Every Which Way but Dead by Kim Harrison Series: The Hollows #3
Published by Harper Collins on 13 October 2009
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
Pages: 501
Format: eBook
Source: Kindle Purchase
Buy on Amazon | 
After Nick only barely lived through Rachel's last ley-line spell, he is a lot more distant. And while Nick disappears often, Kist makes a point of showing up more often. Rachel has a lot going on, especially because she needed Al's help to make sure Piscary would stay in prison. In order to keep her soul, she has to fight dirty, and she has to fight smart. She finds herself a new ally, that she would have never met if it wasn't for Al in the first place.
Every Which Way but Dead is an apt title for this book, because Rachel will do almost anything in order to make sure she’ll be alive when all is said and done. She has some very big players to go up against now, though, and she especially has to be very cunning in her dealings with her favorite demon, Al.
My review of Every Which Way but Dead is spoiler free, but there might be spoilers from the first two books in it. Especially because the plot is moving forward pretty quickly, and I want to make sure I touch on all the things that were important to me while reading. So if you’re even later than me to The Hollows series, continue to read if you don’t mind knowing some of what has happened in the first two books.
From the beginning of Every Which Way but Dead, Nick is very distant, and he seems to become more distant with each interaction between him and Rachel. Rachel tries her best to make things better, but he seems to be reluctant to move forward, and always has excuses ready so they won’t have time to see each other. When she shows up at his house unexpectedly and sees that he is more or less ready to move away, she feels like she’s been hit in the gut – even if she wants to believe him when he says it’s so that he won’t feel it every time she touches a ley-line.
Al wants what Rachel has promised him, and when Rachel summons him, he arrives with his soon-to-be former familiar in tow. Of course, Rachel now wants to save both the other woman and herself. Negotiating with Al is not an easy task, and Ceri, the woman he promises Rachel he’ll free is so out of it she is hardly even conscious. I love that Rachel can be just as sneaky as a demon, and I was almost clapping my hands when Al realized he wasn’t going to be able to get Rachel exactly where he wanted her – at least not at first.
Apart from all her trouble with Al and work, Rachel soon realizes that her personal life will become even more of a roller coaster once she agrees to something Kist asks her. And then, somehow, she gets more entangled with Trent as well – until she ends up in an extremely uncomfortable situation for a while.
The action is on every page, as is the humor and the growing relationships among the friends and partners. I love getting to know Ivy, Jenks and Rachel better, and the way they interact is great. Of course, because Rachel has trust-issues, things don’t go as she hoped when someone finds out the hard way that Rachel hasn’t been completely honest with them. And I am left thinking that maybe some relationships cannot be mended at all. New characters arriving might also cause trouble for Rachel, especially when she realizes the depth of the relationship some of those have with the people who are close to her.
What the Turn was I doing standing in my kitchen with two hungry vamps when the sun was going down? didn’t’ they have somewhere to got? People to bite, that weren’t me?
I missed feeling desired, needed. And Kisten had a Ph.D. in wooing women, even if his motives were one-sided and false.
They were line dancing. Oh – my – God. The vampires were line dancing.
About Linda @ (un)Conventional Bookworms
Linda is an English as foreign language teacher and has a Master's degree in English Language and Literature. She's an avid reader, blogger, compulsive one-clicker and a genre omnivore. Ever since she learnt how to read she has been seen with a book or two in her hands everywhere she goes.
Twitter: bmreviewsohmy
Sounds like they are a lot of fun to read! Glad you are enjoying the series.
They are a lot of fun to read! I had to make myself slow down a little now, so that I will be able to just start reading the next release (I think book 11) as I am already reading book 7 now. But you know how it is, right? I have quite a few ARCs I need to read as well.
Thanks for stopping by Stormi.
Twitter: BerlsS
This is one of my favorite series, I’m glad you’re enjoying it. It only get’s better! Great review 😀
It’s quickly becoming one of my favorite series as well, Berls. It’s a lot of fun, and Rachel cracks me up 🙂
Twitter: BerlsS
I love Rachel, but sometimes I just want to shake her! I think Jenks is my favorite character in the series though. If no one has already told you – make sure you read the shorts, in the order Harrison gives here. You CAN read the books without them and understand what’s up, but the characters and plot lines that take place in the shorts do impact the books and make them that much better! Are you moving on to A Fistful of Charms next?
Oh, I agree Berls. Rachel is the champion in making the same mistakes over again 🙂 Jenks is awesome, too, I love that pixie!
I will check out the shorts, if they truly give something extra to the series I’m sure I’ll love them.
I’m actually already reading Black Magic Sanction, but my reviews are spaced out a little with others in between 🙂 And now,I’m trying to slow down a little because I’ve been breezing through the series like a mad woman.
Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
I love the addition of Ceri to this series! So glad you’ve gotten to her. The relationships just get more complicated, don’t they? I love where this series goes from here. I never did like Nick LOL Excellent review! Jaclyn @ JC’s Book Haven.
Ceri is awesome! I love her 🙂 I never liked Nick either but I love both Kist and, actually Trent 🙂
Thanks for stopping by Jaclyn!
You are speeding through this series 🙂 I’m glad you’re enjoying them. It’s one of those series I regret never finding time to finish.
Hey, the series isn’t over yet, Laurie… you still have the time to continue reading if you want to 🙂
Thanks for stopping by 🙂
yay another great book! I’m still in book 6, but I think her English is a little more complex than in other books
I don’t really notice if the English is more or less complex… but you may very well be right, Melliane. Isn’t it a lot of fun, though?
yes it is, I’m almost done with it!
YAY! I look forward to your review 🙂 Mine is already scheduled 😉
Oh wow!! I think I may have to look into this series, definitley something that I’d like if it’s full of action. Great review!
Naomi @ Nomi’s Paranormal Palace
It is shock-full of action, and humor, too! I think you’d really like this, I’m both sorry and happy I waited so long before I started it 🙂
Thanks for stopping by Naomi!
I love the quotes! Line dancing vamps. Ha! Rachel’s decision making process usually makes me close the book and talk to the walls for a minute. I’m glad to see we get more Al and more Kist.
LOL Rachel totally makes decisions based on a kind of logic I have trouble following 🙂 I love Kist, and I actually quite enjoy Al as well.
Thanks for stopping by, Robyn!