Bite Back series

Sleight of Hand (Bite Back -1) — Sleight of Hand (Bite Back #1)

The Bite Back series by Mark Henwick.

updated 2/1/15

Genres and Sub-Genres[]

Urban Fantasy / police procedural

Series Description or Overview[]

“Vampires are the flickering illusions of Hollywood. They don’t exist. We do. We are the Athanate.”

For Amber Farrell, post-military life as a PI has its ups and downs: She’s been hit by a truck. She’s being sued by a client. Denver’s newest drug lord just put out a contract on her. The sinister Athanate want her to come in for a friendly chat. And it’s only Tuesday. Enter Jennifer Kingslund: rich, gorgeous—a tough businesswoman who’s known for getting what she wants in the boardroom and the bedroom. Someone’s trying to sabotage her new resort and destroy her company—and she wants Amber to find out who. The answers lead Amber past Were and Adepts, right back to the Athanate—and a centuries-old war that could threaten not just Denver, but the nation that Amber swore to protect and serve. And all sides want to claim her for their own ~ Shelfari

Lead's Species[]

Paranormal PI, former military, Vampire PI

Primary Supe[]

Vampires (Athanates), weres, witches (Adepts)

What Sets it Apart[]

"The story encompasses 'paranormal' beings, but in a fresh new way that was both believable in a scientific manner" ~ GR reader

Narrative Type and Narrators[]

First Person narrative told by

Books in Series[]

Bite Back series:

Sleight of Hand (2012)
Hidden Trump (2012)
Wild Card (Nov 2013)
Cool Hand (Dec 2014)
Untitled ()

Shorts, Anthologies and Guides[]

0.5. Raw Deal (2013) ~ eBook, 180 pages (Amber's backstory)

World Building[]

Setting[]

Denver, Colorado

Places:

Boulder
Aurora
New Mexico

Supernatural Elements[]

✥ Vampires, Adepts, (magic users, witches), weres, dragon, special ops, evil mercenaries, shaman, Native American lore,

Glossary:

Athanates: like vampires
Adepts: witches, magic users
Prions: the component that makes humans turn into vampires after being bitten
Emergence:
Kin: chosen fellow Athanate family individual(s) to vampires; often includes a sexual aspect to the relationship;
Matlal:
Nagas:

Groups & Organizations:

Confederation:
House Altau: Athernate house that Amber allies with;
House Farrell:
Pack Deaville:
Denver Pack:
House Romero:
FBI:

World[]

✥ We slowly learn that while in a secret unit in the army she was attacked and bitten by a vampire. The army has been monitoring her for two years since the attack to see if she will become one. They have developed a way to monitor prions in her blood that seem to indicate that while the process appears to be slow that she is steadily becoming less human. Amber does have some enhanced abilities like strength and speed. Amber hopes to remain human and has a negative view of vampires, by the end she is in a different place.

Athanates and fall into two political factions. One faction wants to live peacefully with humans and insists turning humans must be voluntary and with full disclosure of the risks. The other, well, not so much in favor of human rights. Werewolves exist and a third supernatural group is introduced: witches who like vampires don’t like the usual terms. They call themselves Adepts. ~ GR reader | Elizabeth

✥ The Athanate have a complete political and governmental system while also developing a most fascinating personal interaction system, based on the concept of "kin". Athanate and their chosen 'family' members, who, yes, provide blood and sex, also provide warmth, love, closeness and all those other things that define deep, true love. An Athanate may require more than one 'kin' to survive. Every one of their kin give to the Athanate in question, and to one another, what each member needs from the relationship.

Protagonist[]

✥ Amber is ex-military and as such, is highly trained. However, she is also damaged, highly mature in some ways, immature in others. Strong enough to protect others, but in terrible pain herself. she is going through a vital change, which causes her to suffer from a heart-rending difficulties, both emotionally and physically. The creature she is changing into is 'highly charged' - much more so than she is comfortable with. Dealing with these changes will be interesting to watch, given the whole dynamic of the community she is moving into. ~ GR reader

✥ Amber Farrell. She is strong, smart, and a bit of a loner. Her past is dark and shrouded in mystery. She is ex-Army special ops and while on a mission in the South American jungle, something attacks her and changes her life forever. ~ Book Chick City

✥ Our heroine, Amber, has, in a previous operation, been attacked by a vampire. She has the ‘prions’ in her blood that will eventually turn her, but hasn’t yet turned. She is fighting this with every fiber of her being. ~ Sleight of Hand ~ Mark Henwick | Silk Screen Views

✥ Adding to her problem, the vampire infection that has tainted her blood is taking over, and if she isn't careful her government minders will throw her into a padded room where military scientists will control her every move. ~ GR reader | Ian

Name: / What: / Sidekick-to: / About: / Book First Seen:

Characters Chart[]

Characters	What	About
Amber Farrell	Denver PI, Athernate	ex-Army special ops, ex-cop; becoming Athanate; forced spy on supes for Army; allies with House Altau;
Jen, Jenny Kingslund	client, business woman	wealthy and powerful; hires Amber to find her kidnapped staff member; become friends; potential love interest;
Bian	Vietnamese vampiress	likes Goth girls
Tullah	Amber’s secretary	and her mother
Colonel Laine	old boss	Amber reports to him occasionally; he has her tested;
Kath	sister	dislikes Amber;
Krantz	army investigator	maniacally bent on ruining her life
Alex	werewolf	love interest;
David	athernate	friend, like a brother; guide on athernates;

To expand the table, in Edit–Visual mode, right-press on a Row of the table (Control-press on a Mac)—choose add Row or Column. Or, in Source Mode: copy-paste rows.

