DARK LIES

Author: Vivi Anna ISBN: 0373617739 10/2007 PARANORMAL Publisher: SILHOUETTE NOCTURNE

What dark secret was she hiding? When the Otherworld Crime Unit reconvenes to investigate a ritualistic murder, werewolf Jace Jericho can barely set aside his past—and his hatred of humanity—to work with the team's newest member. As far as Jace is concerned, police rookie Tala Channing has two strikes against her: one, she's human, and two, something about her drives him wild with desire. Forced to work side by side with Tala, deep into the witching hours, Jace struggles to keep his primal instincts in check. But when they finally succumb to wild passion, Jace realizes Tala has spun a web of lies. And Tala's secret now puts his life—and heart—on the line.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

With DARK LIES, we return to the CSI-like environment of the Valorian Chronicles. This second book in the series has the Otherworld Crime Unit team reassembled, but this time the dead bodies are in human territory and it's going to take a political battle to allow them to solve the case. Not only that, but the crime scenes are so similar to those of the last set of murders they solved, that they think they may have had the wrong killer the first time.

Not all humans are afraid of the otherworlders, and Valorian's group gets on well with some of the human police team in San Antonio. But Jace Jericho, the Lycan member of the team, suspects there is more going on with supposed human Tala Channing. Sometimes he sees the green glow in her eyes that is a marker of lycans.

Is it possible she's more than she seems? If she is a werewolf, what is she doing in human territory? He's extremely intrigued.

This is another fast-paced, thrilling mystery from Vivi Anna, and a solid romance, too, for those of us who like their heroes hairy.

Heather Hiestand