Blood Pressure
Terence Taylor
St. Martin’s Griffin, Mar 30 2010, $14.99
ISBN: 9780312385262

In 2007 Christopher moves to New York seeking to find and meet his biological parents so he can finally understand why he is so different than the Ross family who raised him. In Manhattan, he meets performing art film documentary maker Joie. .They share a strange bond as each realizes the impact on their respective soul by otherworldly forces. However, they will soon learn that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts as together they possess incredible power that others want to use for their nefarious schemes.

The Federal funded covert ops Clean Slate Global learns of their joint skill and plans to use it as a super weapon to eradicate all vampires except for those who work for them. Christopher and Joie team up with her parents Lori and Steven, psychotherapist Dr Lazarus, and Prenelle the vampire top prevent the government from being the only group to possess vampires.

Two decades since Bite Marks occurred, the action picks up without missing a heartbeat due to a strong cast especially the heroes and the lead villain. Fast-paced throughout even with super looks back in time to late 1920s Cabaret Berlin and the Harlem Renaissance, fans will relish this motley crew of Davids and Davidettes fighting against Goliath as well as some rogue vampires. Blood Pressure is a one sitting thriller as the streets of Manhattan is draped in blood.

Harriet Klausner

Darker Than Night
Kim Lenox
Signet, Apr 6 2010, $6.99
ISBN: 978-0451229588

Shadow Guards’ Ravenmaster Lord Avenage attends the Queen’s tea party to obtain royal permission to remove sleeping Shadow Guard Countess Selene from the tower. Rourke’s explanation to Her Highness is that his unit lacks the manpower to guard Selene, the only female member, and contend with Tantalus. Knowing she was put to sleep purposely so she would lose her sanity, Rourke conceals his agenda from the Queen as he has been dreaming of the woman, who sacrificed so much for London.

The queen and her council agree to have Rourke personally guard Selene, daughter of Cleopatra and a Shadow Guard while Lady Black plans to awaken her and use a vaccine that should control the evil lurking inside her “patient”. The plan goes astray when Selene awakens holding a bloody knife while a corpse lies nearby. As she panics that the evil has taken over her, Rourke calms her down and escorts her to the council where she will be interrogated to determine her mental state and whether Lord Avenage can control her.

The latest Shadows Guards’ thriller (see Night Falls Darkly and So Still the Night) is an enjoyable romantic fantasy as a doubting Rourke, in spite of eight centuries as an immortal, is unsure he does the right thing when it comes to the woman haunting his dreams. Fast-paced throughout readers will enjoy the tale of the two Guards as the hero wonders who is the one threatened by madness and the heroine sees his look at her as hesitation re evil killer or eternal love. The Lenox mythology burns brighter though it remains Darker than Night.

Harriet Klausner

Bite Me
Christopher Moore
Morrow, Mar 23 2010, $23.99
ISBN: 9780061779725

The streets of San Francisco are not safe as a predatory vampire prowls them looking for prey. No one is safe from this feline. Perhaps the only humans who might end the biting cat’s reign of terror are goth Abby Normal and her brilliant boyfriend, Stephen “Foo Dog” Wong although others like the Animals of Marina Safeway and the Emperor of San Francisco hunt the beast.

Abby and Stephen visit her Masters, vampire couple Jody and Tommy to obtain their help and guidance. The pair owes Abby for keeping them together when she made them immortal with her rendition of The Kiss starring the vamps as the couple. As they work to stop the sharp toothed cat, the team runs into three visiting ancient vamps with teeth to grind, the other hunters and SFPD homicide detectives Rivera and Cavuto who want all of them off the streets of San Francisco so the cops can solve the case.

This is a wild biting satire that takes no prisoners as a vampire cat wrecks havoc on the City by the bay. The story line is amusing and fast-paced but also contains too many cat lives that diverse from the prime plot of hunting the hunter who hunts those hunting it. Fans of the Normal acerbic paranormal tales (see After You Suck) will laugh out loud at Bite Me” A Love Story.

Harriet Klausner

When Good Wishes Go Bad
Mindy Klasky
Mira, Apr 1 2010, $13.95
ISBN: 9780778328216

In Manhattan, Rebecca Morris works at The Mercer Project Theater. Her live in lover of three years, Dean the accountant, did the books for the theater and for her. He leaves her a short note that he is working late, which is not a shocker as it is tax season.

Dean never makes it to their Greenwich Village apartment. Instead he absconded with her life savings and the theater’s three million dollars. She also learns the play they were going to produce is not available as the Mercer lost the production rights. Homeless as the police declare her pad is a crime scene, Rebecca sees a bit of light in all this gloom when author Ryan Thompson arrives with a delightful play. Stage manager Kira lends Becca clothing and gives her a lamp housing Teel the genie who orders Becca to make her four wishes so the genie can get on with his life.

