Sometimes, such as when a Hummer comes barreling toward her student, it can come in handy; sometimes, such as when she is furious with her brother and almost kills him, not so much. She is approached by the Federal Response to Extra-Sensory and Kindred Supernaturals. F.R.E.A.K.S. is a top-secret branch of the FBI that responds to and investigates crimes that may involve Uncrets, unidentified creatures, of the nature of ghouls, goblins and all things that go bump in the night. 

Uncertain about her future in her former world, and not sure where to turn next, Bea agrees to give F.R.E.A.K.S. a try and finds herself in a Kansas compound mansion with her new teammates, the people who will have her back in desperate situations. Her new companions include Nancy, a teenager for whom locks and solid walls are no object, Irie, who can set you on fire just by thinking bad thoughts, Will, a former policeman cum werewolf with a very sad past, a horny but oh-so charming vampire and a blind medium. 

Not even sure where she fits in, Bea is surprised when practically minutes after her arrival, she finds herself on a plane to Colorado with the rest of the F.R.E.A.K.S. What Bea finds there is beyond her worst nightmare, but she digs down deep and finds strength and moxie she never knew she had. And soon realizes that she may have found a home, even if it is with a bunch of F.R.E.A.K.S.

With a delightful new voice, Jennifer Harlow introduces Beatrice Alexander and the members of the F.R.E.A.K.S Squad.  Bea’s story is told with a surprising amount of empathy as the young woman who can no longer fit into a normal life tries to make a new life with the F.R.E.A.K.S.  She now finds herself in situations that she could never imagine herself in, and doing things that she could never have imagined. 

Bea misses her Nana, but knows that for the time being, this is the safest place, for everyone, she can be.  Bea comes with a lot of baggage, she never knew her father, her mother killed herself when Bea was young and her half-brother blames Bea for that. But she has a lot of character and will come out okay in the end.  The investigation is pretty straight forward with some flashes of gore, but the book seems to be more about Bea and her zany fellow F.R.E.A.K.S., a delightful bunch that readers will want to get to know better. 

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry