thought Gabriel’s desire for control and monetary gain brought more realism to the plot (although he had far more scruples than I would have liked!). It was an easy read and, possibly, the entire trilogy needs to be read before the storyline becomes clear.

It's not a secret that something is a bit unusual in Cainsville. The townfolk are also not welcoming to strangers. It doesn't take long for Olivia to find this out, but Cainsville's quirks are the least of her worries.

Omens is a great page-turner that tells what happens to young socialite, Olivia, after she learns life-changing news. The book has a lot of action and mystery along with a hint of the supernatural. Ms. Armstrong did a great job to make the setting and the characters come alive. I would definitely recommend Omens and look forward to reading more books in the series.

I do really love reading books, but what I love even more than reading is discovering a new author. I have to admit that I normally wouldn't have chosen this kind of book. My genre is mysteries and although there's a mystery involved Omens, it also has a decidedly paranormal slant. That's the thing that normally would have scared me away. No, I'm not a scaredy-cat, lol, it's just I usually find paranormal books a little weird. Much like some books in the fantasy genre, much of the time I'm put off by the overwhelmingly unbelievability of everything. That's one of the things I LOVED about this book. Much of the writing and happenings were believable, the author expertly wove a good, believable plot line into some paranormal events. She didn't name her characters something unpronounceable and make their behavior bizarre.

There is a saying about a good book, "You Can't Put It Down!". This book seriously fits that description. Even better, it's also an easy read, cool huh?? In fact, Omens was so good, when I finished it I rushed to the computer to find out when the next installment of the series was due. Oh, didn't I tell you? It's a SERIES TOO!! YAY! For me, the sign of a good book is when you just can't stop thinking about the character once you close the cover. You find yourself wondering what's gonna happen next with Olivia? You wonder how she's doing, as if her life continues when you're not reading about her. I have to say, for the past week, I've wondered nearly obsessively about the title character. Now that's a good author!

Let me give you a small synopsis or outline of the story. No, no spoilers here, you don't have to avert your eyes if you intend to be smart and try this book. I don't believe in those types of reviews. I think my job as a reviewer is to give you my opinion as to weather the book is actually worth your time and why I believe it is or not. Ok, so, as I said, the main character is Olivia. She's in her mid twenties and she's been raised in a very privileged household. Olivia is intelligent, educated and wealthy, she's engaged to a handsome man and she seems to have it all, until the night she finds out that she is actually the daughter of notorious serial killers Pamela and Todd Larson. Her newly learned adopted status throws her life into chaos as the media descend on her Chicago home. The story is about just how Olivia handles the news about her heritage. Are her real parents actually guilty of brutally killing eight people? Did her adoptive parents know about who she was before they adopted her? Does this change who she is?

The author expertly weaves the paranormal into the story. Kelley Armstrong, the author of Omens, starts with subtle ideas that are easily accepted by the reader, then after she's gotten the reader hooked she introduces more intricacies. One of the other good things about Ms. Armstrong's writing is she doesn't break the contract she starts with the reader. I think of the outline of who the main character is as a contract between the writer and the reader. If the author then breaks the contract by having the character, like Olivia, do something not within her personal reality, then I consider the author is lying.The author of Omens doesn't make Olivia do anything foolishly out of character.

Have I convinced you yet to pick up this book? Yes? Glad to hear it!

First of all, I loved reading this book. It’s the perfect book for a rainy Sunday, when you make yourself a hot chocolate or a big cup of tea. You can cuddle up with a blanket on your favorite reading couch and spend hour after hour grinning and anticipating and fevering with the characters in the book. It so good, that you can’t put it down.

Omens is made for your imagination. It is easy to visualize the small town of Cainsville with its Gargoyles and the mysterious natives.
What I really enjoyed was how KA integrated supernatural into the overall story. It reminded me of the movie The Devil's Advocate with its effective blend of supernatural thrills and character exploration or the erudite suspense novel The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown with Robert Langdon embroiled in a quest for the Holy Grail with mostly accurate descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents and secret rituals. The novel is full of esoteric references and reminded me also a little bit of the novels of Umberto Eco, specifically Foucault's Pendulum and The Name of the Rose. Omens is not an Urban Fantasy, as many reviewers already indicated, but a well-crafted mystery thriller with a touch of urban fantasy elements. If Urban Fantasy was a child this would be the grown up version of it. I really enjoyed the use of references to real life historic events (The FBI mind control programs) and literature references (Arthur Conan Doyle). It adds to the story and its creep factor making it more substantial but also I think it is something special if an author makes you look up the historic hints.

Oh this book was awesome ... And I personally think the Kirkus review is totaly amiss. The missing romance part: It is a great strength of the author making her readers anticipate, raising the hopes of something more intimate to happen in the next book.

Olivia Jones is from a wealthy family. With her father gone she follows in her mother's footsteps. She immerses herself in philanthropy. And of course there is James. Her equally rich boyfriend. Just as she is sorting through his ambition to become senator and her desire to finish school, she learns she is adopted.

She is actually the only daughter of the Larson's. A child of serial killers. The mother and father duo were tried individually and convicted in the deaths of 8 people. Now they served consecutive life sentences in prison. Pamela Larson publicizes the reunion she desires with Olivia. With all the eyes of Chicago looking for her, Olivia bolts.

First she finds her way to a few bad motels and then to Cainsville. It's a very small town. Mostly the retired sort it seemed. Gargoyles were perched and hidden all over town. Although she couldn't quite figure it out, she knew something was a little different here.

Olivia connects with a shady attorney and together they chase evidence, clues and a few bad guys. Determined to find out if the Larson couple is innocent or guilty. She may even learn a thing or two about herself. About the parents she didn't know she had.

I love this book. I love that it is not bogged down with romance and the characters were all very mature. Maybe a few were eccentric, but definitely all adult. The plot was amazing and suspenseful and it wasn't real heavy on the paranormal either. It didn't need to go overboard. The story was solid on its own. Very excited to see what the next one will reveal!

I was so hooked by paige 5. I couldn't wait to find out more about Olivia and everything behind her parents. There was a great deal of mystery. Here you've got the story of this young adult who has the perfect life; wealth, beauty, career, she's intelligent, engaged to a man who has political career goals. She had everything ahead of her. And then her world/life is turned upside-down with the knowledge that she was adopted. And her parents? Two of the most notorious serial killers. Convicted of killing 8 people. Olivia is a very likable character. She's strong, determined, capable, confident with the right about to wit and sarcasm that you can't help liking her. Developing wise, it was great to read her character SLOWLY change within these 2 books that it was done very well.

The violence and greed of the media sends Olivia running from her life in the big city of Chicago to a quaint and small town named Cainsville. She didn't try to end up there but due to weird and creepy circumstances that is where she ends up.

The town of Cainsville is not what it appears to be and as Olivia
stays she starts to feel that and feel that she was meant to come here. As soon as she arrives past superstitions that she was taught as a child start to come back. Whenever she saw "omens" such as red poppies, ravens, gargoyles, a cat. Things would come to her mind and then watch as it came true. Kelley Armstrong does a fabulous job dropping the right about of pieces and hints of paranormal that keep you on the edge of your seat.

When Olivia's birth mother asks Olivia to send her case over to some non-profit organizations in hopes of finding the inaccuracy in one of the murders to prove that they didn't do it. Olivia an her mother's ex-lawyer, Gabriel, work together to dig and find if Olivia's parents really are innocent.

Gabriel was a fascinating character. He was handsome, rich, mysterious, driven, and completely interesting. Again I really liked his character development and we see some MAJOR development in book 2. But I really liked him and the chemistry between him and Olivia. He was just...cool. I don't know how to explain him! There was a nice undertone of a POSSIBLE romance where Armstrong dropped very subtle hints that something could happen but doesn't which makes you yearn for book 2 just to see what happens between them!

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the first book and it made me quickly reach for book 2.

Language: moderate (in the almost 500 paige book there were only about 5 F words)
Violence: moderate (some graphic descriptions of decaying bodies)
Sexual Content: moderate (a scene that gets a little steamy with an understanding that 2 characters had sex, there is some talk of sex-no descriptive)
Drugs/Alcohol: mild (social drinking)

I've been a fan of Kelley Armstrong's writing for well over a decade, following her Otherworld paranormal romance series to its conclusion and devouring any other novels, novellas, or short stories that I could find. She’s built her reputation around writing in the paranormal and fantasy genres, but can write in any genre - her Nadia Stafford series is a great example of a compelling characters and stories she has created in a non-weird world. Omens begins the Cainsville series, which is a bridge between a regular mystery/thriller and straight-up paranormal writing. The world of Cainsville is a little weird, but most of Liv's adventures are very, very real.

Omens immediately hooked me on the series, and left me desperately wanting the next book in the series! Part of the reason for that is that is an ending that leaves a lot of loose ends, a clear setup for the sequel. I don't love that as much as I like true standalone novels in a series. But the world Kelley has created, and the mysteries she's hinting at... I really do want to read more!

A brand new series for Armstrong and a very strong one (no pun intended). About 3/4 of the way through, there's a twist that brought the entire story line to a much deeper level, showing you that there will definitely need to be more books in order to solve this mystery. At times, there was a lot of internal dialogue that became repetitive, but just as you might begin to roll your eyes or think to yourself, "they are going to talk about that, again?" Armstrong would end it and move into the next scene.

She dropped numerous of hints along the way as to who may be good and who may be bad. From a line they may say, a question they may ask of someone or how the elders in the town react to certain people that have made their home within Cainsville. I look forward to seeing if my hunches are correct (vampire? fairy? witch? something more sinister?).

What is different about this book is that Armstrong put in some strange words and phrases (like the ones in the title), which she talks about before the first chapter. It's your job, if you choose to accept it, to look them up on the internet (or whatever source you prefer) and see what they mean. This helps you form a clearer picture of what is going on in the town and who the people *really* are.

As I finished up the book, I thought it was a good combination of Karen Marie Moning's "Fever Series" and Deborah Harkness' "Discovery of Witches" series, but with it's own twist that is slow to reveal itself.

Now, we just have to wait a long time until book #2.

4.5/5 stars.

I am a huge Kelley Armstrong fan. So I was very excited to get to start a new series by one of my favorite authors.

Cainsville is a mystery series. Each book has a murder to be solved.

I would say that Omens is part thriller, part mystery, with a slight paranormal element (at least in the first book).

I had heard that there were paranormal elements to this book. Since the author's other books featured werewolves, witches and vampires I really was not sure what to expect. I would say that the paranormal aspect is more subtle in Omens. More like psychic things. Olivia can see Omens. And her neighbor Rose (Gabriel's aunt) has the gift of sight.

