Reviewed by: Rabid Reads. 
 This book started out as a sweet vacay type story line with Anna & Charles traveling to Arizona to buy a horse from an old friend. We got to see a different side of Cornick, witness a couple of flashbacks, reconnect with an old love, and meet Hosteen's pack. There was of course some mild tension, but that's to be expected whenever two alpha males are in the same room; however other than that it was looking like this was going to be a relatively tame installment. Ha! Yeah right, this is Patricia Briggs, and she doesn't do cute. DEAD HEAT's fae mystery kept me guessing, the ending made me cry, and the werewolves rocked, as usual. 
 I've become accustomed to being spoiled by this author's furry characters, so when I first opened this novel I was surprised to find... horses! I marveled at the level of detail Briggs went into with regards to these magnificent beasts from the various breeds, to their different gaits, temperaments and the competitive side of shows. I actually had to pause mid-chapter to read her bio because I needed to know whether she had existing equestrian knowledge or had put her research cap on for this latest book. She lives on a horse ranch in case you're wondering. I really enjoyed the amount of information she managed to incorporate alongside the plot. 
 Don't tell Clay & Elena (Kelley Armstrong), but they are in danger of losing their title of being my favourite werewolf couple because Charles & Anna are gaining on them with each new ALPHA & OMEGA installment. Cornick's lone wolf status is no secret, so discovering that he has a human friend was quite the revelation. His relationship with Joseph awakened so many feels; however I wasn't overly happy about Maggie's role. Why is Briggs so big on ex threads? Urgh! Charles & Anna are working through another couple dilemma, and I just love how conflict makes them stronger. Their character growth continues to be one of the high points of this series. 
 Our friendly neighbourhood FBI agent, Leslie Fisher, is back in the thick of things which was great because I liked her in FAIR GAME. It turns out that the fae did not go quietly into their reservations, instead they are underhandedly siccing their worst monsters on human society, and the Doll Collector was their latest ruse. This novel's plot deals with children, and it's not pretty, so it's not recommended for everyone. That being said, this author has a propensity for misdirection, therefore expect the unexpected! There was also a touch of humour though in the form of Hephzibah, the Evil Queen Hellbitch, and leave it to Briggs to work in a Supernatural shout out. Squee! 
 This was my first time reading an ALPHA & OMEGA book, and although I missed Holter Graham's narration, it's clear that no matter how you tackle DEAD HEAT, the end result will be 5 stars.