This is a charming Manhattan fairy tale romance though the genie is street tough (not bottle tough). Although Becca with her profound observations on everything somehow missed Dean being an embezzler is a bit difficult to grasp. However readers who accept that the Dramaturg failed to notice her boyfriend’s felonious behavior will appreciate an amusing tale of a heroine with four wishes holding back on the last one just in case she needs it to persuade her new love they can write romance together.

Harriet Klausner

Her Vampire Husband
Michele Hauf
Harlequin HQN, Apr 1 2010, $7.99
ISBN: 9780373774999

Chief of the Northern Pack of the Werewolf nation, Amandus Masterson arranges a political wedding for his daughter Princess Blu to a vampire Lord Credence Saint-Pierre. He insists the marriage will prove the historical enemy nations can live in harmony and peace.

At the Landmark Center, Blu tells her best friend Bree she will not allow this nine hundred year old vampire she never met to touch her as she rejects smelling like a long tooth. Creed plans to keep his unwanted marriage as a political convenience in support of the peace truce and no more. However, neither is prepared for seditious acts on the part of their respective nations as vampire and werewolf plan to break the pact, nor are the newlyweds ready for the feelings of love.

This is a terrific supernatural political romance in which beloved enemies fall in love and soon find themselves battling seemingly every vampire and werewolf; as each nation has plans to break the peace while the couple wants to prove love and harmony can thrive. Creed speaks stilted Regency, which takes an adjustment, especially in comparison with modern hip Blu. Still fast-paced and cleverly designed, fans of cross-starred paranormal romances will appreciate this entertaining tense tale of a marriage of inconvenience.

Harriet Klausner

Mind Games
Carolyn Crane
Bantam, Mar 23 2010, $7.99
ISBN: 9780553592610

In Midcity off Lake Michigan, Justine and her boyfriend Cubby dine at Mongolian Delites when she sees Shady Ben Foley work his latest scam on some people just like he did her father. She warns the others before returning to her table complaining about her vein busting. Soon afterward at the bar, Packard Sterling tells her he can help her with her desperate problems like the vein bursting and other psychosomatic diseases. She says no thanks as she is used to being a hypochondriac with a zillion phobias. However, he insists that he can transfer her fears into criminals and will teach her to do so if she joins his Disillusionists crime retribution team; whose clients are the victims like she and her family were.

Two of Packard’s recruits were former clients and they persuade Justine to return to Mongolian Delites after explaining their target is Foley. Still believing she is making a Faustian deal; she agrees if Foley suffers an aneurism. When he does due to her transferring her fear of having an aneurism to the rat, she joins. However, Justine fears her attraction to her new boss, but soon catches him lying so she vows to learn why and find out his other secrets.

The first Disillusionist urban fantasy is a refreshing crime fighting thriller starring a terrific tough woman who knows she has every illness known to humanity and a few not yet discovered; as she is learning to transfer her “disease” of the moment to deserving bad people. The story line takes its time introducing the Crane mythos and the key characters. Once done, the plot goes into hyper action as the Disillusionists work their transference trade in Midcity while the heroine struggles with ethics issues. Fans of Dresden will want to read the opening act as Justine proves to be a powerful telekinetic hypochondriac.

Harriet Klausner

Five Odd Honors
Jane Lindskold
Tor, May 11 2010, $27.99
ISBN 9780765317025

Only recently did college student Brenda Morris learn that The Lands Born from Smoke and Sacrifice existed based on what she thought were Chinese myths and that her ancestors crossed over from this alternate earth place (see Thirteen Orphans and Nine Gates). Although she has also learned she possesses the powers of the Zodiac Rat, her dad pleads with her to ignore her magical prowess and the encouragement of her Aunt Pearl the Dragon in order to return to school. He wants her to live a normal life anchored on this earth.

However, the Orphans-Exiles seize an opportunity to open a gate into the Lands Born from Smoke and Sacrifice in order to return with five of their dead so they can honor their late compatriots. However, once they open the ninth gate, the Thirteen Orphans are stunned as the Center is impenetrable and soon several are captured. On earth an assault of Pearl Bright the Tiger concerns Brenda who cannot get back into textbooks and lectures. When she learns what occurred in The Lands Born from Smoke and Sacrifice, her first thought is that of betrayal; her second rumination is that of mounting a rescue though her third consideration is what superior being could have achieved what has occurred in the Lands.

