A Candace Steele Vampire Killer Novel

Candace Steele is one tough, vampire-killing chick. She leads a complex life, with her profession hidden under the guise of a cocktail waitress at the Scheherazade -- the newest, hottest casino in Vegas -- but even that’s a cover: she’s a valued member of hotel security. And her personal life? Complicated. Ashford Donahue III is the love of her life…but. Ash is a vampire – powerful, dangerous, seductive, and the one temptation Candace cannot resist. Their last encounter was almost fatal, leaving her physically and emotionally scarred…and with a unique talent. She has the power to sense vampires. For Candace, vampire-killing isn’t just a job. It’s personal.

When pop diva Temptation McCoy is signed on by the casino as a big-ticket draw, Candace is chosen for the diva’s security detail. However, the situation rapidly veers off from an ordinary security job into very dangerous territory. She feels a familiar ice-cold tingle in the middle of a lavish party thrown in the star’s honor, which can only mean one very bad thing. There’s a vampire around, and it’s made itself right at home in Temptation McCoy’s entourage.

Plus, a headless corpse was found in the parking lot of a local strip club, leading her to believe something else is going on – like maybe a power play in the secret vampire community. However, when another corpse is found in the same parking lot, it hits a lot closer to home. She knows the victim. So does Temptation McCoy.

And Ash is in town, making a solemn vow to do everything within his power to win back Candace’s heart.

I love this heroine. She’s smart, a smartass, and a royal pain in the ass (as every character tells her.) She’s a believable character, and the author doesn’t rely on some heavy-handed supernatural power in order for Candace to do an efficient job. She has a simple talent for sniffing out the undead, and some mighty sharp reflexes (there isn’t much killing to be had, though.) Candace is also quite fallible: her idea of doing the right thing isn’t always the best thing for her friends…or lovers. Especially Ash. Without each other they’re suffering, but there is no dramatic overkill or wailing about the unfairness of life. When they are with each other…

The sexual relationship is the big pay-off in this novel. It’s sensual, graphic in just the right way, and drawn out to the point of exasperation (one particular scene had me grabbing for a cigarette.) What’s even more impressive is that the novel is told in first-person. To pull off a love scene in such an impressive way garners high marks with me.

If you’re a fan of paranormal romance, do not miss this spicy debut. The sequel, Luscious Craving, will be in bookstores December 2006.

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Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Ballantine Books (October 31, 2006)
ISBN: 0345492536
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