The Big Fix

Starred review from March 30, 2015
Grimes’s third Ciel Halligan contemporary caper (after Quick Fix) combines elements of a complicated romance with hints of Hollywood and the paranormal. Ciel is just one in a long line of aura adaptors: humans who were born with a slight genetic quirk that allows them to take on the appearance of anyone they come in contact with. Like most of her family, Ciel makes her living using her gift, primarily impersonating Hollywood stars. When the wife of the actor she’s standing in for turns up dead, Ciel turns to two of her fellow adaptors: her boyfriend, Billy, and their mutual friend (on whom she has a crush), Mark. However, it takes the whole family to manage this mystery. Self-referential humor combines beautifully with fast-paced action and suspense. The warm, merry vibe of Ciel’s large family and the continuity from previous books are simply added bonuses to the exceptionally well-told story. A moment of ambiguity concerning identity and sexual consent provides the only slightly discordant note in an otherwise juicy tale that will thrill fans of romance, mystery, and the supernatural. Agent: Michelle Wolfson, Wolfson Literary Agency.

May 15, 2015
In Grimes' third urban fantasy, aura adapter (shape-shifter) Ciel Hannigan, who fixes her clients' problems by impersonating them and taking their places, unwittingly aids a murderer. Ciel is impersonating movie star Jackson Gunn during the snakes in a cave scene of his latest blockbuster so the actor can avoid making his snake phobia public. While Ciel is on set having rattlers dropped on her head, Jackson is supposed to be tucked away in one of her client hideaways. Instead, he disappeared for a few hours, and during that period, his wife was murdered. Jackson has an explanation, and the police have another good suspect, but Ciel worries Jackson used her as an alibi. With the help of her adapter boyfriend, Billy, and her ex-crush, CIA agent Mark, Ciel sets out to solve this mystery. This lighthearted read is sexy and amusing, with a familial set of quirky, endearing characters and madcap plotting anchored by Ciel's cheeky narrative. An antithesis to grit, this series novel is frothy, wish-fulfilling fun.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)