Maggie Shayne, Demon's Kiss

Demon's Kiss

Maggie Shayne

Mira, December 2007, $7.99

ISBN: 9780778324973

When he worked as a cover operator for the CIA he was human, though he preferred being a lone wolf, as he felt safer depending on himself rather than the screw-ups of a team mate. Since those days, Raphael "Reaper" Rivera has become a vampire, but he remains dedicated to being a lone wolf, as he plans to live a long time.

Rhiannon hires Reaper to kill rogue vampire Gregor and his pack that are spread all over the southeast United States causing havoc, but figures he is the right person for the job because he is a lone assassin with no emotional ties. Rhiannon says he lies about his feelings as he cares about the Chosen Seth Connor, who he protects. However, he suddenly has an apprentice, just turned undead Seth, who admires Reaper and wants him to mentor him. Not happy to have to protect a sidekick, he soon finds himself with an unwanted pack, as Roxy the human healer, Topaz the rich vampiress and Vixen the shape shifter join his newly formed squad after he rescues the two females from Gregor's growing zombie vampires

This is a much more complex tale than described above, as Reaper's team pairs off romantically. Although no one stands out amongst the players, each person on Reaper's team contains a different personality that the individual maintains throughout whether in danger or love. Fans of romantic fantasy will appreciate Maggie Shayne's entertaining thriller, just keep a scorecard handy.