The narrator of this book is Olivia Taylor-Jones (age 24).

The book is told first person narration (Olivia). But also there are a few 3rd person narration parts thrown in to a few chapters (they are clearly marked with titles but they aren't their own chapters). These are told by whoever is in that scene, when we need to hear things from their point of view.

The book starts with Olivia finding out that she is adopted. She has grown up very privileged. She finds out that her birth parents are Pamela and Todd Larsen, convicted serial killers.

She leaves home and ends up being guided to Cainsville, where she meets up with Gabriel Walsh the lawyer who had worked on Pamela's case. Olivia decides that she wants to find out if her parents really are guilty.

The town of Cainsville is very unusual. Elders look out for the town. There are gargoyles everywhere. There is a mystery surrounding Cainsville. But we really only get hints in Omens.

I wouldn't say that romance plays a huge part in this book. But Olivia starts off this book with a fiancee (James). And there are other potential love interests.

I really enjoyed getting to know these new characters. Olivia was headstrong, yet surprisingly competent in dealing with her new reality.

Gabriel was a very flawed and complex and interesting character. I can't wait to get to know him better.

This book is not anything like any of the author's other books. But I enjoyed it a lot! Definitely don't go into this book expecting it to be hugely paranormal like most of her other books. This is a very different book for Kelley Armstrong. But I really liked it. I look forward to book two, Visions.

My Thoughts: I was first introduced to Kelley Armstrong through her Otherworld series, and it was love at first word. I was hooked and I couldn’t wait for the next one. But then I had to wait for books to become published-so my craving had to be satisfied elsewhere. But I returned through her Nadia Stafford series. And then had to wait again. Okay, so I am not a patient person and I get easily distracted –especially around books. Yes, there are a couple more books I need to read in her Otherworld series, and I need to read the last Stafford book. But I don’t want to say goodbye, I love both of those series and I have them right on my shelf so I see them every day. Yes, she has a young adult (actually three) series that I still need to read. But, they are YA and I have not found too many adult series that keeps me coming back like the Otherworld series. Until now.
I wasn’t quite sure what I would think of this new novel. It was something different about it, and Armstrong even acknowledges it in the brief paragraph before you even start the book. Plus, I accidently clicked on a review in my Goodreads mobile app, that warns to not be disappointed but it’s nothing like the Otherworld series. I did a hiccup then, because I love that series. It didn’t matter though, I was soon hooked into the story and not so worried about it being different. Is the same Armstrong style that was in the Otherworld? Nope, not in the sense of paranormal creatures and whatnot. Definitely, in the sense of skill, engagement and storytelling.
Olivia/Eden was not the character that I was expecting. That may because she is much stronger and more rational than I would expect a rich debutante to be. She surprised me in how resilient she was leaving all of her lavish belongings behind. And Gabriel. Oh my my. Read the book and you’ll know what I mean. In the beginning it sounds as if he is a dark character who is using and manipulating Olivia. He is manipulating her, but the reasons show a depth of character and a side of Gabriel that we only get glimpses of.
Cainesville is a very quirky little town. We don’t know everything about it, but it grew on me. I still want to know what the people are and the town’s secret, but I figure that more will be revealed in the second book. This small town is a place where I would love to visit, but it may not be the place I could live forever.
Omens is not your typical Armstrong book, but I only say that to give you a head’s up so you’re not disappointed. If you are prepared for something different, you will definitely enjoy it. The talent, skill and characters that you’ll grow to love are all still there. Armstrong has always been an author that I have highly recommended and this book confirms that she remains a highly recommended author for me.

5 stars *****
Always Shine!

Not at all what I suspected it to be. I love Mrs.Armstrong's books though and I am thoroughly gratefully surprised ! It does end up with a supernatural twist it's just not at all what you would suspect if you've read any other books by Kelley Armstrong. Olivia Taylor Jones turns out to be alittle bit more dual sided then I originally thought she would be. All the characters in this series are pretty complex and mysterious. The ones I picked to love the most though would be Gabriel and his Aunt Rose. I keep waiting for Olivia to get together with Gabriel and it just isn't happening !
This first installment of the Cainsville series , is pretty cryptic but if you hang in there the story just keeps unfolding and gets more and more intriguing. I can't put it down ,

I actually got this book to review from the publisher nearly a year ago (hangs head in shame), when the publisher contacted me to give me the 2nd book in the series last week, I figured I better read this book before accepting another book in the series. It ended up being a very interesting and engaging read. I enjoyed the world and characters. The 2nd book in the Cainsville series, Visions, comes out in late August.

I have read the first four Otherworld novels by Armstrong (which were okay, but I wasn’t a huge fan) and Armstrong’s Darkest Powers YA series (which I also thought was okay but nothing special). Armstrong is one of those authors I want to like, so I keep reading her stuff...however I am never really enamoured with her writing style. Cainsville has changed that, I liked this book much better than her previous novels.

Olivia Taylor Jones is a society girl, daughter to an elite Chicago businessman. She is engaged to a handsome CEO with Senatorial ambitions and lives a life of luxury, volunteering with the less fortunate because she needs something to do. That all comes crashing down when she finds out she was adopted and is actually the daughter of two convicted serial killers, Todd and Pamela Larsen. Now ostracized by her friends and family, she struggles to find a way to survive. She ends up working with her mother’s former lawyer, Gabriel Walsh, in an effort to find out the history behind the Larsen’s and if they really are guilty of the crimes they committed.

Olivia is forced to flee the aggressive media frenzy of Chicago and ends up in Cainsville, the Larsen’s home town. However Cainsville is not quite the simple small town it first appears.

This is a well done novel that is more of a mystery than a paranormal read. There are some very subtle paranormal elements throughout (premonitions, second-site is real, etc). I have a feeling these paranormal elements will be expanded in future books.

Cainsville, the town, really makes the story. There are all these little mysteries in Cainsville that really keep the reader interested and guessing. By the end of the story you really want to know more about this town.

Olivia is an interesting character and has some interesting background. She is well educated and very smart, but hasn’t really had to work for much her whole life. She is outgoing and wants to take responsibility for her life. I thought her reaction to discovering her real parents were serial killers (and the reaction of those around her) was a bit overdone. I mean Olivia goes through a serious identity crisis. I also thought it was pretty unrealistic that the mother (adoptive mother) and fiance who loved her would abandon her because of her true parentage. The whole thing was a bit contrived.

The above being said I did enjoy the mystery behind her real parents conviction as it unraveled. The story got more and more interesting as it unwound. My only other complaint is that this was a long, long book and it felt long. I really felt like things could have moved a bit faster and been a bit tighter.

Not a lot was resolved in this book, this book was very much here to set up the story and introduce the characters. There are a ton of interesting and quirky characters throughout the story.

Overall this was an engaging and well done book. I loved the town of Cainsville and can’t wait to see what other mysteries the town holds. I enjoyed Olivia as a character and am eager to see how her ability to see omens unravels in future books. I will definitely be reading the next book in this series. This was my favorite Armstrong book yet. Recommended to those who love mysteries with some subtle paranormal elements.

I really do love books by Kelley Armstrong, and Omens is my first foray into any of her adult work. I do own her Women of the Otherworld series, but I have yet to actually start reading any of the 13 books in the series. So naturally, I jumped at the chance to start her new Cainsville series and dig right into Omens. And let me tell you I am certainly happy that I did.

In Omens, Kelley Armstrong once again employs her tendency to base her books around strong female characters, and I love it. Olivia doesn't fawn over her male counterparts; she is smart, self-reliant, witty and manages to come off as both believable and like-able. Indeed the Olivia we first meet in the opening pages of the book, is not the same Olivia we see at the end. She beings the process of a very real metamorphosis throughout the book, and even though she has made great strides by the end, her metamorphosis is nowhere near complete. She finds herself in some very tough spots throughout and has the courage to ask herself some very tough questions in order to get the answers she needs.

Likewise, the dynamic between Olivia and Gabriel, was a joy to watch develop as Olivia made her journey throughout the story. Both characters are flawed, complicated, and good for one another despite their initial misgivings.

The best part of reading Omens is the never-knowing aspect. Just when I think I had the story all figured out, it went in a completely different direction. Kelley Armstrong really is a master storyteller. One with the ability to take the most far-fetched and outlandish ideas and turn them into a completely plausible story that keeps you coming back for more. I also loved that the story did not end on a cliff hanger. She resolved all the plots and sub plots of the book while setting up the overall plot of the series to continue fluidly from one book to the next. It's just enough to satisfy you with the story just read and more than enough to make you add the next book to your TBR pile when it comes out. Well done Kelley, well done.

**Finished copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

4,5 stars

Olivia Taylor-Jones comes from a wealthy family and has had a life of privilege. But then everything changes when she learns that she’s adopted, and her biological parents are infamous serial killers. The ensuing scandal drives Olivia from Chicago to a small town called Cainsville.
While trying to re-investigate her parent’s crimes, Olivia starts to notice something peculiar about the town.

I’ve read one Kelley Armstrong book before which I liked and I had high expectations for this one. And it didn’t disappoint me!

I liked Olivia who at first was just another poor little rich girl but she really grew after settling into Cainsville and learning to take care of herself instead of using the family money. When she learned about the adoption, she didn’t run straight into the arms of her biological family and still thought her adoptive parents as her parents. I really liked that even if her mother didn’t win the mother of the year price after fleeing to Europe from the scandal…

I think the best thing in the book was Gabriel. He was a lawyer who once represented Olivia’s mother and now helps her re-investigate. I sense a future love interest and I’m looking forward to it!

There is paranormal aspect in the book but it’s more mystery book. It worked for me but I haven’t read many of the author’s previous books so I don’t have much to compare it to. I guess we learn more about the town in the next books maybe paranormal things starts to come up too.
This wasn’t very action packed and felt like it prepared us for the things to come, but I didn’t realize until after the book was over that there didn’t happen that much in the book after all. But it kept me very entertained that’s for sure.

