Lawson’s review of Vampire, Interrupted (Argeneau Vampires, Book 9) by Lynsay Sands
Paranormal romance released  26 Feb 08 by Avon

For everyone that’s been waiting, Marguerite’s story is here. If you were expecting something good, you’re getting something great. Interrupted ranks up there as probably one of the best of the series. The set up for Interrupted goes back through quite a few in the series, starting with the end of A Bite to Remember with Marguerite agreeing to help find an immortal’s mother. Marguerite then goes missing and spurs most of the action in Vampires are Forever. The action starts of explaining some of the things that happened to lead to Marguerite’s disappearance. Be warned, there are spoilers ahead.

Marguerite, her PI partner and the immortal whose mother she’s looking for, Christian Notte are in London following leads. They end up having to go on the run because of an attempt on Marguerite’s life. Joining them is Christian’s father, Julian Notte, his uncle Marcus, and his two cousins, all who are there to help the search,or hinder the search depending on their motives. There are a series of events that lead to Marguerite loosing contact with her family and thus lead them to believe foul play has been involved.

Following more leads the group ends up in York where Christian was supposedly born. His mother is found rather quickly there: it’s Marguerite. Shocking as it is, Sands makes it all work and sound logical. She and Julius had met in York, fallen in love, gotten married, all while thinking Marguerite was a widow at the time. Remember these are immortals, so this happened in 1490. Suddenly though Marguerite’s husband, Jean Claude, comes back from the dead (there is a good reason for this, but that would be way too many spoilers), and her relationship with Julius comes to an abrupt end.

Again, not to give too many spoilers away, the plot never lags, everything is explained in a way that makes sense, in keeping with Sands’ Argeneau world. Marguerite’s emotions always fit with what’s happening to her and Julius is a perfect fit for her. And the fact that he forgives her for leaving him and their child before he finds out the truth about why she left way back when shows he’s a great hero. Every event and question is explained in a logical way and characters don’t act in any way against what they should.

There’s an amazing chemistry between Marguerite and Julius, a great plot, good secondary characters and a very satisfying resolution. If this is the first book in the Argenau series you read, it’s a great place to start and be sure to go back and read the others.

Grade: A-

Blurb:

     IT WAS A CASE SHE COULD SINK HER TEETH INTO . . .

After seven hundred years of life, Marguerite Argeneau finally has a career. Well, the start of one, anyway. She’s training to be a private investigator, and her first assignment is to find an immortal’s mother. It seemed simple enough, until Marguerite wakes up one evening to find herself at the wrong end of a sword. Now she realizes she’s in way over her head.

Julius Notte wants to protect Marguerite, and not because someone just tried to take her head off. She doesn’t know it yet, but she’s his lifemate and he’s determined to woo her. It’s been over five hundred years since he last courted a woman, but surely the techniques haven’t changed. Now if only he can keep her alive (so to speak) so they can have that happily-ever-after.

Read an excerpt.

Read Lawson’s review of Book 7 here, and Book 8 here.

Other books in this series: