Amanda Ashley, Desire After Dark

Desire After Dark

Amanda Ashley

Zebra, Feb 2006, $6.50

ISBN: 0821776835

In Pear Blossom Creek, waitress Victoria Cavendish works the late shift at Ozzy's Diner. A customer leaves with a red haired woman without eating his meal. The next day this occurs again. The next morning Victoria learns that two red haired women have been murdered; both left the diner with the stranger. She is a bit concerned because she has red hair.

That night the stranger offers to take Victoria home. Surprising herself she agrees. He explains that he is Antonio Batista, and that Victoria needs to keep her door locked. She invites him inside, but instead he leaves. He stays nearby concerned that the vampire Dimitri Falco might come for Victoria.

A third woman is dead and a new stranger arrives in town, vampire hunter Tom Duncan, who warns her to beware of the man with the yellow eyes as he is killing red headed women. That night Victoria sees yellow eyes; Antonio arrives and advises Falco to leave or else. Soon the three strangers converge over Victoria. Antonio is willing to fully die for the human he loves; Yellow Eyes is obsessed with adding her to his red-haired dining pleasure; and Tom distrusts anyone who sups on human blood.

The strong lead couple, and the solid support cast (including the return of the heroes of AFTER SUNDOWN) make for a fine vampire romance. The storyline feels more like a mystery than a horror thriller, though the war of the vampires is anticipated by the audience. Though Falco's red headed obsession is never explained, and some readers might not appreciate the simplicity of the final conflict (this reviewer thought it was on the mark and apropos), supernatural romantic suspense readers will enjoy reading this fine tale.