Sins of the Night
Devyn Quinn
Kensington Aphrodisia, Apr 2008, $12.95
ISBN: 9780758220189

A century ago Adrien Roth was proud to be a Shadow Stalker who destroyed the Kynn. However, he failed at his task when he was captured by his enemy. They tortured him and he became one of them, a vampire who used sex with mortals as sustenance.

Loathing himself he plans to destroy Kynn chieftain Devon Carnavorn and the vampire’s new wife Rachel in what the former Shadow Stalker knows is probably a suicide mission. However, as he begins his quest, Adrien meets human Cassie Wilson, who somehow reinvigorates the soul he thought the Kynn killed when they brutalized and changed him. As they fall in love, he wants to come out of her shadows into the light of her warmth, but obstinately refuses to give up his quest for vengeance as he targets the Mystique Goth nightclub in Warren, California.

This exciting fantasy thriller returns the lead characters of SINS OF THE DEVIL, but this time they are the objectives of the lead male who sees them as his revenge and redemption. The story line is character driven as Adrien, already feeling somewhat schizoid between his former occupation and his current status, struggles with the thirst for bloody vengeance and love. Although some of the erotic scenes will turn off some readers especially when violent force is applied to a disinclined individual who says no. Devyn Quinn provides an interesting erotic vampire romantic suspense as fans will wonder whether Devon chooses Cassie or suicide.

Harriet Klausner

Sins of the Flesh
Devyn Quinn
Kensington Aphrodisia, Oct 2007, $12.95
ISBN: 9780758220172

In Warren, California, Mystique Goth nightclub owner Devon Carnavorn is bored with life as an undead; when he accepted immortality back in 1895 England he never anticipated the ennui even with a century plus of beauties to warm his soul (that is if he had one). He even considered suicide, which is easy when the ruthless sunlight can destroy you, but that feels as wasted as each evening.

Once they opened up the mall, the small Main Street shops like Rachel Marks’ bookstore went bankrupt. Twelve years of hard work for nothing. However, as much as she would like to drown in self-pity, she needs to pay her bills. Desperate she sees the ad for a waitress at Mystique, applies and his hired. When Devon sees his new employee, he finds an awakening enthusiasm for the first time in decades. Rachel reciprocates, but as they share heated sex and fall in love, his swearing that he is nocturnal because he is a vampire makes her doubt his sincerity. Devon wants to spend eternity with Rachel, but should he turn her without her acquiescing?

SINS OF THE FLESH lives up to its title as a torrid erotic vampire romance. Devon is a fascinating individual whose confidence has waned as immortality denotes monotony to him until he meets his new employee who is a jolt of caffeine to his heart. Rachel is not quite as despondent as her new boss, but is depressed until his lovemaking shakes her booty. The explicit sex scenes are well written as they as they run the gamut to orgy, homosexuality, anal and of course the lead pairing.

Harriet Klausner

Flesh and the Devil
Devyn Quinn
Kensington Aphrodisia, Apr 2007, $12.95
ISBN: 075821653X

Vice Squad detective Brendan Wallace is working undercover trying to bust up the Exotic Jewels’ prostitute ring. He calls the company and they send him sexy Liadan Niamh, as his lady of the night. However, instead of busting her, she somehow outs him as a cop before leaving him in knots. Recently divorced Brendan cannot forget the sultry siren and tries to set up a second tryst with her.

He soon learns how Liadan got the better of him when he realizes she truly is a lady of the night. She is a vampire. However, in spite of her attraction to the cop, she knows for his safety she needs to forget him; but she cannot and he will not let her; besides his desire for her there are dead females all over town with all the clues pointing towards Liadan. Concentrating on his love for her while thinking how his sister for years insisted there is magic in their blood; Brendan tries to help free his beloved from malevolent Auguste, who he believes is the serial killer.

This erotic supernatural police procedural romance hooks the sub-genre audience from the opening scene when Liadan leaves Brendan tied to a chair with the message to see her on his time not cop time and never unties the bonds of the reader until the climax. That opening encounter sets the relationship between two likable full blooded (even when she has not dined) protagonists falling into a taboo love for one another. The elements from the police procedural, romance and fantasy blend nicely together so that fans will appreciate the ties between the FLESH AND THE DEVIL.

Harriet Klausner

The Ultimatum
Susan Kearney
Tor, Feb. 2006
ISBN: 0765354489

To live Endekian females need to mate with the men or their cells deteriorate and quickly die. The men control life literally on Endeki as every other year a woman must have a man to prevent the cellular deterioration caused by the Boktai defect. Endekian cellular research scientist Dr. Alara Calladar resents the cavalier enslaved citizenry of women and vows to find a cure for this illness.

Rystani star pilot Captain Xander abducts Alara because he is in dire need of her uncanny psychic skill of just looking at a person to typecast their DNA molecular structure. He seeks the purebred DNA of the mythological Perceptive Ones as the only potential elixir to prevent a virus from pandemic killing millions or more. However, Alara is in trouble as her biological clock is ticking so she needs what she least wants in life, a man with only Rystani available. He offers to make love with Alara in exchange for her help with stopping the deadly Terran virus. She was unprepared for her cells especially of the heart to adapt to only his lovemaking while he realizes this is his soulmate even if she is a member of an enemy species.

Though the third science fiction romance in the Kearney universe) see THE CHALLENGE and THE DARE), THE ULTIMATUM is a terrific stand alone thriller that grips the audience once readers understand Alara’s dilemmas especially involving the deaths of her parents and Xander’s mission to save the galaxy. The story line is action-packed, but also insures that the lead heroes are full blooded individuals with desires beyond their respective quests. As with the previous two novels, this is a must read for sub-genre fans.

Harriet Klausner