Sara Reinke, Dark Hunger

Dark Hunger

Sara Reinke

Zebra, Sep 2008, $4.99

ISBN: 1420100548

Pregnant vampiress Tessa Davenant has had enough with the abuse and meanness of her spouse Martin five times her age and a zillion times anyone's cruelty. She leaves the Brethren Kentucky estate, a place she never left before, to travel to New Orleans to help her fraternal twin Brandon Noble convicted to die by the family elders.

Half-breed vampiric outsider Rene Morin is her escort although his constant criticizing of her is disturbing especially since she is attracted to the former cop. He tries to hide his desires for her behind the facade of assuming she is a wealthy spoiled rich woman. As they journey to still desolate post Katrina Louisiana, someone follows them with the intent of killing both of them and her brother and his human lover Lina, Rene's ex-police partner.

This is a terrific vampire romantic suspense that sort of uses a patriarchal community similar in some ways to the Mennonites as the home base of the Brethren. The storyline is action-paced from the onset as the lead couple is attracted tone another, but refuses to act on their desires. Although well written, some of the support characters' activities seem too obfuscate with implications that the reader should peruse the previous tale 'Dark Thirst' for a better understanding. Still this is a fine paranormal romantic thriller due mostly to the prime duet.

Harriet Klausner