There’s a new drug on the streets called Kick. The side effects are so brutal, most folks only try it once…unless they’re psychic. Then they do it until it kills them.
Psychic medium Victor Bayne is well acquainted with pharmaceuticals, from the Auracel that blocks his ghosts to the Seconal that offers him a blissful nights’ sleep. But he’s managed to steer clear of street drugs…so far.
Jacob Marks has a medicine cabinet filled with every over-the-counter remedy known to man, but none of them are doing much for his mood—and his long, fruitless days of combing through records at The Clinic are taking a heavy toll.
But their lackluster investigation does have one silver lining: a front row seat at The Clinic when the first Kick overdose comes in. And as scary as the drug might be, if it truly does augment psychic ability, the appeal is not lost on Vic.
Because the very first hit never killed anyone.
Where did Kick come from? Why is it so addictive? And why is everyone at The Clinic acting so darn shady? That’s what Vic intends to find out. And if he’s lucky, he can also expose a shadowy figure from Camp Hell.
Unfortunately, the demons of his pill addiction might prove just as deadly as his long-buried history. He thought he’d managed to ditch that pernicious habit. But what if it was only lurking in the shadows, waiting for the best time to rear its ugly head?
How was it? From Among The Living to now, Vic’s growth is as endearing to read and appreciate as it is masterfully thought-out. He’s opening himself up to things that he wouldn’t have been caught dead doing before. He challenges himself more and has evolved as a result. Bitter Pill flirts with the idea of a setback for him that had me worried every time that subject came up. It was a great way to portray his struggle with addiction and convey that he is in no way “cured.” Jordan Castillo Price used Vic’s struggle as an opportunity to further develop Jacob’s character arc.
The author is not afraid to depict the menial tasks that goes into investigative work (leads that do not pan out, research, trials and errors). It could have been boring but it grounds the story in reality amidst the paranormal. There’s just enough of it that it doesn’t slow down the pace, or make you feel like you wasted time on those pages.
As usual it’s a well crafted story with an interesting case to investigate, intriguing mysteries, and great call backs to previous books that take a deeper meaning in this one. I wonder how great it would be to marathon read these books and experience the subtle complexity of the PsyCop series, as all of those stories are fresh on your mind.
I’m eagerly waiting for the next book.
Worn out Spines 
I’m glad to hear it’s a good one. I didn’t finished the one about the empath who used to be a hairdresser. That story me.
LikeLike
I struggled with that one as well lol but check out the others they’re good.
LikeLike