SECRETS IN THE SHADOWS

Author: Jenna Black ISBN: 076535716X 3/2007 PARANORMAL Publisher: TOR

They hunt in every major city, hidden by the crowds, shielded by disbelief. They are Killers, and their prey is human. But not all vampires are Killers. The Guardians of the Night sacrifice the superior physical and psychic strength that comes with feeding on humans to protect them.  But the Guardians walk a thin line, for even a single kill could leave them helplessly addicted to murder. Jules Gerard has vowed that he will never become a Killer.  But when he discovers that the man who turned him into a vampire is dead and kicking in Baltimore, the allure of extra power is tempting. Standing in his way is a human, spitfire Hannah Moore, who has followed him to Baltimore to help him confront his past. Hannah doesn't seem to realize how dangerous vampires can be—and despite his façade of disdain, Jules has a real soft spot for the petite P.I. Jules is going to have to choose: vengeance and damnation or love and redemption?

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

I like this one because of the hero. Yep, even though this is another vampire book, the hero sells it for me. He is not your typical vamp—sure, he's self-centered, narrow-minded, and wouldn't be caught, well, undead, in anything less than a designer label. But, he smiles. I know, a vampire smiling. The only other author I know that does that is Katie MacAlister. Anyway, some of Jules' verbal sparring with the heroine has me chuckling out loud, and I find that a refreshing change from the brooding heroes I have been reading about lately.

Don't worry that this book is all sunshine and rainbows, though. Jules' outward appearance may be perfect, but he is still tortured enough inside to make the plot heartfelt. But, his normal ever-changing attitude (even after taking a beating when facing his nemesis) keeps this book from being a complete downer. The fact that the author threw in a feisty, not-so-beautiful heroine, a completely unstable vampire with an ax to grind, some decent dialogue and a lot of plot for them to swim around in, makes this a pretty good story to jump into.

If you are looking for a change of pace in the over crowded paranormal jungle out there, you might just want try SECRETS IN THE SHADOWS.

Shannon Johnson