This audiobook for me moved a little slow. I love Kelley Armstrong's work but while this book is decent it is has not become one of my favorites. The story starts off with Olivia, the main character, finding out she is adopted and her parents are ritualistic serial killers. Through the help of a mysterious man she finds herself in Cainsville after leaving Chicago and everything she has ever known. She decides to get a job and live on her own without the support of her socialite adopted mother. Out of curiosity she decides to go to go visit her birth mother in prison. She finds out there may be real evidence to support her birth mother's claim that they are both innocent. With the help of her birth mother's attorney, Gabriel, she begins digging into the past.
I like that things aren't what they seem in Cainsville. I am not the type of reader to go off on my own and solve the mystery before the heroine. There are a ton puzzle pieces that I liked reading along as Olivia put them together. I liked being just as surprised as Olivia when all was revealed in the end. Cainsville it's self is an intriguing town. It reminds of that show from the 90's Twin Peaks. Cainsville is a strange town, full of strange people, with even stranger secrets.
I could tell Omens was definitely a first book to start off a series because in the end it left with me more questions than answers. I will be picking up the next book because I am curious to see how my questions will be answered. The style of the book is first and third person narration. The first person point of view is through Olivia's eyes interspersed with third person point of views from people Olivia has met or is yet to meet. I think the third person points of views were supposed to help give clues to the reader but I found some them confusing and again leaving me with questions. The audiobook had two different narrators for the first and third person points of view. The narrator that read for the third POV was decent and did a good job. The narrator that read in Olivia's POV was, for me, was not the way I think a 24 year old woman should sound. Her voice, again for me, was kind of grating and I never got used to it. She did a good job changed all voices to match characters but I just could not get used to her voice.
In the end I think I went into Omens with too high expectations. It ended up falling flat was just a mediocre story. I am giving Omens by Kelley Armstrong three laser pistols because it was just an ok listen. It was intriguing enough that I will be picking up the next book in the series.

(Note to reviewers who complained about the lack of "paranormal" elements: (1) Read the description on the top of the page. There is little to indicate that this will be heavy with the paranormal. I read it and was not disappointed by the book. (2) There will be at least 1 other book, which will surely develop these elements. No one wants everything to be revealed all at once!)

That being said, I LOVED this book. The characters are superb and flawed but totally admirable. The investigation has unpredictable twists and turns. There's just enough romance and paranormal to keep you wondering what will happen. This book was also very well written, not overly descriptive, and full of realistic action. The tempo was good, with both up and down time. Possibly my favorite aspect was that this was a totally creepy book. The "omens" were dark and the secrets of Cainsville are dark as well. Little is revealed and the reader never really knows who to trust. I also enjoyed that while this book involved an investigation, it wasn't heavy on legal-ese and theory. (As a law student for an innocence organization I get particularly annoyed by false "smart" legal stories).

What I didn't like was that it at the end, all the names and investigation aspects got confusing. I felt like I needed to go back and review who people were and what happened to understand 100%.

Read this if you like thrillers or paranormal stories. Don't read if you are more into paranormal romance than actual paranormal. Don't read if you want a legal thriller, as this is more psychological.

Oh wow. Kelley Armstrong is a genius. I didn't buy this book the moment it was released. I decided to read it after I read a novella of Gabriel's childhood.

I still wasn't sure if this book is a paranormal. It was like we can look at it both way. Superstition is some how paranormal in itself. It was sure a suspense. Mainly told in Olivia's pov with some chapter told from others. The author did it pretty well. Both of main characters were likable. You can trust Kelley Armstrong to create a strong heroine. And Gabriel. OHMYGOD Gebriel.

One that bugged me is, I've anxiously waiting for Gabriel to tell Oliver what he wanted to tell. He dragged it and ended up hadn't told her. I hate this kind of style. It made me anxious waiting for the bomb to explode. I prefer to get it done with.

Anyway, the front of the book said it was standalone. It wasn't. Some question has been answered but some haven't. The ending was cliffhanger, yet, it left me with something to think about before I can read the next book.

I was so excited to hear that Kelley started a new series, and this one sounded remarkable. I dove into it not long after it arrived and only came up for air when I had to. It's just that fantastic.

With a first book in a series, I knew that there was going to be a lot of world-building. I expected it and I wasn't disappointed. From Olivia's posh life to when she has nothing but the clothes on her back to Cainsville, a picturesque town with a lot of secrets, the attention to details by Armstrong bring each scene to life.

There are quite a few characters and not all of them are introduced in Omens. I'm looking forward to meeting Olivia's birth father, who is currently in prison. Many characters just cameo'd and their actions didn't make a lot of sense to me, which I'm hoping is revealed in an upcoming installment. I like the premise of Olivia having a talent for Omen's and how she starts to know who she is and come into her own. But, while Armstrong gave a few answers, by the end, I had more questions.

Page-turning, rich in suspense, impeccable character development and amazing world building, I couldn't get enough. I need more and I fear it will be a long wait for the next one! While I couldn't stand Gabriel at first, the lawyer helping Olivia find out what really happened to the murders her birth parents were accused of, by the end, I found him charming, yet dangerous. I can't wait to see what those two get into next! Highly recommend!

See this review and others like it at BadassBookReviews.com!

When Kelley Armstrong announced she was ending the Women of the Otherworld series and beginning a new one, I was a little worried. I loved Elena, Clay, Jeremy, Jaime, Paige, Lucas, Eve, and the rest of the gang. How could a new series compare? Well, I shouldn't have worried because Omens, the first in Kelley's new Cainsville series, was fabulous! Kelley has created another series filled with lush world building and intriguing characters. I can't wait to learn more about Cainsville and its inhabitants and to see how Olivia continues to grow.

Olivia Taylor-Jones is the heir to a department store fortune and engaged to a rising political star. She has wealth and security and what she thinks is a pretty stable life. One night, a few reporters learn that she was adopted and her whole life changes. Olivia had no idea she was adopted and especially no clue that her birth parents are convicted serial killers. When the people she loved the most seem to care more about their images than her, Olivia decides it is time to get away from Chicago. Directed by a few strange events, she ends up in the small town of Cainsville, where everything may not be as it seems.

Omens was deliciously creepy while still playing a lot of its cards close to the vest. Once Olivia arrives in Cainsville, the story begins to take off and we see that there is a lot about her past that is unclear. She finds herself remembering little superstitious limericks and rhymes that she has no memory of being taught. She meets with her birth mother and begins investigating the murders, finding a few inconsistencies. As she grows closer to the residents of Cainsville, she becomes accepted in town and many think she has the ability to recognize and read omens. While Olivia is less convinced about this, she begins to balance her investigation with work as a diner waitress and soon meets lawyer Gabriel Walsh. Together, they look for clues in the final murder that could prove her parents' innocence.

Naturally, I thought that Olivia was a great heroine; Kelley Armstrong writes some of the best strong women leads. While Olivia comes off as a little spoiled in the beginning, she soon proves her strength and determination. She is inquisitive by nature and puts it to good use by investigating her parents' case. I love the superstitious aspect of Omens. It added a completely unique twist to Olivia's character and I am very interested to see how she develops her talent. Gabriel Walsh isn't really like any other male character Kelley has written before. He is smarmy and always looking out for his best interest, unable to form or even fake physical contact, and untrustworthy at times. Throughout the book, I was never 100% sure that he was actually trying to help Olivia, instead of just taking advantage of her situation. His character growth by the end of the book was subtle and believable and I look forward to a future partnership between him and Olivia.

The tone of this book is very different from the Otherworld books. Omens could almost be considered magical realism; the paranormal aspects are woven in so subtly. The main focus of this book is on the mystery, the who-really-dunnit, of the murders and of Olivia's background and connection to Cainsville. Kelley has purposely kept things vague in this book, but she does provide a tip in the forward suggesting that some unfamiliar words could be Googled to provide extra clues to the nature of Cainsville. Even if you don't look the words up, you won't be lost. Everything necessary is explained very well. You will just learn about Cainsville as Olivia does.

As with all of Kelley's books, the writing was beautifully paced and descriptive. The reader becomes completely immersed in the town of Cainsville. Kelley Armstrong has sucked me into another series and I am strapped in for the ride. I am already committed to finding out the mystery of the town, Olivia's background, and her parents' true involvement in the murders. This is a wonderful book for both fans of Kelley's previous works or for those new to her writing completely. I highly recommend this book to any and all readers!

Thank you to Dutton Adult Books for providing a finished print copy of this book!

Posted first on Blog Critics as Book Review: 'Omens; A Cainsville Novel' by Kelley Armstrong.

Author Kelly Armstrong has done it again with a new series set in a small creepy town of Cainsville. In Omens, she has moved to another fascinating tale of paranormal circumstance, and riddled it with feeling and eerie happenstance.

Her heroine, 24 year old Olivia Taylor-Jones has led a fairy tale life. Being the only daughter of a well to do family, she has received an exceptional education, and she has learned how to help those in need. Having never been there herself, she is full kindness and concern. Engaged to be married to a CEO with political ambitions she is on top of the world. Always a daddy's girl, her life begins a strange exodus when he dies. Suddenly she finds out she has been adopted, and everything she believes of her life is wrong.

Her real parents are notorious killers, both having received life sentences for murder and she is suddenly no longer the woman she was. As her life begins unraveling around her, she does her best to hide. She has become an instant celebrity, one that does not fit in the mold of the life she had planned. Everywhere she turns she is recognized, and her inability to disappear just keeps the rumors more vicious and profound. Even her (adoptive) mother has distanced herself.

Several incidents occur that lead her to the small town of Cainsville. Here she can hide from the sudden notoriety. Yet the town itself ads a sinister cast to the unfolding drama. When her real mother's attorney seeks her out, she is immediately distrustful. She finds herself drawing on strange abilities, as she tries to come to terms with her past. An eventful meeting with her real mother entangles her in an investigation into the killings that happened so long ago. Were they really guilty, or were they just an easy answer to a series of macabre murders?

Armstrong has given us a strong protagonist, and filled her with darkness and faded memories of her past. Worried that she carries the genes of convicted killers, she is unsure of her footing. Yet she knows in her heart she is good. The people in the town of Cainsville are kind and very involved, very much busybodies. They love to dabble in everyone's business. Yet there is something strange going on, and she is blocked at almost every turn as she tries to find out what happened to turn her birth parents into stone cold killers.

If you enjoy strange and spooky happenings, and great mystery with a paranormal twist, you will enjoy Omens. Once I picked up the novel, I found I could not put it down. Armstrong has the ability to make the unbelievable real, and you find yourself uneasy with the feeling.

This would be a marvelous book for a reading group, full of interesting topics for discussion. Armstrong sets the tone for a tale that reels you in and has you looking for more.

Listened for BookClub (Audible)
Overall Rating: 4.00
Story Rating: 4.25
Character Rating: 3.75

Audio Rating: 3.50 (not part of the overall rating)

First thought when finished: Solid beginning to a new series! Who knew Omens could be a great foundation for a story?

