Veena’s review of Thirst (The Energy Vampires, Book 1) by Jacquelyn Frank
Paranormal Romance published by Loveswept 17 Jan 17
Ms. Frank’s so-very-different and quirky take on familiar paranormal species keeps me coming back every time I hear she has a new release. This time it’s energy sucking vampires who walk in the sun and their arch enemies, the sycophants, who set the stage for what will make an interesting series.
Renee has seen a lot of really weird and bad stuff on her job as a homicide detective in New York, but the latest murder she’s called out to investigate has her puzzled. There’s no apparent motive, no conventional cause of death except twin puncture marks on the victim’s neck. Vampires only exist in a writer’s imagination and not wandering the streets of New York. Right?
Rafe Silva is in the upper echelon of the vampire government. He’s trying to keep the lid on a crime scene that might expose his secret world. The energy vampires, as they are called, are on the cusp of a historic peace agreement that their enemies will do everything they can to prevent from coming to fruition. A few murders are just the icing on an energy-filled cake.
What do the police know about the murder? Rafe sets off on a reconnaissance mission to get into the head of the lead detective on the case. He engineers a chance encounter at the grocery story, leading to dinner for both of them. Renee’s energy intoxicates Rafe and suddenly he finds himself bending the rules and laws he’s architected to keep her with him and safe from the attention of his enemies.
Readers get an interesting education into Ms. Frank’s brave new world that shake up some of our long-held beliefs about vampires. There are some suspenseful moments as Rafe and Renee team up to stop the sycophants from further killing. The author leaves us on a cliffhanger, which leads me to believe that there will be more books in this world by Ms. Frank, though none are announced yet.
Grade: B
Summary:
A hidden society of vampires—and the humans they love—are at the heart of this opening novel in a biting, all-original series from the New York Times bestselling author of the Nightwalkers saga.
Rafe DaSilva is an energy vampire, soaking up nourishment from the sun—and, only when necessary, drawing sweet sustenance from humans who are pure in body and spirit. As the right-hand man to his queen, Rafe is a key player at a historic peace summit in New York City, which will unite the vampire nations against a common threat: the sycophants, who feed on humanity and kill indiscriminately. But Rafe’s fascination with a beautiful blond police detective may put everything at risk.Detective Renee Holden has never worked a homicide quite like this. The victim has twin puncture wounds on his neck, and the only eyewitness swears she saw a vampire. Now’s definitely not the time to get distracted by a seductive stranger. But the suave, darkly austere, exotically handsome Rafe DaSilva is a hard man to deny, and as Renee falls under his spell, she also falls prey to his enemies. Desperate to protect her, Rafe lifts the veil on a shadow realm she can only visit—a world of intoxicating power, terrifying dangers, and forbidden pleasures.
No excerpt available.
