House of Cards

By C.E. Murphy

New York City's only legal counsel to the fabled Old Races, Margrit Knight is levelheaded in all matters extraordinary.

But when she's summoned to negotiate a peace treaty among rival factions, her own mortal world threatens to fall apart. Margrit's been in hot water before, but reentering the underworld brings a new set of problems. And a new set of friends and enemies, including a ruthless vampire mobster, a dragonlord who won't take no for an answer, a band of subversive selkies

. . . oh, and Alban Korund, the sexy gargoyle who got her into this mess–and whose granite-strong touch still haunts her every fantasy. . .

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins UK
• Release date: Jun 1, 2011
• ISBN: 9781408936719

C.E. Murphy

C.E. Murphy is the author of more than twenty books—along with a number of novellas and comics. Born in Alaska, currently living in Ireland, she does miss central heating, insulation and—sometimes–snow but through the wonders of the internet, her imagination and her close knit family, she’s never bored or lonely. While she does travel through time (sadly only forward, one second at a time) she can also be found online at www.cemurphy.net or @ce_murphy on Twitter

Reviews for House of Cards

[pagemasterzee · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

the most action pacted of the series yet. i cant wait to see what else this author has to offer. ive been hooked since her shaman series and cant get enough of her writing style and unique characters. the plot description on the back of the book is deceptive and paints a picture of an storyline that might be to predictable. c. e. murphy has twists and turns that keep you guessing through out the series. so dont be fooled by faulty descriptions of her books, decide for yourselves

[reading_fox · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Continuation of the story. Margrit the laywer still owes Janx the dragon and crimelord some favours - and although these were originally promised as like for like, ie information, they both seem to have forgotten this and so Margrit agrees to help protect Janx's mani henchman the djinn Malic from a series of attacks which Janx;s organisation has been subject to. Quite how a mortal human can protect one of the Djinn was uncertain to both parties, however they both though that the Vampire Disraeli was probably behind it, and it so happened that Margrit has some barginning room with him. Meanwhile of course ALban the sexy gargoyle is still around, and Tony Margrits partime police lover - at least he was until she met the Old Races. And don't forget the selkies - one of the links back from the last book was the absence of Cara. She's back. Much else remains as was the case in the previous book. Margrit is still a silly name, and she still doesn't really understand the world she's involved in. The roamnce is dialled up a bit with some actual sex. I was glad the author had thought about the physics and practicalities involved which makes such scenes more believabnle for the characters than purely thrown in as expected titilation fro the readers. Still not totally convinced though.I liek eveything else about the world though - the unusualness of ther Old Races chosen, how well they integrate with modern humanity, and how normal humans intereact with them. I was especially impressed with Margrit's housemates who managed (apart from once or twice) to appear as characters in their own right, with understanding and compassion - even if, again, they're way more tolerant than any two saints I know, if any of my flatmates had Margrit's lack of communal living skills they'd be long gone. Margrit's arguments with Tony were alos well written.Overal a very enjoyable continuation tot he series and I'm looking forward to hwo it's all resolved in the last book.

[bgknighton · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Things are getting interesting now. The Old Races are seeing change happening around them and are starting to get involved in their own changes. But the plots are thickening....

[sunnysd_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Legal aid lawyer Margrit Knight may be known for in small circles her principles and a penchant for successfully tilting at windmills, but suddenly she's one the fast track, being greeted by the who's who of political New York. But it's the gritty underbelly peopled by the secretive Old Races that brought her notoriety - can she go back to what she once was? Or is she willing to sacrifice still more for love, honor and principles? (If you know Grit, you know the answer to that one!)Great follow-up, and I can't wait to see how Hands of Flame continues.

[teharhynn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Much quicker read than the first one. I love the characters, and I'm sad to see it's only a trilogy. This one was much better developed than the first.

[ladycato · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The second book of the Negotiator trilogy picks up soon after the end of Heart of Stone. Lawyer Margrit Knight has become all too entwined in the centuries-old threads that bind and strangle the Old Races in New York City. A slick vampire wants her to work as his assistant, a dragonlord pulls all the strings in the underworld, and if looks could kill, a djinn would have killed Margrit several times over. Then there is Alban the gargoyle, the being she loves, the one who will barely talk to her because he fears further contact will only imperil Margrit. That involvement happens, whether Alban wants it or not: the lost race, the Selkies, have returned and want a say, and Margrit is the best mediator for the job.This series continues to delight me. I liked Margrit much more in this book - she lost some of the abrasive edge that made her unlikeable at the beginning of Heart of Stone. The cast of Old Races really brings heart to this book; it's full of haggling, manipulation, and political intrigue far beyond human comprehension, and I enjoyed seeing all of the major players come together.

[andreablythe · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is book 2 of The Negotiator Trilogy. I wasn't as in to this one as I was into Heart of Stone, but I think that had more to do with my own mental distractions than the storyline itself.Margrit is still wrapped up in the world, and as is typical in part two of a trilogy things get more messy, complicated and violent. The shit hits the fan so to speak. Murphy does a good job keeping things interesting.

[karenbooks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this book. The series continues to improve, and the characters are well defined and developing in new ways.

[canalmania · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another page turner from CE Murphy, I loved the Urban Shaman books and this series keeps up the high standard. Grit is a strong character with whom you can empathise as she feels her way through her dealings with the 'old races' where she should tchnically be at a disadvantage