Wicked Is the Night

I (finally) got around to "Wicked is the Night" by Catherine Mulvany in my TBR pile of books. Not a bad read...for those of us who are major paranormal romance afficianados, this book is very light on the paranormal aspect. I'd have to easily say that this book falls more under the romantic suspense genre than anything else. The romance aspect is also on the lighter side with the majority of the plotline delving into the mystery of Nevada White, our heroine, who is an escapee from The Appleton Institute - a noted facility for both mental illness and psi research. Nevada cannot recall her past and is on the run from those who seek to silence her before she regains her memories. Unfortunately for Nevada, those on her tail are vampires hired by her half-brother Daniel Snowden, a politician with terrible secrets to keep. By chance, Nevada's path crosses that of Trick Grainger, a retired (due to injuries) race car driver and his friend/assistant Marcello. Without giving much more away, Trick believes in Nevada and works to help her find out who she really is as well as to keep her safe. I found that the (very) secondary plot of Marcello and Britt (a next door neighbor who owns a successful lodge) and their budding romance blocked by tragedy was very interesting & I hope to see Mulvany return to these two characters in a future book. My biggest concern with this book was the ending...the book wrapped itself up in record time & everything fell into place a bit too quickly/cleanly...it smacks of the author finding out that her deadline was looming on the horizon quickly & she needed to wrap it up ASAP. Felt like a very rushed ending compared to the more detailed plot. All in all, not a bad read & enjoyable for those romantic suspense fans.

Nevada White is a strong heroine . From the time she catapults out of the cab of a moving semi, crawls back up the embankment to meet Patrick Donnatelli Granger to the end when she believes she must leave Trick-for his good and for very good reasons. Trick is an ex race car driver with a bum knee and a pirates eye patch. He is drinking to escape the past-the loss of the life he led pre-accident. Nevada is running from a past that she does not remember. She does know that someone is trying to kill her. Trick hires Navada to clean his 'mansion'--an old bordello formerly run by an ancestor. His new housekeeper bears an uncany resemblence to Blanche, one of the "girls" in the old whorehouse. Good thing I had time to read the last couple of days. The fast pace and twists and turns of this story made for short sleep time.

Patrick "Trick" Grainger is still recovering from a racecar crash that has ended his racing career. He may need an eye patch now, but he can see when a woman is thrown from the truck ahead of him one night. Trick stops to see if she is okay and to try and help. His mystery woman looks exactly like his ghost to Trick's shock. This rescue will lead to Trick discovering that vampires do exist and that they are not much nicer than some humans he could think of. Nevada White is scared and running for her life. She escaped from an institution with the help of a friend, but she has no idea who she is, where she came from or why she was placed in there in the first place. Low on funds, Nevada accepted a ride from a trucker, but that was not her best idea as she found out having to escape from him. Falling to the path of an oncoming car is not the best idea either, but it seems that luck is on Nevada's side. Trick and his assistant Marcello give Nevada a ride and offer her a job at his supposed haunted house. Nevada is too scared to take anything knowing that anyone who has helped her so far has turned up dead. Circumstances and fear pull Trick and Nevada back together and they begin to find much more in common than the mystery surrounding Nevada and his ghost. Nevada is falling for Trick but she has nothing - not even her name so how can she begin a life with him. Trick isn't planning on letting Nevada go and is going to help her find the way to her hidden memories. Vampires, hunters, deceit and love all come together when Nevada and Trick discover just who she is and how she lost everything. Wicked is the Night isn't quite true because it's the characters in the night that are the wicked things here. Nevada spent years being known as a subject number. After escaping she hits the road with a vague idea of wanting to find out who she is. Trick has come out of a career ending accident and is trying to get a family house ready to sell. When Trick and Nevada decide to work together to figure out both their mysteries, they are extremely surprised on where it leads them. Both Trick and Nevada had been punched very hard by life, but I couldn't help but be amazed that they both looked at the upside and not the pity side. I loved the spunkiness that both showed on the events of the past, working on the mysteries of the present and hope for the future. When the final confrontation came, the ending was poetic justice in my books. I was extremely fulfilled when I turned the last page loving how things had worked out for Trick and Nevada. My hope is that Ms. Mulvany will give Marcello his happy ending at a future time. Wicked is the Night is a book you won't want to put down after you get into it - I know I didn't and I read it in one sitting. Jo Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Racing car driver Patrick "Trick Granger is fortunate to be alive even though his career is over because he injured his knee. He and his assistant Marcello Bellini are driving from Tahoe to Placerville where he recently inherited a home that was once a brothel and is now haunted by nineteenth century hooker turned ghost Blanche. Nevada White knows two men are after her since she escaped from the Appleton Institute. When a trucker tosses her from his van, Trick notices and gets Marcello to rescue her. She is upset as she lost a gold amulet; her only item from her mom, whoever she was. Nevada has some psychic skills, but they are not helping her remember. They stop at a truck stop and she leaves them. When she sees the two thugs pursuing her at truck stop, she sneaks back into Trick's car. Trick finds the man who deserted Nevada on the road dead with tons of blood everywhere. Trick and Marcello continue their drive, but are stopped by Detectives Branson and Collier who insist they are looking for an escaped killer who murdered her father. Trick sends them towards Sacramento as he refuses to believe Nevada is a killer. Over the next few days he tries to protect her, he knows someone wants her dead, but not whom; as they struggle to figure out just who is Nevada White. The relationship between the lead couple is terrific as they are attracted to one another, but her lack of a past makes her hesitate to trust anyone. Critical to the strong paranormal romantic suspense plot are vampires seem real; especially how messy they can be when they dine on humans. Although not enough explanation on the Appleton Research Facility is provided and for someone with a bad knee, Trick gets around rather easily, sub-genre readers will relish this fine thriller. Harriet Klausner

Nevada White can't remember anything about herself, not even her real name. Unfortunately, that hasn't stopped two men from hunting her and trying to kill her! Luckily, she meets Trick Granger, a former race car driver who is willing to help. Trick has his own dark past, a family curse that has plagued his family for generations. Could there be a tie between their pasts? And just who is after Nevada and why do the deaths left behind eerily resemble vampire killings? Oh, what a great story Catherine Mulvany weaves! WICKED IS THE NIGHT has it all- a hot romance, a mysterious curse, a missing past, and vampires! What more could a reader ask for? In fact, part of what makes WICKED IS THE NIGHT so enjoyable is the multilayered story. However, that doesn't negate the fantastic character development of WICKED IS THE NIGHT. Nevada is one gutsy heroine! Her determination to succeed, heck, her survival of everything thrown at her by the Appleton Institute and its minions, is simply incredible. Nevada is a woman who has lost everything and it is beautiful to see her overcoming the horrific obstacles she has encountered. Trick is the perfect hero for her. He's an honorable man but one plagued by his own misfortunes. Only a man with his daring attitude would have been willing to take a chance with Nevada and his caring and concern only further endeared him to me. And oh, Marcello, what a secondary character! Please, please tell me he'll have his own book! WICKED IS THE NIGHT is a fast paced, enjoyable paranormal romance. Highly recommended! COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES