"Strong second Darkyn vampire romantic suspense"

Diabetic Jema Shaw knows that death is imminent as only the treatments by family friend Dr. Daniel Bradford and her will to live life to the fullest keeps her breathing. During the day Jema works as an antiquities expert at the family owned Shaw Museum while at night she is a crime scene technician for the Chicago Police Department.

His wife Angelica betrayed the Darkyn Thierry Durand to the Brethen. They tortured him and though he was rescued and Dr. Keller healed his body, he is insane. The American head of the Darkyn Michael Cyprien orders Chicago Seneschal Falco Erhart to bring Thierry in.

Thierry sees Jema at a homicide crime scene and finds she provides a mental anchor for him. He creates in her dreams a fantasy world where they are together forever. However reality in terms of Falco and his minion and the Brethen collide with Jema forcing a willing Thierry to risk his existence to keep the mortal he loves safe.

The strong second Darkyn vampire romantic suspense (see IF ANGELS BURN) is a tense multifaceted thriller that plays out on two major levels. First there is the superb confrontation between the Darkyn and the Brethen with Jema as bait; the outcome is in doubt throughout. Secondly there is the romantic triangle between the two Darkyn rivals as both desires Jema; readers will wonder which one she will choose, if any. Fans of Lori Handeland's "Moon" novels will want to read Lynn Viehl's delightful tale.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted September 15, 2005

Summary

Antiquities expert Jema Shaw has two lives: one during the day, when she catalogs museum artifacts and cares for her crippled, bitter mother; the other during the night, when she works with police to search for crime scene evidence. The only place Jem truly feels alive is in her dreams, where unlike real life she can pretend that she's safe and loved and wanted. Yet when a demon warrior begins showing up in her mind each night, he draws Jem with him into her most secret, intimate fantasies. Finding the key to solving three brutal assault and murder cases, however, isn't as difficult for Jem as waking up to discover that her dream lover is very real—as are the killers coming for both of them.