ANGEL'S PAIN

Author: Maggie Shayne ISBN: 0778324982 10/2008 PARANORMAL Publisher: MIRA

Briar needs just two things: blood and vengeance. The first sustains her immortal life; the second gives it meaning. First on her hit list is Gregor, the renegade vampire who schooled her in brutality, then betrayed and tortured her. To achieve her deadly ends, Briar joins the inscrutable Reaper and his misfit gang of vampires who are also hunting her old mentor. But once she's destroyed Gregor, she'll be gone. The group means nothing to her. Not even Crisa—damaged, defenseless, a liability in every way—the childlike vamp with whom Briar shares a blood bond. Or Reaper. Though they shared one moment of pure passion, it's not as though Briar has feelings for him. Because Briar needs no one. She needs only to satisfy her twin hungers—ones that may ultimately consume her.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Perhaps fans of this series will love ANGEL'S PAIN, but despite some decent sarcastic dialogue from a snappy heroine, I do not. It appears formulaic and very reminiscent of the Game series Christine Feehan writes. Now, I realize Feehan's characters happen to be enhanced soldiers, while Shayne's are vamps, but the rest is the same. Well, that is not entirely accurate as Feehan's writing is better.

Anyway, here are two pet peeves that distract me to no end during this one. First, cell phones. Several characters have them and even use them. Heck, they have telepathy, which is even better. So why is it that when one particular character really should direct her defenseless child Chosen to call the friends she knows are trying to help/find her, she decides it makes more sense to tough it out, and then pass out and leave the poor kid no other option but to call the bad guy, his father, for help? Huh? I get the kid's point of view, but she is just stupid. And second, Bryram, Connecticut. When first mentioned to the hero, he is clueless as to what that city could possibly have to do with anything that is happening him and his Scooby-esque gang. But the next time, I'll say an hour or so later, it suddenly dawns on him that a vampire scientist he knows of has an abandoned home there, and—here is the kicker—oh yeah, his old boss in the CIA lives there. Huh?! How can that NOT cross his mind?

While some may not pick up or even care about those couple aforementioned items, I find they are so distracting and goofy to me that I just do not care for this book.

Shannon Johnson