Story Thoughts:Omens was a fantastic read filled with brilliant hooks/twists/turns that I just didn't see coming. I loved how the Omens were woven into the fabric of the pages becoming part of the story instead of over-powering it. The town of Cainsville was also interesting and I totally believe there is a lot of story left to come where the town is concerned. I really liked that Kelley weaved in the architecture and essence of the town into the story. I love when you feel like you are there. Overall, this is only my 2nd Kelley Armstrong book but it won't be last!

Character Thoughts: Oh Olivia! I wish that it didn't take so long to warm up to you. I just felt you were being to careless/naive where finances were concerned. I don't think you got what it took to really live on your own was concerned. In fact, even though you are a waitress and don't have a great apartment-- you still managed to land on your feet so no real "world" lesson really learned. You did grow on me with your smarts and perseverance. I just know that in the next book that I will adore you because by the end you seemed to have grown. Gabriel, on the other hand, I totally adored. He reminded me of Finn from the Elemental Assassins series by Jennifer Estep. He was just arrogant, self-assured, and a rascal! :) The town folk were interesting and so were Olivia's mom(s)! I have a feeling the characters will totally grow on me through out the series.

Audio Thoughts:

Narrated By Carine Montbertrand, Mozhan Marno / Length: 14 hrs and 40 mins

How to tackle the narration *sigh*! I am normally a fan of having two narrators. In fact, I mostly prefer it but both have to be strong (or on the same level). I really adored the older voice in Omens. The pacing, nuances, and emotions were dead on! I felt there was a layer of depth added to the story anytime that voice was there. I wasn't a fan of the younger voice. I felt the pacing was off and Olivia sounded "off". That being said, the voice did grow on me by the end but it just wasn't as strong as the other. I will probably continue this series in audio though because overall the audio was well produced. As always please listen to a sample before purchasing an audio book to make sure the narration is right for you.

Final Thoughts: Looking forward to book 2!

I had extremely high expectations for Omens, as Kelley Armstrong is my favorite author in the world, and this book actually managed to exceed those expectations. With strange, yet endearing, characters; an intriguing and unique plot; and a rich setting, this series is set to be one of Armstrong's best. While different from the Women of the Otherworld series, this novel shows that the Cainsville series will be just as enchanting. I could not put this novel down because I was dying to know all of Cainsville's secrets, which still have not been divulged. Needless to say, I'm already counting the days until the release of the second installment.

Olivia is a fantastic main character, and I really enjoyed learning about this new world through her eyes. While she's still a skeptic (and skepticism usually ends after the first novel), it is clear that she's not completely discounting the explanations of the Cainsville residents. With her money and upbringing one would expect Olivia to be a spoiled brat, but she proves herself as a decent, albeit morally flexible, person. I feel that the moral flexibility is due to the fact that she's trying to find herself along with the fact that the situations that require the moral flexibility are ambiguous. There really is no right or wrong answer for many of these occurrences, and while the reader may be quick to jump to a judgment, Armstrong does an excellent job of playing devil's advocate through Gabriel. Speaking of Gabriel, I think I'm in love with him. No romance really developed in this book. Armstrong seems to be focused on building friendships before romance, which is a nice change in literature. However, I am totally shipping Gabriel and Olivia, and I really hope they get together. Gabriel makes some decisions I don't agree with, but overall, he seems to be a decent person in his own way. He's a strong and unique character, and I enjoyed getting to know him. The other Cainsville residents are mysterious, and I am not quite sure what's going on with them. I'm going to wait and see it through at Armstrong's pace instead of utilizing the hints in other languages that she places along the way. I feel that she knows this world best and knows when to reveal its secrets. Olivia's adopted mother is a useless waste of space (what you'd expect from an heiress - and what I expected from Olivia), and James is just a shallow skeeze, in my opinion. I really didn't like him at all. Yucko.

The pacing for this novel is perfect, and the mystery will keep you guessing until the very end. Armstrong throws in so many twists and turns that I got literary whiplash! I couldn't put this book down, and I spent 2 nights staying up until the wee hours of the morning reading it. I am obviously paying for that today, but it was well worth it. I love the setting and that part of the novel (and series) is set in Chicago. Living in the area, it's easy to picture what Cainsville would look like. I love how the city seems to have a life of its own. I also found it interesting that there are no churches in Cainsville because the gargoyles (who are supposed to protect against evil) also protect against organized religion. This sounds like an idea I can get behind, and again brings up a lot of existential thoughts regarding right and wrong. Also, Armstrong touches on, and challenges, settler colonial ideals a couple of times, which I enjoyed. This novel has many layers and will keep you engaged on many different levels.

Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone. If you love mysteries, New Adult, or Paranormal novels, then you will enjoy Omens.

OMENS is the first storyline in Kelley Armstrong's new contemporary mystery (slightly paranormal) CAINSVILLE series focusing on Olivia Taylor and her fight to prove, one way or another, that her birth parents Pam and Todd Larsen may or may not be the notorious serial killers who murdered eight people over two decades earlier.

Olivia Taylor-Jones has just discovered that she was adopted as a child and her life is making headline news around the world. Needing to leave town, her parents and her fiancé behind, Olivia, also known as Eden Larsen, finds herself penniless in a small, cloistered town known as Cainsville and things have gone from bad to down right strange. Hoping to uncover the details about the twenty year old murders, Olivia enlists the help of her parent's former lawyer -Gabriel Walsh-only to discover he is out for one thing and money is the bottom line.

Kelley Armstrong takes the reader on a mysterious journey that will see our heroine Olivia aka Eden on the run and settling in a strange town. `Reading' omens and symbols that give warning of danger and death at every turn, Olivia begins to wonder who or what is determined to keep her from discovering the truth behind her parent's conviction and the real people behind the murders. With a town full of `gifted' seers and prophetic elders, Cainsville can only be considered a town with a paranormal undertone of Celtic ancestry.

The writing style grabs the reader's attention and keeps you on the edge. There is the mystery of the crime of murder; a town of strangers who know more about Eden Larsen than does Olivia Jones; and a lawyer whose motives are questionable and the bottom line always reverts back to money. There is intrigue, suspense, mystery and betrayal and when the truth about Olivia's birth parents is revealed she will discover who are her real friends and just how lonely life can be without the support of parents and family.

Kelley Armstrong is a proven winner with her Women of the Otherworld series and she has introduced another strong female character in Eden Larsen/Olivia Jones that drives the storyline and the series into another paranormal dimension.

I have read Armstrong's other works. So when I heard about Omens, and read what it is about, I got interested. I have read her paranormal Otherworld Series, and her fiction about Nadia Stafford. But to me Omens, seems to have lost balance the balance that her other supernatural books have. This needed to either have more supernatural, or be just plain fiction.
At points, the book gets really interesting. I did like the segue's into character thoughts after something happened. The characters are interesting. The story has potential and to be honest, I had trouble at times, wanting to get back into the story. I wasn't even sure I wanted to read the next one, till it hinted at being more supernatural, so I probably will give a try.
I really hope the next one is more like her other works. I won't say I was completely disappointed. It was just I could see subtracting the supernatural, and tweaking a few things, and it could be a good mystery.Or tweak a few things another way, and it would be a better supernatural tale.

A solid introduction to a new series by the talented Kelley Armstrong.

Unlike this author's previous stories, Omens is surprisingly subtle in the paranormal department. It focuses more on the mystery, solving a crime of ritualistic murders, and takes place in a small town where there are hints at a supernatural element, but they're not explored in depth. Also, the protagonist, Olivia, has the ability to read omens, but they appear at infrequent times, scattered throughout the story and there are still plenty of questions regarding these abilities. But the small hints at something "other" were a part of what I enjoyed about this novel. It's a refreshing break from all of the stories I read that are heavy on the paranormal side.

I really enjoyed Olivia's character with her strong personality and interesting background. She has always lived a life of privilege with two successful, wealthy parents, but once it's discovered that she's really the daughter of notorious serial killers, she runs from her comfortable life of luxury and finds herself investigating the gruesome crimes committed by her biological parents.

She has difficulty running from the media frenzy that occurs as a result and it damages her relationship with her fiancee, but she slowly begins to make a new life for herself in the small town of Cainsville. This is where she meets Gabriel, the cold, calculating lawyer who has had previous dealings with her birth mother. He was a character who had to grow on me, but I liked it that way. Even after 400+ pages, he was still difficult to figure out and I hope that we learn a lot more about him in the sequel.

I really admire Armstrong for taking a chance and venturing into new territory. I trust that the world, the characters and the mystery will only get more exciting from here. To my fellow UF junkies who are looking for a break from vampires, werewolves and witches, I would suggest giving Omens a try.

I haven't read a Kelley Armstrong novel in quite a while, but I was intrigued by the description of this one. I am so glad I read it. I was really captured from chapter one and read the book very quickly. Olivia is a strong, smart young woman and a very likable character, and following her as she dives into the mystery of her early childhood was enjoyable. Even more interesting was the town of Cainsville; a place where the residents are intimidating and secretive, yet comfortingly protective of each other.

I'm looking forward to the second book in the series - this is a winner!

(Please note that I used a potential spoiler while doing this review. While I didn't spell out the ending I did identify and provide a link that will show the reader one of the directions the book took to reach the end. I know this is vague but to tell anything more would defeat the purpose of the spoiler alert.)

Last night as I was reading I was totally stoked as to how much I was really getting into this book. I even spent 20 minutes trying to figure out who amongst my Shelfari friends recommended it to me and in which group so I could comment on how much I was enjoying it. (which I did thank her for the recommendation by the way.) AND THEN......right around the 400 page mark it went to Hell in a conspiracy theorist's hand-basket. Say WHAT????

What Didn't work: Right around the 400 page mark we were all of a sudden introduced to men in black secret CIA stuff and an acronym that didn't mean anything along with double secret probation or something along those lines. I got so annoyed that I stayed up until 3am to finish the thing so it wouldn't mock me today.

Ok, lets talk acronyms or in this case a code word that is unpronounceable and looks like an acronym. MKULTRA. Yes there really is something called Project MKULTRA. Armstrong didn't make it up. Just in case you feel the need to look it up here you go. [...] So, it's a code word that according to Armstrong doesn't mean anything. So, this meaningless word was used so often in the last 200 pages that I had to either skip the annoying word or call it McUltra which sounds like a calorie and fat laden new mega mega sandwich from McDonalds. So be it. I'll take a McUltra and a Coke please. Ok I just can't let it go without saying that I would just like to...no, no...I NEED to voice my concerns that one cannot have either an acronym or a code word without appointing some logic and/or meaning behind it. There I said it. I'm sure the US Government will take this into consideration.