The third Chinese zodiac urban fantasy is a superb thriller in which much of the violence is off page as the heroine and others discuss what happened and how to react. Thus the story line is character driven with much of the action passively discussed not actively performed. This approach provides reflective insight into Brenda, her family, and the Orphans while also enabling the reader to better comprehend the Chinese zodiac although the minute detail can turn overwhelming.

Harriet Klausner

The Legions of Fire
David Drake
Tor, May 11 2010, $25.99
ISBN 9780765320780

In Carce, the center of civilization, bookworm Varus, son of Senator Gaius Saxa, is to do a reading. Attending it is his classmate and friend Corylus, son of commander Publius Cispius. At the recital of the epic poem, Varus abruptly makes strange predictions of the end of days beginning count down.

His young shrewish stepmother Hedia holds the avaricious wizard Nemastes culpable for Varus’ outrageous embarrassing behavior. However, besides Varus, Corylus and his sister Alphena were engulfed by visions during the recital. None are aware that to the north on a remote volcanic isle, mages have begun a final ritual that will enable beasts from beyond this realm to enter and destroy mankind. Four residents of Carce with diverse skills are all that stand in the way to prevent total extinction.

The key to this sort of historical fantasy is how wonderfully David Drake captures the essence of the patrician nobility of Rome, which brings freshness to the quest. The quartet of heroes is fully developed with different skills, knowledge and attitudes. Corylus brings military strategic experience to the mix; Alphena possesses combat skills; Hedia is brilliant though volatile; and Varus has a connection to the beyond. Together they may save the realm; separately they have no chance as the Legion of Fire is an enjoyable first tale.

Harriet Klausner

The Sweet Scent of Blood
Suzanne McLeod
Ace, Apr 23 2010, $7.99
ISBN: 9780441018710

In London, the only known Sidhe fae in the city Genevieve “Genny” Taylor works for Spellcrackers.com whose vision is “Making Magic Safe!” Genny is a spellcracker, who hunts for magic in order to remove spells before they cause trouble though she ironically cannot cast a spell.

Her boss at Spellcrackers.com Stella Raynham sends Mr. Hinkley to meet with Genny in order to hire her to conduct a murder investigation. His celebrity vampire son Roberto (known as Mr. October due to a popular calendar) is accused of killing his human girlfriend Melissa; the media has convicted him of murdering his “Juliet” as they have dubbed the victim. Mr. Hinkley wants Genny to find the real culprit. Genny explains that the Witch Council, of which her firm belongs, taboos vampiric cases. However, she reluctantly agrees as the fee will pay off a major debt. Her inquiry soon has Genny moving inside vampire society and a few other paranormal subcultures, but each clue she finds seems to either hang her client’s son or push her further away from the truth.

The first Spellcrackers.com urban fantasy is a terrific paranormal whodunit starring a likable heroine who is a sort of a British female Dresden (early books) in London where the supernatural have legal rights. The atmosphere is deftly established to enable the reader to believe in vampires, fae, and trolls, etc while also lampooning western society, which makes the tone lighter than Simon R. Green’s vision of the city, but also somewhat slows down the inquiry. The Sweet Scent of Blood is a wonderful opening act that will have the sub-genre audience wanting more of Genny’s London

Harriet Klausner

The Prophecy
Dawn Miller
Zondervan, May 1 2010, $9.99
www.zondervan.com
ISBN: 9780310714330

As children, they encountered two groups of beings not of this world. One side tried to kill the five of them while the other saved their lives, but made them forget that horrific day. They all went their separate ways. However, Sam, Jonas, J, Carly and Jenna suffer nightmares. Sam is stunned by the horrible painting he created while asleep so he contacts the others only to learn they suffer nightmares too.

They agree to meet in St. Louis, but on the road each encounters danger from adversaries trying to prevent their rediscovering what occurred. The quintet soon learns they are the Watchers caught in a raging war between warrior angels and fallen ones that normal mortals cannot sense engulf them. The Mazzi-kin know of the Watchers who are a key element in the end prophecy and like the Grigori want the five dead. However God’s Warrior Angels are entrusted to keep these pivotal teens safe as the beginning of the end of the heavenly war has the teens playing pivotal roles.

This classic good vs. evil spellbinding novel grips readers throughout as the audience and the Watchers learn of the heaven-hell war on earth. Each of the members of the human quintet is different with a couple unlikable. The three otherworldly groups come across genuine with diverse attitudes. The Fallen mated with humans against God’s Orders and initially seemed sympathetic towards mankind but think of wolf in sheep’s clothing; the Grigori are in your face evil and loathe humanity; and finally the Warrior Angels have no allegiance to the sons and daughters of Adam except as directed by God so they come across as superior and aloof. Ironically they are the savior group (besides the heroic teens) in a delightful good, bad and ugly apocalyptic chronicle.

Harriet Klausner