Kim Harrison, Lynsay Sands, Kelley Armstrong, and Lori Handeland, Dates from Hell

Dates from Hell

Kim Harrison, Lynsay Sands, Kelley Armstrong, and Lori Handeland

Avon, Apr 2006, $6.99, 416 pp.

ISBN: 006085409X

"Undead in the Garden of Good and Evil" by Kim Harrison. Inderland Security Homicide Division cop and living vampire Ivy seeks a killer who knows her every move, even as she evades the moves of her boss Art an undead vampire. The trail twists and turns leaving Ivy wondering who is the rogue serial killer.

"The Claire Switch Project" by Lynsay Sands. No longer having patience with the slow progress of the experiments on molecular destabilizing animals, John turns the beam on Claire. Kyle returns to the lab to get Claire away from the beam. Neither know the longer term effect, but Kyle realizes how frightened and in love he is, while Claire has loved him since high school.

"Chaotic" by Kelley Armstrong. On Other-world, half-breed demon Hope works for True News tabloid covering stories of the weird. At a party, she observes shape-shifter Karl stealing from a safe, and catches him just as expected by an agent of the Interracial Council. Keeping him handcuffed without using her female wiles proves difficult and dangerous; not that she is complaining.

"Dead Man Dating" by Lori Handeland. After months without a date Kit is with Eric, but is unaware that he died a few hours ago. She soon learns that her date is a demon, albeit a headless one, when hunter Chavez blows Eric's head off. Suddenly every soulless and a few "souled" folks are interested in Kit, perhaps the last virgin in Manhattan; only Chavez keeps her safe, but he wants her virginity too.

These are four terrific romantic fantasies with delightful lead couples. The tales by Ms. Harrison and Ms. Armstrong occur in the locales of their continuing series adding to the pleasure.