In addition to this, the mystery aspect was only partially tied up. We still don't know if the Larsens killed the couples they were convicted of. We don't know what is up with the town of Cainsville. We don't know if the secondary characters are even human or if the cat is really a cat. Pretty much we don't know anything and after reading a hardback book that was almost 500 pages I would expect some closure.

One more thing that goes in the minus column is the paranormal aspect of the book. Had there not been one obvious instance of paranormal super healing of a very minor character who was only in the book for a couple pages the entire book would have only hinted at the paranormal. As it stands the book seems to have an identity crisis regarding it. The main character constantly dismisses the possibility of the paranormal through the entire book to only, kind of, accept that, maybe, she can see omens at the very very end. As a reader of paranormal fiction I think the book should have just jumped into the woo-woo pool cannonball style and stopped with the hinting.

What Worked: As Olivia and her kind of partner, Gabriel, looked into the deaths of the 4th couple the Larsens were convicted of killing I was sucked into the research and interviews of their investigation. It was very hard to determine who was telling the truth, who was lying and who was using who.

The characters were also a plus. The town folk were interesting and the main characters, Olivia and Gabriel, were multifaceted. Neither one was completely likable but every once in awhile we saw an action that redeemed them a little bit making them worth reading about.

Also the Omens, Superstitions and Portents mixed in with Celtic lore was refreshing.

In a Nutshell: Such an interesting book until the terrible CIA plot twist. This almost ruined the book for me but I persevered and at the end I decided it wasn't a horrible waste of my time. I'm not sure I'll pick up a second book in the Cainsville series unless I'm guaranteed no weird conspiracy theories are involved. If the next book even has the non-acronym acronym MKULTRA in it I will not read it.

Danger, strange omens and unique characters bring this tale to life. I love old superstitions and Armstrong weaved them in from the popular to the obscure. The more Olivia uncovers, the more she finds she has this uncanny sixth sense and I devoured these elements. The characters are unique and likeable even as I found myself unsure if they are friend or foe. While I closed this book with more questions than answers, I know beyond any doubt I will continue. Olivia is strong, confident and surprising levelheaded despite all that is happening.

While this series is quite different from Armstrong’s previous works, I actually preferred it. The mystery element is at the heart of Omens weaving in murder, the supernatural and secrets. The town of Cainsville is absolutely creeptastic. There is a wrongness about it but I cannot quite place my finger on it.

4.5 Stars

Born into wealth, engaged to the perfect man, Olivia Jones never imagined how quickly her life could unravel, but it does when she learns she’s adopted. Her world in upheaval, Olivia ends up moving to the small town of Cainsville. Once in Cainsville things get interesting.

It is hard to explain too much of the book’s premise without giving away spoilers. Think serial killers, a hot lawyer, a town full of gargoyles and secrets, a mystery to be solved, and some paranormal occurrences. The book delivers everything fans of Kelley Armstrong expect. For the most part, the story is excellent. It draws the reader in and keeps them engrossed the entire time. Personally, I found it hard to put the book down.

The two main characters are realistic, slightly flawed individuals, and the dialogue works to develop your empathy for both. In addition to Olivia, there are many other well-developed, interesting secondary characters in Cainsville. One of the minor faults in the story is that beyond the attention-grabbing people in the town, there are even more characters to get to know. Numerous others exist who are connected to the mystery Olivia and her lawyer, Gabriel Walsh, attempt to solve. With so many personalities, keeping them straight becomes a chore.

While I loved the many mysteries and how Olivia and Gabriel react to each new development, the climax of the book was over the top. As a lover of paranormal romance and urban fiction, I am quick to suspend disbelief, but I kept wondering, “Could this really happen?” Overall, Omens was an excellent read and one I highly recommend. The book grabs the reader’s attention and never slows down. I cannot wait for the next novel in the series and the chance to read more about Olivia and Gabriel and the town of Cainsville.

I am ambivalent about this book. The first third was just boring. It was so boring that I had to go and look up reviews by readers to see if there was any point in finishing the book. The second third was much better. And, the last third was just...improbable.

I know that writing a new series requires working out a few issues in the author's head. I just felt like the book wasn't ready but it got released because the Otherworld series was finished and something else had to be published. Luckily for me I rented the book from the library. The book left enough loose ends that I am sure to read the next, but I certainly won't be purchasing it

Wonderfully brilliant, this brand new trilogy by the fabulously talented author Kelley Armstrong grabs you by the hand and leads you down a road of intrigue and murder.
What would you do if you just found out your adopted and that your biological parents are notorious serial killers?
For socialite Olivia Taylor-Jones, her life falls apart and her life is threatened, sending her on the run to Cainsville. Determined to fix the broken aspects of her life she finds a tantalising hope. There is a chance her parents are innocent of the brutal murders they are charged with.
But Cainsville is no ordinary town, and her arrival was no accident. With nothing as it seams and danger lurking around the corner, surviving the scandal of her birth parents is the least of her worries!

Wow, surprised on how much I liked that with some of the reviews I've read. The complaints I've read: the subtlety of the paranormal aspects, the slow pacing and low sizzle of the romance--were actually some of my favorite aspects of this book. Not many authors can pull off this slow of pacing and keep me obsessed--Armstrong often manages, definitely with this book. Armstrong, on the other hand, is consistently no good at finishing her books- she either doesn't 'tie up' all the 'loose ends' or she just leaves it mid scene; it was the former with this book--this is the only reason I rated this four instead of five stars. But so worth the read, I absolutely loved the morally -questionable characters and the mysterious town of Cainsville.

I have never read a Kelley Armstrong book before but I positively loved this book. I don't usually like series as I hate waiting for the next novel, but she at least weaves things together and doesn't leave you in a cliff-hanger. Although she has my attention 100 percent and I am breathlessly awaiting the next in the Cainsville series! I am a huge thriller/mystery fan and I loved the extra paranormal references she added to the story. I'm not sure I would like her other series as they seem to be completely fantasy. I much prefer this structure pure mystery with a touch of fantasy. Her characters were well drawn and I can't wait to see Olivia and Gabriel's relationship develop. I hope her second in the series will be out soon because I can't wait. I highly recommend this novel!!

Like other reviewers, I was disappointed. The writing was excellent but I wasn't satisfied when I finished the book. Was it supposed to be paranormal? Mystery? Thriller? I'm still not sure. When I read an almost 500 page book, I want a complete story. I didn't get that with OMENS. I have to say, the part of the crime that Liv and Gabrielle did solve was very far-fetched and believable to me. That's why I dislike reading series. Now I'll have to wait for a year to find out more of the story. Nope, I don't think so. I read a LOT of books and by the time the next installment comes out, I will have forgotten most of the story.

Cainsville is like a missing link between Kelley Armstrong's Otherworld and Nadia Stafford series: There's a bit of supernatural stuff, but generally it's more about crime. Maybe it's because OMENS is the first in a trilogy, but at times it feels like it goes off on tangents. It also seems a bit long - did we really need all those job-seeking and house-hunting scenes? Perhaps they're included to slow the novel's pace, but they don't feel necessary.

There's a spoilery plot element that I absolutely love - and it's not supernatural. You'll know when you get to it. If we're on the same wavelength ;-) But I will say this: Anita Mosley is the most fascinating character. Her story interests me more than Olivia's, to be honest.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to look up the English translations of these Welsh words...

I love Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series. Haven't read Nadia Stafford Darkest Powers but I fully intend to. This was another great beginning to an Armstrong series. I really liked the plot. Murderers are always an interesting topic so a woman finding out she was adopted and was the daughter of serial murderers is an instant great plot! I learned a lot about omens. I really dislike Gabriel and I hope he doesn't become a love interest!! I feel like the magic and supernatural is going to continue and become larger throughout the series. Can't wait to start reading Visions!

I was hesitant at first to read this book after reading all the other books by Kelly Armstrong. I didn't want to be disappointed. And I wasn't. I was very pleased to find this book was well written and flowed so well. I apologize to the author for even thinking that she could write a bad book. I loved the story and the character's. It is a refreshing change from the action packed, hard core paranormal books that I usually read. It builds up gradually and leaves you excited and looking forward to the next book. I think Kelly Armstrong could write about a paper bag and make it exciting, but in this book she relies solely on her storyline and your imagination to tell the tale. It is a definite winner.

Review of Omens

Rating 5 stars

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Olivia Taylor lives the high life, her world is of wealth, charity events (for the rich) and she’s engaged to James. But when she finds out she’s the daughter of the serial killers “The Larsen’s” her world is shattered. She fleas to Cainsville where strange doesn’t even begin to describe it. It’s there that we meet Gabriel. Gabriel is a lawyer who helps Olivia look into her real parents so called crimes.

I loved the superstition in omens. I found myself at night placing my pillows inwards, watching cats to see if rain was coming or birds to indicate towards the future. I loved all the aspects that Kelly Armstrong came from.

Secondly I just adored Gabriel he was selfish, arrogant yet his demons are bigger then I first thought and I feel in the second book we will find out things about Gabriel that will be hard to swallow. But I still love him as a character. Olivia and Gabriel’s relationship was strained at most parts, but it was the smallest gesture or the way he looked at her that had my heart rate in overdrive.

I loved omens and can’t wait for the second book. I would highly recommend this to all paranormal readers.

An amazing story of relationships and an intuition that appears stronger in some people. We all, as children, surely are inundated with ‘old wives tales’ or superstitions and sometimes those stories go deeply inside us. As we grow older, we ignore those feelings and eventually if they become strong enough and if coincidences happen, we embrace them. They become signs, either happy signs, or warning signs. We continue to learn! The characters are so well written, that, perhaps you know them or someone like them. Ah, that explains everything. . .or, does it! Intrigue and masterful story telling. Definitely a page turner.

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi

*Beware of possible Spoilers*

omens-cainsville-kelley-armstrongOlivia has lived a charmed life, born into a wealthy family she never has to work, but chooses to do volunteer work, she's engaged to the good looking and rich James Morgan. But all of that comes to a crashing halt when she and the rest of the world learn that she's adopted and her biological parents are two of Illinois's most notorious serial killers, Pam and Todd Larsen. She wants to stand her ground, but is forced to leave town by the viciousness of the media.

Olivia finds herself in the middle of small town living when she arrives in Cainsville, IL. A little sleepy town where everybody respects their elders and nobody locks their doors. Olivia does whatever it takes to get by without going to her adoptive family for help; living in a rundown apartment and working a waitressing job.

