Fury of a Phoenix (Nix, #1) 
by Shannon Mayer

Nix loses her son and husband to killers, figures out they were sent by her crime boss, estranged father, Romano, and goes after him.

But the path to Romano is far from straight. She discovers things she never knew about her husband and his business partner, Nick. She discovers her father is trying to become part of the Collective, a bunch of abnormal criminals. And she discovers the serial killer part of her is not gone forever.

This Urban Fantasy is somewhat meandering and Nix goes through a lot of side alleys in her quest for revenge, but what makes this eminently readable and fun are Nix’s dog, Abe, and her two guns.

That sounds weird when I write it, but yep, its Abe, who has been well-trained with German guard dog commands and constantly is helping Ni by biting into enemy forearms or snuggling up against her leg for comfort, and her two guns–Dinah and Eleanor– who provide a constant chatter, at times snarky and bloodthirsty, that gives the emotional intimacy I often look for in a partner/love interest.

And there is mystery surrounding just who Nix is, what connection Romano’s deal with the devil has to Nix, and how she will overcome her pain at losing her son, Bear. He is a constant presence to her throughout this book. I went ahead and jumped into the second book right away because of a cliffhanger regarding the deaths of Nix’s family.

If you like Urban Fantasy, and especially if you are looking for one where the main emphasis isn’t romance, come meet Dinah and Eleanor and Abe 😉