A TASTE OF CRIMSON

Author: Marjorie M. Liu ISBN: 0843955759 8/2005 PARANORMAL Publisher: DORCHESTER/Love Spell

Los Angeles is no longer the City of Angels; dark things haunt its streets - dark, restless things. Bodies have been found, and the tentative peace between humans, vampires and werewolves teeters on the brink of collapse. Keeli Maddox needs to know why. If she and her kin are to survive, she must trust a man as different from her as night from day, as tooth from claw. He's a slayer, a betrayer, an enemy. But nobility lurks in dark places, and Keeli herself is no stranger to shadow. As sure as the moon will rise, Michael was meant for her. Life is about to change. Only three things will remain: the color of blood, the hot joy of skin on skin, and the danger in...A TASTE OF CRIMSON.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

What an absolutely gripping way to introduce readers to the beginning of the new paranormal series, Crimson City. A TASTE OF CRIMSON is a story that expands on the myth that vampires and werewolves don't mix, yet it proves that like so many other prejudices, some rules are just made to be broken. And boy, are they broken here.

Add great complex and crazy characters, a one-of-a-kind storyline that includes such descriptive and colorful writing (I swear I am in the room smelling the smells, and fighting the battles along side the hero and heroine), and a few gruesome mysteries to keep you busy between the sex scenes, and voilà—near perfection.

So, why a 4 Rose and not a Top Pick rating then? Well, as fantastic and marvelous as this book is, one thing bothers me that I truly hope will not bother or distract you from its true beauty. I figured all but one of the mysteries way before the ending. That sucks. I didn't figure out WHY certain things were happening (which is still big, so keep reading even if you figure everything else out, too), but I knew WHO orchestrated the whole bizarre scenario, and just WHAT was causing such havoc. I cannot believe with as smart and sassy as the heroine is, that she didn't know the answer to that last one.

Despite that one flaw, the book is still worth more than a simple review can say, because the writing is superb and the plot too complex to ever be over with this one book. Hence, the series, I guess. Also, the characters are too nasty, sad, happy in love, crazy, and confusing to not see how they fair. I can't wait to see what else happens in this Crimson City. Bring it on!

Shannon Johnson