But slowly Olivia starts having memories of parents she doesn't know and she can't recall if they are real or imagined. She enlists the help of self-serving lawyer, Gabriel Walsh, to get her into prison to see her birth mother. When she realizes there is a chance her parents may be innocent of the crimes they were convicted of, it sends her and Gabriel on a hunt for the truth. But it quickly becomes apparent that somebody doesn't like them digging into the past. Olivia must rely on her newly discovered ability to see omens, her gut instincts, and the untrustworthy Gabriel.

This is the first installment of a brand spanking new series by Women of the Otherworld author, Kelley Armstrong! I didn't know what to expect going into it, but I was immediately drawn in by the synopsis and, I can tell you that I wasn't disappointed! Omens is something new and interesting and is definitely worth the read!

First off, I really did enjoy Olivia. She is a strong character that was dealt a devastating blow. And, to have the ones she expected to give her support turn on her was horrifying. Leaving her no choice, but to forge her own way.

Initially, I was hoping that James would redeem himself by the end of the novel. But then I got to know Gabriel, I quit hoping for that and, instead was waiting for Olivia to crack Gabriel's thick cold impenetrable shell. I really enjoyed both men in question, but obviously started leaning toward the guy that was actually there for Olivia when it mattered. But I wouldn't count James out just yet as I don't think we've seen the last of him!

Cainsville was full of other interesting characters as well. My favorite by far was the paranormal romance novelist, Patrick. There is definitely more to him than meets the eye and I'm curious to find out exactly what that is, and what he is!

I also found Ricky entertaining ... or at least Gabriel's reaction to him...

"A word of advice about Ricky ..." Gabriel said as he swung his car from the end of the drive.

"Is it going to cost me?" I waved off his answer. "Whatever you're going to say, save your breath."

"I overheard him offering you a ride on his motorcycle. I don't believe you understand what that entails."

"Grass, gas, or ass. No one rides for free." I looked over at him. "I've seen the T-shirt."

"I don't think you're taking this seriously, Olivia. Do you know what a one-percenter is?"

I sighed. "Yes, Gabriel. It refers to the portion of bikers who belong to a professional motorcycle club. A gang. Ricky is one. As such, I'm going to guess that the only women who get to ride his bike are also riding him. Am I right?"

His mouth tightened as if he didn't appreciate the crass phrasing. "I'm afraid you're under some illusions about Ricky because he does not fit the stereotype."

"Oh, I'm not fooled. He may appear to be the heir to a criminal empire, but he's really an undercover cop, working tirelessly to overthrow his father's evil empire and restore justice and goodness to the land." I glanced over. "Am I close?"

Not even a hint of a smile."

This book held my interest from beginning to end! My only complaint was that the last scene was pretty anticlimactic and seemed like it didn't really have a purpose, other than of course to prepare us for what is to come in the future!

I thought this was a great introductory novel to the series and it's nice to see Armstrong go in a totally different direction, then she did with the Women of the Otherworld series. Cainsville (If we're judging by this first book, which for the sake of this review I am) is much darker and maybe a little more grown up than Otherworld and I greatly enjoyed it! I'm anxiously waiting to see what Olivia will face in the next book!

A huge shout out and thank you to those at Dutton that made it possible for me to review this one a little early! Which of course means it will be that much longer until I can read book 2, but it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make!

This review and more at openbooksociety dot com

This is not an Otherworld book. The protagonist - Olivia (Eden?) - is smart and tough. Her quest for answers takes center stage, and romance and her psychic abilities are not the drivers of the plot. I find it refreshing that the fantasy element is secondary to the plot and characters.I'm glad I started this series late, so that I can keep reading without having to wait. :)

This is the first book I've read by Kelley Armstrong, but it will not be my last. Since I had no expectations based on her prior series, I approached this book with an open mind and it grabbed me from the very beginning. Not only are Olivia and Gabriel compelling characters with flaws and sometimes few virtues, but the town of Cainsville is a character in its own right. Some reviewers have been disappointed that there wasn't a strong paranormal element in Omens, but to me the paranormal thread that wound throughout the book was just enough to keep the story from falling into the everyday suspense category.

Loved this intro to Armstrong and anxiously await the next in this great series.

Olivia gets blindsided by the fact she is adopted and her biological parents are incarcerated for killing 8 people. She voluntarily alienates herself from her step mother and her fiancé and relocates to Cainsville. There she is unwillingly drawn into investigating the last two murders her parents were convicted of.

I'm a big Kelly Armstrong fan, but I have to say this is not her best work. It's not that the characters are not engaging, they are. The Olivia/Eden character is an intelligent well thought out character as well as her cohort/attorney Gabriel. The problem is that the author has left out or hinted at so many different things that we the reader must discover at some later time that I found it annoying. The author hints that the town is not what it seems. That the gargoyles might transform, that the cat might be some kind of familiar. She hints that the elders of the town are not like other elderly people ( all in good health and spry) She hints that the coffee guzzling writer is some kind of supernatural, and the biggest hint of all is that the town is somehow connected to fairies.
I realize that Armstrong is trying to keep the reader coming back for the next few books in this series, but I just found it annoying. Plus with all the effort to shroud each character in mystery she did not cut a clear road to the actual culprit. The reason for the murder and the murderer kinda just sprang up in the last few pages. The reason I am giving this four stars is that I actually do think this could be a fairly good series if Armstrong lets the mystery unfold instead of inserting unneeded mysterious plots to be discovered 5 books later. All that being said, I'm still going to read the next book in the series :-)

This is a book that I won, it is the first time I've won anything so I was over the moon, especially as it is by one of my favourite authors.

Without giving too much away, Kelley has done it again. This book has great characters, a brilliant storyline, it moves along at a good pace (not too fast, not too slow), it doesn't bog you down with over descriptive scenes and it's got easter eggs. I don't mean the chocolate eggs, although that would be cool. I mean secret little words and phrases that you can look up and try to work out what's happening before Olivia does. I was tempted but decided not to, I went along for the ride with Olivia and I'm glad that I did.

Now the downside..... I've got to wait for the next book and I don't know when it will be available. What will I do?

For all the fans of Kelley Armstrong, of New Adult and a twist of paranormal this book is a must, whether you like one or all of the above.

First in the Cainesville urban fantasy series revolving around Olivia Taylor-Jones / Eden Larsen and Gabriel Walsh.

Do NOT skip the prologue!

My Take
Wow, excellent! It’s such a slow, subtle buildup, and it does take a long time to set us up, but Armstrong develops the story and pulls us in as she does it. In some ways, it drove me mad for how long it took, and in other ways, it was almost perfect as it gave Armstrong the time to build the multiple secretive backgrounds, create the series characters on the several sides of the fence, and stir the chemistry between Olivia and Gabriel. To make me overwhelmingly curious about Cainesville and its inhabitants. They each want something from Olivia with some feeling more benign than the others. Rozalyn has me thoroughly confused as she swings in so many directions!

I’m just as confused about James. On the one hand, he seems to be like every other self-serving politico wannabe (talking to his adviser about his wedding??), a bit of a Neanderthal, and then, after handing out an ultimatum, he turns around and wants Olivia protected.

What a scum bucket of a mother! I can’t believe she pulls this! As for Howard, hmphh, I’d fire his ass. I do love how her dead adoptive father protected her, though. What a terrific dad… It’s too bad the police can’t get their heads out.

LOL, I keep going back over and over that one sentence about Olivia preferring quantity over quality. It’s just so unexpected. Not what you think the heroine is going to say… Nor is there any insta-love. It’s more of a slow build-up of respect with lots of questions and a great deal of trepidation.

Why didn’t Howard hire some security when this started up? Whose is the voice that keeps whispering in Olivia’s ear?

Then there’s that pride rearing up. Yeah, I get it. I do understand why Olivia does what she does, and of course it’s necessary for the subsequent story. I love that Gabriel is the way he is; it makes such a nice twist and there’s a complexity which Armstrong has developed for him. More even than she’s done for Olivia. Although Rozalyn still takes the ribbon in this area1

I am enjoying the variety of children’s rhymes in this, from Solomon Grundy to superstitious sayings , and Rosalyn/Rose’s explanations of how her psychic abilities work. Clever deductions, most of ‘em. A tribute to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

And for a lighter note, there’s the gargoyle list. I have to confess, I’d like to be tripping around Cainesville, looking as well.

Whew...what a narrow escape! Who would’a thunk not seeing a therapist was so much healthier!

No, it doesn’t all ring quite true, but the story itself is so good that I’m willing to overlook Olivia’s immature reactions, Gabriel’s out-of-character choice in the house, what Chandler knows about Cainesville, and the secrecy with which Armstrong envelops us.

The Story
It’s twenty-two-some years later that Olivia Taylor-Jones discovers she’s been living a lie. Hounded through town, it’s Olivia’s inherent nature that helps her out and a tip from Jack that eventually sends her to Cainesville and the very unexpected help she’ll receive from its varied inhabitants as she digs for the truth of what happened all those years years ago.

The Characters
The two-and-a-half-year-old Eden Larsen has become Olivia Taylor-Jones, heiress to a department store fortune. Her master’s thesis was on Arthur Conan Doyle which will come into play throughout the story. Todd and Pamela Bowen Larsen are the parents of whom she still dreams. The ones in prison for life. Her adoptive parents are Lena Taylor and Arthur Jones of Mills & Jones department store. Howard is the family lawyer.

James Morgan is Olivia’s fiancé and the CEO of Chicago’s fastest growing tech firm. His father is a former senator, and Olivia has been ignoring the potential ramifications. His grandfather was a former partner with Olivia’s adopted grandfather in Mills & Jones. Neil Leacock is the senator’s former campaign manager. Maura is James’ clingy mother who can’t let James go. Eva Talbot is an ex-girlfriend.

Cainesville
The sour Grace rents out rooms in a walk-up. Ida and Walter Clark do everything together. Margie is a Cainesville returnee who burnt a lot of bridges before she left, and she has a very hard row to hoe now that she’s returned. Larry Knight is a newcomer even if he is of boinne-fala with a hint of the old blood and runs the Corner Diner, where Margie works; Susie and Trudy are other waitresses. Patrick is a paranormal-romance author and one of the fey, a bòcan. People are almost paranoid in their respect of him. Except Margie. Peter Marks is Larry’s landlord. Veronica is one of the elders. There’s some mystery about the Bowens that has me panting to dig deeper. Rosalyn Razvan, a.k.a., Rose Walsh, is Gabriel’s great-aunt, and she tells people’s fortunes.

Gabriel Walsh is a shark of a lawyer with an office in Chicago; he’s got a reputation that police, journalists, and other lawyers, um, respect. He represented Pamela Larsen in her last appeal. However, he works for himself, in every sense of the word, doing nothing for free. Seanna Walsh is/was his drug addict of a mother.

