Blood Secrets

Vivi Anna, has written an excellent paranormal romance and the first Nocturne book I could not only finish, but devour. She has made her name to my must buy list.

I haven't been all that tempted by the new Harlequin/Silhouette Nocturne paranormal line so far, but I couldn't pass this one up--we have the alternate-modern-day setting (mostly like our own world but with vamps and other beasties running around) that I like so much, plus some pretty good police procedural/CSI stuff, plus kind-of-hot vampire romance. I loved the setting, Necropolis, a city built on an abandoned military base as a refuge/home for all sorts of paranormal types, including vampires, werewolves and witches. Necropolis is near San Antonio but the human and nonhuman worlds aren't supposed to interact, except they do and a human woman ends up dead in Necropolis. This is the reason for the insertion of Eve Grant, human criminologist, into CAine Valorian's crack Necropolis PD forensic team. Of course Caine (leader of the team) and Eve have an irresistable attraction to each other, while they work side by side trying to figure out who killed the girl and what they might be planning to do with the blood they took from her. Necropolis, where it's pretty dangerous to be human, even if you are a trained police type, is the best part of this book. Second best part--the interesting team working with and around Caine. I am sure they are due books of their own at some point. If you like the CSI tv show format (lots of science jargon, friction between team members etc) and the typical paranormal ingredients, this is definitely a book to check out. Alas, the actual crime plot was on the weakish side, or at least wrapped up far too hastily, or maybe not at all and will be continuing in further books. I wasn't sure what the bad guy was up to and if there really was a bigger bad he was working for, who showed up or not. If the plot goes on in further books it will clarify this, but I wasn't sure whether this was supposed to stand alone or not. I also was a little let down bythe romance plot. Heavy on the angsty "humans and vampires can't mix" side, when they do finally get together I wasn't as convinced as Caine and Eve seem to be that this will all work out. Of course, again, this storyline may continue in further books which would make everything in this book ultimately make more sense. My mind remains open and I look forward to more books in the series, as well as other work by Vivi Anna.

Necropolis wasn't all that different from any other city in America; high-rises brushed the night sky, storefronts lined the busy streets, fluorescent signs declared this week's special sales and couples out on the town lined up to get into the hottest nightclubs. There was a difference though... the people. They weren't human, they were Other. For the most part, the existence of the Otherworld community was a guarded secret from the rest of the world. The human populace on a whole weren't aware of the existence of any Otherworld community, let alone a city built just for them fifty miles outside of San Antonio, Texas, behind the chain link fence of a supposed military installation. Caine Valorian is a Crime Scene Investigator for the city of Necropolis. His lab is his baby and he spent months setting it up, getting it organized, buying the equipment; all of it funded by his own sizeable fortune. A vampire didn't live as long as he had without amassing some wealth... if he was smart. Since the death of his wife, Caine hasn't had anything to do with relationships, other than professional ones. Why did she have to open her big fat mouth at the emergency lab meeting and say that working in the Otherworld Crime Unit would be no big deal? Eve Grant works as a Crime Scene Investigator in San Antonio and has for the past two years. She's processed evidence and maintained the computer lab, and although she'd been out on a few crime scenes while in training, this would be the first one she'd be out in the field alone... well, not quite alone. The first time Caine saw Eve, he thought she looked like a Malibu Stacy Barbie doll. There was an instant attraction¾which was odd for him; especially since she was a human. The attraction became stronger when she proved herself to be extremely intelligent and good at her job. This was bad, he needed to keep his mind on the case, not on the human that came in to help with it. Eve expected Caine Valorian to look like a classic movie vampire... long black hair, aristocratic features, and pale blue eyes but the only thing he and the vampire in her mind have in common was the color of his hair. She was in trouble. She just arrived and she was already imagining the lead investigator of the case in flagrante. The case... she had to keep her mind and attention on finding out what a young human woman was not only doing in a city that is off-limits to the human race, but who her murderer is. Valorian Chronicles is a book that totally captivated me with its intense emotion, mystery and adventure. Every step that Caine and Eve took solving Lillian's murder brought me closer to finding out who the murderer was, but even with the occasional glimpse into the killer's mind and life, as well as the clues that were found, I didn't figure it out until the end. Both the romance and the mystery in the Valorian Chronicles told in this alternate reality felt so real, that I could easily not only see the story as

In downtown Necropolis at a room in the Black Heart Hotel, Otherworld Crime Unit Chief Caine Valorian a vampire and his top aids Jace Jericho and Lyra Magice struggle with the case of a woman's throat sliced, but little blood at the crime scene. Though a bloodsucker apparently bit the human victim, the amount of blood apparently taken is way beyond the pint normally consumed; that amount should have left them with a comatose culprit lying in his or her vomit. This murder could be the final impetus leading to an interspecies war. Caine also has a new cop on his team; one whose assignment makes no sense to him to be working the paranormal crime beat. His superior at Necropolis Police Department Captain Mahina Garner has assigned human Eve Grant to work for him breaking a glass ceiling as no human has ever been placed on this squad. Though Eve proves to be a superior dedicated investigator, she poses a second problem for Valorian; he is attracted to her and struggles to contain his desire for her as he knows cross species romances normally fail and besides, one should never mix pleasure with work especially with a subordinate. As he holds his need in check, they work in close proximity on a homicide case that if not solved fast could expedite the impending interspecies war. The key to why BLOOD SECRETS is a superb paranormal romantic police procedural is that the lead couple and the support cast (on both sides of the law) make Necropolis seem genuine; thus the fantasy elements come across as real. The relationship between the vampire chief and his human detective enhances the whodunit with the fear of a dangerous civil war between species lurking on the horizon. Viva Vivi! Harriet Klausner

Human victims just aren't found in Necropolis.... Necropolis doesn't exist on any map, but those of otherworld persuasion know of it and recognize it as a safe haven from humans who don't understand their differences. Caine Valorian is a vampire and a member of the Otherworld Crime Unit (OCU). The shock of finding a human victim in Necropolis brings human investigator Eve Grant into the picture. Caine wants to resist his attraction to her, but will he be able to? And who is behind this vicious murder? Vivi Anna takes readers on a wild ride into a fascinating world that is just on the fringes of society, hidden from all humans, where vampires, witches, and werewolves coexist. Caine's team on the OCU is a captivating one that leaves readers hungering to know more about these quirky individuals, particularly Lyra Magice and her dead grandmother with whom she regularly converses! Caine is a fabulous alpha male and his desire to protect Eve while allowing her to show her own talents is touching. Eve's own growth as a character is beautiful to witness as she becomes more comfortable with herself. BLOOD SECRETS is a shining gem for the Silhouette Nocturne series as it showcases the phenomenal writing talent of Vivi Anna. Better known for her erotica, Ms. Anna maintains the sensual tone one would expect while combining it with the eerie atmosphere necessary to make the Necropolis work. This reviewer hopes to see more of the Necropolis and its inhabitants in future books. BLOOD SECRETS is highly recommended! COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES