To stop a vampire killer, she’ll have to slay her own demons first.

A provocative and savvy vampire, Alexandra Sabian moves to the sleepy hamlet of Jefferson, Mississippi—population 6,000, half vampires—to escape the demons lurking in her past. As an enforcer for the Federal Bureau of Preternatural Investigations (FBPI), Alex must maintain the uneasy peace between her kind and humans, including Jefferson’s bigoted sheriff, who’d be happy to see all vampires banished from town. Then really dead vamps start turning up—beheaded, crucified, and defanged, the same gruesome manner in which Alex’s father was murdered decades ago. For Alex, the professional has become way too personal.

Things get even more complicated when the FBPI sends in some unnervingly sexy backup: Alex’s onetime mentor, lover, and fiancé, Varik Baudelaire. Still stinging from the betrayal that ended their short-lived engagement, Alex is determined not to give in to the temptation that soon threatens to short-circuit her investigation. But as the vamp body count grows and the public panic level rises, Varik may be Alex’s only hope to stop a relentless killer who’s got his own score to settle and his own bloody past to put right.

One of Mom's Vampire books ready to travel in the Vampire Book Box.

This book rode to the end of the line in the Vampire Bookbox.

I went into this book casually, assuming it would be one of the generic paranormal romances that I find plenty of. I was actually impressed to find a compelling paranormal mystery and a interesting romance. There are plenty of areas that still lack originality (mostly character traits), but the well-layered plot and tight writing helped carry me over those stumbling spots. The large assortment of characters played off each other well, and there were some plot twists that had me scrambling to re-write my guesses about who was involved in which crimes. Varik, the love-interest, is quite unoriginal, but I enjoyed the way that Holmes wrote the couple carrying a torch despite a very messy breakup.

One of the starting volumes in the Otherworldly (Shrinking) Bookbox

I see this book is making the rounds in another Emmejo's bookbox. Hope someone else selects it so that it doesn't end back with her.

I'm claiming this from the Otherworldly bookbox.

Later: The southern setting and political subplots (the Human Separatist Movement among them!), plus the feisty vampire heroine with her peril-magnet brother and her troubled love-life, all beg comparison to the Sookie Stackhouse books - but I think Holmes has managed her own tone and style. I wasn't that keen on the political infighting - too much like real-life news! - but the rest of the story was entertaining.

I'm adding this to the Vampire bookbox, which will be on its way soon. Enjoy!

*** Released for the 2018 Keep Them Moving release challenge. ***

This journeyed to me as part of the recently-unstalled Vampire Bookbox. Since these books have been out of circulation for the last five years, I am setting them aside to use for a new round.

Added to the new edition of the Vampire Bookbox

Choosing this from the vampire bookbox 🧛‍♂️