Niles Gunderson is the father of one of the victims, Jan Gunderson. Christian Gunderson was Jan’s older brother while Anna was a younger sister. Peter Evans was Jan's fiancé while Tim Marlotte was the former fiancé. Peters' father, Dr. William Evans, is a psychiatrist, and formerly with the CIA, with information for Olivia. Maria is the Evanses’ housekeeper. Josh Gray was Peter’s friend, the one in whom he confided; Desiree Barbosa is his meth-head girlfriend.

Don Gallagher runs the motorcycle club that keeps Gabriel on retainer; Rick is the heir apparent. Lily is Meribeth’s daughter and has issues.

Colin Hale of the Chicago Post is just one of the scumbag journalists. Martin Lores has a nice little arrangement going on.

Dr. Escoda was Eden’s pediatrician. Edgar Chandler was Evans’ supervisor at the CIA; Anderson is his bodyguard. Anita Mosley, a Chicago journalist, was a victim of an acid-splash attack back in the mid-1970s. Now she’s an authority on MKULTRA, a code name for a top secret CIA experiment.

The Cover
The cover is Smalltown Main Street meets the Wolfman with its eerie sky, the full moon, and an orange cast to it all as a lone man walks down an old-fashioned Main Street with its old buildings, horse hitches, and a few trees just before it shifts abruptly right.

The title is what Olivia sees everywhere, what the inhabitants test her on: Omens.

Omens started out really strong. I was immediately drawn in to the drama surrounding Olivia finding out the truth about her birth parents and how her family reacted. I was fascinated with how she came to find Cainsville and with the town itself. I was loving the story all the way up through the halfway point but then it started to fall off a bit. What I had, up to that point, thought was going to be a paranormal thriller ended up being more of a conspiracy filled suspense drama. The paranormal elements were mentioned throughout but then went unexplored kind of leaving the reader hanging. The "reading omens" aspect was one of the best things about the book so when it went in a completely different direction than what I felt I was promised, I was left feeling a bit disappointed.

I enjoyed the interaction between the two main characters. I like the relationship that's building between them and that it is not one of those instant-love situations. It took me a while to warm up to Gabriel, it happened at about the same rate that Olivia started looking at him differently, so I thought that was really well done. Gabriel has a lot of annoying traits and habits and Olivia views him very realistically which is refreshing. He is the more consistent of the two characters in the way his actions match his personality as I was led to understand it. Her actions are a bit more all over the place.

It seemed like Omens promised one thing but delivered something very different. Maybe if I had been looking forward to suspense with a ton of conspiracy theory and convenient coincidences, I wouldn't have been left feeling underwhelmed by how Omens ended. I may still read the next book in the series with the hope that the paranormal aspects will be more prominent in future books in this series. I can see the potential for this to be an amazing series. I love the concept of a town like Cainsville and I do want to see where this series goes.

This book has been sitting on my wishlist as I am a big Kelley Armstrong fan and have read everything by her, so when it came in the new books at the library I just knew I had to read it. Even more was the fact that I got the cover in the middle, it held a creepy feeling - almost like a Stephen King novel type cover . This excited me and I just couldn't wait to get stuck into the novel. Omens started out great with Olivia Taylor-Jones discovering she was adopted and that her birth parents are America's most notorious serial-killers wanted for murdering eight couples when she was a baby. Now twenty-four years later , the truth is out and everyone wants a piece of Olivia - be it for the fact of who her birth parents are and she is viewed to be an evil incarnation or the fact that her adopted parents were very wealthy and now they want a piece of her trust fund and will go to lengths to get a piece of the Taylor-Jones money. Strange things start happening though as Olivia finds herself in the town of Cainsville = this town reminded me a bit of "Ravenswood" on Pretty Little Liars or what I imagine it too be as something really odd is happening in that town. Once Olivia arrives in Cainsville, this is where the novel starts to go a bit weird as we meet Gabriel Walsh - who on the record "I hate this character" urgh he frustrates and annoys me. In the novel we read as Olivia experiences flashbacks to the night her parents were arrested and other events in her life . I did love the part where she reunited with Pamela Larsen - her birth mother and hope that in Book #2 she meets her real father Todd Larsen.

#This was a library book.

Especially when it's a new series by an author that I already enjoy reading....

but first of all - the cover - If I knew a little more about superstitions, or omens, I get the feeling that I just might notice some portentous signs pictured on the cover....but since I don't, all I can say is that the full moon, the quiet streets, and the cloud formations in the sky make for a subtly spooky cover. Which is good. I like subtle, and even with the seemingly benign scene, there's something spooky here...of course, it might just be the title steering me in this direction. If so, then the title did its job.

As Kelley Armstrong fans know, she has written her last Women of the Otherworld novel, which has no doubt left some bereft, but never fear - she hasn't stopped writing, she's turned her attention elsewhere. As we've seen with a few of the long running series floating around out there, sometimes it's good to end a series, and it's even better to end a series when your fans - especially the ones who have been fans from the beginning - STILL enjoy your work. Kelley Armstrong has written a very strong first of a series with Omens.

Whenever I'm given the chance to read a novel before publication, I feel fortunate. When I end up loving the novel I'm always happy about that (of course). I REALLY enjoyed Omens. You can read the synopsis on the store, Goodreads, and Armstrong's website - but basically, a very rich young woman, Olivia (Liv) Taylor Jones is hit out of nowhere with the knowledge that she isn't who she thought she was. Her story is told in the first person; she finds out in one moment that she's been adopted and that her birth parents are currently in prisons, serving life sentences for the murders of eight people - they're the notorious Larsons - the serial killer couple. Her mom is suddenly cold, her fiance doesn't handle things quite right after this, and Liv ends up running off, with hardly any cash, trying to find a job and stay under the radar, away from the paparazzi. Things don't go so well, and she ends up steered to a small town outside of Chicago where she thinks the inhabitants aren't aware of who she really is....turns out she's wrong about this.

The town she ends up in is Cainsville, and has its own quirks, with some very strange inhabitants. During the novel, you're given a peek of the characters, with a short chapter told in their pov (third person) with just a tease of their motivations, or thoughts about Liv/Eden. Throughout the story, even by the end, there's a few of the characters where I wasn't quite sure if they're the "good"guys or the "bad"guys, or even if there is a distinction. What I enjoyed about Omens, is that not one character could be considered completely without fault. Even the lead character found herself doing some things she wasn't quite comfortable with - and best of all, didn't angst about it for pages after, but she did acknowledge her discomfort and then deal with it quickly.

After a series of events, she ends up working with Gabriel Walsh, a lawyer unashamedly money motivated. She's completely aware of his motivations, and seems to find that almost comforting - the fact that he doesn't hide behind altruistic reasoning, but just puts it out there. She ends up working part time in a diner, and helping Gabriel investigate some leads regarding her birth-mother's case, after meeting her mother in prison.

The town of Cainsville is almost a character in its own right - there are gargoyles all over, and seem to be very important to the town and its inhabitants. The townies are an interesting mix of people - most of them are people who have lived there for generations, some moving away, then coming back - some never leaving. One of them seems to be very old, indeed. There is Gabriel's aunt, who works as a psychic- something she admits is part con and part for real. Liv's landlady - Grace is a rather grumpy woman who is most likely a mix of some fae and human. A regular of the diner - seems to be a young man, but even the town elders defer to him; In fact, the town elders also seem to be extremely powerful, especially for a town in the 21st century.

Omens is a blend of supernatural and mystery/suspense. However, the supernatural elements begin very subtly - with Liv suddenly knowing superstitions, such as a black cat really being lucky. The supernatural elements slowly gain importance, and even by the end of the book is still low key. I'm looking forward to reading more of this series to see if this aspect is developed further. I enjoyed the gargoyles, the odd feel of the town and the townies, the hints of their true selves.

If you're an Armstrong fan, I've pretty sure you're going to enjoy this - even though it isn't as strongly UF or fantasy as her other novels. If you've never read a Kelley Armstrong book because you're not really into fantasy or Urban Fantasy, then I suggest you give it a try anyway, because there is a good strong mystery being investigated here, and an overall story arc that will probably involve more investigations with Gabriel and Liv teaming up together. Afterall, they figure out a small part of birth-mom's mystery, but not all.

The Good: There were some paranormal elements in Omens, which I wasn't expecting going in. It's not exactly a straight mystery, but rather hints at some supernatural things going on in the background that are likely to come to light in later books in the series. Olivia is a great protagonist. Everything in her life is in complete upheaval and she's on her own, surviving. She's very easy to root for and that's what I spent the entire novel doing.

The Bad: Nothing at all.

The book begins with an interesting premise--Olivia is raised by wealthy Chicago parents, but finds out she's adopted and her real parents are convicted serial killers. Basically given the heave ho by her adopted family, she relocates to a small, insular town to start over again. Most of the book relates to Olivia trying to decide whether her parents are really guilty and in the process solve a twenty year old murder mystery. There are hints of romance, but not much. When I think Kelley Armstrong, I think fantasy and paranormal. There are elements of these things in this book, but not a lot. The paranormal is very much in the background. This is mostly your basic adult murder mystery. Having said that, the stage is set for the paranormal elements to play more of a role in the next book

The mystery was adequate, although I don't like when books try to unravel everything at the very end, with no hint of suspicion through the majority of the story.
What I really enjoyed were the characters, which includes the town of Cainesville. The main character was strong without being overbearing, and the bickering between the two main characters was funny without being corny or mean.
I am very interested in how the town develops, I would love a map of all the gargoyles.

OMENS is very much a mystery novel. If you are hoping for your next new urban fantasy from Kelley Armstrong you might be disappointed by how very on the light side of fantasy OMENS is. What it lacks in fantasy it kicks you in the butt with for suspense mystery. Don't get me wrong it has a strong vein of fantasy and mysticism running through it, but that is by no means the driving force behind this book. I loved the fact that it was all about the mystery and whodunit. For those of you that love that genre but also love your bit of fantasy this is definitely the book for you and indeed isn't a book to miss at all!

SO GREAT! I cannot wait to read the next book in this series! Kelley Armstrong writes that she was terrified, yet excited to write a new series, Miss Armstrong have no fear, you did it again! This book had a strong female character like her other books but is its own unique and wonderful mystery/thriller/fantasy story. Kelley Armstrong has so much talent, I will read anything and everything she puts out.

