Join pacifist empath Reece and shadow agent Grayson as they race to stop a killer in an alternate Seattle with empaths. A blend of urban fantasy and mystery with a slow-burn enemies to lovers romance that spans three books.
“Therin conjures up an almost Twin Peaks literary vibe for the launch of her new Sugar & Vice series… [Paired] with the author’s flair for crafting captivating characters, as well as her ability to deliver fun, flirtatious bantering between Reece and Evan”
—Booklist
Books 1 and 2, Liar City and Twisted Shadows, are available now, with Book 3, Edge of Mercy, planned for June 2026!
Liar City
Sugar & Vice #1
“[I]nstantly intriguing… Evan and Reece’s chemistry crackles throughout Liar City‘s nonstop action”
—BookPage, starred review
“Therin blends fascinating mythology with tight action sequences and shifting perspectives that keep tensions high. The result is a taut magical mystery that will get readers excited for the next in the series.“
—Publishers Weekly
A murder has Seattle on edge, and it falls to a pacifist empath—and a notorious empath hunter—to find the killer before it’s too late...
It’s the middle of the night when part-time police consultant and full-time empath Reece gets an anonymous call warning him that his detective sister needs his help. At an out-of-the-way Seattle marina, he discovers that three people have been butchered—including the author of the country’s strictest anti-empathy bill, which is just days from being passed into law.
Soon, Reece’s caller arrives: a shadowy government agent known as The Dead Man, who is rumored to deal exclusively in cases involving empathy. He immediately takes over the investigation, locking out both local PD and the FBI, but, strangely, keeps Reece by his side.
As the two track an ever-growing trail of violence and destruction across Seattle, Reece must navigate a scared and angry city, an irritating attraction to his mysterious agent companion, and a rising fear that perhaps empaths like him aren’t all flight and no fight after all…
AudioFile Earphones Award Winner (May 2023)
BookPage Best Romance Novel (March 2023)
All About Romance Desert Isle Keeper
“[Joel] Leslie brings a spot-on Southern drawl to The Dead Man’s emotionless cadence, then seamlessly switches to Reece’s higher-pitched impassioned voice. Leslie’s vocal dexterity—combined with this unique take on the classic whodunit—makes this a must-listen.”
—AudioFile Magazine, Earphones Award Winner
Twisted Shadows
Sugar & Vice #2
“Spellbinding…an exciting, action-packed sequel that entirely lives up to the promise of the original”
—Publishers Weekly
“A masterclass in how to create and develop sexual tension”
—All About Romance, a “Best of the Best” 2024
“Will have readers clamoring for the next installment”
—Library Journal
In a thrilling alternate-universe Seattle, empaths are disappearing—and it’s up to grumpy Reece and his mysterious protector, Grayson, to investigate.
Empath hunter Evan Grayson is the Dead Man, transformed by a dark past into a perfect weapon against corrupted empaths. Nothing can distract him from stopping these superhuman killers—until he’s mired in a new battle, fighting a forbidden attraction to an empath on the verge of corruption.
For pacifist Reece Davies, every day is a struggle to keep his darker side in check. It’s only his complicated relationship with Evan that keeps him grounded—a relationship that, despite his growing feelings, must stay at arm’s length. But when an empath’s murder on the East Coast points to a treacherous plot back west, with Reece as the next potential target, Evan races across the country to be by his side.
Together, they search for missing empaths, their proximity heightening the chemistry they must resist. But corruption isn’t the only danger they face as sinister forces close in from the shadows, sights set on empath and empath hunter alike…
“Vividly imagined…immersing readers in an intriguing, paranormal-shaded version of the U.S. while, at the same time, significantly heating things up between Evan and Reece”
—Booklist
Edge of Mercy
Sugar & Vice #3
In the gripping conclusion to Allie Therin’s slow burn urban fantasy MM romance series, an empath and an empath hunter face off as the fate of an alternate-universe Seattle—and their own future—hang in the balance.
Caught in the crosshairs of a deadly conspiracy, empath Reece Davies was forced to embrace his darker nature to protect the enemy he’d fallen for. Now, joining forces with others like him, drawn to chaos and vengeance by the corruption in his veins, Reece is being hunted…by the very man he saved.
Evan Grayson, a notorious empath hunter known as the Dead Man, was engineered to never falter from his mission—until he met Reece. Even corruption can’t cool their desire for each other, but with Reece’s dark side in control and all of Seattle at stake, Grayson must stop him, no matter the personal cost.
As the battle between the two enemies heats up, so does their forbidden attraction. But the danger is growing and closing in on them from all sides. Because Grayson isn’t the only one hunting the empaths—and they both may have finally met their match…
Coming June 24, 2026!
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Allie Therin 