Author:[]

Mark Henwick

Website: MARK HENWICK - Home
Genres:

Bio: I was born in Africa and left out in the sun too often. After being persuaded that I wasn't going to be able to be a cowboy if I grew up, I got interested in philosophy and psychology. Tending bars proved to me they weren't as much fun as they sounded. While trying to enroll in a class to read Science Fiction full time, I ended up taking an electronic engineering degree which splendidly qualified me to move into marketing. That in turn spawned a late onset career in creative writing. When not writing, I fly a microlight aircraft, or get muddy on a mountain bike. I love reading obviously. Urban Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Thrillers, History, Crime, Art, oh nearly everything. ~ Goodreads | Mark Henwick (Author of Sleight of Hand)

Cover Artists[]

Artist: not listed — Source: Bite Back / Amber Farrell - Series Bibliography
List of Cover Artists

Publishing Information[]

Publisher: Marque
Author Page:

Sleight of Hand: Paperback: 574 Pages, Pub: Oct 18th 2012—ISBN 0957374615
Hidden Trump: Paperback: 590 Pages, Pub: Dec 20, 2012—ISBN 0957374631
Wild Card: Paperback: 490 Pages, Pub: Dec 22, 2013—ISBN 0957374666
Cool Hand: Paperback: 580 Pages, Pub: March 6th 2015—ISBN13 9780992824006

Book Cover Blurbs[]

✤ BOOK ONE—Sleight of Hand (2012): “Vampires are the flickering illusions of Hollywood. They don’t exist. We do. We are the Athanate.” For Amber Farrell, post-military life as a PI has its ups and downs: She’s been hit by a truck. She’s being sued by a client. Denver’s newest drug lord just put out a contract on her. The sinister Athanate want her to come in for a friendly chat. And it’s only Tuesday. Enter Jennifer Kingslund: rich, gorgeous—a tough businesswoman who’s known for getting what she wants in the boardroom and the bedroom. Someone’s trying to sabotage her new resort and destroy her company—and she wants Amber to find out who. The answers lead Amber past Were and Adepts, right back to the Athanate—and a centuries-old war that could threaten not just Denver, but the nation that Amber swore to protect and serve. And all sides want to claim her for their own… ~ Goodreads | Sleight of Hand

✤ BOOK TWO—Hidden Trump (2012): "I knew I was going to be betrayed this week." Amber Farrell, Denver PI, is coming to terms with being part of the paranormal community, but she's about to find that includes very dangerous responsibilities for her. Nothing is quite what it seems, least of all, Amber herself, and to survive, she must form alliances with powerful groups whose interests are in conflict. But she knows she's expendable and betrayal is inevitable... Denver is hosting a meeting of the opposing Athanate creeds who are stirring after a hundred years of peace. War between them would be disastrous for everyone, human and paranormal, and it's Amber who's being blamed for the troubles in the run-up to the Assembly. And it's going to get very personal. ~ Hidden Trump (#2) ~ FF

✤ BOOK THREE—Wild Card (Nov 2013): Book 3 in the best-selling Bite Back series. "Now? Now, it felt like there were claws scratching at me from the inside." Amber Farrell, Denver PI and hybrid paranormal, is hunting a rogue Were through the secret heart of her home town. Without the help she needs from Denver's paranormal community, she's unsure whether she can keep ahead of her own lethal problems long enough to catch the rogue. Any mistake by her could expose the hidden community. Even actions with the best of intentions reveal a terrible price. And every new discovery in the hunt for the rogue seems to change the whole game. ~ Wild Card (Bite Back, #3) ~ FF

✤ BOOK FOUR—Cool Hand (March 5, 2015): “If you don’t believe your whole life has been a path leading to this one point, you’re not focused enough.” The Athanate are on the brink of war. Amber has to search for Diana in the forbidden zone of New Mexico, for the good of the paranormal world and her own sanity. Every step she takes is another opportunity to precipitate more conflict. Every easy choice is denied her and she must work without the support of the powerful paranormal factions in Colorado. When she most needs help, she has nothing. But sometimes, nothing can be a real cool hand. ~ Goodreads | Cool Hand (Bite Back, #4)

✤ BOOK FIVE—Untitled (): ~ Goodreads | Untitled (Bite Back, #5) by Mark Henwick

First Sentences[]

Sleight of Hand (2012) — It had been a couple of years and I was neither dead, nor undead, which I ranked as an achievement.
Hidden Trump (2012) — I was going to be betrayed before the week was out.
Wild Card (Nov 2013) — She walked bravely for a woman who was going to her death.
Cool Hand (Dec 2014?) — "If you do't believe your whole life has been a path leading to this one point, you're not focused enough."
Untitled () —