This is a Mystery/Fantasy, a different and nice side of Kelley Armstrong. Love that she keeps giving us a strong female role! Poor Olivia keeps taking a beating, but keeps on going. Reading about Cainsville I felt a touch of Twighlight Zone. There is so much going on that I was left scratching my head. (Definitely the start of a new series). I really like that none of the characters are perfect. I just hope that Kelley Armsrtong doesn't make us wait to long for the next books in the series. She has me hooked again!

"Books are well written, or badly written."
Omens goes to the category of "well written".

Omens - Cainsville is definitely not an otherworld book; Olivia lacks a certain charisma that Elena portraits; she lacks the 3 dimensionality we have come to associate with Elena. Clay has left such high expectations for any hero that Gabriel pales in comparison.
But these are all from a point of view where we are comparing the book to Bitten which had a long time to capture our hearts. If we forget about Clay and Elena for a moment, we can see the real effort Kelley Armstrong has made. She does a pretty good of job of narration, although some parts did remind me of the Anne Bishop's Others. It did not put me to sleep and the characters are interesting.
And I appreciate the courage that Ms. Kelly Armstrong took to start a new series. Thank You!

Will we wait for the next book(and read it)? Absolutely.

The Omens is the first story in the Cainsville novels by Kelly Armstrong. Good characters with an interesting plot and some twists. I'm glad the story continues and is already out so I don't need to wait to read it!

Liked the introduction to the characters and to the world. Writing was solid, liked that clues have been left without overt explanations--no info dumps. Only thing that kind of bothered me were multiple short chapters from other people's point of view...while they added to world and character building, I'm not sure how necessary they were. Might have preferred that it all remain first person narrative.

While I found this book interesting in the first half, it slowed down considerably in the second half and then there was the problem that the ending had for me.
Basically, I felt that there was no resolution. There were three (at least) mysteries in the book, the mystery of whether the parents were serial killers, the question of who killed the last couple, and the mystery about Olivia/Eden's powers and what they actually were as well as the mystery about the town of Cainsville and its people, and who they really are. I felt that none of these questions were ever answered. The story-line suddenly veers from the question of the serial killers and who killed the four couples, especially the last couple to a weird off the wall segue about the CIA fifty years ago, culminating in a shoot out involving people that were maybe being mind-controlled.
I was left wondering if two different books got smashed together and the story-lines mixed up somehow.
Also, it seemed like one of those books that is just a continuation into other books. I really dislike those.
Maybe I'm missing something. So, the book got two stars because the first half was interesting, and no more because the second half and the ending really flopped.

I really enjoyed the first book in Kelley Armstrong's new series. I enjoyed the lore and I always love a book set in the Midwest. It feels like visiting home. My only complaint was that the heroine acted rather childish towards her fiancee's reaction to the news. Yes, he should have been more supportive, but seriously grow up. Other than her reaction to him, I liked her character. Looking forward to the next in the series.

was interested to see a new series by Armstrong, her imagination, feeling for people and place, as well as a good sense of humor, boded well for a new series but was weaker than expected, a little bland and predictable, even when she tried for forceful characters it didn't quite work right, esp. Gabriel Walsh, the lawyer; will be looking forward to the second book to see if the characters can be more than caricature

What a great start to a new series. I loved it and am looking forward to the rest in the series. Another winner for Kelley Armstrong. She has been one of my favorite authors since the Other world series.

This book was a page turner. In fact, I was about 15 minutes in before I ordered "Visions" the second book in the series. My only disappointment is that I have to wait until 2015 to read the third book. Kelly Armstrong is a master at creating characters and a story line that leave the reader wanting more. I highly recommend this series.

Book one of a new series of books that is intended to replace Kelley Armstrong's acclaimed Otherworld series. There is a second book in the series already available.

Lots of angst, lot of mystery and a little bit of paranormal. I suspect that the amount of paranormal will be increasing with future books.

I read alot of Kelley Armstrong's books, but I must say... I LOVE this series. It grips you and makes you want to guess what happens next and I am surprised to say.. I am wrong alot of the times and thrilled to continue reading. Suspense, love, mystery, paranormal.. it has it all..Great buy

This book sucked me in quickly. The plot was quick and I loved how the story unfolded. I really enjoyed learning about the town and characters as the main character did. I can't wait to start the next book.

This is the 1st in Kelley Armstrong's new Cainsville series. It's not the Otherworld, but it's a different world for sure. The story was filled with teasers of magic, but what kind exactly isn't clear yet (at least not to me). I didn't love the book, but didn't dislike it either like the Nadia Stafford books which I don't care for. Will need to read the next book in this series to see if it bumps to 5 stars for me.

I finished Kelley Armstrong's new book Omens from her brand new series last night. It's about a socialite who just found out that not only was she adopted, but her birth parents are convicted serial killers. It was incredible and original like everything Kelley writes. If this series goes where I think it will, it could be the darkest thing I've ever read. Not obvious dark, like Olivia is a serial killer too. No this is far more brilliant. Kelley is one of the reasons I write and once again she inspires me to dig deeper in myself.

When Kelley Armstrong's best-selling Women of the Otherworld series came to an end last summer I couldn't hold back my tears. Clay and Elena will forever hold a special place in my heart but, after I finished mourning the loss of these beloved characters, excitement at the prospect of diving into something new from one of my favourite authors began to replace my sorrow. I approached Omens with equal parts enthusiasm and trepidation only to have the first emotion fizzle and the latter transform into disappointment. Armstrong's writing is as strong as ever but I struggled to find the paranormal elements in this psychological thriller and the ones I did uncover, were more confusing than anything else. For the first time ever, I'm on the fence as to whether Armstrong will remain on my auto-buy list.

The supernatural elements in this story are minimal at best; Olivia sees omens, her neighbour has the "sight" and, there's some talk of Fae and the Tylwyth Teg. The heroine's ability is tenuous and other than providing her with a few cryptic clues; it comes across more as survival instinct than an actual power. You know when the hairs on the back of your neck stand up? Yeah, it's like that. I'm confident that Olivia's talent will grow as this series progresses but as far as first impressions go, it was lackluster. As for her neighbour, I never figured out if she actually does indeed have the "sight: or if she's just a scam artist preying on people's beliefs. And the Fae? I have no idea where they fit in; they are loosely referenced a couple of times but other than that, their mythology comes across as an old wives tale.

The murder investigation is captivating with its countless subplots and never-ending list of suspects; I marveled at Armstrong's ability to masterfully weave an unravelable tale of murder and deceit. The villain is extremely difficult to identify which means that this story is as unpredictable as they come. I enjoy a good intrigue and Omens certainly delivers on that front. Olivia has her lawyer, Gabriel, in tow for the better part of this novel and I struggled with all of the legal jargon and "smart" narrative. I found that the dialogue was on the stiff side; it didn't feel natural nor did it flow overly well. I felt like I was sitting in a room full of attorneys and they were talking circles around me. This book reads more like a textbook with a bit of fiction thrown in rather than the other way around.

The two main characters didn't really do anything for me either. Olivia's personality was lacking; she doesn't come across as a socialite or a vibrant twenty-four year old woman. Other than a few quirks, I found her to be very two-dimensional. She just found out that she was adopted and that her biological parents are infamous serial killers yet she barely reacts. Olivia seems more upset by the press coverage than by anything else that's going on in her life. I enjoyed Gabriel slightly more because his mask of indifference fits his profession so I had expected it from him. This is the first installment of this series so I didn't foresee insta-love but I did hope for a little light flirtation. Unfortunately, Omens is strictly business, the characters don't get to have any fun.

At the moment, I'm torn between my love for all things Kelley Armstrong and my first impression of this new series. Undoubtedly she's a talented author and I've loved her writing in the past; I'm just not convinced that Cainsville is for me. Omens has more in common with Dan Brown's books than with her Otherworld novels; although both have their merits, I like my reads to be heavy on the paranormal with a dash of psychological thriller on the side. Armstrong is straddling genres with her latest book and I'm not sure if I'm prepared to follow her to the other side. There's no publication date yet for the second installment so I have some time to mull it over.

I have to start by saying that I am not a huge fan of this author, but I thought that this new series looked intriguing enough to give it a shot. I regret doing that now. For starters the main character and the secondary character in this book to me are reprehensible. We have enough people in this world who are only concerned with themselves, and will do anything they want to get what they want, no matter that it hurts other people. On multiple occasions both characters acted in a way that they knew would hurt someone else and they didn't care. We have enough of these types of people in the world already, do we really need to idolize the by making them the only characters in a book? Unfortunately the story wasn't much better than the characters. It was utterly unbelievable, and not in a good way. The only good part of this book was the town and the premise of someone paranormal who reads omens to see glimpses of the future. Unfortunately these aspects of the story were not featured. I would not at all recommend this book as there are better characters and better stories out there.

This book was slow but I stayed interested throughout. As others have mentioned, the paranormal aspect is pretty faint. I can live with that, but these characters are adults. This book could be safely read by a 12-year old. (SPOILER ALERT) Our heroine is 24, our leading man about 30. Both are very attractive and heterosexual and spending lots of time together. And yet, there is NO sexual tension between them at all. I'm not asking that they fall in bed together, but by the end of the book they could have kissed. Or, at least, looked on one another with some desire. Seriously, real people do not act like that. SO, I found that totally unrealistic, and not in a good way. And yes, I know paranormal is not realistic, but their attitudes toward each other may have been considered "non-normal". But it is a good story and I will get the next one - from the library, as I did this one, because I will not reread this one as I do so many other books, including "Bitten". Now, that's a pretty darn good book!

Review of Omens

Rating 5 stars

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Olivia Taylor lives the high life, her world is of wealth, charity events (for the rich) and she’s engaged to James. But when she finds out she’s the daughter of the serial killers “The Larsen’s” her world is shattered. She fleas to Cainsville where strange doesn’t even begin to describe it. It’s there that we meet Gabriel. Gabriel is a lawyer who helps Olivia look into her real parents so called crimes.

I loved the superstition in omens. I found myself at night placing my pillows inwards, watching cats to see if rain was coming or birds to indicate towards the future. I loved all the aspects that Kelly Armstrong came from.

Secondly I just adored Gabriel he was selfish, arrogant yet his demons are bigger then I first thought and I feel in the second book we will find out things about Gabriel that will be hard to swallow. But I still love him as a character. Olivia and Gabriel’s relationship was strained at most parts, but it was the smallest gesture or the way he looked at her that had my heart rate in overdrive.

I loved omens and can’t wait for the second book. I would highly recommend this to all paranormal readers.

The Omens is the first story in the Cainsville novels by Kelly Armstrong. Good characters with an interesting plot and some twists. I'm glad the story continues and is already out so I don't need to wait to read it!