"Readers, buckle your seatbelts, Touch of Evil is a non-stop thrilling ride"

Readers, buckle your seatbelts, Touch of Evil is a non- stop thrilling ride!

Katie Reilly has been through a lot in her life. She's traveled the world as an international courier, watched her brother become a drug "zombie," and fallen in love only to have her former best friend steal the man. Oh, and she's had her former lover sacrifice her to the parasitic vampire Thrall to save his own hide. This all happens before the story even begins...

Fast forward six years. Katie has discovered that being attacked by the Thrall has magnified her already strong natural psychic abilities. Now the new Thrall Queen, Monica is near death and must find her successor before she and the whole hive die. Unfortunately for Katie, she has been hand picked to replace Monica, who will stop at nothing to get her.

When Tom, an incredibly sexy werewolf, rents an apartment from her things begin to change dramatically. For the first time since Dylan betrayed her, Katie feels stirrings of desire for a man. Just as their relationship seems to be getting good, Dylan comes to her to protect his niece, also chosen as a possible successor to Monica. Never did Katie expect the way that would affect her life. Tom knows more than he is telling... and her life, and those of her family and friends are in more danger than ever. Just why are the werewolves so intent on interfering with her job to protect the young girl? Can Katie get past her mistrust of Tom to experience the shifting love they share?

With Touch of Evil, CT Adams and Cathy Clamp prove once again they are a stellar writing team in the paranormal romance genre. The action starts immediately and carries readers through to the several peak moments that all lead up to the final confrontation between good and evil. The tension is gripping and the multiple minor story lines all work together to enhance the main plotline, never detracting from it.

Katie is a take charge kind of girl, insisting on doing everything alone. One of the lessons she must learn is that everyone has their strong traits, which complement hers to make the combined team a force to be reckoned with. Her history makes her who she is, and this reviewer loved her all the more for her weaknesses, as well as her strengths. Of course, one can't forget her sexy werewolf, Tom, whose strong alpha wolf tendencies give him the desire to protect Katie at any cost, even when she doesn't believe she needs his help.

One will especially love the authors' vampire world. They use a completely different concept than this reviewer has ever read. The vampires are actually parasitic creatures that take over the human "host" in order to survive. There's certainly nothing sexy about these bloodsuckers, unlike how vampires are so often portrayed in the romance genre. It's also interesting to have the community of the Thrall being described as hives, very similar to what people think of in regards to bees. Some of the best descriptive scenes can be found when the behavior and actions of the Thrall are being illustrated.

If readers are looking for a completely different kind of vampire story, blended in to a society where werewolves are common, though looked down upon as inferior, and featuring a leather-clad, tough as nails warrior woman like Katie, then Touch of Evil by CT Adams and Cathy Clamp will more than satisfy the craving. What's even better? There are obviously many stories yet to be told about Katie and company.

© Kelley A. Hartsell, December 2005. All rights reserved.

Reviewed by Kelley Hartsell
Courtesy Love Romances
Posted April 25, 2006

Summary

Kate Reilly has a hard time trusting people.

Six years ago, the love of her life turned her over to the vampire parasites who call themselves the Thrall. Katie survives the powerful bite of the master parasite only to discover that the Thrall's venom, coupled with her own natural psychic ability, has transformed her. Now she is next in line to be the Thrall queen — and each day might be her last as a human.

Tom, a handsome firefighter, arouses all of Katie's dormant senses, but her heart shies away. After Dylan's betrayal, how can she trust any man — even a seemingly perfect and terribly sexy werewolf?

Tom's sincerity — and sex appeal — begins to wear down Katie's defenses. But his increasingly insistent charm hides a potentially deadly secret: his werewolf pack is hiding the one person who can stop the Thrall from completing Katie's transformation into Queen — and they won't give her up!